RS4 Suspension for S4? Is it good?

[Alexb76]

I am buying a 2002 S4 very soon and as far as I have seen the weakest link on B5 S4 is suspension (correct me if I am wrong).

I've had bad experiences with aftermarket suspension on my 02 VW GTI. From H&R to Neuspeed to KW... all were not ideal. Either too harsh, too bouncy, too soft, etc... NONE provided a good balance of ride vs. comfort.

therefore, I am very careful about getting aftermarket suspension and I am leaning towards possibly getting an RS4 suspension as I know that GmbH has probably done a much better job tuning their suspension than any other aftermarket tuner. However, since RS4 suspension was designed for an Avant, with different weight distribution and a bit of a different engine, was wondering if it really is a worthwhile upgrade or not?

If RS4 is NOT the ideal suspension, what is? MTM, ABT, H&R, other? I DO NOT CARE about lowering, I WANT better handling without losing much of ride comfort.

Thank you!

[Nige_RS4]

I am buying a 2002 S4 very soon and as far as I have seen the weakest link on B5 S4 is suspension (correct me if I am wrong).

And the gearshift ... and the tbb .... and the BPV's .... and possibly even the brakes.

Your choice is limited to your budget, but if you're on a budget, then the GmbH kit which includes a new rear ARB is a sensible choice IMHO - pleae note that this is not the same as the std RS4 suspension. If you can source parts cheaply from the US, then do some research on the Stasis kit also. The other option is the H&R kit - when combined with their ARB kit is supposed to be the dogs danglers !

[Dippy]

I'd say it is a very personal thing. After all we don't all drive the same way do we? I know some owners have stock suspension and are happy with it.

What I would recommend is that you drive your car stock for a few months (at least) so you can determine the 'weak' points for yourself and make the right decision about mods.

[sash]

ive tried the rs4 suspension for a while on my s4, its a definate improvement but can be better. Made the car look more raised at the rear end (because of the xtra rear weight of the rs4 avant over the s4 saloon) and lower at the front. Still dipped,dived and wobbled just not as much as standard s4 suspension. If you can find it second hand for a good price then it is better than stock suspension. You will probably end up wanting better though. I ended up going for H&R comforts in the end (for me, the H&R comfort is perfect).

[CliveH]

Small point, but I thought the last B5 S4's to come off the production line were in 2001...?

[tartan_rob]

Just drove an RS4 and am happy that I'm going to stick with the S4. I was very dissapointed. WHere is the best place to get H&R suspension and does it require a specialist to fit?

[Alexb76]

Small point, but I thought the last B5 S4's to come off the production line were in 2001...?

In N.A. they had a very few 2002 models which I believe were the last 2001 productions sold as 2002 (which had different warranty terms).

ive tried the rs4 suspension for a while on my s4, its a definate improvement but can be better. Made the car look more raised at the rear end (because of the xtra rear weight of the rs4 avant over the s4 saloon) and lower at the front. Still dipped,dived and wobbled just not as much as standard s4 suspension. If you can find it second hand for a good price then it is better than stock suspension. You will probably end up wanting better though. I ended up going for H&R comforts in the end (for me, the H&R comfort is perfect).

Good point about the rear, that's exactly what I thought.

With H&R, I had a heck of a horrible experience on my VW. They do NOT provide a good ride, handling also is not that great. Not sure how is their product for Audi... but I was extremely disappointed with the ones for VW (tried a few).

That's why I wanna get something that was TRULY engineered and tested as opposed to just put together on a computer. I've heard MTM kits have been road tested, is that true? I take my car for track session every couple of months or so but it's a daily drive so it shouldn't be harsh. I want to have better handling WITHOUT scarificing comfort. That is only acheived if suspension is tuned extremely well (like BMW or Porcshes).

Thanks a lot for ur inputs!

[sash]

I actually sat in a golf that had H&R race suspension on, i found it a bit too much for everyday road use.
I found the H&R comforts to be a great compromise. Its is miles better than stock and completely transforms the car. You just dont get the harshness of the race setup with the comforts.
Seeing as you do race days you would be probably better off trying a few cars with different suspension setups and seeing which you prefer the most. Good luck

[Dippy]

In NA, cars delivered in the second half of the year are given an MY date of the following year.

[CliveH]

and they get they dates all back to front too...!