Shock replace

C

CHIMV8

Member
Found some Bilstein's b4 on a German site in eBay

eBay said the shocks would fit my Z, double checking I sent the VIN number to the company

They returned and said I need to use Saches shocks,which by chance are currently on mine now

Did Sachs shocks get installed at the factory stage, as I thought they were Bilstein's

Any advise on which to use would be appreciated
 
Bilstein B4's will fit your car fine. I have them on my sterling grey Z4 :thumbsup:

If you pair them with eibach springs, the car sits lovely, although they will still work fine when paired with sport springs.
 
CHIMV8 said:
Take it the Bilstein's are the better upgrade then, or is it a personal preference
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Unsure really. Everyone seems to recommend the Bilsteins, so that's why I went for those rather than Sachs.

I've not had a problem with them in the 2 years they've been on my car :thumbsup: they were quite reasonably priced on ebay.de I think I paid about £250 for the 4 shocks.
 
One thing to watch for with Bilsteins is the top mounts for the rear, tend to clunk with some brands, I could only get Meyle HD at the time and they were terrible. Quickly found Lemforder items and they are OK. Apparently a known thing for B4 shocks.
 
bazza190 said:
One thing to watch for with Bilsteins is the top mounts for the rear, tend to clunk with some brands, I could only get Meyle HD at the time and they were terrible. Quickly found Lemforder items and they are OK. Apparently a known thing for B4 shocks.
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I second that with regard to Meyle HD top mounts, I am very disappointed with mine and am going to swap back to the originals to see if it makes a difference
 
When my Z needed new shock/struts, I went with Koni yellows. I’ve used them before and prefer them over Bilstein. They feel more solid to me. Plus the damping is adjustable, so you can adjust to your liking.
 
CHIMV8 said:
Blistein upgrade

Or Factory Saches to keep factory ride height and spec
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Springs determine ride height. not dampers. Bilstein are seen as equivalent or perhaps even better than Sachs in quality terms and generally much cheaper to purchase, at least they were when I replaced mine.
 
[springs or shock issue
 

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What issue? Looks like the passenger rear is a touch higher, a quirk of BMW design as they’re designed as lhd cars, the idea being the left is a touch higher unladen so it balances once you put the driver in.
 
Well that explains that

Will the spring on the left be slightly longer,why didn't they change the setup on the RHD??
 
CHIMV8 said:
Well that explains that

Will the spring on the left be slightly longer,why didn't they change the setup on the RHD??
Click to expand...
I think the springs are identical but the spring perch itself is different.

I *think* you can fix this with rubber spring pads.

You've not mentioned the year or spec of your car, but pre-facelift 3.0s all had "M Sport" suspension - the correct spec Bilstein equivalent is the B8, not the B4.
 
B8s are massively uprated over stock sport shocks, yes they're better if you're on flat windy roads etc but all round a bad idea in the UK on what is already a very stiff car if your driving route has any poor condition surfaces. Spoke to Bilsteins tech department before ordering myself and they said their B4 shocks are equivalent to the sport damper specs, but with a longer piston that also allows them to be used with non-sport springs. The B8s are uprated shocks designed for aftermarket lowering springs i.e. Eibachs (although theres plenty running them with B4s with no issues)
 
Ive had B4s and Eibachs on mine for about two and half years now and they were night and day with the knackered old M Sport stuff that came off. Much more compliant and your not being launched out of your seat on every bump. I would have to agree that the B12 Kit (so B8s and Eibachs) would very likely be too much on a road going E85.
I have a B12 kit on our E89 which obviously is a softer riding vehicle from the factory and the B12 kit on that with 19" RFT Bridgestones's is still I'd say more compliant than the E85 with B4/Eibachs, non RFT Goodyear F1's in M Spec (5% higher sidewall) tyres.
 
Jakg said:
CHIMV8 said:
Well that explains that

Will the spring on the left be slightly longer,why didn't they change the setup on the RHD??
Click to expand...
I think the springs are identical but the spring perch itself is different.

I *think* you can fix this with rubber spring pads.

You've not mentioned the year or spec of your car, but pre-facelift 3.0s all had "M Sport" suspension - the correct spec Bilstein equivalent is the B8, not the B4.
Click to expand...
It’s a 2003 3.0i
BT52 version 1
 
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