Suspension du jour?

[Avus-RS6]

So what is the latest and greatest coilover suspension for the C5 RS6? I have a blown shock (car came to me that way) and am now planning for coilovers.

Not looking for Ohlins pricing but rather good performing suspension at a reasonable price. Reasonable being $2K +/-

Danke!

Jason

[na1mt]

KW v3 seem to be the ticket

[ben916]

I have driven C5 RS6 with the following:

stock DRC without Hotchkis = when working properly = Decent
stock DRC with Hotchkis = better and less body roll
PSS9 with Hotchkis = crisp, tight, like new car feel (audi5000csqt's car)
KWv3 with Hotchkis = tight but riding on 20" BBS = took away from the ride and made it harsh (duckwingduck's car that was also owned by speedtrapped and now is owned by Mgoblue that is for sale)
Statis with reservoirs and one of the 6 speed RS6 on the West Coast (Riccardo's @ Raven MS) = I really couldnt tell a difference between the other coilovers versus the Statis. What kills it for me about the Statis is the YEARLY maintenance that is $100/corner = dealbreaker.

So for me, it is down to the PSS9 or the KWv3

PSS9 is dial-a-firmness
KWv3 is set-it-forget-it

Headshot did an awesome mod to the shocktower so the settings of the coilover could be accessed without taking the suspension apart to change the settings. (Bakes currently owns that car)

[dcsweet]

Ben, thanks for the useful information. I have the PSS9 vs KW-V3 debate going on in my head at the moment.

[hahnmgh63]

I have the KWV3's with Hotchkiss on 19" wheels and the ride is pretty good. Of course I live in a rural area where our roads tend to be better than in the city (Tacoma/Seattle). Jason, we'll have to let you take my car for a ride and see what you think, maybe Feierabend meet?

[Elevens]

I run H&R Coilovers Strictly. I've used them on my previous A6 2.7t for 6 years without an issue and now on my 6 for the past 3 years with no issues. No adjustments like the Pss9's or KW's, but I don't Track the car so I have no need for Compression or Rebound adjustments. Simply install and forget. Superb handling and Ride with the Hotchkis Bars. Just another alternative to the above........


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/vintron/Coilover%20Install/P1000815-1.jpg

[Avus-RS6]

Thanks for all of the replies!

Mark, I'd love to take your car for a spin. It will have to be March or later for a Feierabend meet as my midweek evenings are spoken for until then.

[ben916]

I just got a quote from a vendor on AZ for KWv3 for $2400 shipped... care for that info?

[Zmey]

How about kw v1, does anyone have any feedback?they go for about 1800-2000

know nothing about this company http://style77.com/collections/all/audi-c5-rs6

[Avus-RS6]

I just got a quote from a vendor on AZ for KWv3 for $2400 shipped... care for that info?

It'll probably be spring/summer before I get around to getting the suspension sorted. Looks like my clutch is slipping and both intercoolers are leaking so I have to tend to that first. If you want to shoot me an email to the vendor, I'll save it for when I'm ready.

Thanks,
Jason

[ben916]

it is at AMI and the "sale" ends on Feb 1st 2013...
I will forward you the info I got.

[Aronis]

KWV3's with Hotchkiss Sway Bars. Lowered about 1 inch.

Ride is very nice (just watch for speed bumps and angled driveways). No problem with the snow tires (always had rub in the front with the snows even with Stock DRC).

Hotchkiss sways were a nice added touch. The car handles great.

Mike

Besides DIY is fun...

[Avus-RS6]

So, does anyone have input, preferably first hand experience, with Hotchkis bars? Rear only vs front and rear? I have front and rear Hotchkis bars, someone I respect is suggesting that I put stock bar back on the front. Seems counter intuitive to me but maybe there's some logic to this.

Thanks,

[ben916]

So, does anyone have input, preferably first hand experience, with Hotchkis bars? Rear only vs front and rear? I have front and rear Hotchkis bars, someone I respect is suggesting that I put stock bar back on the front. Seems counter intuitive to me but maybe there's some logic to this.

Thanks,

I have heard that some of the other C5 owners (A6, S6) have only installed the rear Hotchkis.

I put both F/R on and felt more flatness/less roll, not say that the OEM ones are a sloppy.
Also I had the recalled DRC repressurized, within a month of each other, and there seemed to be a bit better handling.

[Chung]

I am not a suspension expert but when I installed my Hotchkis sways the bushings were really worn out in the rear. I would recommend replacing those as well while you are at it.

[4everRS]

So, does anyone have input, preferably first hand experience, with Hotchkis bars? Rear only vs front and rear? I have front and rear Hotchkis bars, someone I respect is suggesting that I put stock bar back on the front. Seems counter intuitive to me but maybe there's some logic to this.

Thanks,
The theory here is that rear only will allow you to rotate the car a bit better in a corner. Some will also run a few more psi in the rear tires to create this effect a bit as well.

However, I would make sure that you have the rear on the stiffest setting first. Nothing wrong with running a front h bar. Does your friend own an rs6?

[Avus-RS6]

Given my car is a tad lighter in front also due to the manual conversion, I think running the stock front bar is a good idea. I won't be tracking it so it really doesn't matter a great amount but I would like to maximize the street handling.

[LIRS6]

I just swapped out my Stasis-Ohlins for H&R coilovers. Ride is definitely different .. floats a bit (in comparison), but corners well (have Hotchkiss F/R). Made the change because the Stasis-Ohlins were a bit too harsh for my local roads, plus there is a maintenance factor that I didn't want to continue to deal with (in theory they should be recharged every year, although I only did it once in 5 yrs).