Does it not depend which coilovers you go for ? I understand that some are very harsh compared to others. Guess it comes down to making the correct choice when buying them in the first place ?
My car has KW on it and the ride is pretty good. Once I get rid of the crappy run flat pirelli's I would imagine the ride will only get better.
Considering the cost involved in maintaining and replacing the DRC the difference in comfort would have to be quite large for it to be a worthwhile choice, at least for ma anyway. I think the worst problem in the U.K is the terrible state of the road. No matter what you drive the potholes are going to be felt. My dad has a Lexus LS430 and even this is not fantastic on our roads in the last few years.
DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
IMVHO, yes, which is why I chose my setup 4 years ago I couldn't find anyone saying anything good about DRC - but I could find references that Koni + Hotchkis was the closest match performance wise. Lots of people seem to find the full coilover setups less than favourable though, excessively hard, saggy etc.
"not a professional engineer, mechanic and mechanist"
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Previous owner installed Koni struts with the Plus' stock springs, thank goodness. The ride is what I would consider comfortable yet assertive (some might call is firm) but it's expected with the 19's too of course.
I soon plan to strip out all my suspension components and give them a going over, replace bushes and such in the garage at home. I'll take a look then to see what model Koni's I have.
I soon plan to strip out all my suspension components and give them a going over, replace bushes and such in the garage at home. I'll take a look then to see what model Koni's I have.
2004 Audi RS6 Avant Plus #283
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
You can see from the pic above that I replaced my rear upper wishbones - they're a stock A6 part, so I bought a 2nd set and had them powdercoated.
I've just got the rear lower wishbones done too - but they're a different p/n on ours compared to stock, so took a bit more time to find.
Powdercoating FTW - the bits come back looking new!
I've just got the rear lower wishbones done too - but they're a different p/n on ours compared to stock, so took a bit more time to find.
Powdercoating FTW - the bits come back looking new!
"not a professional engineer, mechanic and mechanist"
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
I might touch base with you if you don't mind MattV8, once I get going with it, just to make sure I'm on the right path. I did all the maintenance / modifications / etc. on my previous vehicles so plan to keep it that was as much as possible with the RS.MattV8 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 2:32 pmYou can see from the pic above that I replaced my rear upper wishbones - they're a stock A6 part, so I bought a 2nd set and had them powdercoated.
I've just got the rear lower wishbones done too - but they're a different p/n on ours compared to stock, so took a bit more time to find.
Powdercoating FTW - the bits come back looking new!
2004 Audi RS6 Avant Plus #283
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Mines on KWs and the ride is very comfortable compared to other coilover equipped cars I’ve driven.
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Hi, I have rs6 plus super sport factory springs and shocks. I ordered the shocks and springs and new drc valves and had them fitted. A sporty ride with better handling that coil overs IMO.
from memory you could upgrade even the rs6 plus running gear, with PRC 2MC from memery.. : /
Fitted for 4 years and I’ve not touched it since. I found a guy with experience to fit it and I’ve been very happy. The car corners very well.
from memory you could upgrade even the rs6 plus running gear, with PRC 2MC from memery.. : /
Fitted for 4 years and I’ve not touched it since. I found a guy with experience to fit it and I’ve been very happy. The car corners very well.
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Thing to remember is most coil overs are intended for fast road use / trackdays and so are more tuned towards this. The DRC was designed to make a large comfy sedan a little more sporty when pushed. The focus being on trying to maintain the comfort but also reducing the roll in corners . It actually works well but as is well known was prone to failure over time. If you ever get the chance go back to back with a car with DRC and then with coilovers and i guarantee you will notice the difference. Coil overs do look good and are a cost effective solution to a failing DRC but there is allways a compromise. Ive been lucky with both my cars still having the factory revised DRC and if it ever fails, ill just bend over and get it fixed.
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
I went back to back with a friend's B7 RS4 on DRC (Sports Suspension +) and my RS6 on PSS9 on the same roads. The ride quality was strikingly similar. The RS4 was more nimble in the more extreme corners, as expected, but otherwise I would be very hard pressed to tell the difference.
Similarly, I went back to back with another RS6 on H&R. The ride on that was horrible. Banging and crashing and bone rattling.
Similarly, I went back to back with another RS6 on H&R. The ride on that was horrible. Banging and crashing and bone rattling.
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Hi guys,
As most on here will know I've been on DRC since day 1 (for me) nearly 12 years ago. What fukinavit says is correct, though I would go further.
1. For all we may moan about our cars we still love them - and that's because overall Audi do a superb job on development. Their engineers aren't stupid! They wouldn't have spent a lot of time and money developing DRC and deploying it if there was a cheaper easier alternative which met the design brief!
2. Most of the early failures were due to ingress of dirt into the seals on the dampers, and the loss of pressure then causing the complex valve to fail under unequal pressure loads it wasn't designed to handle. That, coupled with the fact that re-pressurisation required considerable skill, beyond that of the average technician at the time, meant that when they did replacements firstly they had to do half the system, and secondly they often got it wrong. I was luck and lived near Camberley where Stuart, who was already very good, got loads of practice as their national reputation grew (when he left it vanished overnight!)
3. Given that the system works on the diagonally opposed shocks, I quickly figured out that stiffer ARB's would reduce the load on the system, particularly on turn in at the front, and would help reduce wear. It did, at the cost of a slightly harsher ride, but significantly improved turn in and cornering. IMHO that's where the design brief was probably a bit too "comfort" oriented.
4. All dampers rely on a fixed volume of gas and oil being confined in a small space, and being squeezed through holes (that's a layman's definitions). They will inevitably eventually degrade and fail as the oil de-natures, and gas/oil is lost from the system. In individual dampers the life is about 60K miles typically (less if you really thrash them). On DRC there are two benefits to the life: Firstly you have much larger volumes of both oil and gas in the system so a small amount lost represents less as a percentage; secondly the system can be readily re-pressurised in place by a skilled technician. IMHO the one missing on the system is a static pressure gauge on each diagonal to check without having to attach the pressurising system - some may recall I had a plan to do this several years ago - I never got round to it because the system was so reliable!
My DRC has run without any problems happily for at least the last 5 years (100,000 miles+) and is still going strong. I've had practically every other suspension component replaced (arms, bushes etc), broken a spring, and driven at speed down some roads in Russia that make our farm tracks look like a motorway! It doesn't sit in the garage all day!
There is no doubt that in the early days the DRC was the Achilles heal, but if you get it properly fixed these days it will out perform, and out last, any coil over system - just like those rather clever guys at Audi designed it to! Everything else is just a myth that we love to maintain here on these forums because we like "personalising/improving" our cars; we read somewhere that it would be better; or we want the car set up for pure performance rather than the balance of performance and comfort that underlay the brief.
I've posted all this on here several times over the years, but these days the turn over of cars/owners is such that memories are short!
Happy days!
Dave
As most on here will know I've been on DRC since day 1 (for me) nearly 12 years ago. What fukinavit says is correct, though I would go further.
1. For all we may moan about our cars we still love them - and that's because overall Audi do a superb job on development. Their engineers aren't stupid! They wouldn't have spent a lot of time and money developing DRC and deploying it if there was a cheaper easier alternative which met the design brief!
2. Most of the early failures were due to ingress of dirt into the seals on the dampers, and the loss of pressure then causing the complex valve to fail under unequal pressure loads it wasn't designed to handle. That, coupled with the fact that re-pressurisation required considerable skill, beyond that of the average technician at the time, meant that when they did replacements firstly they had to do half the system, and secondly they often got it wrong. I was luck and lived near Camberley where Stuart, who was already very good, got loads of practice as their national reputation grew (when he left it vanished overnight!)
3. Given that the system works on the diagonally opposed shocks, I quickly figured out that stiffer ARB's would reduce the load on the system, particularly on turn in at the front, and would help reduce wear. It did, at the cost of a slightly harsher ride, but significantly improved turn in and cornering. IMHO that's where the design brief was probably a bit too "comfort" oriented.
4. All dampers rely on a fixed volume of gas and oil being confined in a small space, and being squeezed through holes (that's a layman's definitions). They will inevitably eventually degrade and fail as the oil de-natures, and gas/oil is lost from the system. In individual dampers the life is about 60K miles typically (less if you really thrash them). On DRC there are two benefits to the life: Firstly you have much larger volumes of both oil and gas in the system so a small amount lost represents less as a percentage; secondly the system can be readily re-pressurised in place by a skilled technician. IMHO the one missing on the system is a static pressure gauge on each diagonal to check without having to attach the pressurising system - some may recall I had a plan to do this several years ago - I never got round to it because the system was so reliable!
My DRC has run without any problems happily for at least the last 5 years (100,000 miles+) and is still going strong. I've had practically every other suspension component replaced (arms, bushes etc), broken a spring, and driven at speed down some roads in Russia that make our farm tracks look like a motorway! It doesn't sit in the garage all day!
There is no doubt that in the early days the DRC was the Achilles heal, but if you get it properly fixed these days it will out perform, and out last, any coil over system - just like those rather clever guys at Audi designed it to! Everything else is just a myth that we love to maintain here on these forums because we like "personalising/improving" our cars; we read somewhere that it would be better; or we want the car set up for pure performance rather than the balance of performance and comfort that underlay the brief.
I've posted all this on here several times over the years, but these days the turn over of cars/owners is such that memories are short!
Happy days!
Dave
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
I'm not convinced. If they fixed the DRC problem, why was it still failing on the RS4s right up to the end of the model run? Plenty of evidence of people with the mythical V3 DRC that failed also. Absence of proof of failure is not proof of absence of failure.
A big issue for me with the DRC is that the failure mode isn't binary unless you have a hose explode. The pressure drops slowly until the system noticeably no longer functions correctly, but before you get to the stage where the failure is flagrant, you are experiencing reduced performance and adherence, most likely unwawares. If you test the pressure, how much is left in there? Who knows. There should be a pressure sensor on the system.
I'm not a coilover fanboy. I wish the DRC worked reliably. And like I said, I'm seriously considering putting it back on just for fun. However, I think it's a mistake to believe it's a magical suspension system that will give you a silk smooth ride and no roll in the corners.
The original feature on Top Gear. Anyone else think Clarkson has been over-dubbed?
https://youtu.be/HfAA4IOGMbk?t=5m22s
As for the design brief, you would laugh if you could hear the kind of stuff my friend at JLR has to put into Range Rovers because "marketing".
A big issue for me with the DRC is that the failure mode isn't binary unless you have a hose explode. The pressure drops slowly until the system noticeably no longer functions correctly, but before you get to the stage where the failure is flagrant, you are experiencing reduced performance and adherence, most likely unwawares. If you test the pressure, how much is left in there? Who knows. There should be a pressure sensor on the system.
I'm not a coilover fanboy. I wish the DRC worked reliably. And like I said, I'm seriously considering putting it back on just for fun. However, I think it's a mistake to believe it's a magical suspension system that will give you a silk smooth ride and no roll in the corners.
The original feature on Top Gear. Anyone else think Clarkson has been over-dubbed?
https://youtu.be/HfAA4IOGMbk?t=5m22s
As for the design brief, you would laugh if you could hear the kind of stuff my friend at JLR has to put into Range Rovers because "marketing".
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Wonder if any of these by Ohlin would be any good?
http://www.coiloversdirect.co.uk/ohlins-coilovers
I had ohlins on a Skyline years ago and they always felt a cut above everything else. Nowhere near as harsh but not wallowy or prone to leaning either.
BC do these:
http://www.coiloversdirect.co.uk/audi-c ... er-type-rs
Someone needs to make a ride quality and handling simulator for suspension choices. It's impossible to find what you like without ending up going through loads of them.
http://www.coiloversdirect.co.uk/ohlins-coilovers
I had ohlins on a Skyline years ago and they always felt a cut above everything else. Nowhere near as harsh but not wallowy or prone to leaning either.
BC do these:
http://www.coiloversdirect.co.uk/audi-c ... er-type-rs
Someone needs to make a ride quality and handling simulator for suspension choices. It's impossible to find what you like without ending up going through loads of them.
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
The Ohlins are megabucks, but probably good. The problem is... how do you know until you try em?
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
Think someone on here tried ohlins (Martin?). Can't remember if he ever did a write up on them though.
previous- Pug 205 gti, 306 gti, 309 gti Goodwood.
Audi S3, S4 V8 avant.
Porsche Macan Turbo.
Gone but NEVER forgotten - C5 RS6 Misano red avant.
Now - Empty garage
If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there!
Audi S3, S4 V8 avant.
Porsche Macan Turbo.
Gone but NEVER forgotten - C5 RS6 Misano red avant.
Now - Empty garage
If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there!
Re: DRC Plus replacement Parts List
This is the issue with all non standard suspension. There is no way of trying it without buying it. I couldn't see any specific to the RS either with ohlin. They have ones for Golfs and the odd BMW so you'd think they'd be ok.
A suspension guru with a total knowledge of all shocks and springs ever made for any model is required to find what might fit and what might suit. Some that are very adjustable are probably necessary to give as much choice as possible in how the car should ride.
A suspension guru with a total knowledge of all shocks and springs ever made for any model is required to find what might fit and what might suit. Some that are very adjustable are probably necessary to give as much choice as possible in how the car should ride.
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