Eibach Pro Kit with Bilstein Heavy Duty Shocks

By: ted king

1998.5 A4 1.8T w/Front-trak

Review of Eibach springs with Bilstein HD’s on 98.5 1.8T Front-Trak previously with stock non-sport suspension w/ Ronal R-28 16×7.5 w/ Pirelli 7000SS 225/50-16.

Main complaints prior to upgrade:

• Acceleration squat and brake dive
• Mid-turn yaw-like movements combined w/ pitching. Unsettled feeling.
• Rough ride from R-28 over irregularities
• Mild body roll (nearly as bad as #1)

I was looking for a used USA OE sport setup, but they are seldom advertised in the classifieds. Considering installation costs, aftermarket wasn’t too much more $$ for brand new equipment. I considered H&R Sports or Eibach Pro-Kit w/ Bilstein Sports or H&R Coilovers. I do a driver’s track even occasionally. Still, after having a loaner w/ the OE sport package, it was clear that this was the balance between ride/handling that I was hoping to achieve.

Finally, I decided on the Audi-Eibach pro kit springs (advertised drop 30-35mm) and Bilstein HD shocks. Since Audi claims that these springs can be used w/ both non-sport and sport shocks, I (luckily) guessed that they’d work w/ the longer shaft HD rather than sport Bilsteins. Anyone considering using HD with these springs….go ahead. Keep in mind that these springs are NOT the same as Eibach Pro-Kit springs, which lower the car significantly more and would benefit from shorter shaft shocks.

Results:

• Drop (in.): LF-1.5, RF-1.4, LR-1.5, RR-1.3 (1.3-1.5″ overall, ~32.5-37.5mm)
• Fender lip to ground (in.): LF-26, RF-25 1/8, LR-25 3/4, RR-25 7/8
• Squat & dive are minimized more than US OE sport.
• Unsettled feeling gone, car feels very stable through turns.
• Ride is perceptively, but not significantly harsher than non-sport setup. The wheel-slap over irregularities is significantly reduced*. Ride quality is similar to or better than US OE sport (maybe since I didn’t put in upgraded sways) and subjectively more comfortable than non-sport due to the reduction of boat-like motions.
• Body roll is significantly reduced, but wasn’t bad to begin with.
• Throttle, braking and steering inputs all (subjectively) appear slightly sharper.

My theory on this is that the R-28 is a heavy wheel, which probably got a bit airborne over bumps with the OE non-sport suspension producing a “rough” feeling/sounding ride.

With the new setup, the suspension is more capable of keeping the tire in contact with the road and reducing this effect and feeling smoother overall. Just a theory. All this opinion was gathered in the rain, so no maximal dry performance has been evaluated, but the difference is night and day, completely confidence-inspiring and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed when the road dries up. For anyone wanting to duplicate the OE sport suspension, or go just a notch up without lowering the car excessively, I would highly recommend this combination.