Fitting coilovers, drop links and lower arms

[darkwolfe]

So my DRC died with corroded pipes and misting rear shocks , the local stealers came in at £3200 for new pipes and rear shocks which wasn't going to work for me.

So coilovers was the way forward and I started to look at what was out there. B14's seemed like a reasonable bet but always open to new ideas. Having looked round I saw k-sport and XYZ offer a package with adjustable dampers, they're actually manufactured by the same people. So the same things but different colours.

I do realise that most people just go with the don't think, don't question approach which is fine. However having worked for smaller businesses with better products in the past I find this approach very frustrating , so decided to give the XYZ's a go. They have a good motorsport connection and I couldn't find anything negative about the...... apart from what I'll mention below. They're only £740 delivered and came the next day.

Fitting was almost straight forward, the drop link bolts were seized so I had to cut them off, lower control arm ball joints were rattling so needed to change all that first. I didn't bother with spring compressors, just cut the old springs in two with an angle grinder to speed things up, seemed to work pretty well. The rest of the installation was straight forward enough but I do need to revisit the spring height on the rear left but letting it settle a while before I do so.

The big frustration with this kit is that the adjusters are at the top of the shock rod, so cannot be accessed after installation. Which would be fine, if like the rears they seem perfectly set up, however I need to drop the front mounts and soften the front shocks a bit. I set all four shocks to the same damping level, 3.5, so will turn the fronts to 2.5 and see what I think.

There are no knocks, creaks or bangs and the ride is surprisingly good. I did just over 200 miles today and yes the front has a slight harshness and a bit of understeer due the front being too hard but this should go when I soften the shocks. The back is planted though and I was giving it some stick in the corners.

So would I recommend? I'll let you know for sure when I make the adjustments but it's looking so far

[TommyC]

Might be worth letting them settle for a few weeks to see if they soften up a little before adjusting.

[rs user]

i looked at them too-is it possible to drill a small hole to get the adjuster in? say 5mm-or is there something in the way of this on the inner wing...
are the rears at the top of the shock also?

[darkwolfe]

It's a nice thought but don't really want to go drilling holes in the inner wings and I think even if I did trying to get it in exactly the right place would prove problematics, thanks for the idea though.

The front shouldn't be too hard to adjust, 3 bolts to undo on the topmount plate and I should be able to turn the damping down. The rear damping is ok, so just a spring to tweek there.

With regards to letting it settle a few weeks this seems like a good idea, I bought a new seat leon cupra R in 2012 and it was rock hard for about a month before it started to ease off.

I'll keep you posted on progress with the XYZ's and let you know how it ends up.

[darkwolfe]

so done around nearly a thousand miles since putting the XYZ coilovers on and as per Tommy C's advice I haven't adjusted the damping yet. I did have a quick go at trying to adjust the rear ride height but that proved fruitless as it seems you really need to drop the subframe again to gain access and I didn't have the time.

So how is the car now? Well it's sitting flatter and the front suspension has eased up with the ride supple all round now but perhaps a shade firmer than the drc. I like it and I like it a lot.

The big question is how does they compare to the KW's, don't know for sure on the Audi but I would say they are comparable to the ones I had on my old M3 (e46). The bilsteins on my, don't laugh, 300c SRT seemed better out the box and were smooth when fitted with no running in required. However, maybe me getting used to it but seemed too soft after a while and damping on the set I had wasn't adjustable.

So anyone looking at these, the short term report is they are good, they work well and provide a good handling/riding solution. The downside is that the suspension needs to be dropped to alter the damping at the top of the shocks.

I'll look to update this in a few months, see if the hold up.

[rs user]

i have had good experiences with cheaper coilovers-the jom ones removed from my rs4 were not too bad at all,rode fairly well,handled nicely enough-only let down by badly undulating surfaces,i had bc coilovers on an evo and they did the job well enough,however i have had tein and hks -both would be more suited to track only work,far too unforgiving for the road
the b14 i just fitted to the rs4 are spot on for my needs tbh -nice quality feel to the ride,neither too hard or soft-the lack of damping adjustment doesnt put me off either as its just right as is

[Covkiller]

Rule No1

[darkwolfe]

so a few weeks in now with the XYZ setup.

I followed the initial advice and let the car settle and did a few thousand miles and it's all nice and level now and the ride is just about perfect with spot on handling.

So all in I think they provide a good solution but be aware that the struts need to be dropped to adjust the damping. However saying that I set mine at 3.5 and not needed to mess around with them.

At £740 delivered the XYZ's are I think a good solution to DRC failure, go Eurocarparts

[rs user]

glad the xyz suited the car well-i was tempted by them tbh but went b14-i wouldnt hesitate and drill a hole to adjust the dampers during fitting if its possible
no such issue with the b14 you simply cant adjust them.

[dougle_turbo]

Any update on your XYZ setup? I've been considering my options for coilovers and had decided on B14s, until I spotted this thread.

[darkwolfe]

OK, coming up to 11 months in and i'm going to say avoid these. The ride was too firm to start with at the front, it then settled in after a few weeks though. around 9 months in and the front near side seemed to offer reduced damping action and now seems to have lost most it, the car is very floaty at speed and bouncy over bumps.... how much further behind is the other side. They're a pain to adjust but I've now got them set at around 95% stiffness and the car still floats at speed.

In trying to replace the faulty shock I'm being told i need to return the full system by Euro Car Parts, so that's pretty much pointless. In trying to contact them directly the UK site won't do anything and the Auzzie manufacturer hasn't responded to my emails.

I'm now looking at KW's to put on the car. Easy to adjust, good service as I've used them in the past and have lasted very well.

The other option is go back to DRC, the car needs new pipes though and I've only got two good shocks, so might as well replace all 4. It's going to be the more expensive option but I remember it being awesome.

[rs user]

thanks for the honest feedback...

[jordanbutters]

You won’t regret the move to KWs. I have the Variant 3 on my Avant and they’re amazing - Ride is really nice and resolves undulations and bumps well.

[rs user]

You won’t regret the move to KWs. I have the Variant 3 on my Avant and they’re amazing - Ride is really nice and resolves undulations and bumps well.

the b14 are ok-ride wise and handling/damping finish on them [fronts]after about 8 months [very limited winter use] is absolutely awful tbh
i read that the kw units keep their finish better and also work well,but again there is a user on here or f/b who is looking for a replacement as his damper has failed,although i dont know how old the unit is...seems you cant win whatever you buy sadly

[James1984]

I had some b14’s and the fronts looked awful after onne winter and i only do 5k per year, if i get some for the rs i will be tempred to lacquer them