Bilstein Suspension
Welcome to the Balance Motorsport website where we continue as dealers of Bilstein Suspension since 2004 - Technical advice and product knowledge is our USP.
Why buy from us?
-We've not made a website that looks like Bilstein's in order to trade off their brand equity - Bilstein.com is the official homepage - everything else trying to look like them, is fake.
-We understand how their dampers work and can advise on rebuilds and revalving (piston/shim stack) to suit your preferences, or driving style
-We are usually able to match any online price as well as provide a personal and knowledgeable service
Already at the beginning of the year, the readers of German AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT voted for the best brands in the fields of automotive accessories, the supplier industry and providers of automotive services. In the “BEST CARS 2020” poll, they voted for their favourite brands in 24 categories, from exhaust systems to spark plugs. BILSTEIN (68.2%) won again the first prize in the category “Sport suspensions” and defended its leading position.
Fans of young classic automobiles and veteran cars also continue to prefer BILSTEIN suspensions. In Germany, 17,610 readers took part in the 2020 MOTOR KLASSIK poll. Among other things, they voted for their favourite brand within various product and service categories. In this “BEST BRAND” poll, BILSTEIN did brilliantly in the “Suspension” category with a renewed high approval rate of 74.9%, putting it in first place.
BILSTEIN B3 SPRINGS , BILSTEIN B4 SHOCKS, BILSTEIN B6 SPORT SHOCKS , BILSTEIN B8 SPORT SHOCKS
BILSTEIN B12 KIT BILSTEIN B14 & B16 COILOVERS (inc Clubsport & Ridecontrol)
Bilstein Suspension present their prestigious range of dampers, and suspension kits. From a simple Bilstein B4 damper on an original Fiat Panda to the very latest "plug and play" suspension solutions for Porsche, Bilstein has it covered. What makes them unique is the monotube principle in the yellow Sport B6 and B8 dampers as well as the B14 (PSS) and B16 (PSS9/PSS10) coilovers.
If you don't know what a monotube damper is you must find out before buying a Twin Tube unit! Bilstein Monotube dampers present the ultimate "plush" suspension experience. Once you've driven on a high gas pressure monotube - you won't look back. You may know Citroen created a revolutionary suspension system by separating gas & air. The Monotube gas pressure acts as an extra spring and controls the oil temperature and cavitation. Improving body control in much the same way.
You have a right to experience your car the way it should have been from new.
Balance Motorsport have been a Bilstein dealer since we opened our doors in 2004. We have installed Bilstein suspension and also sold via mail order. We've had just a handful of warranty claims in all this time. The product is made to very high standards and is OE equipment on some of the worlds greatest marques such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lotus.
A lot of people ask us Bilstein B4 vs B6 vs B8. The answer is simple. If you want the very best damping performance and enjoy the control a monotube damper can give then always go B6 or B8 over B4 (B4 is an OE spec replacement - very good quality but Twin Tube and therefore smaller piston, less resistance to fade, less consistent damping response). When it comes to B6 vs B8 - the rule is simple again - for a car with factory fitted sports springs or aftermarket lowering springs - go for the B8 if it exists. This shorter unit will not only ensure positive spring location on droop but will reduce droop for better control of body roll. That said sometimes only a B6 unit is listed - these are fine for lowering 40mm but much more than this would require the damper to be shortened, which can be done before it is supplied if required.
Tip - if you can't find a Bilstein suspension kit for your car try we recommend buying B6 or B8 dampers and then matching to a lowering spring kit. This will give excellent handling without ruining the ride comfort. For less body roll consider this combination with uprated anti-roll bars as well.
Bilstein - making Shock absorbers for the car tuner
The top car tuners from ABT (VW, Audi) to TechArt (Porsche) look to Bilstein for their suspension solutions, having been a reliable supplier to these firms for decades. Their multi-height and damping force adjustable suspension systems currently dominate this sector. Many products are developed exclusively for the aftermarket tuning world, something which obviously also has an influence on Bilstein mass production units. Their engineers tune the suspension both at the design stage and in the course of road tests to create optimum driving conditions for all sports-minded motorists.
...and making Shock absorbers for the carmakers
As partners of such world renowned automobile manufacturers as FCA, Porsche or Ferrari, and a major force in motor sports, BILSTEIN suspension leads the way in the design of innovative, high-efficiency shock absorbers in both twin-tube and more famously monotube design. The original Monotube design was a DeCarbon invention which Bilstein acquired the patent to produce back in 1950's.
The name of Bilstein has been synonymous with top quality Monotube dampers and high performance in the fields of motor sports and production vehicles for years. After acquiring the De Carbon design, it was Bilstein who brought the monotube principle into mass production, featuring excellent ride comfort and safety. Today BILSTEIN partners such highly reputable carmakers as Ferrari, General Motors, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche and Subaru in the development and manufacture of production components. 2.000 employees produce approx. 40.000 shock absorbers at four plants, daily. As a member of ThyssenKrupp Automotive, ThyssenKrupp BILSTEIN stands world-wide for innovative, high-tech suspensions.
Bilstein Motorsport develops the Road Product
With the B14 PSS and the B16 PSS9 Bilstein engineers offer you race bred suspension that turns your car from Elise to Exige. The Upside-Down design - based on the monotube gas pressure principle - is applied in numerous motor sport application areas (e.g. 24 hours Nurburgring). The vehicle's height can be varied from around 20mm to 50mm. In addition, with a thumb wheel on each shock absorber it is also possible to set nine different compression and rebound characteristics in parallel with the base bump and rebound settings (only B16 PSS9). With a combination of height and parallel damping force adjustment it is possible to find the perfect setting for all situations.For additional cost we can supply selected PSS10 units with separate reservoir and double adjustment of damping.
Also witness the new Clubsport product ("bilstein clubsport" in search bar) and MDS - Modular Damping System (tip put "bilstein mds" in search bar)
Bilstein Motorsport News
Latest news post 27th March 2024
In its debut season, the BILSTEIN Race Team 2023 impressed with several top finishes in the VT2 class of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). And the next development step will follow in 2024: with a high-performance racing car, twice as much power as before, new exciting partners and a new driver, the pronounced goal this year is the most spectacular race of the year: the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
The end of the season is the beginning of a new season. During the winter, the drivers Jimmy Broadbent, Steve Alvarez Brown und Misha Charoudin – all of them influencers with a large reach in the simracing and motorsports scene – therefore needed to train their fitness and prepare for the new season. This year the team shoots for the moon!
Bilstein isn't just a force on Tarmac Race circuits and Rally Courses, it is also on the top when it comes to Off-Road series such as the Lucas Oil off Road Racing Series in the USA. Bilstein equipped Darren Hardesty Jr. and Ryan Beat took first place checkers in Pro-Buggy and Pro-Lite respectively.
Bilstein Product Range
PSS9 & PSS10 (B14 & B16) - a height adjustable coilover kit with adjustable monotube dampers and matched lowering springs, in addition selected high performance cars benefit from B16 Clubsport & Damptronic Coilovers
B6 & B8 Sports Dampers - Bilstein High Gas Pressure Monotube Shock Absorbers. The damping principle of monotube combines a bigger piston, single tube & high gas pressure to offer a standard of damping that is rarely surpassed. The biggest difference between these units and their twin tube rivals is their ability to combine a smooth ride with excellent spring control.
B4 Standard Spec dampers
Made to exceed OE spec where a twintube damper was originally specified these high quality units make an excellent upgrade for a road car and also work well with moderately uprated suspension springs.
BILSTEIN DAMPER REBUILDS, REVALVE, SERVICE, REPAIRS, SHORTENING - Price on application
Delivery and stock
please note like most retailers we rely on Bilstein UK & German stock, a daily stock list isn't available from the manufacturer, so on occasion items may be subject to a delay. Please email for a stock check before ordering if in any doubt.
| B3 | B4 | B6 | B8 | B12 | B14 & B16 |
If you prefer you can still search using the Bilstein Online Catalog and then search for the part numbers on the Balance Website using the search box near the logo.
Twin Tube vs Monotube
The Hydraulic twintube damper - Invented by Newton in 1912, the High pressure gas monotube - Patented by Christian Bourcier de Carbon in 1953. deCarbon shocks were used extensively by Lancia who were nearly always first to innovate. License to produce the technology sold to Bilstein and the rest is history !
Twin Tube vs Monotube - The monotube principle shock has several key advantages over a Twin Tube
- Larger Piston size
- Lighter weight
- Better cooling
- More resistance to cavitation through ultra high gas pressure.
- Less stiction and side loading in inverted Mac Pherson Strut Applications.
- In essense the Monotube shock is a faster acting shock able to keep consistent tyre to ground contact in extreme situations.
Installing Bilstein Shocks - a rough guide for the keen DIY installer.
I thought it might be useful to post a guide here to installing a set of Bilstein Shocks (in this instance new springs were also fitted to replace two broken ones).
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Just glorious weather for an Al Fresco Bilstein Suspension Installation! The workshop already had a car in so this was a good start to the job. I figure that working outside with basic tools will replicate the kind of environment many DIY car mechanics will work in. |
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Loosen wheel nuts, before jacking up the car. I always use a manual wrench for this rather than an Impact wrench. I just prefer the control and often nuts are so tight (from receiving full power from an animal with an impact gun) the gun struggles to budge them. |
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Next step, jack the car using a point that then enables you to use an axle stand. Make sure you jack up and support each side in turn. You can work on one side at a time but if you don't jack up the whole end, the anti roll bar may well make life harder. |
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Next step - clean the strut mounting bolts thoroughly before trying to buzz them off. Especially important if you aren't using an impact wrench but this should always be done regardless. You might be unfortunate to have a car with annoying plug type mount (most modern VW and BMW). These just require lots of whacking with a copper mallet. Truly hateful bit of design the plug mount. If you are ever in any doubt as to why car makers do certain things - the usual reason is "because it's cheaper". |
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This is how the bolts should look before you attempt to undo them. Clean and sprayed with penetrating fluid. They should now release without major issue. Some cars have there design issues here though. On the Alfa 156/147 & GT the bolt through the wishbone fork is steel passing through alloy with a 10mm allen head. It "welds" in through corrosion and can take literally hours to remove just one bolt. Had they fitted a 17mm hex it might have been much easier. Audi A4 and A6 double wishbone front suspension as well as BMW Strut suspension all have their challenges. ** You could just use a modern mega torque impact wrench - but beware - things will snap! ** |
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Next with the strut removed use some decent coil spring compressors. These ones are great as no matter what they will not slip around the strut - avoid the ones with narrow width and that come with 3 not 2 compressors - they are dangerous with factory springs which have lots of preload. I got these spring compressors from Screwfix - they are Hilka - cheap but work superbly. Remember do not undo the top nut until the spring has released all presure from the top mount.
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Bilstein recommend the the B8 as it reduces droop and ensures positive location of the spring in droop. Generally speaking choose B8 for lowered springs and B6 for stock springs. The real reason was I got these units cheap as they were old stock... Notice how these are not inverted monotube units on the front - they are B8 Twin Tube units. Bilstein tend to make a twin tube first and dependent on sales volume then go to the full monotube one. They never did this on the smaller engined Stilo only on the 2.4 version. The vast majority of B6 and B8 units on strut applications are inverted, noticeable by the large chrome tube sliding into the body.
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OFF TOPIC but important! While I was doing the job I fitted new discs and pads - always check disc runout with a dial gauge - most garages never bother. If you don't check you'll never know. I got 0.01mm on one side and 0.03mm on the other, but only after two attempts on each side. |
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The rear is so easy on this car - takes no more than 30 mins to do both sides due to the beam axle and easily accesible shocks. I realised after fitting I could have actually mounted the rear shocks upside down as they are monotube. This would have given a benefit of less unsprung weight.
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Please note there are many retailers for Bilstein, some are selling grey import product with no UK warranty, some have incorrect prices, we are happy to beat the price on any Bilstein product you see online from any official UK dealer.
Ring Balance Motorsport and experience a well damped level of service
or search the Bilstein Catalog now
01903 879111
