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Righto - decided to get rid of the DRC. I've seen that Koni springs and dampers have been used by people. I want to do this once, so has anyone got any recommendations/warnings regarding choice - such as Koni/Bilstein? Don't want the car lowered.

ratbane wrote:Righto - decided to get rid of the DRC. I've seen that Koni springs and dampers have been used by people. I want to do this once, so has anyone got any recommendations/warnings regarding choice - such as Koni/Bilstein? Don't want the car lowered.

CRS performance helped me out, with the Koni shocks, I went for HR lowered springs, but you don’t have to use them, I’ve got pics feedback
on one of my post on here, check it out..


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Just collected mine from Steve @ CSR performance, just replaced the shocks and deleted the electronics, great service, highly recommended

Hi JJS, nice one! What option did you go for in the end? Interested to hear how you it feels to you. How is it over bad surfaces and how would you say it compares to comfort and dynamic modes in your original setup?

I've always thought the std Audi setup is great on perfect roads but too crashy over poor road surfaces. Would love something that's better over the naff roads in my area!

Enjoy!



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Really pleased, it does feel slightly different to the Audi DRC but i think its a much better ride,
Steve replaced with his standard set up, Koni sport dampers, kept the original springs so ride height is the same as before, deleted the DRC set up..

Highly recommend it...

JJSscooby wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:02 pm

Really pleased, it does feel slightly different to the Audi DRC but i think its a much better ride,
Steve replaced with his standard set up, Koni sport dampers, kept the original springs so ride height is the same as before, deleted the DRC set up..

Highly recommend it...

How would you rate handling compared to DRC?

The Dampers we fit to these cars will perform as good as original ( if not better ) I can try explain why better for the more tech guys

Most standard dampers on any make and model of car are too soft when they move in and out SLOWLY , sadly the faster they move in and out they get harder . This is because the flow of oil that is displaced as the shock goes in ( hitting a bump as example ) is too high and the pressure build up makes the shock hard .
The Dampers we do are Stiffer when moving slowly in and out , this improves handling . When the damper shaft starts to move fast ( bumps ) the shock is less stiff and this is how we get the comfort characteristics correct .

The electronic DRC system is an attempt to get these charactersitics So when the DRC is set to comfort the oil flow is easier and the dampers offer less resistance , when switching to a more dynamic setting the oil flow is more restricted and the car feels more agile and responsive ( but hard on bad surfaces )
So the result is we get the same results BUT with out the need to select the mode the shock handles it automatically because it has the 2 important characteristics built into one design , It is achieved by a clever 3 valve system A bump , a rebound and a main Hi speed Valve , ,
This is a great result for the RS 4 B8 and similar DRC equipped cars , An electronic ECU is supplied to ensure the car remains Fault free .

Shockerboy wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:25 pm

The Dampers we fit to these cars will perform as good as original ( if not better ) I can try explain why better for the more tech guys

The electronic DRC system is an attempt to get these charactersitics So when the DRC is set to comfort the oil flow is easier and the dampers offer less resistance , when switching to a more dynamic setting the oil flow is more restricted and the car feels more agile and responsive ( but hard on bad surfaces )
So the result is we get the same results BUT with out the need to select the mode the shock handles it automatically because it has the 2 important characteristics built into one design , It is achieved by a clever 3 valve system A bump , a rebound and a main Hi speed Valve , ,
This is a great result for the RS 4 B8 and similar DRC equipped cars , An electronic ECU is supplied to ensure the car remains Fault free .

I thought the DRC also acted to control body roll and pitch? When you change it out, do you need stiffer antiroll bars too?

Hi Shockerboy. Are you allowed to divulge the current price of your full kit all please.. complete koni shocks along with matching lowered springs please...?
Seems to be quite a few members happy with your conversion but I can't see any info or prices on the CRS website?

My B8 is currently sitting at Audi, I've been quoted £615 to replace the split front O/S/F pipe and recharge. However apparently the join to the shock is corroded so could potentially require a new shock also, alas doubling the quote!!
If this is the case I may cut my losses with DRC

Regards

MadMark wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:58 am

I thought the DRC also acted to control body roll and pitch? When you change it out, do you need stiffer antiroll bars too?

It does. You WILL NOT get the same effect roll / pitch controlwith coil overs etc.

You will probably need to update the rear ARB , it’s like spaghetti! As the roll control is largely done by the DRC.

IMO a lot of what is posted above is sales pitch lies. The DRC dampers also have electrically controlled damping rates. The DRC is a COMPLETELY different and independent system to the damping.

DRC gets a bad rep by people who don’t really understand what it does. It’s one of the key RS4 features. Removing it is crazy IMO

MK2Golf24v wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:11 pm

MadMark wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:58 am

I thought the DRC also acted to control body roll and pitch? When you change it out, do you need stiffer antiroll bars too?

The DRC dampers also have electrically controlled damping rates. The DRC is a COMPLETELY different and independent system to the damping.

DRC gets a bad rep by people who don’t really understand what it does. It’s one of the key RS4 features. Removing it is crazy IMO

^^^ Agreed.
Audi invested vast sums into the design of the DRC which, in my opinion, performs superbly.
Yes, it has had its faults, mainly the dreaded 'knock' which has now been eliminated with the uprated front shocks, but gearboxes have also had problems, but owners haven't considered fitting alternatives. A bit of an extreme comparison, but the RS4 is exceptionally well designed and engineered throughout, and I just don't get the wish to change major components such as the suspension, in some cases 'slamming' these beautiful cars to a ridiculously low ride height for example, which to me looks ridiculous. It invariably costs a great deal of money in the process with no certainty of the end result, as can be seen in the relative topics on here.
Why? When an Audi extended warranty against these possible component failures costs (me) £680 per year leaving it as the designers intended.....
Sorry to the non purists, but I just don't get it....

So what fails on the DRC? If I've got this right the front dampers, the pipes split/corrode, or the accumulator?

Most will have already had replacement front dampers, so is it split pipes that cause most of the problems?

What would be interesting to know is how many people didn't have any issues with their DRC. All we hear is the horror stories so it paints a picture that DRC fails all the time. Be good to have a comparison

No problems with my DRC system on my B8 during my ownership.
No sign of any problem on my current B9.
As has been said above, a superb system that is definitely a USP with the RS 4 / 6.
For me it wouldn’t be the same car without it.
Why have something inferior when you own such a car?

The more I drive the RS4 having had it for a week, the more i'm really appreciating the DRC (coupled with MPS4S of course).

I've noticed on a previous service statement however a 'light oil misting' on front O/S shock. I sense a disturbance in the DRC force...