[Nihilation]

Last week I installed Bilstein B8 shocks in hopes of eliminating the mushy, out of sync feeling the rear of the F30 exhibits. Those who have tracked their car or spend time driving spiritedly on twisty roads know what I mean.

I chose Bilstein B8's for three reasons. First, I've had success using them in many of my previous BMWs. Second, they are a gas filled shock just like the factory dampers. And finally, price. My set was a hair over $200 shipped to my door. I couldn't get a single Koni yellow for that.

So why not B6 shocks? The B6 shocks are intended for non lowering springs while the Bilstein B8 shocks are shorter and designed for lowering springs. Bilstein recommends the B8 for cars equipped with the factory M-Sport suspension.

The installation was cake and took about 30 minutes total. You can see the video below. There is more F30 content on that channel and my personal YT channel if you're interested.

Unfortunately I've been out of town since the installation however I can tell you that on the drive home the most notable improvements have been the ride quality. It's undeniably firmer. But this shouldn't be a surprise. What was a surprise was the elimination of push on several lower speed turns I take on a daily basis. And while I haven't driven the car hard with the B8's installed, early signs point toward delivering measurable improvements on the track.

[expertsedan]

Could you share the torque number of those bolts?

[alohasurftoad]

thx for the video. do you have the installation of the front? which i assume is much more difficult... thanks

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by expertsedan

Could you share the torque number of those bolts?

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

thx for the video. do you have the installation of the front? which i assume is much more difficult... thanks

+1.

[therealm3]

Great video. Thx!

for those asking, torque values are here:

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=970605

[Nihilation]

We only installed rear shocks. The fronts seem alright for now.

[alohasurftoad]

i'm thinking of getting the m-performance suspension and doing the install myself. the rears looks quite simple. although the fronts are more involved i can't imagine it is that difficult since it is a straight swap of the entire factory coilover. anybody else have input or a DIY link?

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i'm thinking of getting the m-performance suspension and doing the install myself. the rears looks quite simple. although the fronts are more involved i can't imagine it is that difficult since it is a straight swap of the entire factory coilover. anybody else have input or a DIY link?

I think M Performance Suspension is definitely the way to go.

The fronts are definitely more complicated if you have to do the roll-bars (if not Sportline or M Sport).

[TSiSPY007]

Originally Posted by Nihilation

I chose Bilstein B8's for three reasons. First, I've had success using them in many of my previous BMWs. Second, they are a gas filled shock just like the factory dampers. And finally, price. My set was a hair over $200 shipped to my door. I couldn't get a single Koni yellow for that.

Thx for the post!

Was it a typo that your set of B8's came to your door for $200?? If that's not a typo, where'd you get them from??! Thx!

Fred

[Nihilation]

Originally Posted by TSiSPY007

Thx for the post!

Was it a typo that your set of B8's came to your door for $200?? If that's not a typo, where'd you get them from??! Thx!

Fred

ShockWarehouse and they were about $220 shipped, maybe a few pennies more.

[cdgatti]

the f30's look like they rust quite easily at some of the suspension components. my 7 year old e90 doesn't have that much rust.

are you going to do front struts?

[TSiSPY007]

Originally Posted by Nihilation

ShockWarehouse and they were about $220 shipped, maybe a few pennies more.

Thx! Hmm... Been weary of ordering from them cuz of the terrible reviews online... Have you ordered from them in the past (also with a positive e patience)?

Fred

[therealm3]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i'm thinking of getting the m-performance suspension and doing the install myself. the rears looks quite simple. although the fronts are more involved i can't imagine it is that difficult since it is a straight swap of the entire factory coilover. anybody else have input or a DIY link?

Its almost exactly like an E90. ECS tuning has a good how to video for coil overs but its basically the same. cool part about MPS is that it has all the parts you need so you can assemble the strut and springs before putting them on the car and don't have to disassemble the front factory strut/shock set up. Only thing i found different from an E90 was i had to compress the spring a bit while the strut was on the car to get it to swing out under the fender. same for putting MPS in. Other than that, if you have done suspension work before with a set of spring compressors, you'll be good to go. Pick up a set of sockets like a spark plug socket with a nut head on the top or an open top o2 sensor socket to torque the struts with an allen key holding the shaft. Oh and you'll need some Torx sockets too. its been awhile so I can't remember the sizes, but when you get the kit you'll be able to match up all the hardware before taking the car apart.

[alohasurftoad]

ok therealm3, i'll check it out. thanks for the info and tips

[Nihilation]

Originally Posted by TSiSPY007

Thx! Hmm... Been weary of ordering from them cuz of the terrible reviews online... Have you ordered from them in the past (also with a positive e patience)?

Fred

Never ordered from them before. Will say that I ordered 2- day shipping and didn't receive a tracking number the following day so I called (dial their local Florida number, not the toll-free to get through). They acknowledged the shocks were on backorder. While I was on the phone they called around and found a supplier in Pennsylvania that had them in stock. In short, they made it happen and I'll order from them again.

[BryanF30]

So you used the B8's with factory msport springs? How was the ride?