Hey guys,I was thinking about getting a buddy of mine to help me lower my 02 A4 coupe this weekend on the stock bolts.Andy is really good at this kind of thing and has done a lot of C5 mods with me over the years but he hates it when I bring him projects without instructions...Anybody got a link to a thread on this with pics and torqe specs?I also read where one guy cut an inch off his front air dam,would that hurt anything?I do have the "fat mama" anti scraping wheels on the front.Thanks in advance.

 

I completely removed the front bolts and bushings. The front tire is now a finger's width from the fender. I went to the hardware store and got some grade 8 5/8x7 bolts with double nuts and slammed the rear until it was also one fingers width from the fender. Dont have to cut airdam. It very low though, a little less than 3in clearence from the side of the car under the doors. Looks great though IMO.

 

What is left for attatchment if you completely romove the bolts and bushings in the front?Any pics?

 

The first thing you need to do is put the mama's on. I'd also order a set of rocker rail savers, and install those. I would also order a set of front & rear lowering bolts that have the bushings already removed. They are really nice. While your waiting to get the mentioned mods done, I would be spraying (PB Blaster) on the threads and letting it drench on down towards the bottom of the bushings. I would'nt lower the rear untill you get the front lowered, to where you want it. If I were you I would take the adjuster and bushing, completly out and drive around a few days or a week, to see how rough the car rides and to make sure it's not rubbing any where. If it seems fine , I would then lower the rear, which is a piece of cake, compared to the front. I'd also be searching some of the previous posts on "lowering" the vette. Good luck.

 

Ok,I have a lowering bolt kit for the front that is two bolts with an attatched washer...instructions say its best to get a 4 wheel alignment after you reach desired height is that true(I hate to take her to the dealer)?I also have a kit for lowering the rear 2 bolts and 4 red poly bushings but that kit has no instructions.

 

Dont have pics but with no bushing the leaf spring just rests in the bottom a-arm(hope thats the correct terminology). I have not noticed any noise or problems with handling, actualy it handles better. Of course though, the ride will be rougher.

 

That sounds like a good deal...if you use the front lowering bolt kit you are supposed to grease the attatched washers once a month.Anybody else just removing front bolts and bushings?

 

 

The after market front adjusters have rubber pads on the bottom? There should be.. Just put plenty of grease in the area where the pad sets and grease the bottom rubber pad of the adjusters. If you take the adjusters completly out, then put a thin piece of bike innertube rubber where the pad usually sets and now the arm will rest on, that is as low as you will be able to go. Put a little grease on the top side of the rubber , where the arm will set. If you go w/out the aftermarket adjusters and have nothing in that area other then the thin piece of rubber, you will get it about 3/8"-1/2" lower. Good luck.

 

Thanks!

 

One thing that works for me. Lower the car as far as it'll go on stock bolts (uncut), drive around for a few miles (preferably a road with lots of bumps and dips, but not enough to do damage), then check your measurements. From there, you can decide if you want to cut bushings or raise it.

 

You don't really need instructions to lower it. You turn the rear bolts until you have almost no threads showing on the top. In front you turn the bolts until you can't get any more threads showing. You want to increase the threads showing above the spring. Jack up each wheel separately to do it if you don't have four jack stands. You can do one wheel at a time. The front bolts might be considerably harder to turn. First lubricate the threads well in advance of doing the job because sometimes they rust and you can break the bolt in the spring, then you're screwed. It also helps to jack the spring up off the control arm to relieve the pressure so there is no tension to fight when trying to turn the bolt, or else you can strip the head. Be careful though not to have anything pressing directly on the fiberglass part of the spring. Any scratches can lead to a crack and failure of the spring. If you want to cut the bushing now would be the time, it's easier if you take the bolt out first. That would get you another 1/2" lower. I would suggest first doing the job with just the stock bolts and see how you like driving the car like that. You will find your car scraping the ground in places where you never thought about it before. See if you can live with the noise first. Eventually you get use to it and learn to attack certain situations differently, like driveways and speed bumps. It can be a pain in the rear sometimes. If you like it then you can decide if you want to go lower. Another thing to think about is that the car should not be level for optimum handling at high speed, the front should be about a 1/2" lower than the rear. I had my car's alignment set up by a shop that does the suspension work for GM's race cars and this is how they set street cars when lowered. One more thing that nobody ever mentions, you will notice the difference in height when getting in and out of the car. I've got my car lowered to the max on the stock bolts and cut front bushings. With driving conditions here I would never lower it more, but I'm not raisng it back up either. Looks great the way it is. Good luck!

 

Hey guys,thanks for all your help.I went ahead and lowered it on the stock bolts and have been driving around to see if i want to lower it more.This forum ROCKS!

 

What part of Knoxville are you from bro?

 

I live out west in the Northshore/Blugrass area,How bout you?