Bilstein B6 and B8 explained

[Daily86]

I believe they are the B6. The photo is from an earlier post from RCE.

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[JohnH]

Originally Posted by Daily86

I'm noticing the difference in the spring perch heights.

I noticed this as well(in the picture) and I don't care for that. Thats changing the spring preload.

[gen3v8]

Originally Posted by JohnH

I noticed this as well(in the picture) and I don't care for that. Thats changing the spring preload.

Does that change once the car is sitting on its own weight and the springs are compressed holding the vehicle up

[ZDan]

Hmm, going from stock PP/Sachs to B8s didn't change ride height on Swift springs for me at all. 12 7/8" all around before and after.

[Racecomp Engineering]

It's not a good picture y'all, I wouldn't read too much into it. I'll take a better one of the rears vs stock later this week.

- Andrew

[Daily86]

Can we compare the B8s also?

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[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Daily86

Can we compare the B8s also?

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We don't have those in stock unfortunately.

- Andrew

[JIM THEO]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

It's not a good picture y'all, I wouldn't read too much into it. I'll take a better one of the rears vs stock later this week.

- Andrew

Waiting Andrew, as I understand B6 with lowering springs is better choice than the B8 as they have more suspension travel

[Daily86]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

It's not a good picture y'all, I wouldn't read too much into it. I'll take a better one of the rears vs stock later this week.

- Andrew

Andrew, I'm sure you're busy. Just wondering if you can try to take more pictures.
Thanks!

[norcalpb]

Hey Andrew, I’ve had my B6s for 80k miles and a shop told me that the front struts have play, as in the shaft can move relative to its housing. They told me Bilstein’s have bushings that support the shaft and mine are worn. Is it true these bushings exist? I also went to inspect the struts and they both have huge 4”x4” burn marks on the shafts themselves. Luckily the marks don’t have any depth like scoring would leave.

Reason I ask is because the struts aren’t making any noise but do feel “soft”. Both struts are bone dry.

[itschris]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

Hey Andrew, I’ve had my B6s for 80k miles and a shop told me that the front struts have play, as in the shaft can move relative to its housing. They told me Bilstein’s have bushings that support the shaft and mine are worn. Is it true these bushings exist? I also went to inspect the struts and they both have huge 4”x4” burn marks on the shafts themselves. Luckily the marks don’t have any depth like scoring would leave.

Reason I ask is because the struts aren’t making any noise but do feel “soft”. Both struts are bone dry.

They do exist. When my dad sent in his B8s to be rebuilt for another platform they replaced them. I'm surprised you don't hear knocking if they're that bad.

I think this part number might work, but really I'd just have someone refresh everything. Probably not easy for normal people to get.

P/N: E4-LB1-Z008A09 BUSHING: 36MM UMS INTERNAL HSG

I attached a pic from Bilstein's website with a cutaway, it seems relevant to this thread.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Daily86

Andrew, I'm sure you're busy. Just wondering if you can try to take more pictures.
Thanks!

Crap, sorry. My extra set of rears is with a friend at the moment. Soon though!

Originally Posted by norcalpb

Hey Andrew, I’ve had my B6s for 80k miles and a shop told me that the front struts have play, as in the shaft can move relative to its housing. They told me Bilstein’s have bushings that support the shaft and mine are worn. Is it true these bushings exist? I also went to inspect the struts and they both have huge 4”x4” burn marks on the shafts themselves. Luckily the marks don’t have any depth like scoring would leave.

Reason I ask is because the struts aren’t making any noise but do feel “soft”. Both struts are bone dry.

By "shaft" do you mean the part you can see or the shaft inside the strut body?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbumUe_r...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Either way, yes there are bushings/bearings and the rod guide that can wear out and cause some of the marks your seeing. No noise is a good sign, but 80k miles is a very solid run and I would start planning on sending them in for a rebuild.

- Andrew

[norcalpb]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

By "shaft" do you mean the part you can see or the shaft inside the strut body?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbumUe_r...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Either way, yes there are bushings/bearings and the rod guide that can wear out and cause some of the marks your seeing. No noise is a good sign, but 80k miles is a very solid run and I would start planning on sending them in for a rebuild.

- Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Yes by shaft I mean the part that you can actually see. I guess since it's inverted, the actual shaft is inside the body duh!

I'm thinking about just replacing them as I've stripped the upper allen shaped holes bad enough that I'm forced to imperial sized allen wrenches to loosen/tighten the nut without spinning the shaft and I don't think a rebuild will be able to fix that right? Sucks they are $250/side now...but at least my rear B6s are holding up well.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

Hi Andrew,

Yes by shaft I mean the part that you can actually see. I guess since it's inverted, the actual shaft is inside the body duh!

I'm thinking about just replacing them as I've stripped the upper allen shaped holes bad enough that I'm forced to imperial sized allen wrenches to loosen/tighten the nut without spinning the shaft and I don't think a rebuild will be able to fix that right? Sucks they are $250/side now...but at least my rear B6s are holding up well.

If you send them in, they could replace that part...but you might be getting close to the cost of a new one anyway. I'm not sure. It's worth a call to them.

Should also think about the B6s going in and out of stock and the occasional long wait though.

- Andrew