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      11-23-2013, 02:56 PM   #1
fishtail13
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Thumbs up New Bilstein B16 Ridecontrol Review

After quite a bit of research and various threads, I decided to order and install the Bilstein B16 electronic ride control system in my 2008 BMW E93 335i. Other previous mods include Dinan S2 flash, aFe Power Cold Air Intake and M3 313 wheels. This is my daily driver and I like driving!

The best review I had seen previous was by E92Fan:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270940

The product I installed is.
http://www.bilsteinus.com/products/e...n-ridecontrol/


After reading all the posts I felt better prepared for potential problems relating to wheel clearance and knocking sounds, etc. I chose the electronic control system versus the 10-way adjustable system because knowing my driving style, I wanted to be able to quickly switch between Comfort and Sport mode. Plus, I haven't tracked the car (yet) and would rather flog a dedicated track car. Here's a pic of the in-dash button:




My other reason for choosing Bilstein was that my son worked as a coop engineer for three semesters so I learned all about the quality of Bilstein He installed their products on his '97 Ford Ranger and racing shocks on his '76 Baja Bug.

The install was more complex than originally thought due to the fact that it was a convertible, so the back end had less room to work, and the amount of wiring for the electronic ride control system. We weren't intending to lower the car much because I already have issues scraping the curb up my driveway. However, the system does lower the suspension of approx. 30-50 mm at front and rear. You can see from these photos the BEFORE which has the top down and the AFTER image. Notice the the front fender reflector relative to the wheel.

BEFORE:


AFTER:


Here are some other images after install:


Rear Install. Notice the coilover compression, which originally worried me a bit given the convertible setup.


Front Install


In terms of performance, I immediately could feel improving damping versus the OEM shocks. The stock setup was often very jarring when hitting bumps and manholes of any size. The Bilstein system handles bumps and potholes effortlessly in either Comfort or Sport mode. The Comfort mode feels slightly more stiff than stock. The Sport mode is stiffer, yet it still absorbs road bumps very well. There is no sway or roll when changing lanes or driving aggressively through corners. There is definitely more stability at high speed on country lanes.

I notice more "wheel hop" when going over bumps if you're not going perfectly straight. This is a natural trade off with a stiff setup made for smooth roads or track.

By the way, I will do an alignment after about 100 miles of driving to let the system settle. It's still early in my experience with the new setup, but I can easily say the ride has improved and feels more fun to drive. I could imagine making the springs even stiffer given the weight of the car. So far so good! I hope this post helps others who are considering Bilstein's.


And even more gratuitous images:





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bilstein, bmw m3, dinan, e93, shocks

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