This is a bit of a blatant two stage plug, but I'm doing it because I've now BTDT and it is the fitting of an RS2 front anti roll bar, to the front of my second S2 Avant, and the fitting of a Neuspeed rear anti roll bar to the rear of the same Avant.
The first stage of the plug is that Avant owners should give very serious consideration to carrying out this upgrade as it reduces roll without making the suspension harder, the way uprated springs and shocks can, and the second stage of the plug is that Quattronics can supply and fit both items as mentioned below.
I should also state at this stage that I have no connection or affiliation with Quattronics other than they are completely refreshing my first S2 Avant, and I am, as such, one of their customers. I don't want to start anything other than to say that the fitting of the two bars is a very worthwhile Avant upgrade and that Quattronics can supply the kit, end of, and I just wanted to pass on my tuppence worth in respect of ARBs for other members perusal/benefit. Sorry to be so defensive, but just wanted to head off any criticism of this post/plug in advance.
Coupe owners should use a Whiteline rear ARB to archive the same effect.
Anyway back to the main plot, the rear Neuspeed ARB in particular is a gorgeous bit of kit. It is made specially for the Avant and has two brackets in addition to the anti roll bar itself which strengthen and completely eliminate any possibility of the stiffer anti roll bar breaking the car's factory anti roll bar mounts. It is also adjustable by connecting the drop links to different holes in the bar itself to allow owners to play around with the stiffness adjustment and effective dial in more or less oversteer to match their own respective driving style. It bolts up with a couple of spanners relatively little mechanical skill, so no worries there.
Quattronics can supply both bars, including the Neuspeed ARB, and also the said items can be fitted by them in an hour or two, as they recently did with my second S2 Avant.
Moving sideways, as some of you will have found when you bought your S2 and got it back home and as you get to know the individual car better you sometimes find items that are broken or not right which can be replaced or fixed for comparatively little monetary outlay and there is much pleasure to be derived from finding and fixing such items.
With this in mind, I'd just like to continue to further digress for a second, ( if you can stick it ), when I bought my first S2 Avant it didn't feel as quick as I felt it should have when I test drove it, but I liked it so much I took a flier on it and I bought it anyway.
Shortly afterwards I found out why it didn't seem to have the "spark" that I thought 230 bhp should give it and that was that one the of the flexible "air" pipes behind the headlight black plastic shielding in front of the turbo had rubbed a significant hole in itself causing the lack of boost, once fixed the car was much better, but it did subsequently go on to have head gasket failure, but that's a whole other story for some other time, definitely a thread in itself.
This lack of boost and cheap easy also happened to me with a Corrado g60, since sold, I bought a couple of years ago where acid from a leaky battery had eaten away at the underneath of the intake boost pipe going to the throttle body. Replacing the pipe made some change to the car when this inexpensive pipe was replaced. Sweet.
However, I subsequently blew the charger in it because I drove it one night when stuck for a car. I should have had the charger refurbished. One lives and learns, ( the expensive way ), sometimes.
p.s. the new owner replaced the blown g60 and put a Bahn Brenner on it and continues to enjoy the car.
Half getting back on track, the second S2 Avant bought recently also held a dark secret, when the front bumper was taken off to install an 034 uprated front engine mount to cure an engine that I felt was rocking backwards and forwards too much on acceleration and deceleration, it was found that the three bolts that secure the turbo's side front crossmember were missing.
This explained a number of things, firstly, the engine's excessive rocking, secondly, the car's lack of ability to ride potholes and speed ramps well. Also, the one of the two brackets on the turbo's side headlight was broken as the bonnet's slam panel was not properly supported by the loose crossmember and closing the bonnet would have broken the bracket at some stage in the past.
Additionally, I actually stopped the car on the motorway to check that the bonnet was secure and not on the latch as the turbo side of the bonnet was fluttering at speed. I also subsequently found after the three bolts on the crossmember were reinstated that also the under bonnet adjustable spring/catch of this side the car was loose as well. After adjusting and tightening same, this side of the bonnet doesn't flutter at speed anymore and the car also rides the potholes and speed ramps much better as a result of the crossmember being properly secured, and effectively rides less like a Mk 1 Golf with worn out strut top mounts.
I know this might sound a bit trite but the moral of the above tales is that I am suggesting that owners should double check items on their car to make sure all items are working as the factory intended, before making any changes or upgrades.
If you haven't taken the particular item on your car apart and are also very sure that you've put it back together properly that then it is not always correct to assume all is OK. The Avant with the missing the crossmember bolts was serviced and looked after for years by a well know Audi specialist, as the previous long standing owner never wished to take a spanner to the car.
Even taking into account and making allowances for the two other changes, i.e. 034 front engine mount and re-securing of the front cross member, the car's ability now on long fast corners and the twisting and turning in the cut and thrust of city traffic is very much better and I would recommend this upgrade of the anti roll bars for all S2 Avant owners and the rear of RS2 Avants.
BTW the 034 front engine mount upgrade is good also and with no noticeable harshness.
I still want to replace the top mounts and the bump stops on the front struts which are both worn, so there is still more slack to be eliminated from the car. Sterering damper also just to be sure ! ?
One last other point of information always remember to take the time to free off all of the joints in the suspension that a mechanic will need to open/adjust when you leave the car in to have the tracking adjusted/optimised. Also remember to decide on the day you start this work as if you break something, will you be able to get a replacement promptly if you need to use the car on a daily basis?
This is a dangerous one to throw in at the end, and I don't want to introduce the idea in any S2 owner's head that they need this upgrade, but out of curiosity can the adjustable for reach and rake S6 steering column be fitted to an S2?, and if so, is it easy or mad hard/difficult and not really worth the effort?
Well done on getting to the end of this post.
Bye for now.
Kind regards to all.
The first stage of the plug is that Avant owners should give very serious consideration to carrying out this upgrade as it reduces roll without making the suspension harder, the way uprated springs and shocks can, and the second stage of the plug is that Quattronics can supply and fit both items as mentioned below.
I should also state at this stage that I have no connection or affiliation with Quattronics other than they are completely refreshing my first S2 Avant, and I am, as such, one of their customers. I don't want to start anything other than to say that the fitting of the two bars is a very worthwhile Avant upgrade and that Quattronics can supply the kit, end of, and I just wanted to pass on my tuppence worth in respect of ARBs for other members perusal/benefit. Sorry to be so defensive, but just wanted to head off any criticism of this post/plug in advance.
Coupe owners should use a Whiteline rear ARB to archive the same effect.
Anyway back to the main plot, the rear Neuspeed ARB in particular is a gorgeous bit of kit. It is made specially for the Avant and has two brackets in addition to the anti roll bar itself which strengthen and completely eliminate any possibility of the stiffer anti roll bar breaking the car's factory anti roll bar mounts. It is also adjustable by connecting the drop links to different holes in the bar itself to allow owners to play around with the stiffness adjustment and effective dial in more or less oversteer to match their own respective driving style. It bolts up with a couple of spanners relatively little mechanical skill, so no worries there.
Quattronics can supply both bars, including the Neuspeed ARB, and also the said items can be fitted by them in an hour or two, as they recently did with my second S2 Avant.
Moving sideways, as some of you will have found when you bought your S2 and got it back home and as you get to know the individual car better you sometimes find items that are broken or not right which can be replaced or fixed for comparatively little monetary outlay and there is much pleasure to be derived from finding and fixing such items.
With this in mind, I'd just like to continue to further digress for a second, ( if you can stick it ), when I bought my first S2 Avant it didn't feel as quick as I felt it should have when I test drove it, but I liked it so much I took a flier on it and I bought it anyway.
Shortly afterwards I found out why it didn't seem to have the "spark" that I thought 230 bhp should give it and that was that one the of the flexible "air" pipes behind the headlight black plastic shielding in front of the turbo had rubbed a significant hole in itself causing the lack of boost, once fixed the car was much better, but it did subsequently go on to have head gasket failure, but that's a whole other story for some other time, definitely a thread in itself.
This lack of boost and cheap easy also happened to me with a Corrado g60, since sold, I bought a couple of years ago where acid from a leaky battery had eaten away at the underneath of the intake boost pipe going to the throttle body. Replacing the pipe made some change to the car when this inexpensive pipe was replaced. Sweet.
However, I subsequently blew the charger in it because I drove it one night when stuck for a car. I should have had the charger refurbished. One lives and learns, ( the expensive way ), sometimes.
p.s. the new owner replaced the blown g60 and put a Bahn Brenner on it and continues to enjoy the car.
Half getting back on track, the second S2 Avant bought recently also held a dark secret, when the front bumper was taken off to install an 034 uprated front engine mount to cure an engine that I felt was rocking backwards and forwards too much on acceleration and deceleration, it was found that the three bolts that secure the turbo's side front crossmember were missing.
This explained a number of things, firstly, the engine's excessive rocking, secondly, the car's lack of ability to ride potholes and speed ramps well. Also, the one of the two brackets on the turbo's side headlight was broken as the bonnet's slam panel was not properly supported by the loose crossmember and closing the bonnet would have broken the bracket at some stage in the past.
Additionally, I actually stopped the car on the motorway to check that the bonnet was secure and not on the latch as the turbo side of the bonnet was fluttering at speed. I also subsequently found after the three bolts on the crossmember were reinstated that also the under bonnet adjustable spring/catch of this side the car was loose as well. After adjusting and tightening same, this side of the bonnet doesn't flutter at speed anymore and the car also rides the potholes and speed ramps much better as a result of the crossmember being properly secured, and effectively rides less like a Mk 1 Golf with worn out strut top mounts.
I know this might sound a bit trite but the moral of the above tales is that I am suggesting that owners should double check items on their car to make sure all items are working as the factory intended, before making any changes or upgrades.
If you haven't taken the particular item on your car apart and are also very sure that you've put it back together properly that then it is not always correct to assume all is OK. The Avant with the missing the crossmember bolts was serviced and looked after for years by a well know Audi specialist, as the previous long standing owner never wished to take a spanner to the car.
Even taking into account and making allowances for the two other changes, i.e. 034 front engine mount and re-securing of the front cross member, the car's ability now on long fast corners and the twisting and turning in the cut and thrust of city traffic is very much better and I would recommend this upgrade of the anti roll bars for all S2 Avant owners and the rear of RS2 Avants.
BTW the 034 front engine mount upgrade is good also and with no noticeable harshness.
I still want to replace the top mounts and the bump stops on the front struts which are both worn, so there is still more slack to be eliminated from the car. Sterering damper also just to be sure ! ?
One last other point of information always remember to take the time to free off all of the joints in the suspension that a mechanic will need to open/adjust when you leave the car in to have the tracking adjusted/optimised. Also remember to decide on the day you start this work as if you break something, will you be able to get a replacement promptly if you need to use the car on a daily basis?
This is a dangerous one to throw in at the end, and I don't want to introduce the idea in any S2 owner's head that they need this upgrade, but out of curiosity can the adjustable for reach and rake S6 steering column be fitted to an S2?, and if so, is it easy or mad hard/difficult and not really worth the effort?
Well done on getting to the end of this post.
Bye for now.
Kind regards to all.