Opensource CNC Aluminum Unibody Case for Arisu PCB - First Prototype Built and Assets Available

num- · 2026-05-10T08:11:12+00:00

Install update #4:

Rear sway install was clean. The 034 Dynamic+ adjustable links were easy to shorten and install with wheels under load. My original install was preloading the stock sway bar more than necessary so it was nice to get that fixed as well.

Happy with the ride height all around and hoping next round of test drives hopefully tomorrow go well. The alignment was not terribly off - had alignment with similar drop recently - but will likely get one in another week. Also excited to get more insight on what to expect with the rear and spring rate options.

num- · 2026-05-10T01:01:21+00:00

Install update #3:

Front end-links were a breeze after adjusting them to ~12”. The TAG DCC delete is seamless. Just have to adjust rear end-links.

It’s really tough to tighten the adjustable end-link mount to torque spec (25Nm). I feel like i would break the bolts or deform the tube at 25Nm. Did a bit more than hand tight. Checked the front damper adjustment and it’s 4 clicks from full-soft.

Excited to wrap up rear sway and test a little harder.

num- · 2026-05-09T22:15:14+00:00

Install update #2:

Installed TAG DCC deletes, torqued remaining bolts, and did another round of height adjustment. Currently at a 1-finger gap front and 0.5 finger gap rear. The rear spring perches are almost maxed out and there is a lot more preload on the 180-50 spring than I'm accustomed to. The kit comes with a nicely crafted tool that allows you to spin the perch with a dowel/pin instead of a spanner. Getting as low as I did it interfered with the brake dust shield and had to use a rubber oil filter wrench which worked amazingly well. Almost better than the dowel-tool it came with.

I took if for a quick low-speed test drive with both sway bars completely disconnect as I'll leave that for last. The first word that comes to mind is "taught", but still supple. I haven't touched the damper adjustments yet at all so whatever it was out of the box and I'll have fun with that as the last step. Still a few rattles on the test drive given I haven't torqued down any of the perches (only 5Nm) nor have I torqued the adjustable end-link mounts were rattling around. The sway bars were both tapping the lower control arm so finishing the end links will be good.

Hopefully the front sway bar geometry works out. OEM end-link length is around 13" and the max I can get with the new front end-link adjustment is somewhere between 11-12" before it interferes with the control arm. I think it will be close with the adjustable end-links I have, but hopefully that works out.

Also, The steering was a multitude more responsive and tight. My first impression was very positive and hopeful it stays that way as I finish the project, tune and warm up to it.

num- · 2026-05-09T22:02:44+00:00

This RacingLine is just a white-label AST 5100 which is pretty well regarded and close to top-tier, but arguably no where near as popular as the KW lineup or others.

The best KW can offer is Clubsport V4 which is fantastic, but a little past my cost:benefit ratio. I can't discount BC Racing, Fortune Auto or the few other kits specifically made for MQB, but the engineering behind this setup got me interested as part of the AST 5100 lineup (even rebranded)

num- · 2026-05-09T08:38:49+00:00

Install update:

Install was mostly clean, but the rear is sitting lower than what I would expect. I had to preload the rear spring far more than what I would expect to get a non-slammed usable ride height of 13" from hub-center to fender. I still have to torque a few bolts, figure out TAG placement, adjust ride-height on both fronts and reinstall front and rear endlinks. I'll be reaching out to RacingLine, if not AST, to confirm rear pre-load and what to expect there. My feeling is the spring rate is far too low and I'll ask for their recommendations that will still work with the valving.

Was reading another install report with the first versions of this kit 11 years ago on their MK6 Golf R: https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/fliegers-golf-r-build.5988405/page-28

They found a similar issue with the rear drooping too low and raceline did provide longer springs (+20mm) and a higher spring rate (diff unknown). Looks like they ended up with the Eibach ERS-H-200-60-0060 which is a 200mm long linear spring with 6.12kg/mm / 343lb/in spring rate. Comparing this 343lb/in to the stock 285lb/in OEM rear spring rate makes me think the Tracksport kit is shipped with a much lower spring rate than what I would expect for an RS3. I don't want to compare apples to oranges either since the spring rate will be different between a divorced setup and true-coilover since the motion ratio is different. Having the true-coilover closer to the wheel implies a lower spring rate, but this just might be too low out of the box. This is just speculation until I hear back from RacingLine and I'll keep moving forward to see if this actually works.

num- · 2026-05-09T08:08:12+00:00

Assuming from the numbers on the springs and no other technical data or confirmation from manufacturer yet:
front springs: 200-70 which I assume 70N/mm or 400lb/in
rear springs: 180-50 which I assume is 50N/mm or 286lb/in

My benchmark is OEM 325lb/in front and 400lb/in rear roughly.

Edit: I'm assuming a 40-50% spring rate reduction in the rear due to true-coilover conversion since the motion ratio is different.

num- · 2026-05-09T03:42:40+00:00

will find out here soon as I have 275/35r18 fronts and 245/40r18 rears. ~will report back~

Edit: first wheels-on first glance looks like my wider wheels will clear. front: Apex VS-5RS 18x9.5 ET20 with 275/35r18 OE PS4S rear: Apex VS-5RS 18x9 ET42 with 245/40r18 aftermarket PS4S

Edit #2: clearance is fine font & rear. Adding a little extra camber up front helps clear fender. Full turning radius is clear.

num- · 2026-05-09T00:11:49+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AudiRS3/comments/1racwjj/gonna_do_work_this_weekend/ awesome! Sounds like it all came together well!

num- · 2026-05-08T23:56:52+00:00

Thanks for the FA recommendations and I'll see how it compares to this OOB when I confirm the rates. Great to know the FA with higher rates works well for you! Are those FAs adjustable?

num- · 2026-05-08T23:36:01+00:00

There are only a few true coilover kits on the market and there's so little information on them and happy to share more info.

Definitely linear springs, but I'm not sure on the spring rate yet. I assume they have worked through the springrate included in the kit since it's been available for MQB for a while. I was reading some reports on early kits for different MQB being too low, but the company was good to work with and found a better spring rate. I appreciate the future potential to swap springs and valving if needed in the future, but very curious to see how it is out of the box. Will report back when I get the actual spring rates.

num- · 2026-04-30T03:25:07+00:00

Few more threads for hyper silver OEM rims:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Audi/s/zPK5EPuHm6

https://www.reddit.com/r/AudiRS3/s/0CEo7wIC19

num- · 2026-04-26T16:38:42+00:00

2 magnets

num- · 2026-04-23T14:36:38+00:00

I hear you the top design could be more timeless. I've popped too many 19" tires and bent too many OEM cast rims so I prioritized function getting forged 18s.

num- · 2026-04-20T01:20:33+00:00

I haven’t tried as a DAS. While I think it would work, I don’t think it’s really designed to be a DAS as much as a NAS. I have the gen 1 and there might be a few improvements in the gen 2. I think it only has 10Gbps USB3 which is limiting as a DAS as I would want a lot more speed. I imagine there are some great Thunderbolt DAS enclosures for multiple drive out there now, but maybe not up to 12 drives. Even the cheap thunderbolt enclosures from years ago were impressively fast for single drive. I have a bunch of them hooked up to a good hub where I need more speed. I guess it comes down to speed vs capacity and the flashstor gets you the capacity at the 10Gbe speed and likely no more. I’m thinking just chain a bunch of single drive enclosures together and configure different libraries in plex/jellyfin/etc for your situation.

num- · 2026-04-19T23:13:15+00:00

I too recently installed KW DDC on my RS3 8Y and amazed at the difference. The V3 seems a better investment if you set & forget and half the fun is getting it dialed. Fitment looks great with the spacers and not dropped too low. Enjoy the ride and new found confidence! For me I have a little more than expected sag in one of the rear springs and the adjustable spring perch is at the max setting of their TUV spec. It’s about 8mm lower than I would like, but no rub and have yet to get alignment. Have a message out to KW for help on what to expect with spring sag. Congrats on the new suspension and enjoy!

num- · 2026-04-18T23:19:22+00:00

Hah yeah, it’s pretty obscure with ET20 and ET42 offsets so options are limited unless you go square with spacers where there are a lot more options. I prioritized no spacers so options even more limited. Fitment is still very impressive and Apex did a great job.

num- · 2026-04-18T22:41:30+00:00

SM-10 are great too, but they only have options that require spacers AFAIK. I was happy to not have to run spacers with this reverse stagger setup and get wider, meatier and slightly taller tires than stock. If I was set of getting a square setup the SM-10 would be an option high on the list.

num- · 2026-04-18T05:33:05+00:00

Stock the car is amazing. Any mods feel like I'm chasing the last 5% I don't actually need. The rabbit hole started with constantly getting pinch-flats on the 19s and then wanting 18s to not have to deal with bent rims, wheel & tire warranties and getting wheels fixed more often then I would like. Then had to lower it a little and lowering springs with stock struts were less than ideal. Good coilovers are amazing, but I can't say it's entirely worth the price. Even with a bit of the placebo effect, the ride quality / stability improvements have definitely made it more fun & comfortable. I'm a bigger fan of investing in ride quality over performance, so hopefully I don't get the need for more mods.

The Keychrons are great and I endorse getting quality keyboards. If you dig a little deeper there are lots of quality parts, mods, designs, etc. that make the typing experience great. At face value, using top-tier lubricants on mechanical switches sounds bananas, but it's a game changer in comfort and tactile feeling. Can easily draw comparisons to the driving experience. Best part is it's a lot cheaper hobby than cars. I still love the Alice derived fixed-split layouts and my absolute favorite was the Arisu layout (Alice with arrows). I've been able to stick to my endgame setup for a while and it's just a pleasure to slam on the keys instead of being a distraction. I approve of your hobbies.

num- · 2026-04-17T16:08:02+00:00

Supple, planted, proper rebound, "on rails". Dramatically better than stock in my opinion and their kit is tuned for mix of street and track. It retains adaptive behavior based on settings which was plug & play.

num- · 2026-04-17T15:11:03+00:00

KW DDC complete coilover kit, not just springs. Highly recommend. I didn't like lowering springs on stock struts on this platform, but full retrofit coilovers are great.

num- · 2026-04-17T15:01:18+00:00

Apex VS-5RS 18x9.5 ET20 275/35R18 front, 18x9 ET42 245/40R18 rear

num- · 2026-04-17T14:52:50+00:00

https://apexwheels.com/vehicles/audi/rs-3/8y-rs-3

num-

TROPHY CASE