Completed: DIY DRC removal/swap with Koni Yellow Sports....

[TMAC]

I did my swap over last weekend. I also choose to replace my springs with H&R lowering springs and front upper and lower control arms.

[SensoRS6]

Where did you get the front mounts? 4.2Crew

[Bigglezworth]

An additional note to everything that has been provided in this thread over the months. Ensure you install the perch for the rears correctly. There is a notch that retains the shear clip and that notch is to face towards the ground.

Photo showing the underside of the perch that is to face towards the ground




Photo of the perch containing the shear clip on the body of the damper

[bethridg]

I'm pretty sure that my DRC committed suicide yesterday. First hint was a couple weeks ago when I started hearing clunks when rolling over the curb at the end of the driveway and it wasn't soaking up bumps anymore. It's fairly terrifying how unstable the chassis feels at speed. The car skitters sideways over large bumps and floats through dips. Luckily I decided to pick up a set of Konis to go with the new front control arm kit. This thread will be invaluable this weekend. Thanks.

[lswing]

I'm pretty sure that my DRC committed suicide yesterday. First hint was a couple weeks ago when I started hearing clunks when rolling over the curb at the end of the driveway and it wasn't soaking up bumps anymore. It's fairly terrifying how unstable the chassis feels at speed. The car skitters sideways over large bumps and floats through dips. Luckily I decided to pick up a set of Konis to go with the new front control arm kit. This thread will be invaluable this weekend. Thanks.

Exactly how mine felt...it was empty of oil when we pulled it. Good luck with the Koni's, really like them.

[VAG]

Anyone try and put air ride on a RS6 yet?

[bethridg]

Last weekend I finally got around to re-adjusting the Konis after the initial install. Rear-end was squatting terribly and upon inspection there was some slight rubbing on the rear axle shafts from the spring perch (just removed some paint). Ended up raising the rear to the second lowest groove which produced a close to factory DRC ride height. I was unable to get the front any lower. I think it's the fresh/stiffer bushings in the 034 front control arm kit (properly preloaded). Overall, happy with the ride quality. A dialed in DRC is far superior but for a fraction of the cost these are more than an acceptable alternative.

[Bigglezworth]

Rear-end was squatting terribly and upon inspection there was some slight rubbing on the rear axle shafts from the spring perch (just removed some paint).

The Koni's will all rub on the axle shaft yes. The height is established based upon the shaft thickness for the A6, which isn't as thick in diameter as those use on the RS6. It will eventually wear a small groove in to the bottom of the perch over time.

A dialed in DRC is far superior but for a fraction of the cost these are more than an acceptable alternative.

DRC remains the best suspension on this car IMO. All of the coil overs don't perform as well all round. And why would they? They aren't dynamic which is why the DRC is so special. Comfort and performance all in one.

[nistah]

DRC is on it's way out, It has become clear to me that repairing the DRC system is worthless

Trying to decide if I should replace it with either of the following setups:

Koni part #'s
Front: 82-2516sport
Rear: 82-2526sport
and H&R lowering springs
Cost all in for the Koni & H&R parts shipped is $845.00

or I can get

KW
VARIANT 1 COIL-OVER
Premium, Performance Street
Sportive and harmonic with KW factory pre-set damping
Optimally tuned for a sporty yet comfortable drive
"inox-line" stainless steel technology (where applicable)
FRONT AND REAR
Ride Height: Threaded Adjustment
Manufacturer Part #: 10210053
Cost all in for the KW V1 parts shipped is $1148.92

My initial thought is to spend the extra money on the KW V1 set up as they are made directly for the RS6 while the Koni's are made for A6 but do fit RS6 however I open to hearing informed opinions on each set up..... any helpful thoughts, insights and/or alternatives appreciated!

[Cmnair]

The car had KW V1s when I bought it. Didn't like the ride...toofloppy and bouncy over slight undulations on the road. Switched to Koni Yellows with stock springs and the ride is much better. No excessive rebound etc. Never experienced a properly functioning DRC though.

[nubcake]

KW V1 is junk, avoid it.
Like mentioned, too bouncy. Not a "sporty" feel at all.
Konis are decent.

[TMAC]

KW V1 is junk, avoid it.
Like mentioned, too bouncy. Not a "sporty" feel at all.
Konis are decent.

I have to say I disagree with the quoted comment above. I went with the Koni/H&R Spring set up first and then moved to the coilovers (KW-V1). I was very happy with my decision when I made the swap. I took a 1200 mile drive with my family after installing the coilovers through the country roads of GA and NC and the car felt great.

Suspension has a lot more to do with your individual style and taste at this level in my opinion. I have owned it all and on many different cars. Some are harsh based on design (track use vs. daily road use). All my opinion but thought I would share.

[Cmnair]

Sorry the car was scary and unmanageable with the KW V1s. It was installed by the PO...maybe not matched well for the car?

[kevcp]

Spend the extra money for the V3 and then add Hotchkis sway bars...

[Cmnair]

Spend the extra money for the V3 and then add Hotchkis sway bars...

Agreed ..the V3s are a whole another story

[nistah]

Spend the extra money for the V3 and then add Hotchkis sway bars...

I made a compromise, bought the Hotchkis sway bars which I've only heard positive things about from everyone and matched them with 2 front Koni 82-2516Sports & 2 Koni 82-2526sport rears. Figured what I may give up in performance with the Koni's vs KW V3's I'll make up for with the addition of the Hotchkis Swaybar set.

All in my cost for this set up is under $1000 from TireRack which is less than half the cost of the KW-V3's and less than the total cost of the KW-V1's alone, nice price.

Currently carefully reading the installation summary above w/ links to step by step and it seems you need to get the Koni's dialed in just right, I am aiming for something similar to DRC ride quality and similar ride height with a more level look than the stock settings which ride high in the rear.

Questions: also looking into replacing the upper control arm bushings since mine always tend to be shot after a year or so....and I'm seeing a variety of options including:
OEM
HD
Delphi
034

Which of above are best bet for upper control arm bushings?

Also planning to use the factory springs as I don't want to use the H&R kit because I don't want to lower the stance of the car too much, any risk with going with the the OEM factory springs matched up to Koni's once everything is apart? Does a new regular version of the springs exist that does not lower but provides new OEM or OEM like springs to match to the Koni's?

Should I replace anything else once oil demon DRC is removed & the car is apart: IE tie rod ends, cv boot etc want to be thorough and coordinate to get as much done as possible at once. Thanks to everyone on this forum for the information

[JakeLight]

Can anyone who has done this procedure comment on the fitment of the metal perch ring for the rear shock? I received a set where the ring would not fit over the shock housing and after some hubbabaloo Tire Rack and Koni support decided that every shock (82-2526SPORT) they had in inventory matching my manufacture date were shipped with the wrong perch ring.

I now have just received my replacement with a different manufacture date, and the metal perch ring with these also does not fit over the shock housing. Now could I make it go over with some force? Maybe, but I'm checking to see if for the folks that did this the ring just fit like it did for the front, or if any experienced rings that were so tight they would have to hammer them down to get them over the housing down to the support ring.

Thanks in advance

-jake

[Muggy]

Can't make any comments on a Koni setup, but on my Bilsteins, it slipped right on, no force necessary. I can't imagine that you'd be required to use a hammer on the perch to use it...that would surely scuff and damage the paint as well.



Come to think about it, I also had a Koni sport package for my '02 A6 2.7 MT, and don't remember any issues with this either...