Bilstein inserts give OK ride quality? Options

[Tdskip]

Have access to a set of lightly used Bilstein front/rear inserts and shocks but wanted to ask about ride quality. Looking to balance handling with comfort for 250+ mile days.

Thanks!

[Mikey914]

Ride quality is more than just struts, but yes the Bilstein product is what I prefer.

[The Double S]

Have access to a set of lightly used Bilstein front/rear inserts and shocks but wanted to ask about ride quality. Looking to balance handling with comfort for 250+ mile days.

Thanks!

Do you know what inserts they are (B6, Sport, HD)?

Good question btw. I'm interested in the opinions also.

[Mark Henry]

Huge improvement, good ride.

[scallyk9]

I recently installed Bilsteins in my '74 2.0L and it made a huge improvement in ride and handling. The suspension is stock other than 100 lb. Weltmeister rear springs and turbo tie rods.

[Tdskip]

Thank you gentlemen, appreciate the helpful (and fast) responses.

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

[alexkirkham]

well I am going to disagree a little. went for bilsteins (B6, careful not to get the firmer ones) back and front when my original shocks went, and while everything firmed up the bumpiness was hugely increased over the stock setup, it hurt my back and I started driving the car to avoid bumps...

went with koni red classic 911 inserts at the front and standard sachs at the back. considerable relief and it still seems to handle like a trooper!

alex

[Tdskip]

Thanks Alex, appreciate the response and feedback.

[horizontally-opposed]

Ride is a subjective thing—and there are a lot of people who prefer Bilstein to Koni.

Some of them convinced to move to Bilstein HDs last time around, and the ride is just fine—once you're past 50 mph or so. I find the ride at lower vehicle speeds (around town and on tight back roads) a bit "fidgety" or "jiggly" for my liking. It is by no means (!) harsh or "bad," but I prefer Koni reds.

Interesting about the Sachs. Have a pair of Koni red rears I'll be rebuilding when the time comes…

[PlaysWithCars]

I've only used Koni yellows, never driven reds, but I can say that the Bilsteins sports ride much better than the Koni yellows. I've become a huge fan of Bilsteins and have been using them on all of my cars when it comes time to replace shocks.

[roblav1]

And I'm one of the old Koni Red people! Bilsteins are too harsh for me!

[sixnotfour]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[sixnotfour]

And I'm one of the old Koni Red people! Bilsteins are too harsh for me!

Bilstein sport.. to harsh...the semi old Koni gas reds best balance...street

[Steve]

PMS installed new Bilstein HD on my car. I now feel every pot hole and my car feels like it’s going to break apart. The 17” rims don’t help the problem, but I love my rims. Torsion bars up front are 18.8mm and rear springs are 200lb. Bummer that they don’t sell the koni reds anymore. Paragon says the koni sports on a low setting will ride nicer than the bilstein HD.

[mepstein]

PMS installed new Bilstein HD on my car. I now feel every pot hole and my car feels like it’s going to break apart. The 17” rims don’t help the problem, but I love my rims. Torsion bars up front are 18.8mm and rear springs are 200lb. Bummer that they don’t sell the koni reds anymore. Paragon says the koni sports on a low setting will ride nicer than the bilstein HD.

Maybe get the inserts redone to smooth out the ride. They are built for a heavier 911.

[914forme]

Bilstein will custom revolve your inserts. let them know what your looking for and the spring rates. I did not do the fronts on my car, ran the stock 88-89 Tb bars in it. The rears here done for stockfish springs, hand them revolved to handle the 175 springs I ran or was it 225, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Would need to look at my racing documentation from years gone by, I have forgotten the details.

If you are thinking about installing coil sleeves do it before you send them off for revolving. I used a set of Colmann sleeves. You heated the sleeve up, and then slid it over the shock. First one I did I did not make it all the way done, had to heat the sleeve on the shock, and boiled the fluid. But that was the plan, I did it just incase I boiled the fluid as I was having the revolved.

Fronts I ran stock as my spring rate matched the front insert rate.

Perfect shocks unless you have coin for JRZs.

[Cairo94507]

I have Bilstien Sports in my Six with 140 pound rear springs, stock torsion bars, stock sway bars and Elephant Racing rubber bushings all around. My car is lowered about 1- 1 1/4". Also, I am running Deep Six wheels and 195x55x15 tires. It rides very nice and handles well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

You can do amazing things with re-valved Bilsteins. Once spent a day at Sears Point with the same Spec 911 on Bilstein sports in three different setups—off the shelf F/R, re-valved F/R, and then re-valved again in the rear per owner preference (when the rear end is loose). I didn't push hard enough to get into the differences between #2 and #3, as that circuit's abundant concrete walls only amplify the usual caution, but the difference between #1 and #2 was one of the bigger epiphanies of my time testing cars. That 911 SC suddenly felt 10-20 years newer and was far more confidence inspiring.

The X factor with re-valved dampers is the nut who sets them up. Track is one thing, street is another entirely—and even car manufacturers get dampers wrong. There's the "book knowledge" that goes into damper valving and then the black art. A great result requires both, and those folks are rare in my experience when it comes to street cars.

Interesting to read others' comments on Koni reds, particularly sixnotfour's and Paragon's. So are the Porsche Classic Koni red fronts 1:1 to the old stuff?

[Mikey914]

PMS installed new Bilstein HD on my car. I now feel every pot hole and my car feels like it’s going to break apart. The 17” rims don’t help the problem, but I love my rims. Torsion bars up front are 18.8mm and rear springs are 200lb. Bummer that they don’t sell the koni reds anymore. Paragon says the koni sports on a low setting will ride nicer than the bilstein HD.

With the 200 springs are your running something other than a 4? You would be amplifying the stiffness by using a more aggressive spring unless you have more weight.

Stock was about 85 lb on average. The geometry suggests 100# is optimum.

Change the weight of the motor and you need to start doing math. If you are running a 6 the 200 is about right, but a 140/160 progressive may be optimal (using the Bilsteins)

When we designed our springs we used the Bilstein product.

[mepstein]

PMS installed new Bilstein HD on my car. I now feel every pot hole and my car feels like it’s going to break apart. The 17” rims don’t help the problem, but I love my rims. Torsion bars up front are 18.8mm and rear springs are 200lb. Bummer that they don’t sell the koni reds anymore. Paragon says the koni sports on a low setting will ride nicer than the bilstein HD.

With the 200 springs are your running something other than a 4? You would be amplifying the stiffness by using a more aggressive spring unless you have more weight.

Stock was about 85 lb on average. The geometry suggests 100# is optimum.

Change the weight of the motor and you need to start doing math. If you are running a 6 the 200 is about right, but a 140/160 progressive may be optimal (using the Bilsteins)

When we designed our springs we used the Bilstein product.

Steve has a 3.2 with a 915 trans.