Bilstein Heavy Duty Experience

[anthony1k]

I recently replaced struts and shocks on my 3.0 X5 with Bilstein Heavy Duty. Ride quality went from being reasonably comfortable to extremely bouncy to a point that I hate driving it. Every road imperfection is felt and even small bumps can send the rear up in the air. It is not only that they are too firm, I feel that they do not work well with stock springs. I was told by the retailer that they should soften up in a few thousand miles. We shall see. I do most of my driving is in the Northeast where the roads are probably the worst in the country. They might be more suitable where roads are smoother but here in the Northeast I give them a big thumbs down.

[blktoptrvl]

I don't know if there is any kind of satisfaction gaurentee, but I could see that as the reason he would say "wait 1000 miles."

In the 35+ years I have been driving, I have never had a set of shocks that felt bad - then got better.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by blktoptrvl

I don't know if there is any kind of satisfaction gaurentee, but I could see that as the reason he would say "wait 1000 miles."

In the 35+ years I have been driving, I have never had a set of shocks that felt bad - then got better.

...I've put on "stiff" shocks on cars, hoping to improve "handling",
back in the day, but they never got comfortable and the handling was
hardly improved.

I did some cursory noodling on the web, and many/most sites show the
Bilstein replacement as "heavy duty", yet the Bilstein site shows several
spieces, eg HD, "Comfort", "Sport", et al.

GL to the OP, but I suspect those are going to be firm and "stiff" for quite
some time.
GL, mD

[Zulu95]

I put Bilstein shocks on my Explorer Limited when it was new. Now almost 100K later they still feel good. They really improved the ride etc. They are warrantied for 1 million miles so I doubt they'll change much in 1K.

[Vsmvince]

Many customers tell me the same thing. I always sell my customers Sach's struts which are the Oem supplier.

[NY98M3]

I would of went with Koni because they are adjustable....

[vegasX5]

The Bilstein heavy duty replacements are really not for a stock vehicle. I tried the HD shocks on a Jeep Cherokee I lifted. I picked them because I had a steel bumper up front that weighed 70+ pounds and had armor and extra steel everywhere. The HD were STILL too stiff and I removed them and went with Old Man Emu which were amazing. I really think you should just try to pull them out and replace with an OEM or comfor variant of the Bilstein or another manufacturer. I seriously doubt that they will become noticeably more comfortable after driving because it's the valving and dampening rates that are just not right for the X5.

[anthony1k]

Originally Posted by blktoptrvl

I don't know if there is any kind of satisfaction gaurentee, but I could see that as the reason he would say "wait 1000 miles."

In the 35+ years I have been driving, I have never had a set of shocks that felt bad - then got better.

I don’t want to malign the vendor because it is generally a reliable source for parts and a BMW CCA supporter but that sounded bogus to me too.

The point here is truth in advertising and full disclosure so that customers can make an informed decision. Quote from the web site:
“Bilstein street shocks will give you an unparalleled combination of comfort and control when paired with BMW springs. Thanks to a patented oil and nitrogen gas design, Bilstein shocks reduce body roll to deliver exceptional road handling and cornering stability. They also reduce wear and tear on steering and suspension components and increase tire life by dampening wheel movements on the roughest roads and in the tightest corners. “

Well, not true.

[II Kings 9:20]

I don't think it's the Bilsteins, I had them on my 87 300E for 155K and they were superb. The problem as some have alluded to is in the HD. These mofos are stiff as are many "HD" shocks- very poor for all but billiard smooth roads.

[Werewolf]

Originally Posted by Vsmvince

Many customers tell me the same thing. I always sell my customers Sach's struts which are the Oem supplier.

Aren't Sachs pretty expensive relative to the Bilsteins? What's your value recommendation?