1994 B4 suspension overhaul

[rangerovering]

Hi guys,
The 80 suspension is unquestionably past its sell by date, there are a few knocks and clunks occasionally and it's a bit wobbly going into corners at times. Not surprising when not much is likely ever to have been replaced!

Now, I have searched here and Google but not had much success with doing a mostly stock rebuild with genuine parts.... Now before you fall on the floor laughing, my experience with the land rovers realised that witolder stuff, people think the standard setup is rubbish and needs altered, when really the problem is that it is worn and isn't a true reflection of what the car was like when new.

At the moment I have all standard suspension as it came from the factory, and 16" competition alloys.

I can't go slammed to the floor because I live on a farm and there is an unsealed track up to the house, too low won't go. What I am wondering is whether the original Sport springs would be any good, 20mm lower apparently?

Do I pair with Audi sport shocks or something else? I want the car to be taught but not hard riding or harsh in any way. I actually generally find the stock setup quite a nice drive, wooliness aside.

I'm a capable enough home mechanic but haven't worked on many "normal" cars and the intricacies of the suspension that come with them. A lot of the success comes from knowing what to do and what not to do!

Is there poly bushing on Audi's that can be done? ARB refurb? Wishbones? Top mounts?

Appreciate its a well discussed topic but most seem to involve lowering the cars which I can't do at the moment by very much.

Thanks in advance!

[vorsprung durch technik]

Originally Posted by rangerovering

Now before you fall on the floor laughing, my experience with the land rovers realised that witolder stuff, people think the standard setup is rubbish and needs altered, when really the problem is that it is worn and isn't a true reflection of what the car was like when new.

Can't agree more tbh although there are one or 2 weeks that can make a great car even better without ruining it's original recipe.

Slamming your Audi is best left to "The Lads" amongst us. Having owned a 2.6 80 avant since 2001 and rebuilt it's suspension with all genuine audi stuff, this was back in 2006 when it was still reasonably cheap from Audi,i can assure you they ride and handle beautifully.Obviously there are some tweaks that are an improvement over standard but these are few and far between.

Below will give you the ride your after with better handling.

For a 20mm drop i think the genuine Audi sports springs will give you that and still feel comfortable matched well! For me the best match would be the Audi sports shocks,although not all Audis sports shocks are equal just in this case the 80 sports shocks are.Have driven a few 2.0 sports salons when only 2 years old and they were superb.Only problem with genuine Audi sports shocks is the cost. You might as well upgrade to Bilstein B6 shocks better handling yet still comfortable.Forget Konis,too harsh.

Standard genuine Audi bushes are fine but for better than new handling and some ride instances polybush certain parts is the way to go like the front wishbones for one.I'm sure others will come along and say exactly what bits to polybush and what not to i can't remember of the top of my head. Top mounts are rubbish supposedly although i haven't suffered this too much.I guess it depends how you drive the car.Here's a saying that makes me chuckle when it's been written,"drive like you stole it" if thats your style then top mounts won't last long!

When buying parts like drop links,ball joints either buy Audi or if NLA go for Lemforder stuff.

HTH.

[quattromnc]

Hey,

As it happens, I've just done this and am extremely happy with the result.

1995 B4 Coupe 2.0
Bilstein B4 Shocks
Polybushed front subframe & wishbones
Standard springs.
Meyle top mounts

I've found this setup has given me the best handling classic Audi I've owned!
I got the shocks from demon tweeks, they were very reasonably priced

Also if you want a tip on breaks, I've fitted Brembo OE discs and EBC YellowStuff pads. My breaks are 280mm single pot (54mm) caliper type.

These are also the best breaks I've had on a classic Audi. No cold braking issues, a little bit of brake dust, but tbh nothing to worry about when the breaks are that good. I have a 1990 Coupe Quattro 20v also with the twin pot calipers, not sure of discs and pads yet, but the other car easily outhandles and outbreaks it.

I also drive down a hateful cobbled road with speedbumps every day to work, the 2.0 takes this much better too!

[rangerovering]

Thanks guys, very helpful

First question......

B4's or B6's (I realise you each have voted for either one ), quattromnc are your B4's standard or sport ones?

Second question.....

Do the wishbones come with bushes fitted? Is there a complete bush kit available for the car?

I am familiar with Lemforder they are decent parts

Thanks for the top mounts recommendation as well.

When you say Audi are mega bucks for the shocks, any rough idea how much? Presumably it is still possible to get genuine B4 sport springs from the dealer?

Cheers

[vorsprung durch technik]

Originally Posted by rangerovering

Thanks guys, very helpful

First question......

B4's or B6's (I realise you each have voted for either one ), quattromnc are your B4's standard or sport ones?

Second question.....

Do the wishbones come with bushes fitted? Is there a complete bush kit available for the car?

I am familiar with Lemforder they are decent parts

Thanks for the top mounts recommendation as well.

When you say Audi are mega bucks for the shocks, any rough idea how much? Presumably it is still possible to get genuine B4 sport springs from the dealer?

Cheers

Bilstein B4's are standard OE spec oil filled shocks and around half the price of B6 which is the gas sport shock. If you buy wishbones from Audi like i did, they were only £75 each 9 years ago, they come with bushes fitted. Pattern parts come with the bushes fitted too.

There is no full polybush kit available on eBay or from the big UK names out there,you have to try and get them individually. This guy in Poland is good,have bought from him, check out his website he has most if not all bushes available.You'll want the red ones for street use. https://www.akmotorsport.net/

Audi sports shocks for the B4 were around £125 each. The sports springs should still be available as "the lads" haven't bought them all up yet preferring the "how low can you go" variety and roughly £125 each. Thats the ball park figures so as you can see about a Grand all told You might as well upgrade to the superior B6 over the Audi sport shock for a little bit less in money terms.

If your serious about how to improve the suspension set up then i would buy a set of Cast iron wishbones over the pressed type,i have some for my 2.6 avant waiting to go on. They were standard fitment on the early S2's before Audi started penny pinching and were used for the entire production of the RS2.

I have spoken to a few people over the years about the debate on standard bushes versus polybushes and some have different combinations of both. Some say it's not a good idea to polybush the whole front if you want to avoid cracking the windscreen! That might be an over dramatic person who said that but who knows..........I would err on the side of caution.

Go for.......

1. Audi Sport Springs

2. B6 Bilsteins

3. Lemforder top mounts (over on S2 forum there are so many stories of poor Meyle Hd top mounts. They are half price so that tells a story........

4.Polybush the wishbones first and see how you like it then experiment with subframe bushes. Many who polybushed the front snub mount say they hated it so went back to standard rubber.

5.If you can get brembo discs buy them,they are great discs and last much longer than genuine Audi discs.Not all gen Audi parts nowadays are what you might think. Thats my experience and many others!

6. Not sure what brake callipers you have but mine are the standard single piston type on the 2.6 V6 Avant. We also have a 2.8 Cabriolet both low mileage pampered cars and in excellent original condition. The single piston type are good enough if in excellent condition but there's no doubt about it the Twin pot G60's (also used on the S2 and the 2.3 20v Coupe/90 saloons) on our Cabriolet feels superior and that's quite a bit heavier than the Avant. So G60's are a nice upgrade for you that won't break the bank.Don't buy second hand rubbish and expect them to perform perfectly.Factor in a full brake caliper refurb to full appreciate how good they are for you car.

HTH.

[quattromnc]

Originally Posted by rangerovering

Thanks guys, very helpful

First question......

B4's or B6's (I realise you each have voted for either one ), quattromnc are your B4's standard or sport ones?

Second question.....

Do the wishbones come with bushes fitted? Is there a complete bush kit available for the car?

I am familiar with Lemforder they are decent parts

Thanks for the top mounts recommendation as well.

When you say Audi are mega bucks for the shocks, any rough idea how much? Presumably it is still possible to get genuine B4 sport springs from the dealer?

Cheers

Hey,

There is only one type of B4 shock absorber, ALL of Bilstein's current range uses the same Gas/Oil mix technology, just with altered valve rates, so whichever you buy you get the same tech. The B6/B8 is the Sport option, damping is similar for both, however the B8 is just slightly harder and both B6 & B8 are made "up side down" with the thicker upright. The biggest difference is the spring choice, B4 for OE or "small drop", B6 for "Up to 30mm drop", B8 for "Up to 40-55mm drop".

I am soon going to need a set of shocks for the 20v quattro, I have been doing a lot of investigation for this, and I did a LOT of reading up before buying for the 2.0 Coupe. I also contacted Bilstein and spoke to a technician (not salesperson) about my choice, the facts above I got from him. Matching your shock to the spring rate is a very important thing to making a car handle properly.

If you want to stick with OE springs, sport or otherwise, I would 110% recommend the B4's. If you are going aftermarket, you'll want the additional damping to match the extra spring rate so B6 or B8 would be right for that, depending on stiffness/drop.

As for polybushing, this makes a big difference, if you are going to polybush your wishbones, at least put new OE bushes on the subframe, but personally I'd recommend you polybush that too. You can get a set of bushes for the front whishbones in one pack. you buy the subframe bushes in pairs, front bolts or rear bolts, be careful with this to get the correct ones, they come in two variants, 10mm hole for the M10 bolt and 12mm for M12 bolts. To my knowledge you can't get new wishbones pre-fitted with polybushes, so you'd have to press/cut the old ones out to pop int he polybushes.

Here's the powerflex sheet for the car...

https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-ser...29-1102/1.html

I realise a lot of this is down to the driver/owner and what you want from the car, I'm not out to devalue anyone else's opinion on here, just provide my own, people will be divided on this for a long time to come no doubt!

Rangerovering - I just realised you live in Lanark, I'm in Newton Mearns, I would be more than happy to meet up so you can see for yourself. Drop me a PM and we'll get something arranged if you like.

[shaun5]

Ive got a refurbished rear axle (minus bushes) you can have if you pay for the courier. Also got front springs from a V6 cabriolet with air-con you can have.

[rangerovering]

Reviving this old thread again! Been looking to seriously proceed with the suspension soon its definitely less than fresh now.

Quattromnc, did you go for the Bilsteins B4's advertised for standard suspension or the sport ones? There are 2 models of B4 available

Been also thinking about the Eibach 35/30 spring kits as well, does anyone know if they are any good/and compatible with the B4 in practise?

I understand the front shock is held in the shock tube by a collar that screws on, is there a supply of these available new in the event of seized nuts?

cheers

[Duffy3074]

The B4 is an OEM spec shock, the B6 is the sporty one and the B8 is the sporty low one.
Every shock I’ve bought for a B3 has come with a top cap.

[rangerovering]

Yes that was my understanding too, autodoc have a version for standard and sport. I’ve asked Bilstein if there is an internal difference or is it’s just slightly shorter for the factory sports springs for example


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk