Bilstein B14 PSS Coilovers for Fiesta ST

[kona16]

CSM...looks good, glad you finally got them installed. It looks lower, close to aftermarket spring height. Just enough to notice and tell a difference but not too low to scrap or cause tire rub.

Let us know when you get a few miles on them what you think of the handling/ride quality. Once again happy to see another person who was waiting on Bilsteins forever, finally get them on your car.

 

[CSM]

CSM...looks good, glad you finally got them installed. It looks lower, close to aftermarket spring height. Just enough to notice and tell a difference but not too low to scrap or cause tire rub.

Let us know when you get a few miles on them what you think of the handling/ride quality. Once again happy to see another person who was waiting on Bilsteins forever, finally get them on your car.

Put a couple hundred miles since installing. Very happy with the ride. Not much lower than stock (I have them set near top of the adjustment range). Its definitely a firm ride, perhaps even firmer than stock (spring rates are higher) but the best part is that I no longer have a bouncy ride over really big bumps. You can definitely tell the shocks are matched to the springs. Cornering is now more neutral with less body roll. Side to side transitions are really great, I can't wait to try out them on an Autocross course. I couldn't be more happy with the ride quality now.

My only negative is that I've seemed to have developed a slight rubbing noise on the right rear setup. Its faint and I only hear it at low speeds, but Many people have reported this. When I have a chance I will pull the rear setup, clean and regrease the chassis bushing and file the opening for the top nut on the chassis. Some people have reported the nut rubs on the body and mine does look like it is rubbing. I put some grease where its rubbing but it hasn't helped. I also will double check the spring seats and clean them up thoroughly. Hopefully between all of that I can quiet up the noise whatever it may be. For now I will turn up the radio

 

[M-Sport fan]

If they made this setup with/valved for a linear spring, they'd already be on the car.

 

[CSM]

If they made this setup with/valved for a linear spring, they'd already be on the car.

FWIW the fronts are linear, the rear are progressive at least according to this
http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-...to-make-a-ford-fiesta-st-an-autocross-animal/

Handling is much much better BTW.

 

[NJFiST]

Would anyone happen to no the part number for the drivers side front strut? Mine has blown apparently, and I need a replacement.

 

[CSM]

Would anyone happen to no the part number for the drivers side front strut? Mine has blown apparently, and I need a replacement.

You will probably have to work through the vendor where the unit was purchased to go through the Bilstein warranty process. Either that or try to contact the Bilstein regional distribution office

 

[CSM]

Also my creaking has gotten WAY worse! Something is flexing/rubbing weird from the rears and causing noise. A lot of people have issues with the shock nut, so I am going to put the car on stands this weekend and bore out the hole in the body to give the nut more room to move. I think thats whats causing it....

 

[koozy]

Nothing wrong with the nut, an error with the install.
Boring a hole is ghetto and may or may not fix the issue if the install is the reason.

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[CSM]

Nothing wrong with the nut, an error with the install.
Boring a hole is ghetto and may or may not fix the issue if the install is the reason.

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First off, what makes you so confident that its an install issue? FYI I had a professional shop install my coilovers, who have performed probably 15-20 installs on Fiesta STs. Kind of rude of you just to assume the install was the issue without providing any useful advice.

What makes you say there is nothing wrong with the nut? This is a well known issue with the Bilstein B14 PSS kit...the strut nut supplied is much larger in diameter than the factory OEM strut nut and can rub the body area causing a creaking noise. Many folks have had success in simply filing the hole larger and apply some silicone lubricant to the area to eliminate the creak.

 

[koozy]

experience.

 

[KKaWing]

Don't know if I've mentioned it here before but I changed back to using the stock nuts on the Bilstein B6's, they were the same thread and the noise was gone. Check if it is the same for the coilovers (looks like it but who knows). If it is, just use the stock nut and torque it properly. Manufacturing variances happen, its an economy car after all and the goal is to push them out as quickly as possible.

 

[CSM]

Don't know if I've mentioned it here before but I changed back to using the stock nuts on the Bilstein B6's, they were the same thread and the noise was gone. Check if it is the same for the coilovers (looks like it but who knows). If it is, just use the stock nut and torque it properly. Manufacturing variances happen, its an economy car after all and the goal is to push them out as quickly as possible.

Thanks for the tip. I will order a set of OEM shock nuts and try those this weekend before filing the opening.

 

[koozy]

the bilstein nut is not larger in diameter, it uses the same socket size as the OE nut. If it was larger in diameter it would require a larger socket. the nut is not the issue.

 

[KKaWing]

the bilstein nut is not larger in diameter, it uses the same socket size as the OE nut. If it was larger in diameter it would require a larger socket. the nut is not the issue.

The nyloc nut supplied with the B6's did require larger sockets maybe the Coilovers are different?

Edit: or was it taller... I don't remember now, been too long.
Edit2: either way, swapping the nut silenced the rear right squeak. Spraying silicone lube also silenced temporarily before I could swap the nut. I distinctly remember the nyloc nut was way beefier than the stock nut, in height if not width.

 

[koozy]

We can agree that the OE nut and Bilstein nut are interchangeable. The threaded shaft the nut screws on to is the same thread pitch and size for OE or Bilstein shocks. That said it is standardized for nut sizes to be the same in correlation to thread size and pitch.

Changing the nut to the OE nut may effectively cure the issue, but it’s only potentially masking the real reason a nut would be capable of touching the side of the hole. If that’s even the issue.

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[CSM]

Sigh. I don't know why you're so damned adamant that its not the top nut. A simple search reveals:

I am loving mine, a little soft for track but an excellent street setup. So much more comfortable than the stock shocks.
Heads up I head to file the hole a little for the rear struts at the tower because the nut Bilstein uses is bigger than the stock Ford ones and it will squeak otherwise.

The nuts on the top of the rear shocks are too big for the holes. This is a known issue. Open the holes up with a stepper bit and the squeak will disappear.

This turned out to be the issue. Opened the holes so there is enough clearance and there is no more squeaking at all.

Its the same thread pitch but the nut is larger and requires a larger socket. This is 100% the issue.

I'm going to replace the top not w/ the OEM first and re-lube the mounts. If that doesn't fix I will file and seal the hole.

 

[koozy]

I’ve read all of that, I was present at that time. They are many who did not have issues. Do what you want. All I’m saying is it’s not the nut that's the main issue, but the result of faulty install. Is it possible that you will fix the issue with an OE nut? Sure, but that could be the result of removing and reinstalling the shock which could be done with the Bilstein nuts as well.


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[CSM]

I’ve read all of that, I was present at that time. They are many who did not have issues. Do what you want. All I’m saying is it’s not the nut that's the main issue, but the result of faulty install. Is it possible that you will fix the issue with an OE nut? Sure, but that could be the result of removing and reinstalling the shock which could be done with the Bilstein nuts as well.


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And I'm saying that's awfully damn arrogant of you to assume it was a faulty install. Were you present for the install? No? So how do you know ? You said experience. Does your "experience" include ~20 installs of Fiesta ST coilovers? No? Well the shop that installed mine did.

Stop trying to troll me and stop being a useless contributer to this thread.

 

[koozy]

Not trolling, but also not giving away the answer. There’s only 4 fasteners per side. Good luck.


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[Nexus]

How did this go? Were you able to find the problem?


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