Solo-Werks Coilover Review from a Daily Driver

[Twista616]

DISCLAIMER: If you came here to say, "why wouldn't you get 'this or that' stuff, save it. No one cares. This review is for people who are considering these coilovers and arent sure since there isn't much info about them.

Here she is Bone Stock: Non-Sport Monster-Audi



Initial Unboxing: The kit was packed nicely, nothing special really. It was complete. The construction is good, but not the best. This is classified as a budget kit so it doesn't look at pretty as some other kits on the market. Nothing to be worried about.

Install: I had a local shop in LA take care of the install. They were great! They said the kit sits low, according to another S4 owner who had the kit installed a month ago. From the start I was worried, because I didn't want it to sit very low. Roads here aren't the greatest! Here are a couple install pictures:






This review is based on me coming from a bone stock to upgrading wheels and suspension all at once.

Adjustability: These go pretty low. Right now, we have the rears set with about 3/4" of the thread until its at max height. You can see from the photo above. If you want the go low, there is another 2 inches easily. The fronts are set right in the middle of the threaded collar. 1-1/2"from the top and bottom. Again, plenty of room for you guys who like it very low. I love how the rears have the perch on the top. Easy to pop the wheel off and adjust. Rating: 8/10

Ride Quality: Coming from non-sport, the ride is very pleasing. They say this kit compares to the stock S4 suspension. It's close, but this set up is firmer and handles corners better. When I drove the car home from the shop, it took the dips and bumps on the road with ease. Very happy there. The ride isn't to firm, but just enough. I wouldn't want anything more firm unless I was tracking the car or if it wasn't my daily driver. Mostly, I've done highway driving, with some back roads and only 220 miles on the coilovers currently, so they still have to settle. Rating: 7.5/10

Noise Level: For me this is where the kit lacks and maybe its because its been 4 years since I've been in a car with coilovers low pro tires and crappy roads. The sound is much more intense than I'm used to. I hear the road more, and when going over bumps, there is a hollow sound from the bumps in the wheel well.( this happened even with my stock suspension as well) Its amplified, or feels amplified, since I went straight to 19's -255/35/19 Hankook V12's (great tire btw) and coilovers. I don't have clicking or popping when turning, but I do hear the springs when I'm entering a driveway at an angle. Like a creaking sound. Rating: 7/10

Over-All Rating: These will be compared to ST's all day long. I haven't had a chance to ride in a B8 with ST's and just have other people reviews to compare them too. I'm very pleased with this kit. I wasn't expecting much and if it was horrible, I would just go back to stock and call it a day. It's one of the most affordable, yet provides a firm and comfortable ride at the same time. I'm not a huge tuner, or track person and wanted it to be as comfortable as possible and have it sit properly. I don't have final measurements since the springs have to settle and will update as time goes on. If you have questions, feel free to PM me! Big Thanks to EuroCollective and Raven MS. I would recommend these to anyone who wants something thats firm, yet comfortable. Definitely worth the money! Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Recommendation: The bump-stop is crazy hard: If I could switch out my stock bump-stop I would do that. For my situation, I couldn't do that!

Here are some comparable shots:



Other Shots:

[b6Hate4]

Awesome review

Please do keep this thread updated if you can in a couple thousand miles! It will be nice to see how these hold up.

[A4 Quattro]

Nice write up. I've considered a budget coilover like this but didn't want to be buying junk.

[Twista616]

Nice write up. I've considered a budget coilover like this but didn't want to be buying junk.

I also was cautious at first. A couple local guys had them, so I asked plenty of questions and Glen at Eurocollective helped out as well. So far, very pleased!

@b6Hate4 - I will update every few thousand miles.

[kwbdc]

Nice comprehensive review!

[r6_11b8]

hmm interesting as i hear no noise with my solo's going in any angle going up driveways…and my driveway at home is pretty steep

road noise i agree its a little louder..but thats with any coil…but i found the ride smoother and feel less of the road(smooth surfaces) rough roads will be shit in any coilover lol

great review ill be updating mine when i have 10k with these

[Twista616]

hmm interesting as i hear no noise with my solo's going in any angle going up driveways…and my driveway at home is pretty steep

road noise i agree its a little louder..but thats with any coil…but i found the ride smoother and feel less of the road(smooth surfaces) rough roads will be shit in any coilover lol

great review ill be updating mine when i have 10k with these

I think cause i drive with my radio off sometimes and I hear one thing, I think its the coilovers. I'm probably paranoid, since it doesnt happen often and if it does, I'm not paying attention. I'll keep you posted as time goes on. I think you are also lower than I am right??

[dennisA4]

road noise i agree its a little louder..but thats with any coil…

Why is that?

[r6_11b8]

I think cause i drive with my radio off sometimes and I hear one thing, I think its the coilovers. I'm probably paranoid, since it doesnt happen often and if it does, I'm not paying attention. I'll keep you posted as time goes on. I think you are also lower than I am right??

i did to to see if i was binding or not and still don't hear anything…i also turn the radio to make sure I'm not scrapping my bumper when I'm backing up lol

Why is that?

stiffer suspension is always going to equal more road noise as much is not getting absorbed

[PKaudi]

Thanks for the review.
Great write up, and car looks great.
I'm on the same stock setup with same stock 17s, and this gives me some ideas.

[dennisA4]

i did to to see if i was binding or not and still don't hear anything…i also turn the radio to make sure I'm not scrapping my bumper when I'm backing up lol



stiffer suspension is always going to equal more road noise as much is not getting absorbed

Oh ok.
Maybe i didn't notice it when i replaced my stock sport suspension on my A3 with KW V1's because the V1's actually rode more comfortably than the stock sport. lol

[Quattro Kim]

I love the amount of drop, subtle but noticeable all the same! What was the final measurement on drop above the top of the tire?

[Celiot29]

is the front sitting a tad lower than the rears or is it optical illusion, i like the ride height though. these might be a future purchase for me

[mageiger]

Thanks for the write-up/review. I will probably be purchasing these in the next few weeks once I order my wheels as well. They seem to be very affordable, and all reviews I have read thus far have been pretty positive.

[Twista616]

is the front sitting a tad lower than the rears or is it optical illusion, i like the ride height though. these might be a future purchase for me

The rear is actually higher. I thought about raising the front, but I haven't "knock on wood" bottomed out or rubbed.

I will get some final measurements and update the main post. My garage sits at a slight angle, so I need to be on flat ground.

[O2A4]

Thanks for the review, been looking into these possibly.

[smetch]

Great Review!

[b6Hate4]

Just that $550 shipped price point....so low it would be f***cking awesome if they last. But that $550 shipped price point for all 4 corners of suspension...no one expects them to be perfect but your half way to some H&R's and 80% of the way to the tried and true ST's. They've caught my attention though, thats for sure.

[Mod.Kill.Yut.]

Thanks for the review. The price is so tempting


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[STI LOL]

Thanks for the review. Was set on a set of st's but I think you just changed my mind. Pm me a price if you wouldn't mind and a vendor..
Thanks!

[Liquid Smoke]

thanks for the great detailed review, i've been considering these for awhile and have read nothing but positive reviews so these are looking like they are gonna be the ones i go with, it's either these or STs, unless i find a better set cheap on classifieds. but these seem perfect as i dont plan to drive it hard, track it, or go that low anyway, and want something softer for a DD and to be comfortable on these NYC roads. thanks for the details pics too, that's just around the height i want to put them on as well.

im holding off on buying any set until im ready to put them on in the summer, but definitely keep us updated how they hold up.

[Twista616]

Just that $550 shipped price point....so low it would be f***cking awesome if they last. But that $550 shipped price point for all 4 corners of suspension...no one expects them to be perfect but your half way to some H&R's and 80% of the way to the tried and true ST's. They've caught my attention though, thats for sure.

You have to remember, when St's came to market, people were hesitant at first too. They have been around long now so more people can comment on them. They way I looked at it...yes, they are affordable, if they absolutely sucked, I'm out some $$. Money comes and goes and if you don't try something, you'll never know. "whether you think you can, or you think you can't...you're probably right"(thats my inspirational quote of the day, hahaha)

[PKaudi]

^ money definitely comes and goes.
But sometimes it's hard to let it go, that's the problem lol

[pazdeniro]

Great review... Any updates?

[eurocollective]

Hey Everyone!

Thanks to Twista616 for posting up, its great to see reviews finally popping up!!!!

A couple of points for you all to consider on the Solo Werks.

First off the Solo kits hold a 3 year warranty to the original purchaser that is supported by Solo Werks USA who is based in California.

I have worked with these guys since day 1 since they created the company (they are also ex KW staff who had a slightly different vision for the suspension market). They know their product and the platforms they service, and are euro enthusiasts in their own personal lives so when you speak with them you are speaking with "One of Us", not just a phone tech.

They listen to their customer and dealer feedback and do their best to adjust their product offering to what you are asking for - not telling you what you want ;)

Let me know if you have any questions on the Solo Werks products. If I don't know the answer, I can get it pretty quick!

Keep the reviews coming!!!!

Thanks!
Glen @ eurocollective

[Ornithology]

Updates?

[hoppy6698]

Good review and nice to see some "Made in the USA" companies doing well in the competition. Ride height looks pretty close to mine as well - about 25-26" or so?

[greenStar]

Are u kidding me.... This thread just died?

No UPDATED reviews in 2 years!??

[o1turbo30v]

Are u kidding me.... This thread just died?

No UPDATED reviews in 2 years!??

Probably because he realized they are junk and didn't want to get flamed.

[eurocollective]

Take a quick look at his profile. That user hasn't posted on here since 2014 in any thread.

[eurocollective]

I have sent him a PM to see if he still has the car and/or the suspension :)

[Townending]

I've had them on for 12K miles now. This car is my daily driver and as far as I can tell, they are just about the same as when I bought them. The only noise I have that comes from these are when I hit a deep pothole, but I try to avoid those....

My 2 complaints would be that the rear is too soft, and that the springs had a lot of initial sagging.

[eurocollective]

Thanks Townending for the review :)

[Lambda13]

I installed these in June of last year and they are fantastic so far. My rears are stuck so I have to drop my sub frame to free them up, but that's on me for not keeping my car clean. Overall the ride quality is great and they did exactly what I needed them to do. I'll have to wait and see what the winter has in store but so far so good.

[Smellie]

Installed these ~2000 miles ago. So far so good!

No clunking, ride is pretty good and definitely worth it for the price.

[USAF_Danny]

Coming from different platforms and being in the stance scene for a while now, I was skeptical of buying these coilovers just because of how "cheap" they were.

Well, they've been installed for about 11k miles now, and have been through a harsh winter here in South Dakota. Being stationed here has definitely caused me to wash my car a lot more, and pressure spray the coilovers, but not like that's a bad thing either. I've driven to California with the car lowered on them and had no issues whatsoever.

I will say, they are pretty good coilovers, but you get what you pay for. This is my daily so I was looking for comfort and something that will handle the snow and salt fairly well. These were known to be bad in the winter time when dealing with snow, but they haven't given me any issues yet. If you're looking for a "bang for your buck" type of deal, these are it. The only complaint I have is that they are somewhat squeaky, and I just wish the springs were stiffer, but, I'll most likely be going air ride soon.

[eurocollective]

The only complaint I have is that they are somewhat squeaky, and I just wish the springs were stiffer, but, I'll most likely be going air ride soon.

Hey USAF_Danny,

Are you getting noises from the rear or the front? And are you looking for a stiffer front or rear spring?

There may be options, just let me know.

Thanks!
Sales @ EuroCollective

[Townending]

Hey USAF_Danny,

Are you getting noises from the rear or the front? And are you looking for a stiffer front or rear spring?

There may be options, just let me know.

Thanks!
Sales @ EuroCollective

Do one of those options include stiffer rear springs?

[eurocollective]

Do one of those options include stiffer rear springs?

Depending on which rear spring you currently have, there may be stiffer options.

Let us know what part number you have, and we can check.

Thanks,
Sales @ EuroCollective

[USAF_Danny]

Hey USAF_Danny,

Are you getting noises from the rear or the front? And are you looking for a stiffer front or rear spring?

There may be options, just let me know.

Thanks!
Sales @ EuroCollective

I haven't narrowed it down yet, but it sounds like the rear, and as far a stiffer springs go, it would definitely be the rear as well!