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Who is on Bilstein B8s?

iSpeed

Passed Driver's Ed
I have read this entire thread and thankful for it too! ??

I picked up the euro spec linear Eibach springs and waiting arrival of my B8 shocks/struts. That being said the pics above are definitely linear like mine. Can wait to have these on. Currently on factory struts with VWR?? and the ride is ok but too low for my old ass and the roads here in Honolulu ??

Here is a pic of Eibach euro linear spec front spring(on the left) next to a VW factory front spring (on the right). I'm doing a full comparison between the 3 springs (VW, VWR, Eibach linear) once my B8's arrive.
 

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MiamiBourne

Go Kart Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2016 6MT Golf R Oryx
I was running EMD springs on OEM shocks for about 6 months, ride was great except for very rare rubbing/scraping on the front when I would hit a bump at high speeds.

I just switched out the shocks to B8's, kept the same springs but now I experience the rubbing much more frequently. After reading this entire thread I thinkthe EMD springs are too soft for B8's so I am looking at swapping them out.

I'm debating between H&R OE Sport, Neuspeed Sport, or Eibach Pro-Kit. I know several have posted reviews on each of these set ups, but can anyone add any updated opinions?

Most comments are over a year old, any updates since then? Are you still enjoying your setup? I'm not concerned with going too low, I just don't want to rub when I hit a bump. My tires are 18x8.5 et45 and I have done the fender screw mod. Thanks

What springs did you end up going with? I'm on ED Springs now with the stock dampers (non dcc) and they ride ok, but I've been on this setup for 24k (30k total on stock dampers). Between you and flipflp it seems that ED Springs are not ideal for the Bilstein B8's.

I guess I should just go with PSS B16's but...well I'm not ready to spend $1500 just yet.
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
B8s seem to have much less high speed compression damping so bottoming out up front on hard hits is more common. That would make them more compliant on a stock height spring, but when you take some travel out of it that doesn't work as well. If B8s are just shortened versions of B6s, that isn't great tuning IMO. That said, with a higher spring rate that resists compression, they have good enough rebound damping to control the spring and I have virtually zero rubbing with my setup now even over big whoops or hard cornering. Ride quality is still pretty good.

I'd say any lowering spring that has a rate on the front springs less than 250lbs/in that lowers more than 1" is not a good mix with B8s. Something like a Neuspeed Sport spring at 260 lbs/in with 1" of advertised lowering would be something I'd look at personally if you already had B8s.

I think Hammersticks would agree with that: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...-for-buying-a-street-based-suspension.358504/

If you're lower or running stock/stock-ish rate springs, go with Koni's.
 

SonicBloom

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2017 GTI S
I'd say any lowering spring that has a rate on the front springs less than 250lbs/in that lowers more than 1" is not a good mix with B8s. Something like a Neuspeed Sport spring at 260 lbs/in with 1" of advertised lowering would be something I'd look at personally if you already had B8s.

I think Hammersticks would agree with that: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/beginner’s-guide-tips-for-buying-a-street-based-suspension.358504/

If you're lower or running stock/stock-ish rate springs, go with Koni's.

I don’t mean to derail but Hammersticks has bottomed out on his Konis too with I think H&R OE Sport and DG springs. So maybe the Konis are just as sensitive to spring pairing or he has them set too stiff.
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
I think Koni's compression rate is a bit higher at lower (piston) speeds which makes them firmer, especially around sweeping corners. Their higher speed comp damping may even be less than the stock dampers, at least based on this generic chart they show:



If we took that as the actual shock graph for OEM VW and Koni Sports, then hard hits on the Koni will still compress faster than the OEM shocks and want to bottom out. Some of that could be the bump stop length as well, since Koni's can use an external bump stop.

If you crank Koni's too much and hit a bump around a corner I could see how the shock might be jacked down and not extended so you'd have less suspension travel. I really don't think on our cars you use much of the higher adjustment ranges on the Konis, maybe in the rear but the fronts should be set pretty low.
 

Hammersticks

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
'16 GTI, '18 e-Golf
I don’t mean to derail but Hammersticks has bottomed out on his Konis too with I think H&R OE Sport and DG springs. So maybe the Konis are just as sensitive to spring pairing or he has them set too stiff.
Actually no, I haven’t bottomed out with the yellows, but did with the B8’s and Neuspeed sports. Overall really good combo but that was a deal breaker to me.
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
Actually no, I haven’t bottomed out with the yellows, but did with the B8’s and Neuspeed sports. Overall really good combo but that was a deal breaker to me.
Thanks for the clarification there. I have a feeling the internal bump stops might have something to do with that, especially because Neuspeeds are up there in spring rate. I think I'm too low up front right now but once I find a good way to raise the car up 1/2" or so I wouldn't expect to bottom out or touch the stops nearly as much. I've been about 25-25.25" FTG on 2 different spring sets and I feel that one bump I hit in my morning commute has always been the same.

Sort of a hard thing to figure out but I'd love to know how shock travel (installed) before bumpstop contact on the B8s and the Konis with a recommended bumpstop compares.
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
Yeah, once I switched to DGs there was no problem at all with the violence. I was around 25.75 if memory serves.
As soon as I can find the right size rubber/poly spring isolator to shove between my ED RS3 springs and strut bearing up front, I should be ~25.5" all around with spring rates 5% higher than Neuspeeds. It won't be "stance-y" by any means, but it should be damn functional. I hope... :cautious:

On that topic, does anyone have a strut bearing laying around they could measure? I need to know these 2 dimensions:

Inked034-601-2002-2_LI.jpg

To hopefully match one of these: https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/universal-coil-spring-isolators.asp
 
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Hammersticks

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
'16 GTI, '18 e-Golf
For konis, keep in mind that only the rebound is adjustable. The compression is without a doubt noticeably higher than the B6/B8 valving. And completely agreed flipflp, having the same valving on both the B6 and B8 makes zero sense... Except Bilstein cutting costs.
Interestingly, If you look back through older specs for MK5 and MK6 cars (Neuspeed has them), the bilstein valving has decreased / gotten softer over time. Going back through old MK5 posts especially, many complained about them being too harsh. Seems like the pendulum swung too far, at least for the B8’s.

flipflp, I have a bearing at home I can measure this weekend. Sonic, that’s the strut mount the bearing sits against.

Edit: I contacted Bilstein NA with some feedback. Assume it will fall upon deaf ears but I was bored at the airport so figured what the hay.
 
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flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
If Bilstein has gotten lazy, at least for this chassis, that is unfortunate. I've known bilstein to be a great shock in quality and longevity since way back, but that was on trucks where handling was...not an issue.

They could be trying to tell us that lowering springs and shocks are not the way to enlightened handling, please buy our $1500 coilovers hahaha. It's almost hard to recommend B8s for anything/anyone at this point.

I realized I had 2 spare strut bearings in my stash at home and ordered an isolator that should be here Saturday. PN 9.6120G should fit over the lip on the bearing and hopefully allow the spring to seat normally. The OD of that isolator is wider than the bearing but it shouldn't be a problem, it'll just hang over the edge or I can trim it.

I measured the ride height on the car last night and I'm a full 1" different front to rear (25" FR, 26" RR). Hopefully that 5/8" thickness doesn't lift too much, but if it does there are 2 thinner options. I'm also going to be extremely lazy and cut the isolator and slip it over the compressed spring versus pulling my whole front suspension apart for this. Just going to superglue it back together once it's in place and send it.
 
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KevinC

Autocross Champion
Location
The land of Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday
Car(s)
'19 Golf R, '21 M2c
Interestingly, If you look back through older specs for MK5 and MK6 cars (Neuspeed has them), the bilstein valving has decreased / gotten softer over time. Going back through old MK5 posts especially, many complained about them being too harsh. Seems like the pendulum swung too far, at least for the B8’s.

But were the Mk5/Mk6 softer from the factory - meaning a switch to a Bilstein or Koni shock is gonna seem "too harsh" for some, at least initially until adjusted to it? I don't know because the 5/6 were the only generations I didn't own from new.

The original Mk4 R32 suspension on US-spec cars featured Monroe shocks, and springs that were unique to our market - which were taller and softer than the euro springs. The dampers on euro cars were Bilsteins with VW Motorsport markings. I ditched the original stuff for the euro setup when mine was new back in the day. Definitely made the car feel "more harsh".

The DCC suspension on the current R is the first GTI/R that I didn't feel I needed a suspension upgrade from new.. at least not for my purposes, which are 100% street at this point in my geezerly life.
 
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