Coilovers vs Bilstein B8's?....

[silverdevill]

Hey all... i'm planning on doing a suspension overhaul on my Zed and am currently weighing up the pro's and cons of going all out for coilovers (for the adjustability factor) or with a set of bilstein B8 sprint shocks (for the fit and forget hassle free factor). BC racing do a set of coilovers with pillowball top mount for £760 whilst the bilsteins i could get from ebay germany for around £500, plus then a set of lowering springs for another £200 ish.... the coils would give me infinite adjustability options but i cant help having doubts about those pillowballs starting to knock and wear out, the bilsteins i know are a quality piece of kit and will be trouble free but wont give me any adjustability, certainly in terms of setting the car up. If i go for the bilsteins, is it advisable to go for new topmounts and drop links aswell?.... i'm in a real dilemma here! advice please from those on here more knowledgable than i

 

[Midhurstman]

I also have a 3.0i SE with sports pack and a full list of options and have just fitted Bilstein B8's all round as a straight replacement for my original M sport Sachs.(£460 delivered from Germany). I felt that whilst off it was important to change the top mounts, Meyle rears at approx £15 a pair and fronts at £30 (Germany again) make it a no brainer. I Did a lot of research and it appears that many users who go for adjustable coilovers play around with settings for a while then get fed up and never bother again. I am sure its different for regular track day users who would benefit from being able to dial in a track setting or serious road users who are willing to spend time adjusting and experimenting until they have the perfect set up for their needs. The B8's are definitely a little stiffer than the stock M sport but not harsh. The handling is more precise and controlled but difficult to say if the original Sachs, having covered 72,000 miles, were badly worn or not(they still had damping abilities). They were obviously not in the best of condition. Although very happy with the B8's since I fitted them 2 weeks ago, It is always in the back of my mind that some adjustment may have allowed me to gain an even better setting. I see that you have H&R springs and running 19" wheels so would imagine that you may benefit from coilovers and the ability to experiment until you find the perfect setting. All posts I have read on the forum from members who had changed to coilovers speak very favourably about them.

As a possible alternative, During my search I read a lot about the Koni sports shocks which are also adjustable and similar in price to the Bilsteins (although many would say not as good). The Koni specification states that they are fine for a lowered spring setup down to (from memory) 30-40mm but then they are not recommended for a Z4 with M sport or otherwise lowered suspension. I was unable to find anything anywhere to explain these two opposing statements.

 

[jan_tekin]

If you are happy with your ride height the go with the B8's if not find some coilovers with standard top mounts. Either way make sense to replace the top mounts as there not that expensive.

I see you have H&Rs with 19 wheels maybe thats ok, but when I had them with 18s and mine was slammed. Looked good but i started to really hate driving it, when i removed my springs i had just one functioning shock which most probably explained why i hated it.

 

[silverdevill]

hmm... thanks for the input guys. i'm gonna carry on doing a bit of research on the two options before i make up my mind i think.

 

[NeilP]

If you are happy with your ride height the go with the B8's

This is the best advice you could get.

Add to the mix a seized coil over collar when you come to adjust the height and again, more disappointment.

However, to throw a spanner in the works, have you considered HSD coilovers?

Also if you do go down the route of coilovers that come with adjustable top mounts and don't feel the need to run them, I may be interested!