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

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by fooddude

RCE stuff seems a bit over priced for what you get (no upper mounts, non-flipped front pistons and no separate sleeve design...even the T2 look cheaply made and ghetto...similar to the KW's that everyone seems to like - no flipped piston, no separate sleeve/shock mount, etc.) and/or charges a lot (ie: an extra 360 just for a stiffer spring option...it should be a free choice when order placed, or no spring included at all with a lower price so the customer can choose any spring at the same cost at any spring choice). Their lowering spring prices are astronomical too at almost $500 I just noticed.

At these prices of these american KW and RCE brands, I would just go Tein MonoFlex easily, or just save up for SRC or Ohlins.

Wow, 3 posts in a row with something to say about RCE!

Our RCE Yellow springs are 299 and come with replacement bumpstops. Never been close to 500 bucks.

Flipped (or inverted) coilovers are nice to have but IMO far from a must have unless it's a rally car. Look at JRZ, Moton, Penske, etc.

I prefer not to have separate ride height and preload adjustability for a wide variety of reasons. Most motorsports level coilovers are the same.

We don't include camber plates because it would increase the price and many of our customers run stock top mounts on purpose. The lower mount is slotted so you can still get a good amount of camber without the NVH of a camber plate. It's a neat little design feature. This also lets users that want to run camber plates pick and choose from some of the higher end camber/caster plate manufacturers out there like Vorshlag, Raceseng, HVT, etc. Camber plates on lower end stuff generally isn't the highest quality and can make noise. They also usually don't add caster.

KW is German. People seem to like them because they're really good. And they're a great value. It's not easy to find a 2 way coilover under 4 grand with quality valving. We work with them to develop our coilover line...our Tarmac 2s start as KW Clubsports for example. They're far from "ghetto."

Being able to offer our coilovers without springs is something we've thought about, but in the end it doesn't make things much cheaper and it does make everything take longer. Most (not all) companies won't do that. We've been around for about a decade but we aren't a huge company. That gives us a few advantages. We can usually be reached by phone on weekends and after hours and we can focus on the BRZ/FR-S and spend a lot of time getting familiar with that chassis as opposed to making parts for 50 different vehicles. One of the disadvantages though is economies of scale for us work a little differently than a gigantic corporation where the BRZ is an afterthought.

We've also worked with Bilstein, Ohlins, and others in the past when they've asked us to try a few things for them. All very good companies that produce high quality dampers. We'll never say that our products are the only ones worth considering and that's why we still sell Bilstein, Ohlins, JRZ and other brands that we think do a great job. But we're also pretty proud of being able to offer the market other options with our own particular approach.

Anyway, I hope you're not predisposed to disliking us for some reason. We've got at lot of satisfied customers our there that autocross competitively, win national championships, track their car, compete in time attack, compete in endurance racing, and simply drive their car for fun. Different strokes and all that is fine, it just seemed like you have it out for us.

- Andy

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Wow, 3 posts in a row with something to say about RCE!

Anyway, I hope you're not predisposed to disliking us for some reason. We've got at lot of satisfied customers our there that autocross competitively, win national championships, track their car, compete in time attack, compete in endurance racing, and simply drive their car for fun. Different strokes and all that is fine, it just seemed like you have it out for us.

- Andy

Hehe.. I was just being a bit harsh and ignorant I admit, lol. Since, I haven't heard of, nor done any homework, on all these new companies (including yours), as I haven't been into cars until just this year, since the late 90's, and I am def not in the know anymore. My bad for seeming like an @sshole..I was just being a little closed-minded, and hard to open up, to anything I haven't heard of yet.

But...thanks for your detailed summary and insight. Sounds like your company and collaborations are doing a great job...especially with so many people competitively racing on a high level using your products, I am reading/noticing more and more of now.. which makes me realize I sound like a complete fool now lol.

[Victor Draken]

@Racecomp Engineering

So what's the real difference between a tarmac 0 and a B8-tarmac spring combo?

Can you explain Why the T0 with normal spring cost xxxx$ and if i want to get stiffer spring the increase in prize is that big?
I mean... If get stiffer spring you don't have to use the normal one, so I should pay the difference between it.

This question is because T0 stock are on almost same price of b14 and b8 combo, but with softer spring, instead if you try to get the same stiffness of b8combo you have to spend much mor

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Victor Draken

@Racecomp Engineering

So what's the real difference between a tarmac 0 and a B8-tarmac spring combo?

Can you explain Why the T0 with normal spring cost xxxx$ and if i want to get stiffer spring the increase in prize is that big?
I mean... If get stiffer spring you don't have to use the normal one, so I should pay the difference between it.

This question is because T0 stock are on almost same price of b14 and b8 combo, but with softer spring, instead if you try to get the same stiffness of b8combo you have to spend much mor

This is ft86's b8 thread. These questions belong in their own thread, in the ama with rce and csg, or in a private message.

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by fooddude

Hehe.. I was just being a bit harsh and ignorant I admit, lol. Since, I haven't heard of, nor done any homework, on all these new companies (including yours), as I haven't been into cars until just this year, since the late 90's, and I am def not in the know anymore. My bad for seeming like an @sshole..I was just being a little closed-minded, and hard to open up, to anything I haven't heard of yet.

But...thanks for your detailed summary and insight. Sounds like your company and collaborations are doing a great job...especially with so many people competitively racing on a high level using your products, I am reading/noticing more and more of now.. which makes me realize I sound like a complete fool now lol.

No worries.

- Andy

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Victor Draken

@Racecomp Engineering

So what's the real difference between a tarmac 0 and a B8-tarmac spring combo?

Can you explain Why the T0 with normal spring cost xxxx$ and if i want to get stiffer spring the increase in prize is that big?
I mean... If get stiffer spring you don't have to use the normal one, so I should pay the difference between it.

This question is because T0 stock are on almost same price of b14 and b8 combo, but with softer spring, instead if you try to get the same stiffness of b8combo you have to spend much mor

To be honest I can't full answer the first question because I need to get my hands on the B8 and look at the shock dyno. In one way it would be "easier" and simpler than a coilover but the reality is that difference isn't huge. Another difference is monotube Bilstein vs. twintube Tarmac 0, each of which has their advantages.

For question 2 a quick answer...we get the T0 with the standard rates from KW and if a customer wants stiffer we have to purchase new springs, reassemble, and then the old springs go on our shelf. We've already got a shelf full of our standard rates. We wish we could make it easier but that's the way it works unfortunately. Many shops do the same, if they even have an option.

EDIT: And like Calum said, this is FT86 Speedfactory's thread!

- Andy

[FT-86 SpeedFactory]

Originally Posted by Calum

This is ft86's b8 thread. These questions belong in their own thread, in the ama with rce and csg, or in a private message.

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No worries on this! This is an open forum and we, gladly, take other vendors experience and expertise on topics. As long as we are staying on topic, I say the more the merrier

[fooddude]

Wondering how the new B8's valving compare to the T0 ...as in, like the T0, can the B8 also handle 350-400 (6-7kg) spring rates (via GC custom spring rate and sleeve)? Which are firmer valved - B8 or T0?

Very interested in a B8 + GC spring sleeve (6-7kg F/R square); as it sounds very affordable. Just need to know what spring rates it can handle.

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

To be honest I can't full answer the first question because I need to get my hands on the B8 and look at the shock dyno.

Can't wait for the info/results on this if you get around doing it. Would love to hear the differences in valving/dampening between the B8 and T0 shocks

BTW: Is RCE ever planning to make/release an even stiffer oem-replacement-style-lowering-spring stiffer than even the Tarmac Greys? Maybe a 6kg or 7kg Tarmac lowering spring? That would be pretty wild for a mere lowering spring ...but still there's a pretty realistic market for them with all these oem style shock/strut replacements now (actually, not "all these," just Bilstein and Koni I guess ha)

[solidONE]

Are any of the bilstein dynos available for viewing?

[Victor Draken]

Originally Posted by Calum

This is ft86's b8 thread. These questions belong in their own thread, in the ama with rce and csg, or in a private message.

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

Bro please, give me a break.

If I can get good information from a vendor like racecomp (that is known for having a very good knowledge of suspension etc.) I think everyone can get a better idea of these new B8 shock.

plus I'm probably buying 99% of my stuff from FT86 so you can take off your whiteknight armor

[1086]

careful out there:

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by fooddude

Can't wait for the info/results on this if you get around doing it. Would love to hear the differences in valving/dampening between the B8 and T0 shocks

BTW: Is RCE ever planning to make/release an even stiffer oem-replacement-style-lowering-spring stiffer than even the Tarmac Greys? Maybe a 6kg or 7kg Tarmac lowering spring? That would be pretty wild for a mere lowering spring ...but still there's a pretty realistic market for them with all these oem style shock/strut replacements now (actually, not "all these," just Bilstein and Koni I guess ha)

Probably won't be able to go that stiff, though it would be really cool. You start running into physical limitations of the thicker spring wire fully binding before the shock runs out of travel.

- Andy

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by solidONE

Are any of the bilstein dynos available for viewing?

I don't think Bilstein releases them officially.

- Andrew