bilstein hd vs sport

im about to get some dg springs and was considering some new struts as well.
as the title states hds or sport? leaning towards hd. looking for some reassurance.

With stiffer springs go for THESE. :thumbsup:

jason320x said:

im about to get some dg springs and was considering some new struts as well.
as the title states hds or sport? leaning towards hd. looking for some reassurance.

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HDs and Sports have the EXACT same valving. The difference is that the HD has a longer extended (free) length and is what you want for the DG springs.

two different answers... haha
anyone else have an opinion?

simmsled knows his stuff. you're going driver gear springs, so it's not much of a drop.

Simmsled said:

HDs and Sports have the EXACT same valving. The difference is that the HD has a longer extended (free) length and is what you want for the DG springs.

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So same valving but short vs. long stroke are the only differences?

clutchdj said:

So same valving but short vs. long stroke are the only differences?

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Same valving... but Sport is designed to be used at a lower installed height. The stroke (or effective range of dampening, if you will) given the same spring rate but different length does not change*.

If the car hits a bump, it will deflect as a function of the force/velocity. If you have a spring with, lets say, a 250lb rate that is 8inches long versus a spring with the same rate but 10 inches long, the stroke (or travel) will be essentially the same*. The difference is that the longer spring will be operating within its range at a greater height, where the HDs are used. If the shorter spring is used, the Sport would be appropriate.



*wheel ratio is affected, but don't worry about it for this example


Hopefully that clears it up a bit.

If both have the same valving and the DG springs are allowed to be used with stock dampers,
than it doesn't matter which you choose.
The only difference would be that with the shorter rebound dampers your wheels may loose
contact earlier when jumping over huge bumps.

I don't know the differences on the US market, but in Europe the (shortened) B8 are
slightly stiffer than the (stock lengh) B6.

BOTH are very good choices with most (street appl.) springs !!

Simmsled said:

Same valving... but Sport is designed to be used at a lower installed height. The stroke (or effective range of dampening, if you will) given the same spring rate but different length does not change*.

If the car hits a bump, it will deflect as a function of the force/velocity. If you have a spring with, lets say, a 250lb rate that is 8inches long versus a spring with the same rate but 10 inches long, the stroke (or travel) will be essentially the same*. The difference is that the longer spring will be operating within its range at a greater height, where the HDs are used. If the shorter spring is used, the Sport would be appropriate.



*wheel ratio is affected, but don't worry about it for this example


Hopefully that clears it up a bit.

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Crystal Clear. Outstanding explanation...Thank you. I have Eibach pro's on the car, which is effectively lower than stock, so I would want the Sport, no? If on the other hand I were utilizing the stock spring, and therefore a longer spring I would use the HD?

The Sham said:

Crystal Clear. Outstanding explanation...Thank you. I have Eibach pro's on the car, which is effectively lower than stock, so I would want the Sport, no? If on the other hand I were utilizing the stock spring, and therefore a longer spring I would use the HD?

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:thumbsup:

Bilstein Sport (The B8) is what you want.

BUT... let me say this first... if you go with the MK6 Bilstein Sport, it is valved a bit softer than the MK5 Bilstein Sport. The MKV Bilstein Sport will handle really well, but it will also kick you in the nuts a lot. (see diagram)

All great info here.

Definitely order MkVI Bilsteins that are damped 12-20% softer than the MkVs (too firm IMO).

The HDs and the Sports are valved the same. The were't in the past from what I've heard.

Sports are for lowered cars. According to the German Bilstein site the sweet spot for the sports is 30-40mm lowering, where the HDs are intended for stock height. I think the DG springs are 20-25mm lower than stock, so you probably could go with either but I think they are closer to the B8 Sport height.

I'm waiting on backordered VWR springs which are most likely the same as DG springs and I have MkVI Bilstein B8 Sports ready to be installed.

Aaron Neumann from Neuspeed thought the Sports would be better simply because they are a lowering spring, and that a bit of pre-load might not be a bad thing to get them to sit just tad lower and to keep them seated.

However, the DG springs are such a mild drop that you could just as easily go with the B6 Sports and be within their working range. I would just be concerned that the free length of the spring could be shorter than the free length of the damper since they ARE slightly shorter than OEM. On the other hand, the B6 HD will have that extra 35mm of travel.

So, the correct answer is it depends... :lol:

I went with MkVI B8 Sports and will be posting a complete review within 2 weeks when my springs finally come in from APR. So, I went with B8 Sports if that says anything.

Let us know how it goes for you either way since we are probably one of the few to pair Bilsteins with DG or VWR springs.

Simmsled said:

The MKV Bilstein Sport will handle really well, but it will also kick you in the nuts a lot.

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He's right, they are pretty stiff. Makes for an uncomfortable ride in some situations but I sure love how they handle!

I got the Sports for my rears on my air set up. The fact they were designed for lowered vehicles and the stiffness made me get them

604GTI said:

He's right, they are pretty stiff. Makes for an uncomfortable ride in some situations but I sure love how they handle!

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It can't possibly be any more uncomfortable than my FSD's. It's an atrocious ride at speed hitting any kind of bump or mismatched pavement where one layer is slightly higher than the other. It's like there is no absorption up front. It goes booom, straight to bump stops hard. Going slowly over a speed bump is fine but holy christ I can't take it.

The bilsteins (with eibachs) I had on my former ride were stiff but absorbing. It was a great feel.

Costly mistake. Also, I got the eibachs/FSD's from tirerack. They didnt have the KIT in stock and notified me that they could send the components individually. I'm wondering if they didn't send me sport eibachs with the FSD's instead of Pro springs. I don't think the FSD's would mate well with the Eibach Sports, right? Also, the car appears lower than others with the Pro-Kit.....or perhaps that's what I perceive.

Great informative thread guys. Thank you.

Excellent diagram Simmsled :biggrin: