S3 Suspension On An A3 Quattro, Help!

[A19quattro]

Anyone done the above, I was about to but have been supplied standard height struts by a company who have ceased trading. So I need to bite the bullet and buy another set of struts but what do I need? I am thinking of just going for S3 but would I have any other issues, are ell the mountings an components the same? I could also go for S-Line which is correct for the car but not really for the springs?
Any help and advice appreciated.

 

[smurfworth]

Everything is the same, it's just different spring rates and lengths for each application. All the suspension components however are are equal fitting wise.

 

[A19quattro]

That's good to know, thanks for that.
The springs I bought are genuine Audi and are noticably shorter than my old S-Line ones. Unfortunately I was supplied standard length struts which mean the springs don't even need compressed to fit and once in place I have about a 10mm gap between the uncompressed spring and the upper mount. So there's too much distance between teh upper and lower mounts and I wondered if S-Line springs would be OK but my front ride height would be -25mm rather than -35mm. The easiest way seems to be to buy S3 struts as these will match the springs (not sure if teh distance top-bottom mount is any different?) and then I shouldn't have any hassle, unless anyone can tell me differently?

 

[smurfworth]

wouldn't really make overly much difference in my opinion, it would be just like using lowering springs on standard dampers, the damper would be more compressed than usual thats all.

the only thing that i see would be a problem with having that 10 mm gap between spring and top mount would be when you jack the car up the spring would rattle around and would require reseating once lowered back to the floor.

 

[A19quattro]

Apparently that would be an MOT failure,

 

[A19quattro]

My retailer was telling me that S3 is different to A3. I phoned Bilstein and they confirmed this and sdvised they don't do a standard OEM strut for S3s, only thing they do is B8s or a B12 kit. I got the springs checked and they are the correct ones for an S3 and it seems the struts are different, allowing shorter springs to be used. So if I am going to go S3 I would need different struts again and thay would leave me 2 new sets to sell, can't decide what to do to be honest, MOT is looming and I think maybe I am just going to leave it all meantime, get it MOT'd as it is and go for the upgrades after the winter, keep them clean and shiny longer..

 

[smurfworth]

Even the bilstien struts people have been buying as an upgrade for the s3 have to be modified to a shorter length to accommodate s3 lowering springs. Browse through some of the various build threads, I know mechanic69 had to have his modified on his s3.

I don't really see what your trying to achieve tbh though, personally just buy a set of coilovers if you want an "upgrade" and be done with it.

 

[S3_Jacko]

Yeah I agree with above and are kinda confused..

Why not just buy coilovers instead of going to all that hassle?

 

[A19quattro]

Sorry folks been having difficulty getting logged on here, so just seeing this now for the first time.
I was simply trying to have S3 suspension all round, already have this on the back but got bad info then bad parts just to make matters worse and then by the time I realised the supplier had gone bust, lucky white heather? I didn't know you could shorted struts, how does that work then?