[techwhiz]

Originally Posted by JustinGTP

Having issues with bilstein part numbers on their website vs realoem

Says I need

Bilstein Touring 22-136619
Bilstein Touring 22-136602

for 09 LCI sedan with M SPORT suspension on the REALOEM website but shows different ones on bilstein website.

Do I call dealer to confirm OEM PN?

Thx.

From the Bilstein Application Guide Page 104.
2011-2007 B6 (HD)
Front Left 35-120377
Front Right 35-120384
Rear Suspension 24-120395
Excludes M-Technics Sport Suspension


2011-2007 B8 (SP)
Front Left 35-120407
Front Right 35-120414
Rear Suspension 24-120425
With M-Technics Sport Suspension

From the Bilstein description of the B8 - "High-performance shock absorbers and struts designed specifically for lowering springs and production sport vehicles".

If you use the B6, the shock will be pre-loaded and have less travel than the B8. This will affect the suspension performance and ride. It will be stiffer than the B8.

The B8 is the correct replacement for Sport suspension.
Any other information is flawed because it runs counter to Bilstein and the tech manual - RTFM!

The B6 is a standard HD replacement.
For OE the B4 lists two separate part numbers for standard and sport suspension.

2011-2007 Sport Suspension Sedan
B4 Rear 19-135052
B4 Front Left 22-135032
B4 Front Right 22-135049

2011-2007 Standard Suspension Sedan
B4 Rear 19-135021
B4 Front Left 22-135001
B4 Front Right 22-135018

Do not put B6 shocks on a M-Technic/Sport Packaged vehicle. It is not the correct part. The manual says so.

[geost]

I think Bilstein's application guide is a little confusing. For example, if I'm not mistaken, all 335is' come with sport suspension from the factory correct? Yet the application guide lists the B6 among others as one of the options available for that model. Yes, it says "Excludes M-Technics Sport Suspension," however, if the B6 really wasn't meant for the 335is then why would they list it in the first place? It's so odd. Maybe these are recommendations or optimum results?

Who knows. Regardless, I don't think installing the B6 is a "bad" decision or incorrect. Lots of folks are running B6 without issues, myself included for several years. In my mind, the only difference between B6 and B8 is the B6 is longer, and B8 is shorter (meaning less travel compared to former I think) and geared more towards aftermarket lowering springs which I plan to do one day (with B8) after I get rid of my damn rims.

OP, you pick. IMO, you can't go wrong with either, and both should work. Both will be firmer than what you have now, and ride much better than factory shocks. Call Bilstein for yourself. Google search and you'll see plenty of folks running B6 on factory sport suspension cars and reusing their factory springs.

And for the record techwhiz, I am not trying to argue with you, or say you're incorrect or anything funny like that. I come in peace.

[techwhiz]

Originally Posted by geost

I think Bilstein's application guide is a little confusing. For example, if I'm not mistaken, all 335is' come with sport suspension from the factory correct? Yet the application guide lists the B6 among others as one of the options available for that model. Yes, it says "Excludes M-Technics Sport Suspension," however, if the B6 really wasn't meant for the 335is then why would they list it in the first place? It's so odd. Maybe these are recommendations or optimum results?

Who knows. Regardless, I don't think installing the B6 is a "bad" decision or incorrect. Lots of folks are running B6 without issues, myself included for several years. In my mind, the only difference between B6 and B8 is the B6 is longer, and B8 is shorter (meaning less travel compared to former I think) and geared more towards aftermarket lowering springs which I plan to do one day (with B8) after I get rid of my damn rims.

OP, you pick. IMO, you can't go wrong with either, and both should work. Both will be firmer than what you have now, and ride much better than factory shocks. Call Bilstein for yourself. Google search and you'll see plenty of folks running B6 on factory sport suspension cars and reusing their factory springs.

And for the record techwhiz, I am not trying to argue with you, or say you're incorrect or anything funny like that. I come in peace.

Actually the B6 on shorter springs preloads the shock.
The travel is actually less on the B6 vs the B8 on short springs.
The Bilstein manual doesn't specify if an IS uses M-Sport or not.
It shows both part numbers and it's up to the user, etc. to determine if it's sport or not.

That being said the shocks for Sport and Non-Sport suspension cars is different which is why BMW has two part numbers. The B4 comes in two versions but both called a B4. For the B8 and B6 the split the number because the B6 is a standard ride height HD shock and the B8 is for lowered cars including factory lowered cars.

People can make their own decisions.
I used the B8 because the manual said so.
My ride is great, even on 19" wheels.

[E60525d]

Did anyone get a definite answer?

For M sport suspension, do you need standard B4 or B4 with Sports suspension?

[thakid22]

Originally Posted by E60525d

Did anyone get a definite answer?

For M sport suspension, do you need standard B4 or B4 with Sports suspension?

The answer here is clear...
The M-Sport suspension requires either the B4 Sport (not regular) shocks.
For a bit firmer damping, and control, B8 Bilsteins are the correct units.

B6 will work on Sport Suspensions, but the B8 are preferred.
They key is Bilstein considers the OEM E90 Sport Suspension to be a "lowered/performance" suspension. B6 are not optimal here.

Again...
B4 Regulars = retain stockish ride/handling on base suspension vehicles.
B4 Sports = are fitted to retain stockish ride/handling on Sport Suspension cars.
B6 = These are performance ride/handling upgrades for base suspension vehicles.
B8 = These are performance ride/handling upgrades for sport suspension vehicles.

This info is via Bilstein themselves, not forums, not conventional wisdom, not status quo, not vendors.
On my 06 330i with sport package, I fitted B6's, following what was the "norm" on the forum at that time. Highway ride was phenomenal. Body roll was tightly controlled. Potholes were damped with a firm refined sophistication. Low speed ride on broken surfaces was tight, maybe a smidge too tight, but unobjectionable. Cracks and pavement seams that were completely absorbed at higher speeds, announced themselves with a bit of stiffness under 40mph. All in all, not bad. The B6 on my Sport suspension disappointed in only one area... Vertical body control. Over various surfaces and bumps the front had a barely perceptible amount of bounce/Bob up and down. And I do mean slight. Still, the motion seemed odd considering the stiffness/firmness of the ride. The rear, however, bounced/hopped/pogo'd up and down with an elastic feel over dips, humps, and pavement changes that both wheels traversed at the same time. It seemed odd to me Bilstein wouldn't tune this out for a flatter ride. I remedied the rear bounce by replacing my new OEM rear upper strut mounts with performance mounts from Dinah. Presto chango! The rear was now rock solid and seemed to hover above the road with ZERO float, bounce, hop, or vertical elasticity over any surface at any speed. Success! Almost... With the rear finally tied down correctly, the slight vertical elasticity in the front seemed increased. Ugh! I lived with it until, I traded the car for my 5-series.

I recount this experience now, wondering what the ride would have been like had I used the correct B8's with my sport suspension rather than the B6's... Thinking back, I'm pretty sure the B8's would have nipped those ride motions much more precisely, without needing the aid of additional parts from Dinan.

Another thing, it is widely accepted that B6 and B8 differ only in length (not dampening).
This is not always true. Some B8 applications do, in fact, feature revised damping. I forget if the E9x is one of those applications or not. I think it is, if I remember correctly. I'll place a call to Bilstein Monday, and report back here.

All in all, any of the Bilstein will work and ride nicely... But if you are a perfectionist (as enthusiasts, aren't we all) you will be best served by following the Bilstein recommendations, rather than that of vendors, forums, and folklore.

So on that note, let me say it once more for clarity...
B4 Regulars for base suspension.
B4 Sports for sport suspension.
B6 for base suspension if you want more firmness/control.
B8 for sport suspension if you want more firmness/control.

There will be those who have done otherwise that will tell you their car is just fine. If "just fine" is OK with you, deviate from the Bilstein recommendations if you must. I
I just share my experience, to give the info I wish I had when I was choosing my Bilstein.

Good luck!

p.s. Moderators, this info REALLY should be stickied. How do I propose a sticky or two (because there are some E9x tidbits that I would like EVERY member and visitor to know). Info that current or future owners will find immensely valuable...

[rt7085]

I have a E91 2008 328xi wagon. Has anybody tried B6 shocks/struts on this platform? Experiences? Or stick with stock? I doubt it, but I had a well know dealer tell me that stock would be a better ride ?

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by rt7085

I have a E91 2008 328xi wagon. Has anybody tried B6 shocks/struts on this platform? Experiences? Or stick with stock? I doubt it, but I had a well know dealer tell me that stock would be a better ride ?

First things first, I'd bet money the dealer told you stock would be a better ride because the parts cost dirt and represent a LOT of room for profit on markup.

It's not your platform, but I did ultimately put B6 on all four corners of my 328i sedan. I'm glad I did so over OEM parts, but mostly because they are very expensive for what they are. I'm not certain I'm glad I did so over B4s, which are quite a bit cheaper. BUT the dominating cost here was really time to do the job rather than parts - it took me about 9h start to finish, or would have been about $600 in labor at an indy. On that basis, I'm happy to have paid a bit extra for something in the mid-range that multiple indies told me they'd trust to last longer and feel a bit better than the B4.

As for ride? I can't really say it's a lot different. Before my OEM suspension was cooked, the ride was quite firm (which I liked). I switched to Bridgestone Driveguard tires, whch are a lot softer than most RFTs, so the ride got a whole lot more forgiving, making direct comparison confusing. Now that I'm on the B6s with those same tires, I'd call the overall ride pleasant yet performant - I'm not afraid to whip the car around corners or hold in sweepers. But I wouldn't call my current setup 'sport.' Perhaps with more aggressive tires, it'd be a little more sporty than stock, but bottom line, I'd call the B6's a durable and pretty improvement over stock without a huge difference in feel (pretty, because the yellow does look quite nice )

If you're looking for a performance upgrade, I'd probably look more to the B8s or maybe something in the Koni line. If you want a durable replacement for stocks that's maybe a little better in the corners, the B6 is a good choice. But I'd bet stiffer sway bars would make a more noticeable change.

Anyone else, thoughts on this? Like I said, my A/B comparison is thrown off badly by switching tires and driving a year on shot front shocks, so I'm curious.

[rt7085]

Thanks for your advise. I went for a set of Bilstein B6s because they are definitely better than the stock shocks, which appear to be cheap. My rear left is leaking which is bad. I do not like leaks. Leaks are always bad. The original quote for the work was $2300 at Turner MS. I was not happy with their quote as this was for -stock- replacement shocks. They were charging me through the nose for that which they never did. Stating they needed to mark up their parts. But 2x? I was very disappointed. I am going to do it myself and I got the whole replacement including a decent Schwaben spring compression tool for under 1000 bucks. This includes every little part you can imagine. Its just my time now. Oh well.

You will be pleasantly rewarded...give us an update once they are in.

[chris@strutmonkey]

This is 100% correct.
The Koni Sports do not have shorter shaft length.
Use B8s on all sport suspension models; B6 on non-sports. Both will work with the other, but use the more ideal length shaft since Bilstein offers both.

Originally Posted by brocklanders

I have read multiple times that the only difference between b6 and b8 is the length of the piston. B8 have shorter pistons to eliminate the possibility of unseating a lowering (shorter) spring at full extention. So if this is true and Koni sports are for any spring do they have short pistons? and if that is the case why not use b8's on all applications of the e8x and e9x since compared to most other cars these would be considered low in stock form.

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

This is 100% correct.
The Koni Sports do not have shorter shaft length.
Use B8s on all sport suspension models; B6 on non-sports. Both will work with the other, but use the more ideal length shaft since Bilstein offers both.

Chris: do you have pre-built pics of both "C" code and "D" code springs on both B6 an B8 dampers by chance? I recently transferred "D" springs onto my B6 struts and they went together beautifully...I'm not sure why anyone would want anymore preload on sport springs by using B8 struts instead.

[chris@strutmonkey]

I do not have pics. "Preload" is not really a relevant term. The same "D" spring will be under same load on same weight car no matter whether you use B6 or B8. The B8 will be at a more ideal compression point vs the B6. That's the only difference.

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Chris: do you have pre-built pics of both "C" code and "D" code springs on both B6 an B8 dampers by chance? I recently transferred "D" springs onto my B6 struts and they went together beautifully...I'm not sure why anyone would want anymore preload on sport springs by using B8 struts instead.

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

I do not have pics. "Preload" is not really a relevant term. The same "D" spring will be under same load on same weight car no matter whether you use B6 or B8. The B8 will be at a more ideal compression point vs the B6. That's the only difference.

Interesting...thanks!

[techwhiz]

Originally Posted by rt7085

Thanks for your advise. I went for a set of Bilstein B6s because they are definitely better than the stock shocks, which appear to be cheap. My rear left is leaking which is bad. I do not like leaks. Leaks are always bad. The original quote for the work was $2300 at Turner MS. I was not happy with their quote as this was for -stock- replacement shocks. They were charging me through the nose for that which they never did. Stating they needed to mark up their parts. But 2x? I was very disappointed. I am going to do it myself and I got the whole replacement including a decent Schwaben spring compression tool for under 1000 bucks. This includes every little part you can imagine. Its just my time now. Oh well.

$2300 is a rip.
Rears can be done in 30 minute in the driveway. Ask me how I know?
I took the fronts to a shop. Cost $300 to install the fronts + alignment.
I also did GC camber plates. If you are doing the fronts, get new mounts.
If you get new mounts, get camber plates. Even if you don't plan to play with the camber, they cost like the stock bearings.

[Asonchadwick]

I got b6 10 way adjustable but havnt got the fronts in yet just the rears, set to soft it floats like a caddy, firm feels like it recovers fast but feels food

[rt7085]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

You will be pleasantly rewarded...give us an update once they are in.

Thanks. I will. I will not get around it until 2 weeks from now. I will be at F1 in Austin next week. Priorities... you know.

[rt7085]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

$2300 is a rip.
Rears can be done in 30 minute in the driveway. Ask me how I know?
I took the fronts to a shop. Cost $300 to install the fronts + alignment.
I also did GC camber plates. If you are doing the fronts, get new mounts.
If you get new mounts, get camber plates. Even if you don't plan to play with the camber, they cost like the stock bearings.

Yes, $2300 is a rip. I also have an M5 E60 and I know what that car costs for parts. LOL. $2300 is not the right number.

Good point on the camber plates! Everything in the towers is getting replaced. I bought new top bearings/mounts as well. Everything is laying in the garage to be thrown in. But let me take a quick look at the camber plates before I pop those in. Then again, a Sachs set was 30 bucks at rockauto.com! And I now have all my own tools, so when I want to change it in spring 2018, it is just a matter of a few more hours. The beauty of owning your own tools.

[rt7085]

Installed the rear shocks today. Bilstein B6 HD. As I said, my rear shocks were 'gone'. One of them was leaking. Upon removal, it was clear it was totally shot. It would not even return upon compression; the other one was still functional. The shock mount was litterally destroyed (deformed) as well because the shock was not doing its job anymore and it was taking the brunt of it. Next week, I will do the front shock. Drives like a different car already. Job done in 2.5 hours. Pretty easy with the right tools and some BMW experience under my belt.

Old damaged OEM shock after 90k mi. (not by me, bought it like that):


New shocks installed:



Fresh shock mount:



All hardware, the whole tower, was refreshed because everything was worn and rusted.

[tlow98]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the ride!

Nice install

[Asonchadwick]

Got my fronts installed. Super loving it now! Soft is like...70's boat. Hard is like...90's riced out import.

Handling on hard is little, i mean little body roll. Soft is lots of body roll. Right now i have setting 4 out of ten front and rear. 5 in rear was to stiff for street comfort, backed it down to 4, good daily choice, loving the full soft though so may go back there to full soft because roads are real bad here.

[alexwhittemore]

Wait the B6 has settings? I thought they were fixed... Are there two versions?

Originally Posted by alexwhittemore

Wait the B6 has settings? I thought they were fixed... Are there two versions?

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-2...et-e82-e90e92/