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Audi A4 and S4 Coilovers

Every A4 has a B number: B5, B6, B7, B8 or B9. It is Audi's generation code, and it sorts the ninety-eight kits we carry into four groups. After that, check quattro or front drive, sedan or Avant (wagon), and on the newest cars, the front strut size. Find your B number below. BC Racing is listed first in each group.

Have your VIN ready and call 1-800-460-9106.

Grey Audi S4 Avant B7 lowered on coilovers on a winter city street in the early evening

Animated illustration. It shows where coilovers sit on a car, not your exact kit. Depending on the car and the kit, coilovers can lean forward or back or stand straight up, and some cars use a separate spring and shock in the rear. Your ride height depends on the kit and how it is set up.

After the B number, three more checks

Each narrows down which Audi A4 coilovers fit.

Drive

Your car is either front drive or quattro. Many kits fit only one or the other, so check that the kit name matches your drive.

Body and chassis number

Check whether it is a sedan, Avant or Cabriolet. Bilstein has different B5 and B6 kits depending on chassis number, and KW does on the B5.

Dampers and struts

KW has different B8 and B9 kits for cars with electronic dampers, and BC does on the B9. Bilstein kits are for cars without electronic suspension, and B9 strut size matters too.

BC Racing for the A4 and S4

Twelve BC kits, B5 to B9

BC Racing makes A4 and S4 kits in four series: BR, DS, ER and ZX. Every BC kit here comes in BR and DS. ER and ZX come only on the two 2017 to 2022 kits without EDC, the 48.5 mm and 53 mm. Free shipping on BC Racing kits in the continental US.

See all BC Racing coilovers Jump to the B9 kits

BR and DS throughout, ER and ZX on the B9

The newest car gets the most coilover choice from BC.

BR has one knob with thirty clicks that sets compression and rebound together. It comes on every BC A4 and S4 kit.

DS adds a digressive piston to BR's single knob for firmer control.

ER and ZX for the B9 without EDC

ER is an upright shock with an external oil reservoir, and compression and rebound adjust separately, 30 clicks each. ZX is the series BC calls "most track-tested".

To add Swift Springs to a BC A4 kit, order through the Custom Build for BC Coilovers page. BC's B5 AWD and S4 kit names say "Swift Front Only", so ask us first.

KW, Öhlins, Bilstein, Solo-Werks, Feal and Ksport

Six more brands make kits for the A4 and S4. To compare any two, call 1-800-460-9106.

KW makes kits for the B5 to B9: sedan, Avant and Convertible, front drive and quattro, S4 and RS4. B8 and B9 kits differ for cars with electronic dampers.

Öhlins

Öhlins has Road & Track kits for the B8 and B9 A4, S4, A5, S5, RS4 and RS5, plus kits to cancel the B8's DCC adaptive shocks.

Bilstein

Bilstein has B12 Pro-Kit, B12 Sportline and B14 PSS kits, with different kits by engine, body and chassis number.

Solo-Werks

Solo-Werks has kits for the B5 quattro, the B6 and B7 sedan and Avant, and the B8 front drive and quattro.

Feal

Feal has one kit for front-drive B6 and B7 A4 coilovers.

Ksport

Ksport has front drive, quattro, Avant and S4 kits for the B5 through B8.

Daily A4, Avant on the highway, S4 on track

Daily A4

Go for a modest drop that still clears speed bumps and winter ruts.

Kits to look at: BC Racing DS or BR, Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit, Ksport

An Avant that carries a load

Wagons carry weight. Pick a kit named for the Avant, and ask us about spring rates.

Kits to look at: BC Racing (Avant kits), KW, Solo-Werks, Bilstein Sportline

S4 at a track day

Set the height for the track. For B9 S4 coilovers on a car without EDC, BC's ER and ZX are options.

Kits to look at: BC Racing ZX or ER (B9 only), KW, Öhlins Road & Track

Audi A4 and S4 coilover kits we carry, B9 back to B5

Each card shows the full product name. Check it against your car before you order.

Notes in BC kit names: "Swift Front Only" means the optional Swift spring upgrade is offered for the front springs only on that kit.

B9 A4, S4 and RS4, 2017 on

Codes: B9

Read first: B9 kits depend on front strut size, and the brands do not use the same sizes. BC has 48.5 mm and 53 mm kits; KW has 48.5 mm and 50 mm. Electronic dampers matter too: BC has a 53 mm EDC kit, and KW's kits for cars with electronic dampers include an ESC module. Confirm your strut size with us first.

B8 A4, S4 and RS4, 2008 to 2016

Codes: 8K/B8

BC Racing coilover kit for the 2009 to 2016 Audi A4 — **BC Racing kit**The BC Racing coilover kit listed for the 2009 to 2016 Audi A4. Photo: BC Racing.

Read first: KW sells B8 kits with and without electronic damping control; the "with" kits include a magnetic ride cancellation unit. Öhlins lists DCC cancellation kits. BC's main B8 kit also names the A5 and S5, and BC has a separate Avant kit.

B6 and B7 A4, S4 and RS4

Codes: 8E (B6 and B7), 8H Cabriolet

BC Racing coilover kit for the 2002 to 2008 Audi A4 — **BC Racing kit**The BC Racing coilover kit listed for the 2002 to 2008 Audi A4. Photo: BC Racing.

Read first: This group has the most kits. Bilstein has different kits by engine and chassis number (around 8E-2-400000) and a Cabriolet kit. KW has separate front-drive and quattro kits. KW and Solo-Werks have separate kits for the sedan and for the Avant and Convertible. The Bilstein S4 kit says the DRC (Dynamic Ride Control) must be removed.

B5 A4 and S4, 1995 to 2002

Codes: 8D, B5, B5S

BC Racing coilover kit for the 1996 to 2001 Audi A4 — **BC Racing kit**BC Racing's B5 A4 coilovers, listed for the 1996 to 2001 Audi A4. Photo: BC Racing.

Read first: Bilstein and KW have different B5 kits depending on chassis number, around 8D-X-200000, so read yours before you order. Several Bilstein kit names say the factory spring seat must be reused. BC's AWD and S4 kits say "Swift Front Only."

B numbers side by side

Car	Years	How kits differ	BC Racing series
B9	2017 to 2023	Front strut size (BC, KW); electronic dampers (BC, KW)	BR, DS, ER, ZX
B8	2008 to 2016	Electronic damping control (KW); DCC cancellation kits (Öhlins); sedan or Avant (BC, KW, Bilstein)	BR, DS
B6 and B7	2000 to 2009	Engine and chassis number (Bilstein); FWD or quattro; body	BR, DS
B5	1995 to 2002	Chassis number (Bilstein, KW); FWD or quattro	BR, DS

Before you buy: what A4 owners run into

These are the problems A4 owners report most often on forums and in recalls and service bulletins, and what each one means for your coilovers.

Worn front control arm bushings

B6 to B9 A4 and S4 (Audi bulletin: 2002 to 2016)

A4 owners on forums report clunks, groans and popping from worn front control arms, and many replace all eight front arms as a set. Audi bulletin 2016453 covers clacking from torn front upper link bushings. Torn bushings let toe and camber move, so clunks stay and the alignment will not hold.

Before you install: Check all four front upper links and the lower arms, replace worn arms as a set, check wheel bolt torque, and align afterward.

Front camber is not adjustable on stock arms

B8 A4 and S4, 2009 to 2016

B8 owners on Audizine say the factory front upper arms have no camber adjustment, and lowered cars land near -1.5 to -1.9 degrees. Many fit adjustable upper arms for bigger drops or to even out side to side. A big coilover drop can leave front camber where you cannot correct it.

Before you install: Pick your final height first, and add adjustable upper arms if you plan a large drop or want camber set side to side.

The A4 story

From November 1994 to the B9

The Audi A4 arrived in November 1994. Audi's own history calls its four-link front suspension a significant technical innovation that improved steering performance.

1995

A4 quattroAn A4 quattro covered 23,298 km on the Panamericana.
2000

B6Production of the second generation began; the B5 had run until 2001.
2004

B7The B7 followed.
2015

B9The B9 generation took to the road.

Every B number has its own kits. Find the B number for your car, then go to that group above.

B numbers, struts and other A4 questions

Which front strut does my B9 A4 have?

Check before you order. BC lists 48.5 mm and 53 mm kits, and KW lists 48.5 mm and 50 mm. Read us your VIN and we will help you confirm.

Why does the chassis number matter on a B5 or B6?

Bilstein makes different kits for B5 and B6 cars depending on chassis number, and KW does on the B5. If you are shopping for B5 S4 coilovers, your number decides which kit fits, so have it ready when you call.

My A4 has electronic dampers. Is there a kit?

Yes, on the B8 and B9. KW sells kits with a cancellation unit or ESC module, BC has a B9 EDC kit, and Öhlins sells DCC cancellation kits.

Which BC Racing series can I get for an A4 or S4?

BR and DS come on every BC A4 and S4 kit. ER and ZX are added on the 2017 to 2022 kits without EDC.

Do Audi A4 and S4 coilovers fit the A5 or S5?

Only where the kit name says so. Several BC and Öhlins kit names include the A5 or S5. The rest are A4 or S4 only.

Does the BC Racing A4 kit carry a warranty?

BC Racing North America currently lists a two-year limited warranty on full kit orders, subject to its warranty terms. Each of the other brands sets its own warranty terms.

More Audi pages and guides

Coilover Kits by CarThe full index of car pages. Does Your Car Have Adaptive Dampers? Keep Them, Cancel Them or Replace ThemKeep, cancel or replace the electronic dampers on your A4. AWD, RWD or FWD: Why Drivetrain Changes the Coilover Kit You OrderWhy the drivetrain changes which kit fits your A4. Comfort and Stance on a Daily Driver: Setting Up Coilovers for BothA comfortable drop on an A4 you drive every day. How to Set Ride Height on CoiloversMeasure and set the drop on your A4. After You Lower It: Alignment Timing, Driver-Assist Calibration and Headlight AimAlignment, driver-assist and headlight checks once the A4 is lower. Adjustable vs. non-adjustable coiloversHow much tuning an A4 needs. BC Racing for AudiBC's Audi kits. Audi coiloversEvery Audi fitment. Volkswagen Golf and GTIThe VW side of the family. BC Racing series explainedWhat each BC series adds. How to install coiloversBefore the car goes up.

Call with your B number, strut size or chassis number

We take calls about Audi A4 and S4 coilovers Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern.

Call 1-800-460-9106