NEW Bilstein B8 Performance Plus Dampers w/Mountune Sport Springs

[Original J-Pat]

Waiting to hear from the B8/Swift combo.

 

[re-rx7]

Updates?

 

[LanT5]

I installed the B8's with Eibach Pro Kit springs this weekend. Install was straight forward and took about 2.5 hrs. Took some of the hints picked up here and have no noises or other issues. As far as my impressions I'll have to echo others here. Still a very firm ride but now the edges feel rounded off, less harsh. If you are looking to really tame the unforgiving nature of the suspension in the FiST this probably will not get you to that. Maybe the Koni Orange combo does but I haven't driven or ridden in a car with those installed. Keeping the miles to a minimum since I haven't made it to an alignment shop yet. I'll have to report back on further impressions.

 

[neeqness]

I installed the B8's with Eibach Pro Kit springs this weekend. Install was straight forward and took about 2.5 hrs. Took some of the hints picked up here and have no noises or other issues. As far as my impressions I'll have to echo others here. Still a very firm ride but now the edges feel rounded off, less harsh. If you are looking to really tame the unforgiving nature of the suspension in the FiST this probably will not get you to that. Maybe the Koni Orange combo does but I haven't driven or ridden in a car with those installed. Keeping the miles to a minimum since I haven't made it to an alignment shop yet. I'll have to report back on further impressions.

Are your wheels stock?

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[LanT5]

Are your wheels stock?

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Yes, stock wheels and OEM Bridgestones.

 

[neeqness]

Ok. Higher aspect tires help some too, but for a minute though you had me worried there, lol. I was going to try them with the exact same springs but I may decide to use them with stock because my car (not my tires) occassionally rubs on dips and things now at stock height. I love the lowered look with these springs but I worry that they will make it worse for me later if I use them with the B8s.

I suspect though that maybe after nearly 45k miles and two round trips across country, if the bushings and other related parts have worn enough to lower the car more than when it was new because it feels a bit lower than it used to be. It may also have something to do with the shocks (koni str.t) and/or oem springs which meanwhile may have settled down further.

I haven't had any weird noises though or any other issues with the suspension so it's not a complaint...just a consideration.

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[LanT5]

Now that I have had a few days with the B8/Eibach combo I'm disappointed. The drop looks good, I do have to be careful on steep driveway entrances but it isn't bad. The handling seems to be a little less tail happy on closed throttle and the tendency to understeer on throttle has been lessened, just wish it would of come with more compliance. It is still very FIRM. Thinking I should of gone all the way to the Meister R coilovers.

 

[neeqness]

I don't remember exactly the issue but the few times I remember reading that someone used this shock and it was firm, the reason it came out too firm turned out because of something in how they were installed. Sorry, I know this is really vague.

But maybe there could be some tweaks that you can make to it to get it more to where you were expecting...

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[Turbo65]

Now that I have had a few days with the B8/Eibach combo I'm disappointed. The drop looks good, I do have to be careful on steep driveway entrances but it isn't bad. The handling seems to be a little less tail happy on closed throttle and the tendency to understeer on throttle has been lessened, just wish it would of come with more compliance. It is still very FIRM. Thinking I should of gone all the way to the Meister R coilovers.

I have the swift springs and can't decide on B8's or the B6'6. Swift say B6 to match but Bilstein recommend the B8. I wonder if the 6's are softer??

 

[LanT5]

Now that I have had a few days with the B8/Eibach combo I'm disappointed. The drop looks good, I do have to be careful on steep driveway entrances but it isn't bad. The handling seems to be a little less tail happy on closed throttle and the tendency to understeer on throttle has been lessened, just wish it would of come with more compliance. It is still very FIRM. Thinking I should of gone all the way to the Meister R coilovers.

A few days later and some more miles. This is more of what I was expecting, no longer disappointed. The dampening seems more spot on, especially the rebound. No longer have the choppy ride, more bump compliance and the suspension now seems to track the road surface instead of being upset by it. High speed compression is a bit aggressive and expansion joints and the like still transmit a firm hit to the chassis, better than stock and much more liveable. Steering is slightly less laser sharp as stock but still very accurate.

 

[CanadianGuy]

A few days later and some more miles. This is more of what I was expecting, no longer disappointed. The dampening seems more spot on, especially the rebound. No longer have the choppy ride, more bump compliance and the suspension now seems to track the road surface instead of being upset by it. High speed compression is a bit aggressive and expansion joints and the like still transmit a firm hit to the chassis, better than stock and much more liveable. Steering is slightly less laser sharp as stock but still very accurate.

Good to hear how is the drop?

 

[LanT5]

Good to hear how is the drop?

About an inch lower than stock. I have to be careful on steep driveways. I do like that it lowered it a bit more front than rear, always thought the stock springs gave the ST a nose up profile. Hopefully I don't have issues with a wheel and tire upgrade. Want to go with a lighter wheel. Undecided on staying with 17 with a 215/40 or going with a 16. Have read the discussions on that and still pondering.

 

[Kazz]

Since this thread has meandered away from the B8 discussion at times (with my help), I thought I'd follow up here.

When I swapped my snows out for the OEMs the ride improved. Nowhere near as bouncy but still not comfortable. I got Koni STR.Ts for the rear and just had them installed. The ride is MUCH better. I can't tell about handling but there doesn't seem to be much if any difference. I've only had the car since December and haven't been able to get to an autocross yet. Maybe the ST Octane Academy next week will show me handling and I'll have a reference point to compare better on handling.

Now my plan is, when the fronts start leaking, I'll replace them. Perhaps with B6s.

 

[neeqness]

A few days later and some more miles. This is more of what I was expecting, no longer disappointed. The dampening seems more spot on, especially the rebound. No longer have the choppy ride, more bump compliance and the suspension now seems to track the road surface instead of being upset by it. High speed compression is a bit aggressive and expansion joints and the like still transmit a firm hit to the chassis, better than stock and much more liveable. Steering is slightly less laser sharp as stock but still very accurate.

Thanks for the followup.

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[JBO]

OK...so here is my conundrum

I have mountune springs. Solid improvement in ride quality unless the road surface is terrible. Done 31,000km on them.

HOWEVER

Low speed jiggling and bounciness still there because I haven't changed rear shocks. It's nowhere near as bad as on the stock springs, but it's still there and at low speed it's...becoming annoying.

My options are

1. Keep my existing mountune springs / add Bilstein B8 shocks all round (designed to work together, and mountune now sells this combo as the clubsport suspension package).

2. Keep my existing mountune springs / add Koni STR.T to the rear / Add Eibach sway bar to the rear.

3. Change back to OEM springs / add Bilstein B6 shocks all round (because B6 shocks designed to work with OEM springs).

Which of these options would best quell the low speed bounciness / jiggle ? That's the only thing I care about. At higher speeds the car is fine.

I've read every thread on here and other forums. This forum is the only one talking bilsteins (mainly because the other forums are ghost towns at the moment!)

Any advice appreciated from suspension gurus out there.

Thanks

 

[CanadianGuy]

Unfortunately it would be "the eye of the beholder" scenario in which you will be the only one to tell if it works. It could also be that your stock shocks are toast thus any shocks will help. If it was me I would do the shock replacement either B8 or STR.T all corners. Another option that you did not list (sorry I don't know your setup) would be to run taller tyres. 16" or even 15" would give you more side walls that will allow more flex to absorb more.

 

[ThaiFiesta]

OK...so here is my conundrum

Low speed jiggling and bounciness still there because I haven't changed rear shocks. It's nowhere near as bad as on the stock springs, but it's still there and at low speed it's...becoming annoying.

By jiggling do you mean the rear end feeling uncertain over broken surfaces? A side to side type lurching? If so, I found that widening the rear track improved this feeling quite a lot. I used wheels with a lower offset but spacers would work almost as well.

 

[JBO]

I mean that every imperfection in the road surface at low speeds causes a vertical movement in the car's suspension. It was terrible on stock springs, much improved but still there on mountune springs, and I'm wondering which shocks are going to perform best and give a settled ride with the ability to smoothly absorb bumps at low speed instead of pogo-ing up and down every time there is an imperfection in the road surface. I've come from a renaultsport clio 172. The suspension on that car was magnificent. Comfortable, absorbent, incredible handling, great control, because the springs and dampers were perfectly matched. The ride comfort is the only thing ford performance doesn't know how to do. The Fiesta ST out of the box sucks, as does the Focus RS. Everything else about those two cars is basically perfect, why couldn't they spend time getting the suspension perfect too? Rant over !

I'm looking for a simple solution for the next 12 months without spending a fortune, so replacing wheels and tyres (moving down to 16 or 15 inch) is not a viable solution for me. In october next year I'm trading out into something else. It's such a shame as I love everything else about the car.

Don't get me wrong, the mountune springs have made a BIG difference. I'm just looking to remove the jiggle !

 

[cjpasch]

OK...so here is my conundrum

I have mountune springs. Solid improvement in ride quality unless the road surface is terrible. Done 31,000km on them.

HOWEVER

Low speed jiggling and bounciness still there because I haven't changed rear shocks. It's nowhere near as bad as on the stock springs, but it's still there and at low speed it's...becoming annoying.

My options are

1. Keep my existing mountune springs / add Bilstein B8 shocks all round (designed to work together, and mountune now sells this combo as the clubsport suspension package).

2. Keep my existing mountune springs / add Koni STR.T to the rear / Add Eibach sway bar to the rear.

3. Change back to OEM springs / add Bilstein B6 shocks all round (because B6 shocks designed to work with OEM springs).

Which of these options would best quell the low speed bounciness / jiggle ? That's the only thing I care about. At higher speeds the car is fine.

I've read every thread on here and other forums. This forum is the only one talking bilsteins (mainly because the other forums are ghost towns at the moment!)

Any advice appreciated from suspension gurus out there.

Thanks

Did you end up choosing one of the above?

I'm debating between the b14, or b6/OEM, or b8/mountune. Im leaning towards the b6/OEM because part of my commute is down gravel/broken road. But if the mountune clubsport is comfortable enough off road without worry of bottoming out, I may go that route.

 

[Bretley]

Really wanted to go the Mountune setup, but i just got a set of Koni Oranges and am gonna try them on the oem springs. I may end up getting some swift spec r springs later and have the "poor man's" clubsport setup lol.