Bilstein B8

wyatth wrote

You didn't happen to have the Dinan Stage 1 with the B8s before the monoballs/links were added, did you?

Ha, exactly my thoughts as well. I'm thinking the monoballs added a shitload of stiffness up front.

No. Everything was installed at the same time. Monoballs were added to improve feedback through the steering wheel.

EricSMG wrote

George - I'm trying to follow you here. Are you saying that:

- The Billy B8 (sport) dampers are no good with Swift springs?
- Or the Billy B6 (heavy duty) dampers are no good with Swift springs?
- But you think the B12 kit (B6 + Eibachs) is a good kit?
- And that the RT was better than which combo, exactly?

Thanks.

(I really want to believe the RT hype but I ran that kit on my 46M and comfortable was not the word that came to mind. The biggest problem with that kit was that it forced a really low ride height and I like to run my cars at near-OE height. That *shouldn't* be an issue here as they are separately height/preload adjustable.)

The RT is definitely not as comfortable as OEM. But it is more comfortable than Swift springs with B8 dampers. I would not recommend B8 dampers with swift springs, or any spring for that matter, the damper needs better rebound tuning. The best street combination has been factory EDC for this car. I have never tried B6 damptronic. I usually drive my car hard on canyons and tracks and the RT is the perfect setup for my needs. The car felt SO different going from B8 to RT, much better.

SYT_Shadow wrote

Someone would have to pay me to install a coilover on my car expecting street manners from it.

Absolutely agree. A lot of people on this forum wrote that the RT is as comfortable as OEM EDC. Absolutely not, and it can’t be.. the spring rates are a good amount higher.

GeorgeA wrote

Absolutely agree. A lot of people on this forum wrote that the RT is as comfortable as OEM EDC. Absolutely not, and it can’t be.. the spring rates are a good amount higher.

Thank you for the honest assessment

I have thought about getting the R&T's and replacing the front 60n/mm fronts with one of the other, milder front lowering springs. Sadly rates are hard to come by on the lowering springs. H&R says "10-20% stiffer". Swift is in the 300's I think, no help there. The rear setup is not that much stiffer than stock and I mostly just want the nicer dampers. I also want to stick with the factory upper mounts with my dinan offset plates because I don't want the extra failure points/noise/whatever else comes up of a true camber/caster plate.

Coupled with a front swaybar, something like the H&R Sport ought'nt to be too badly mismatched to the 685lb rear springs (15% stiffer than stock, approx).

Stock - 160 lb/in
H&R Sport - 176-192
Swift - 279 (notably paired with the same approx. rear rate as the R&T's)
R&T - 342

There are also some slightly higher-rate Vert lowering springs out there, IIRC.

I have to say I'm happy with the B8's as a stock replacement rear shock, and they're definitely more controlled than stock especially over big hits, but nowhere near the "what bump?" control the car had on the MCS 2-way remotes with stock springs.

Richbot wrote

I have thought about getting the R&T's and replacing the front 60n/mm fronts with one of the other, milder front lowering springs. Sadly rates are hard to come by on the lowering springs. H&R says "10-20% stiffer". Swift is in the 300's I think, no help there. The rear setup is not that much stiffer than stock and I mostly just want the nicer dampers. I also want to stick with the factory upper mounts with my dinan offset plates because I don't want the extra failure points/noise/whatever else comes up of a true camber/caster plate.

Coupled with a front swaybar, something like the H&R Sport ought'nt to be too badly mismatched to the 685lb rear springs (15% stiffer than stock, approx).

Stock - 160 lb/in
H&R Sport - 176-192
Swift - 279 (notably paired with the same approx. rear rate as the R&T's)
R&T - 342

There are also some slightly higher-rate Vert lowering springs out there, IIRC.

I have to say I'm happy with the B8's as a stock replacement rear shock, and they're definitely more controlled than stock especially over big hits, but nowhere near the "what bump?" control the car had on the MCS 2-way remotes with stock springs.

First, you cannot run stock-style front springs with the RT so I'm confused on your HR comment.

Second, I think the RT rear rate is 672ish which would be likely 150% stiffer than stock, no? If so that's a HUGE increase in stiffness.

Finally, how did you run stock springs with the MCS'?

My MCS setup was a custom strut machined to accept the stock lower perch (it’s just a press fit). For use in scca Stock class

Is the R&T lower perch flat? Or is the diameter off? That blows. I suppose one could always convertnand use a tall low rate 2.5” linear spring

Stock rear rate is 550lb/in for some reason I thought 600, which is wrong

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=336450

So I've placed my order in for the B8's as my OEM shocks are done.
80,000KM. The rears have been making a clunking noise, I thought to myself might as well replace all 4. I had KW Clubsports before, of course, coilovers are better in every way but Canada's winters have been too brutal. I don't want to go through the experience I had when I was dailying my PSS10 on my previous E90.

Will share pictures when they arrive and have them installed with my Eibach springs with shortened e36 m3 bump stops.