W124 - Bilstein sports VS Bilstein HD ???
 

I feel every bump on my 1990 300E. So now it is time to get new shocks and struts. I plan on keeping the car for a long time so I want to get something good, and I hear bilsteins are the best.

My car is lowered with Eibach springs with 2 bump spring pads (front and rear). I currently have the stock shocks and struts. I still have a gap between the fender and tire. So my car is lowered but not slammed.

My wheels are 205/60/15 and I plan on getting some 18" rims (probably with 225/18/40).

Should I get Bilstein SPORTS or HD???

I would like to keep the ride from getting too harsh. I know that will happen once I change to 18" rims. But, I do not want the vehicle raised at all, and I read from some other post about the car getting raised with the HD.

I read that the Sports and HD have the same valving, just a difference in length.

Questions?

1) Will installing HD raise the vehicle at all?
2) Are the stock shocks and struts keeping my vehicle from being slightly lower, and therefore, will the vehicle drop a little (1/4" or less) if I change to Sports?

3) Will the Sports have a harsher ride than the HD on my car's setup?
4) Has anyone here running with Bilstein Sports and Eibach? or HD and Eibach?
5) IS there a difference in price between Sports and HD?

Fitting new dampers will raise the ride height only if your current gas-charged pressurization has been lost. If ride comfort is your primary concern, go with the OEM (Sachs) parts.

According to Bilstein, www.bilstein.com the HDs and sports have the same jounce and rebound rates. The sports have a shorter overall extented length to preclude shortened (lowering) springs from becoming unseated during full extension of the suspension.

Several W124 aficionados have already been down the road you’re contemplating -
http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=209596

Since you've already lowered the car with the springs, your only sensible choice is the Sports, which are designed to accommodate the shorter stroke of the struts/shocks. Using the OEM or Comforts will result in premature failure and the HD units may last a little longer, but they aren't made for lowering springs that lower more than a 1/2 inch or so..

Bilstein HD's or Sports, your choice !!
Both are about identical with the exception of the Sport having a shorter travel.

Use of the HD with a lowering spring will not shorten it's life.
No additional stress is created due to it's longer travel.

Porsche tuners use the HD's with lowering springs and achieve excellent handling performance.

Ride harshness is usually from the tire working in conjunction with the spring and shock.

I currently am running H&R springs with factory pad settings ( about a 1.5" drop ), Bilstein HD's, Sportline swaybars front and rear with 18 x 8 ET35 wheels and 225/40-18 Falken FK-452's all around.

I'm dealing with power and performance numbers exceeding the 500E.
Much thought was given to the suspension to handle the additional torque and acceleration.
I have no problem with choosing HD's !!! ;)

Many different opinions.

So is the consensus, if I went with OEM or Bilstein Comforts, then these wouldn't work in the long run because they would prematurely wear out?

And would these impact the ride height (as far as splinter saying it won't if the gas pressurization is still in tact, i am not sure if it has been losted or not? How would I know?)

What are the differences between using HD vs Sports?
I realize the sports are shorter.

So, is it just premature wear if I use the HD because they are longer? Or would this be only a factor if my car is really dropped.

Is the ride harshness the same with HD and Sports? or do the sports give a harsher ride?

Does anyone know the stock height of a 1990 300E? I bought my car with the eibachs already in - this way I can figure out how much my car is really lowered.

thanks guys.

Any quality shock regadless of travel will not prematurely wear out.

Physically compare the Bilstein HD and Sport.
They are the same size as far as the housing.
They have the same valving.
The HD will travel or extend about 1.5" more then the Sport, in essence having a longer range.

Lowering the vehicle does not change the weight of the vehicle.
The piston rod in the shock will sit at the exact same compressed position in both the HD and the Sport.
So there is no reason that the longer travel will prematurely wear.

What you will see is that the shorter travel shock will give a slightly harsher street ride due to it's narrower compression/rebound range.
It will only extend so much before it hits its limit, which on the street can give a little less comfort.

Tire choice is more important then you think.....remember the tire also acts as the initial shock absorber in the suspension.

The shocks will not effect the ride height as the springs determine the height.

For optimum handling the rear of the vehicle should be slightly higher then the front to allow weight transfer which assists handling both in acceleration and cornering !

thanks,

I had no idea that the sports and HD are physically the same length.

So, then installing HDs should make no difference to ride height even though others have mentioned that - right?

But at what point do you have to go for Sports (how much lowering)?

Does anyone have the specs on what the stock height of a 1990 300E is (and where they measured from)? I am trying to determine how much mine is lowered.

I would like to know where the background info is for the position that Sport and HD struts/shocks are valved the same. They certainly have the same dimensions to fit a specific application, but their internals are different.

RBYCC’s information is accurate and entirely correct. Bilstein has an excellent technical assistance department.

If you’re so inclined, ring them at (858) 386-5900.

Per Bilstein's website:

Shock stiffness settings are divided into five usage categories shown below.

SPORT (S)
For the performance-minded driver, Bilstein “Sport” shocks deliver absolute mastery of the road surface. Designed to push a car’s suspension to it’s performance peak, these shocks are well suited for use with special springs, antisway bars or other suspension upgrades.

HEAVY DUTY (HD)
For most vehicles including full-size sedans, SUVs and trucks. These shocks provide improved handling and stability without sacrificing ride comfort. They offer super damping ability that makes them ideal for heavy hauling for occasional off-road use, while maintaining an exceptional “street” ride.

COMFORT (C)
For the driver who wants maximum ride comfort, with the virtual elimination of “bottoming out” and vehicle sway. These shocks generally maintain and, in many cases, enhance a vehicle’s original ride qualities while increasing
road-handling and overall stability.

5100 SERIES
For specific manufactured lift kits utilizing the stock OEM mounting configuration. Self-adjusting deflective disc valving, Independent rebound and compression with superior control for larger diameter tires.

RALLE, RACE
For rigorous demands of driving competition. Their success should be measured by the unprecedented levels of acceptance and use by professional drivers in virtually all major Motorsports. Include such features as spherical bearings, adjustable spring seats longer or shorter than standard dimensions. *Not suited for street use.

Now it could very well be that the "valving" is the same given that they are all monotube dampers, but the shortened stroke of the Sports is there for a specifically engineered purpose (less travel in a lowered suspension) and should affect the dampening.

First, more anecdotal evidence...I've seen it mentioned plenty of times here and in other forums that the only difference between Sport and HD struts/shocks is the amount of travel. Generally, the poster mentions this is confirmed by Bilstein who they called and asked. I believe that in many cases this is true, however, I have come to also believe that it's NOT the case in every single application.

On the flipside, there is some pretty convincing evidence that Sport and HD's are NOT valved the same. If you have a few hours to kill, read through this thread at VWvortex, it's currently about 15 pages long.

Here's an excerpt from page 11:
And another:

I have to take issue with the statement, "The piston rod in the shock will sit at the exact same compressed position in both the HD and the Sport." because depending on the application, a fully compressed stock spring may reach full coil bind before the shock reaches it's compression limit. If this is the case, installing a shorter spring may cause the shock valving to crash into the shock body at full spring compression when using a stock or HD shock.

Excellent post, Glen. I’m still getting through that VWvortex thread…LOL!

When I replaced the Bilstein HDs with sports during a H&R spring upgrade, the damping rates felt similar. Sorry, I have no shock dyno results to share. Alas, the W124 is now gone. I do miss its build quality, but the C32 does have a bit more thrust.

The PSS9’s on the W203 were not ideal for my purposes as delivered. They were far too soft in both jounce and rebound. I am on the lunatic fringe with regard to the comfort versus control equation, so one is well advised to interpret my perspective accordingly.

Bilstein has since revalved them, and in so doing earned another loyal customer.

"Your issue is taken" ;)

Doesn't the shorter spring have a different rate then the longer stock spring?

There is no problem with using HD's with lowering springs....
Choice is up to the owner on how the vehicle is to be driven !!!

Below are some spring/shock applications by "Rennsport" a well known Porsche tuner.

Here's a link for more combos....

http://www.rennsportsystems.com/1-e.html

Well, one would hope so. That's why I said "may" and not "will." :)