Just installed Bilsteins Sport/ H&R Lowering Springs!
 

Sup everyone,

Well, I'm finally done replacing my suspension with a new set of Bilstein Sport shocks with H&R Lowering Springs. Let me tell you, this is the best money I've ever spent on my car. It handles incredibly, ride is very smooth and looks bad-ass! The only issue is that it looks like these springs dropped my car like 2 inches in the front and unfortunately, my tires are rubbing on the front fenders when I hit a medium sized pot hole. The rear is fine and I noticed it sits a little higher than the front giving it that aggresive stance.

I have 225x40x18's on 18x8ET35 RS4 replicas and I'm using NO spacers as the wheels already line up with my fenders. The springs are a set used by someone for about 6 months on their B5 S4 before he decided to sell to me and go with coilovers. To my knowledge, they are not the red race set. They are the normal black lowering set made for a B5 S4, but I have a 2.8L so I thought there wouldn't be an issue since both engines probably weigh around the same. The part number of the springs are H&R #29477 which ECS Tuning shows them for a B5 S4 and for my car it says #50396. When I compared both though it says their is an average lowering of 1.4" for both.

Mine: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...Springs/ES623/
What is shows as correct for my car: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_A4-...Springs/ES657/

On a level surface, I can't even fit my fingers through the gap between the front fenders and the top of the tire. I definitely don't want to sell my 18" wheels and get 17" wheels. Especially since I just bought them, had a friend who owns a body shop respray and get them back to brand new look and I bought a set of "All Season Performance" 225x40x18 tires. Although if there is no other choice, I will have to sell them but not before I exhaust all other options.

What do you guys think about those rubber pieces which fit in the springs in order to bring the ride height up a little? I was thinking all I need is another 0.5 inches since the gap is about 0.5 inches already giving me a 1 inch clearance. If you have other ideas that does not involve fender rolling please throw that out there. Do you think I should maybe go with 235x35x18's?

Thanks in advance.

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Well I can't give you any ideas sorry I've always wanted to do this to mine it looks good

Fender rolling is the only legitimate option IMO. It is possible to get this done professionally...

Even if you raise your ride height, on bigger bumps your tire is still capable of hitting the fender.

That said, I like your wheels ;)

I am running 235/45/17 on my car, however it is not as low as yours. I can easily fit 2-3 fingers between the front tyres and fender and i dont get the rubbing you describe.
I am wonder if your offset are not right????
I dont know the offset on mine as it came with the car!!

I am running the same exact setup (Bilsteins with H&R Sports and 18x8s) with no issues. Something here doesn't add up

Agreed with Obnoxious - that being said, the car looks perfect. Dodge the potholes and don't change a thing:) With this being done, does that mean we'll see you this weekend?

I don't have any useful information, but it looks WAY better lowered.
It makes mine look like a monster truck, I need to drop it...

Fender rolling is easy, I don't know why you wouldn't want to do that. It'd probably solve your problem.

ObnoxiousDrunk, I don't know why we have the same setup yet yours doesn't rub, maybe my wheels are not 8" after all, maybe they are 8.5" wide or my springs dropped me more than you, do you have a 1.8T?

ImTheDevil, I'm still looking to make the meet but I have to fix the rubbing issue, I certainly don't want to cut into the tires so far away from home... I'm looking into temporarily installing front coil spring boosters until I can get my fenders rolled. A quick quote has a place in Queens, NY who will do it for $40 per side (only the fronts).

NickBroderick, you are completely right, I will now take my car to have the fenders rolled. I didn't want to do it because I have heard sometimes the paint cracks and you end up having to respray, but the shop I am taking it to specializes in fender rolling and they do it with the "Eastwood Roller" and/ or "Eastwood Finisher". From research, use of this tool minimizes paint crack and as long as a heat gun is used, all will be good. In all, the guy sounded like he knew what he was talking about. I have been searching for someone who uses the proper equipment and not the baseball method.

Thanks to everyone else for their comments. I agree, it looks way better lowered. Specially since I started with a suspension in real bad shape. Car is like night and day now.

That, or the motor is mounted so far forward that the front simply had no choice but to be lower.

It is certainly an improvement, though.