[mob17]

Matt: Thanks for checking the website and getting outside thought

Ian: Thanks for your thoughts! You make me feel better when you say that the fixed damping will be better than the m sport. It makes sense. I guess i'm just worried as i haven't really read many reviews. I'm trying though

Regarding warranty/replacing, do you think Bilstein will help out if we buy abroad? Is it a case of just keeping our proof of purchase?

Also at £650, what are the alternatives that are available?

[fastloop]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

PS Lars (335rocks) has VERY kindly written me a detailed PM about the website in question here and advised that it looks fairly legit to him. I won't hold him to that of course, but he has done a lot of work for us and actually found a facebook group for this company and seen that they have been trading for some time etc.

Thanks Lars, that's much appreciated.

Rgds
Matt

Thanks buddy. Any time! My guess is that the company have a low overhead and no stock and the kits are drop shipped from Bilstein direct. So the company doesn't have to do much handling and are therefore able give good prices. If anyone is want's to limit the risks then pay the €50 extra buying it direct from the site using a credit card. With multiple shipping then this probably won't make that much of a difference.

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

Would I buy Bilstein again?
Without a doubt, and at the price above even more so.

My car certainly handled well on track with Billies

PS - Lars rocks

Thanks... it took me a few secs to recognize the pictures... there was something familiar about them . Your daughter definitely had more fun that day and I seem to remember that you didn't get to drive that much.

Ian, did you have any issues with the ride height. I heard a few people say the front is very low, even with the rough roads kit? The drop on the Bilstein's are 30-50mm. It's 15mm on the Öhlins, so quite a big difference.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by mob17

Regarding warranty/replacing, do you think Bilstein will help out if we buy abroad? Is it a case of just keeping our proof of purchase?

Also at £650, what are the alternatives that are available?

Buying abroad?

You're buying within the European community Mo, not abroad, we're all one big feck off state!
You shouldn't have a problem, just keep all the paperwork.

There are alternatives available, but none that I'd recommend, best we leave it there

Originally Posted by 335rocks

Thanks... it took me a few secs to recognize the pictures... there was something familiar about them . Your daughter definitely had more fun that day and I seem to remember that you didn't get to drive that much.

Ian, did you have any issues with the ride height. I heard a few people say the front is very low, even with the rough roads kit? The drop on the Bilstein's are 30-50mm. It's 15mm on the Öhlins, so quite a big difference.

Yes my daughter did have more fun, but once she got in the drivers seat, it was difficult to get her to relinquish her position, I could hardly blame her!

I never had too many problems with the ride height, but yes, it does sit low as you can see from the pics, set at its maximum height it was more than acceptable and still a very good ride.

[RagingKileak]

Alternatives at £650 are not worth thinking about. There isn't anything I'd dream of putting on my car!!

Let's get this thing going! I want mine now!!

Matt

[Rudz]

I am signing up to this as well Mob

[RagingKileak]

Great, that's 3.

MOB - it's probably worth setting up a specific thread with a clear Group Buy title - to grab some of the FK and BC customers attention!

Matt

[mob17]

Yeah i'll set one up soon

I just got this email back from Bilstein. Wasn't expecting much regarding the ride and they've given a standard reply:

Email removed

So he seems to suggest the damping is roughly in the middle position of the B16 kits?

A bit concerned about warranty. Just in case we had an issue, we can't use Bilstein in the UK for servicing?

I've fired an email accross to our German retailer about warranty.

[RagingKileak]

It was always going to be a ballache. I'm considering these at 650 in the hopes they won't fail!!

Matt

[mob17]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

It was always going to be a ballache. I'm considering these at 650 in the hopes they won't fail!!

Matt

Yeah same.

I suppose if you think about it the chances are low of them seizing. It's an OEM manufacturer, plus i'm sure the ones we heard about were the B16 PSS9/10s?

If it does happen we could still send it back and have some sort of warranty (i'm confirming what warranty we have with our German retailer).

Edit: I've also emailed Bilstein Germany to see what they say.

Once we know exactly what the situation is, i'll make the GB thread.

[RagingKileak]

Yeah.

I don't wanna throw any spammers in the works here (near in mind I am still IN here) but I will provide this word of warning: EVERYONE I've spoken to has fears that Bilstein dampers fail. Even the Birds kit fails. I've heard that the none OEM Bilstein stuff is not up to the same standard.

That said - 2 separate people (Kev Bird being one, HotCoupe the other) have independently told me that Bilstein claim to have solved the problem.

I can also say that my Bilstein dampers on the Golf (essentially a B12 kit parted out into separate shock and spring components as I wanted Eibach not H+R) didn't fail after 12 months and I never had any backward from the bloke I sold them on to either.

Tony and Marcel have had failures, as have Birds customers - could this be because they are all hard drivers on the Ring? Maybe, maybe not. Tony cracked a piston in the BMW Performance brakes, but they are not inherently bad - they are just not for that kind of use by a driver who can really push his car to the next level. Marcel is similarity quick around the Ring. Me? I'd be at least 1-2 minutes behind in the same car on the same day, so I am willing to suggest I drive slower and put the car under much less strain.

Everyone just needs to go into this with eyes open.

Matt

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by mob17

A bit concerned about warranty. Just in case we had an issue, we can't use Bilstein in the UK for servicing?

Mob, good contact @ Bilstein Uk:

John.Crooks@kruppbilstein.co.uk

01455 283407

I'd suggest you email/call John regarding warranty and servicing questions for products bought outside the UK, although I don't think there would be a problem, but peace of mind will garner confidence in a UK group buy.

Really knowledgeable guy and very helpful.

It also might be worth contacting Pumaspeed Performance, they are now direct sellers of all Bilstein suspension products, after Bilstein stopped supplying a total bunch of losers that used to sell them!

Pumaspeed
Tony Mcquire
01924 360260

They might be able to offer discounts for quantity

[mob17]

Matt: No worries, i'm glad we're doing as much research as possible

Alright cheers for the links Ian, i'll send some emails out

I've just heard back from the German retailer:

Hello,

you have 2 years warranty. Requirement is that the chassis is installed properly (proven).
If a defect is present you must fill out and send me a complaint requesting the first installation account. I'm sending you to a rear end of translucent dhl.
I hope you understand it, since it's google translate.

Best regards

Don't know what he means by a "rear end" of a translucent DHL. I'll post up what he sends.

Edit: I misunderstood him. See email:

Hi,

i mean if you have a warranty i will send you a translucent of dhl. J
So all we need for this is a installation statement, purchase bill and filled complaint requesting.

Best Regards

Basically free shipping back to Germany in case if a warranty claim.

[RagingKileak]

Word.

Matt

[lolololol]

That warranty seems sketchy to say the least - if you have one issue with warranty / return or defective product it renders all discounts pointless.

[mob17]

Originally Posted by omaragha

That warranty seems sketchy to say the least - if you have one issue with warranty / return or defective product it renders all discounts pointless.

Why does it seem sketchy?

[RagingKileak]

Originally Posted by omaragha

That warranty seems sketchy to say the least - if you have one issue with warranty / return or defective product it renders all discounts pointless.

It sounds alright to me...

Suspension problems always cause trouble becuase 99/100 times, you buy the suspension from somewhere other than the place that fits it.

If I buy Birds kit (which has had a few failures because it's the same Bilstein kit as the B14 is, basically) and it fails, it WILL be easier for me to return it and have it swapped, but I will STILL have a car with only 3 working corners (ie off the road) and that is no different whether I buy Birds, B14, KW, Ohlins or any other!

Matt

[mob17]

Emailed John Crooks (contact given by Ian), he forwarded it onto the same guy i emailed before lol. Response:

Email removed

So basically we pay £300 extra to buy it from a UK dealer, to save some lead time in case one of them is faulty.

To be honest i don't think our German retailer would take too long. We just give him the paperwork he needs, he sends us a free shipping note via DHL, and then they check and send it back.

I'll send the German retailer another email, asking about shipping times in case we need an exchange!

[Hotcoupe]

Mo, I've emailed you over the Bilstein warranty.

[Hotcoupe]

Nothing here

[mob17]

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

Mo, I've emailed you over the Bilstein warranty.

Cheers Ian. I have emailed them for warranty confirmation, as from that warranty document it does seem as though the B14 and B16 kits get lifetime warranty, the rest of the kits are 2 years. Maybe our German retailer and Bilstein UK are getting confused with other kits...

[mob17]

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

I've dealt with him before, it's not a name you forget, always sounded like he was one of the bad Guys in the 'The Magnificent Seven'.

Mo, PM me the company you're dealing with please.

Lol pm sent

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

It sounds alright to me...

Suspension problems always cause trouble becuase 99/100 times, you buy the suspension from somewhere other than the place that fits it.

If I buy Birds kit (which has had a few failures because it's the same Bilstein kit as the B14 is, basically) and it fails, it WILL be easier for me to return it and have it swapped, but I will STILL have a car with only 3 working corners (ie off the road) and that is no different whether I buy Birds, B14, KW, Ohlins or any other!

Matt

It's worth mentioning that if you suffer a failed damper, you won't receive just the one replacement, but both (same axle) will be replaced.

Dampers should only ever be changed in pairs.

The above was my experience anyway.