So what to swap them out with

[chrissy]

Don’t know if this has been posted before but.

What’s the general feeling about what to replace the shocks with if this DRC carries on?

When the day comes that, my motor is out of warranty and the DRC shows its ugly head I will certainly be looking for something to sort it out with.

Any recommendations?

[Andyuk911]

KW3s, APM has

[PetrolDave]

One of the things I really like about the RS4 is that it's ride is softer and more compliant than the B6 S4s I had beforehand, yet the cornering attitude is flatter.

I don't see how any aftermarket non-interlinked shocks will offer that balance?

[ghoonk]

No idea, but from what I gather from AW, RS246 and AZ, KWs and Stasis SL/MS coilovers are a huge improvement over the stock DRC, and MUCH cheaper too, without making the ride crashy.

[Oli]

What to do, is when you get them replaced with very little warranty left, offer to pay a pound towards the bill - That way you will get a two year, further extended warranty on the parts. Whilst they are under manufacturers warranty, when they are replaced, the warranty stays the same, but the moment you pay anything towards it, as a contribution, even a penny, you then get an extended warranty as in a retail purchase. When I worked for Vauxhall, year ago, we used to recommend this all the time for customers.

Not sure if Audi will allow it, but certainly worth a try.

I will be extending the warranty on the car, with Audi, when it comes to an end, just as an extra protection, so this won't concern me anyway

[karl]

One of the things I really like about the RS4 is that it's ride is softer and more compliant than the B6 S4s I had beforehand, yet the cornering attitude is flatter.

I don't see how any aftermarket non-interlinked shocks will offer that balance?

Yes, kind of thinking the same as PetrolDave on this. I love the way the RS4 stays nice and flat in the corners but once the DRC is junked for aftermarket, wouldn't the typical 'roll' you get with a standard set up be very noticeable?

[PetrolDave]

Yes, kind of thinking the same as PetrolDave on this. I love the way the RS4 stays nice and flat in the corners but once the DRC is junked for aftermarket, wouldn't the typical 'roll' you get with a standard set up be very noticeable?

Either that or you would have flat cornering and a hard ride.

Some kind of adaptive damping is what's needed to keep the current balance, now if someone could come up with a way of fitting the magnetic ride system to the RS4 that might do the trick?

[P_G]

Funny because I had a conversation with an Audi master tech when I was in getting new tyre valve caps and he said he had been out in a C5 RS6 with KW V3's and said it rode and handled better than a DRC RS6 and couldn't undertsand why Audi went with such a problematic system when this alternative existed. Go figure?!

[APM]

i have kw v3's on mine with hotchkiss arb's the handling is in a different class to the drc,on the drc if hit a corner fast the car
would want to understeer.this has now been eliminated and you can take them under hard acceleration,the car will not break
away,also on drc when breaking hard say from 90 down to 40ish the rear would squirl this has also been eliminated.This squirly effect almost put mee off the road on a couple of occasions.
This mod should be the first thing you have done if you'r serious about driving this car for its potential.Aps done my works and i see
grizz is also offering these mods,

[karl]

i have kw v3's on mine with hotchkiss arb's the handling is in a different class to the drc,on the drc if hit a corner fast the car
would want to understeer.this has now been eliminated and you can take them under hard acceleration,the car will not break
away,also on drc when breaking hard say from 90 down to 40ish the rear would squirl this has also been eliminated.This squirly effect almost put mee off the road on a couple of occasions.
This mod should be the first thing you have done if you'r serious about driving this car for its potential.Aps done my works and i see
grizz is also offering these mods,

APM - I assume you went ahead with this mod' even though the car was still under warranty?

[APM]

this car has done 86k so its not under waranty,Audi priced me circa 7k to renew my drc after it exploded out of waranty,it had been
done twice within the waranty,i would not do any mods within the waranty period unless of course you can get it in writing from Audi
that it will not invalidate it,and they wont do that.

[Iain_S4]

P_G
Funny because I had a conversation with an Audi master tech when I was in getting new tyre valve caps and he said he had been out in a C5 RS6 with KW V3's and said it rode and handled better than a DRC RS6 and couldn't undertsand why Audi went with such a problematic system when this alternative existed. Go figure?!

IIRC Audi Driver magazine did an article a few years back about a C5 RS6 that had the DRC system replaced with a KW set up. I think the article basically made the same conclusion as the tech. Might still have it stashed away somewhere - will have a look if I have time.