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RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 4:12 am
by don
I have been doing quite a bit of sway bar research, here are the options:
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Standard RS4 Bars: 30/15 mm front/rear.
Eibach: 30 mm front, rear?
Quattro Gmbh: 17 mm rear only
Whiteline rear bar: 18 mm
Neuspeed: 29/19 mm front/rear
H-Sport: 35/22 mm front/rear (adj) (both hollow)
H&R: 32/17 mm front/rear (both 2 way adj)
H&R: 32/21 mm front/rear (both 2 way adj)
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I'm most interested in the H&R: 32/21 combo and if anyone here has tried it?
I have been told it is better for low speed cornering and turn in, which is fine given we have a max speed limit here of only 70 mph.
I've been quoted: £350 (530 Euro) with 10% club discount for the H&R + labour.
What does everyone think?
If anyone is interested in a group purchase please let me know?
Or if anyone knows of any good mail order suppliers?
thanks
Don.
RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:38 am
by Nordschleife
why are you more interested in the H&R 32/21 combo than the 32/21 combo? its not your todger we are talking about here, more isn't always better.
R+C
RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:17 am
by PhilT
I have just ordered the H&R 32/21 combo, and have a large todger. The H&R kit cost about £220 inc VAT, not sure on the cost of fitting as it will be fitted with a number of other refreshed parts.
Re: RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:35 am
by don
Well.. glad someone else is going the big 32/21 combo and has a large todger.
Phil, £220 seems cheap and I'd get it VAT free as an export. Who are you sourcing this from? Do they have a website?
RE: Re: RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:45 am
by PhilT
I'll find the original source either tomorrow or Saturday.
RE: Re: RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:07 am
by Prawn
32/21 on mine, put simply it works

RE: Re: RE: RS4 Sway (antiroll) Bars Opinions?
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:56 pm
by Jani
ARB stiffness goes up in the 4th power of the diameter. This means that 17mm is 65% stiffer than a 15mm. 32/21 would give you 29% stiffer front, and 284% stiffer rear, so you would expect it to be more tail-happy.
GmbH bar does that too, but doesn't damage the ride too much.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:57 am
by don
I believe it is a spring/shock upgrade that reduces ride quality more so than a thicker sway bar.
I have been talking to Dietmar at H&R and he says,
"...With our 32mm front and 17mm rear bars the car goes a little bit in the direction understeer..."
"But we have developed a new 21mm rear swaybar for the RS4. With this bar the car handling goes more in the direction oversteer. With this bar you will achieve a decreased body roll and a perfect handling."

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:00 pm
by DavidT
The H&R 32/21 sounds very good to me.
prawn, what did this upgrade do to ride comfort? particularly bump absorption independently side to side, does it make the car bounce because the roll bar stiffness pushes the other wheel up front and rear or have you not noticed much difference?
I assume it fits the B5 S4. Can anyone confirm please ?
I'm potentially interested in a group buy.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:08 pm
by don
We've had this discussion recently:
http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... ic&t=49624
Seems like RS4 bars will fit an S4, ask mikeyquattro.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:17 pm
by DaveP
I think I've probably got the 17mm bar on the rear of mine...Might get chance to measure it over the weekend...
Going from the 'softer' setting on my rear bar to the 'stiffer' setting made a huge difference to the handling, I'd say a 21mm bar would be better still!
RS4 Sway Bars
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:24 pm
by dhali
Hi,
i have had the 32/21 H+R Combo on mine for about 5 months now (use to have standard set up) and i can honestly say it transforms the cars handling. I fitted them myself and set them FIRM at the REAR and SOFT at the FRONT.
They are very easy to fit, all you have to watch out for is the links on the rear( the nuts on them are prone to seize!!)
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:27 pm
by Prawn
prawn, what did this upgrade do to ride comfort? particularly bump absorption independently side to side, does it make the car bounce because the roll bar stiffness pushes the other wheel up front and rear or have you not noticed much difference
Not much difference (until I put the 750lb/in springs on

) on ride comfort with just the ARB upgrade. Will be stiffer when one wheel goes down a hole/rut as it is loading the ARB.
No bounce though.
You do need to get the settings right on the adjustment though to get the real benefit, I have posted all my setting up before if you search through my posts.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:03 pm
by JonnyX
Hi Phil,
If you could post where you got 33372-2 (32/21) then that would be great.
You can get them from an ebay.de shop for £240 but the guy wants 50E for
postage which seems too much to me.
Cheers,
Jon
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:53 pm
by johneroberts
I had the H&R fitted and it did me proud until the last trackday i did in it at Silverstone, it managed to brake off in the afternoon, somthing i didnt realise until i took it off to sell.
It was quite a crack when it happened though
Cheers
jr