SuperPro 7Ks (vintage!)
I bought them BNIB from a member over a year ago. I have had buyer’s remorse for having spent a small fortune on them, and also got cold feet about potentially impacting the ride quality, particularly with too much steering weight. That and the SuperPro sales pitch also wasn’t overly convincing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHerLYp3TC4
•More precise steering
•Better turn in
•Increase in caster
•“Instantly noticeable performance upgrade”
•“Big improvements over standard”
The install went okay. I followed the ECS tuning instructions, but given the added caster, I had to install the ball joint nuts before doing the front bushing (rear bushing, ball joint, front bushing) unlike the standard arms where they have you do the ball joint bolts last. I also found getting the rear bushings in was a little finicky as the caps that cover the greased bushings kept popping off when trying to fit the arms in by hand. I ended up using a rubber mallet to gently knock the arms into place which made it much simpler. Overall, it was pretty straight forward. (Thankfully I didn’t have to drop the subframe which I understand is required for DSG cars.)
After all of the internal debate, I’m really happy with these arms! There’s no noticeable increase to NVH and there is some added steering weight but it’s not burdensome in every day driving. They don’t add as much weight as Sport mode does (which is a good thing for me). After a few days I was completely used to the added weight. From a handling perspective, the added grip is absolutely noticeable. It’s a “big improvement over standard!”
To add more detail, the added caster makes the car more stable at speed and the front tires no longer feel like they’re being shoved through turns. This isn’t just perceived/wishing…you CAN actually feel the difference, but more importantly, it’s a positive difference. The turn in is better and the front tires absolutely have more grip. I turn the wheel and the car follows the path I want it to go. Yes!
Now, are they worth $700? I can’t deny the improvement, and I am really happy to have them, but that’s pretty steep. However, SP just lowered the price of their 18Ks (same part covers a wider range of vehicles), and at $540 I would definitely recommend these arms to anyone who is serious about their car’s handling. They are fantastic. I had also considered getting the SP strut mounts which add another 1.4 degrees of negative camber, but Brett from SP said they introduced some “sharpness” on bigger impacts which was a deal-breaker for me. Maybe they aren’t bad, but after having the 034 mounts I’ve learned I don’t like that sharpness that non-OE mounts produce.
My alignment specs are now 8-8.5 degrees caster, and -1.1 -1.2 degrees camber in the front with the arms and my H&R OE sport springs. Sure I wish there was a bit more negative camber, but I really like where my suspension is at now and don’t want to mess with it.
I also added the RS3 brake air ducts while I was at it. I just had to cut/file the two tabs closest to the center of the car since the SP arms are wider than stock.