**NEW**Bilstein B8 HD Struts and Shocks Released
 

These look great. Got a silly question though...it's described as a "lowering shock absorber". Does that mean it lowers the car even if I decide to use OEM springs? Or is it just implying it should only be used with a lowering spring? (Is it even compatible with OEM springs?)

Simply a shock designed to handle a lower spring. And yes it will work with the factory springs

Any kind of testing or feedback on these yet? What kind of spring pairs well?

Wouldn't be surprised if RCE Tarmacs would go well with those.

@FT-86 SpeedFactory

Gotta ask about availability and pricing, what say you? :)

Woah! O.O

Very nice! :D

Flipped piston design, monotube, replacement oem style shocks? I don't think I've ever seen an oem-style replacement shock/strut with a flipped piston (only see those on expensive coilovers and race shock set ups) ..so this is a very nice surprise.

2 questions:

Are these short body, short stroke???? I really really hope so.

And.. price? :)

say what?

the gods have answered!

but i am too wondering if their design for a lower spring will hurt their performance on an OEM spring (ie, droop values?),

RCE Tarmacs = Springs
RCE Tarmac 0 = Coilovers
RCE Tarmac II = Coilovers

These: http://www.racecompengineering.com/i...g-springs.html

I think he means our RCE Tarmac lowering spring (not our coilovers as that wouldn't make sense). A little stiffer than our RCE Yellows.

Review here with Koni Yellow:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...ght=rce+tarmac

- Andy

With these being only $200 less than the B14's, whats the advantage?

Do these have a smaller diameter strut perch, so I can get the same advantage of a traditional coilover setup and fit a wider wheel?

this is a very incorrect way of thinking about it

the B14 is a spring and damper SET

these are just the dampers

one is not supposed to be an "advantage" over the other, they simply are

These are the B8 struts and shocks. These are shortened as they are designed to be used with a lowering spring. Even though these would work with stock springs, I feel this wouldn't be the best fit for these struts and shocks.

Bilstein has also released a B6 strut and shock for our application that is designed to be a heavy duty damper, but will have the same size and stroke as the OEM system. We only got the B6 front struts in and not the rears....so we have not posted photos of those yet. But these are available for people wanting to stay with the stock springs.

I need to compare these to some of our OEM suspension that is in storage somewhere....I don't think they will be much smaller if any. Just a guess, though...

Cheers!
-Yo

Unless you're not going to run OEM diameter springs, you can't make the spring seat any smaller. I highly doubt you'll see anyone make a custom diameter spring, so if you want clearance you're stuck with coilovers.

Got it, thanks. :)

That's the answer I'm looking for! I will wait for the B6's, trying to stay within stock class for autocross. Thank you!

Bilstein HD's, the long lost king has returned.

Looking at the relative costs, these don't seem to make much sense unless you already have lowering springs and want to upgrade your struts/shocks, in which case they make a lot of sense.

A proper spring and strut > cheap coilovers

Agreed, but when you can buy a set of Bilstein coilovers designed for street use for comparable total cost, why buy Bilstein struts and someone else's springs?

I'm trusting that the reference to pricing in an earlier post is accurate. If it isn't, ignore me.

I guess it comes down to preference??

Grey Tarmac springs. Higher spring rate than Yellows.

How much lower are we talking? Pro-kit low, or sport-line low? Or doesn't it matter?

Am I misunderstanding or missing something on the product page on FT86Speedfactory.com?

Bilstein B8 Front Shocks = $265.99
Bilstein B8 Rear Shocks = $192.99
Bilstein B8 Shocks Complete kit = $915

I don't get it.... If I buy the Front and Rear separately I only pay $459 + tax...but the complete kit is double that? Are there some details missing in the Complete Kit details section like Bilstein springs are included, etc.?

thats per strut i believe

Ah, you are correct I just saw the *asterisk* on the product details page after you mentioned that. My apologies for being blind.

They are priced individually on the fronts and rears. Should be a bold sentence in the description stating this.

Right now with them being brand new typically just bought as full sets but going on in the future things happen on track or on the street and you may just then need a single replacement so we split them up as so. Same thing with Koni, priced individually.

Hopefully never just need a single but it happens. :-(

I understand, that makes a lot of sense. Its kind of nice though to have them sold separately if someone is just passively buying them - say 1 each month till they get all 4 after 4 months, which I will probably be doing. Thanks!

Curious to see how these would go with the Ground Control cover sleeves.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Damnit I thought I was keeping up with this stuff. I was thinking those were "RCE Black" but now that I look at more pics, I see they're grey.

My bad. Thanks for the corrections, everyone.

Nice! Good to know! I wonder by how much though.

Can you (or someone else that gets them in the future) please take side-by-side pics of these next to the stock oem shocks and struts? ...and also take measurements too?

Would love to see the measurements of the differences in total body+shaft length, or separate body and shaft lengths compared to stock.

So, these or Koni Yellows? That is the question...

since these are designed with lowering springs in mind, i would assume they'd pair up better vs ots yellows (assuming you're using them with aftermarket springs)

I'd assume most going with Koni Yellows went with an aftermarket spring...

Though at this point i feel it's more about the dampening i want to fix, not the spring.

I wonder how much less with an introductory discount??

If there is no discount, these + springs would be the same price as the B14 pretty much...in which case, I would just cut to the chase and get the B14 instead as it's a designed matched set and also ride height adjustable. However, if the introductory discounted price for these struts is around $500-600, then this would be more realistic to buy.

You make a good point. It would be nice if it was like $915 for the complete kit if springs were included, because otherwise this 'bare-bones' option is competing with their own products....I don't get that...

And that's why if these were out when I bought the Koni inserts, I'd buy these instead. No reusing the shitty stock housing with better damping? Sign me up. Now, if you CONSTANTLY play with the damping on an adjustable shock, then you might want the Konis (unless I misread, these are not adjustable)...I set mine where I like them for a comfortable yet sporty street ride and haven't touched 'em since.

Yes I have. Love the H&Rs and Bilsteins we run in SpecE30.