KW V3 Extension of rebound damping adjustment

[anditsoundslikebells]

Hi,

I will soon get my avant's suspension rebuilt and dropped a little. At the moment it rolls more than I would like and doesn't feel planted.
To address this I will replace the required bushings with StongFlex poly bushings, fit a h&r ARB and adjust, the KW V3 settings as I don't know what setting they currently are (fitted by the previous owner).

I have been reading through the threads and found a reference to Grizz's preference of +2. I will start with this when they go back on.

My question is about the 'KW Extension of Rebound Damping Adjustment':

https://www.kwsuspensions.net/productfi ... s/68525018

In theory, could this be fitted to the rear shocks if a small hole is drilled to allow for on the fly adjustment? I can't find an example of this being done to our cars other than a much bigger hole being drilled with a hole saw for access with a socket.

Cheers,

[Capt Ric]

Happy to recommend Hotchkiss ARB.
https://www.hotchkis.net/product/2003-2 ... uspension/

[IchBautAuto]

Appreciate what you're thinking but are you trying to make the car something it isn't. No doubt a great suspension engineer could really give the car a great transformation, but would it then be the all rounder that it is currently. The natural laws of physics are conspiring against you with overall weight, extreme front weight bias, and some crap roads. I would add that I am not against suspension tweaking and I have a B5 RS4 that has all that done to it and more with way oversize ARB's back and front, adjustable arms, dampers and springs etc and so on. In the right situation it is on rails, and it even tolerates less than perfect roads, but equally, rain and greasy roads makes it very twitchy. A stock RS4 would eat it in bad conditions.

My RS6 is staying stock. i.e ARB and springs, just dampers replaced. No adjustable arms and no poly bushes until we run out of rubber options, when it becomes mandatory. So, not saying don't make changes but I am saying that in the case of the C5 RS6, be prepared for a car that may be less than the sum of it's parts under all conditions.

[Shoppinit]

I think the ARBs are a worthwhile, minimally invasive mod. By all accounts it makes the car better for not much money. Also takes some of the strain off the DRC, arguably. I don't think it's worth dismissing.

Agree, the RS6 will never be as nimble as a lighter car. My M3 would leave it behind in the twisties (but not embarrasingly) but the RS6 would soon catch up as soon as the road opens up. The ARBs would help it keep up, I suspect.

I say all that, but I never got round to actually getting some ARBs. Or pitching the M3 against the RS6.

I've had fun with a mate's RS4 following me in the RS6 before and it *was* fun. All over my ass in the twisties, but not so much otherwise. Always easier to follow.

People I've disgusted by being able to keep up in my humble E46 include owners of E92 M3, RS4 B7 (coked and decoked) Aston Martin V8 Vantage. That last one was particularly satisfying. Suspect it was only the 4.2 not the 4.7.

Similarly, I have disgusted plenty of Porsche owners with the RS6 on open roads where the M3 would be left way behind. Horses for courses, innit?

Agree re the bushes. OE rubber for the win.

[IchBautAuto]

100% with Shop on that. Comments over time have been that a slightly upgraded ARB would compensate for the loss of the ARB component of DRC suspension action. Seems feasible.

While I've only really just started looking at the champion racing RS6 from 2004 ish in the US, within the confines of the rules for that class it would superficially seem to be as good a handler as you could get without major mods. According to the web info sculling around the Suspension and Brakes mods allowed were:
Ohlins 5 way adjustable dampers.
Eibach competition coil springs.
RS 6 standard braking system, with full floating cast iron rotors.
Fully adjustable, modified suspension arms with uniball joints.
Adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.

Even at the lesser racing weight, it seems that the ball joints, which suffer under cornering forces, were replaced every weekend. Otherwise that sort of brake and suspension upgrade is within the ability of most to assemble. That said, maximising all the adjustments every time the conditions change would soon wear mighty thin.

[anditsoundslikebells]

you're making a lot of sense. I guess I thought I could throw a bunch of things at it and make it feel as I thought it would/could. I'm only going to use the car for two conflicting journies.. A blast around Holland, and some long-long trips through Europe (I ride my bike to work so this is weekends only). It being an all-rounder was why I bought it in the first place and I don't want to get too far away from that.
I do want it low though (defying all logic I know)... so maybe wound down a touch, and ARBs are the way to go (I already have H&R). Although it defies all logic, I do still want to make it fell like it's on rails, even with all the bangs, so we'll see.

I hadn't known about the Champion Racing RS6. Been interesting to research those cars.