RS4 anti-roll bars - worth it on an S4?

[SevenoaksS4]

What is the general view on the worthiness of RS4 anti-roll bars on the S4? Sure would like to dial out a little of the body wobble in my Avant when cornering if possible. Been quoted £180 for a pair by AmD Essex, and £144 (inc VAT) for fitting

[xyber]

Yes! Pretty much a must on B6 S4's. Hotchkis are even better.

[SevenoaksS4]

Thanks. What do Hotchkis ARBs retail for?

[xyber]

Depends in the exchange rate. Got mine from Unit20. They are more than double OE RS4 bars, but really worth it!

[cobraBLACK]

What is the general view on the worthiness of RS4 anti-roll bars on the S4? Sure would like to dial out a little of the body wobble in my Avant when cornering if possible. Been quoted £180 for a pair by AmD Essex, and £144 (inc VAT) for fitting

When you say 'pair', do you mean front and rear? If so, only upgrade the rear otherwise you're counteracting the fix.

And the answer is 'YES'. £80 for parts + 1/2 hr labour = cheap mod.

Before the upgrade I was disappointed at how heavy the car felt when trying to flick it round tight corners quickly. Now, I'm very impressed.

[Scotty]

I don't get the prices either.

I also paid around £80 and then got them fitted at my local tyre/exhuast place for £30. It was a little fiddly around the Milltek but not too bad.

Just remember who ever installs it the weight of the car must remain on the wheels during installation

i.e. lift the car on a drive on ramp and don't raise it on a post lift.

[SevenoaksS4]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I assume that the Hotchkis S4 Sport Sway Bar Set would do the trick rather than the company's hardcore RS4 set, as I don't plan on trackdays for the Avant?

[nihc]

Hi,

It's a "must do" mod - I can't believe the rs4 spec RARB wasn't installed at the factory.
£70 - £80 will get you all of the parts from a dealer. It's a doddle to fit yourself - just do a search on the forum.

The car does NOT have to be on the wheels to fit the RARB - it makes no difference at all.

Regards, Chris.

[Scotty]

Chris - you may be right but the factory instructions for fitting it say they must be taking the weight. It makes sense to me otherwise when you drop it the rubber bushes are twisted by more than the normal amount of movement.

I'm only going on what the factory says and for the sake of £30 it was worth doing as per the book.

Can you explain how it makes no difference? Does the bar slide back into normal position? I can't see how it settles without some pull on the rubbers.

[Sharkfan]

Has anyone got the part numbers of what I'd need to do this - the car is a 2004 B6 S4 Cab.

TIA

[xyber]

The Hotchkis kit specifically says to load the suspension before tightening to avoid twisting the mounts/bushes. So I'd say it's worth doing on any. It makes sense really and isn't really any more hassle

[Scotty]

So Audi and Hotchkiss agree.

I wonder what nihc knows that they don't ?

[cobraBLACK]

I've never heard anything other than keep the weight on the wheels too.

For convenience, I had my local VAG specialist fit my RS4 RARB as well, even though it is a fairly easy job. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the B7 S4s use the same (thickness) RARB as the RS4s (also B7)?

[nihc]

Hi,

If you do it yourself you'll see why it makes no difference.
The bar has to move in the bushes anyway during normal driving - so what's the difference?
I put lube on my bar/ bushes during fittment anyway just so there would be no "rubbing".

Do you think that the bushes are so tight on the bar that the bar can't move without moving the bushes? I don't think the rubber bushes would last very long if that was the case !

Just try it yourself.

Regards, Chris.

[Scotty]

I'm not an Audi mechanic but as I understand it the bushes are designed to have some give to allow the bar to rise and fall. i.e. the bush should twist.

It shouldn't be greased as then the bar will slip around rather than being gripped by the bush.

I've no idea no much difference it makes. I can assume that by having movement there's more chance of dirt and grit getting in and wear occurring. A non-slip solution obviously suffer from this.

To be honest the wear probably won't affect any current owner but maybe someone down the line. Whether it affects the performance I've no idea.

I just don't get that for the sake of using some car ramps or popping it to a car/exhaust Shop for 30mins, why you'd not do it as advised.