[Derived]

Looking to replace the extremely tired shocks on my 120k mile 2008, and I am already kicking myself for not snagging the last set of B16s Rock Auto had last fall at a very good price.

Wondering if anyone has any sort of "long term review" of either of these, or at least can help offer some input on how they differ with regard to ride quality and handling.

I assume of course the B16s will be the more performance-oriented choice, but at least on the F80 M3 forums, they sound a bit stiff? Wondering if that's the case with our cars. I'm not exactly looking to make the thing even harder. Of course, some say they're fine. Better body control definitely would improve the ride either way. I have had this car since ~77k miles, so I assume they had already given up a bit at that point and I do not know how a "new" E60 M5 feels unfortunately. I sort of assume the B6s are very similar to OEM with B16s being a bit stiffer. I suppose mostly wondering if they're worth the extra cost, or if the ride is that much worse than the B6s. Keeping EDC is important to me.

Also have heard of issues with installation with both models, specifically, the plugs and wiring harness. Has anyone purchased either recently and installed? Would love to hear some feedback on that. Will probably end up having it done at a shop due to no space or proper tools to do this job where I currently live, and it worries me a bit to have someone else hacking away at the car if something doesn't work quite right...only I am allowed to do that...

thanks guys

 

[flacoramos]

Rock auto shows 1 set of b16 as I type this. They're definitely stiffer than stock as one would expect. @sreten just posted his last video showing he went for b6 for comfort reasons and seemed happy. Haven't tried b6 but agree that if comfort is your priority then don't go for b16.

A b6 set is roughly half a b16 set so there's that too.

 

[Craze]

Have the b6
Improved over stock
Cables re routed no big deal

B16 overkill

 

[TexaZ3]

If I were to change the shocks right now on a street car - B6 for sure.

 

[SunglassesGuy]

Dan Trainer recently put B6's on his M5. Maybe he will chime in. I'm running B8's on my 545 (non adjustable) and love them.

On my M6, running factory shocks -33K miles on the car. level 3 is lumber wagon mode, never use it.

Bilstein B6 fronts - how are they aligned?

Seen a lot of good threads on how well these preform (particularly with K&R Sport springs, which I've got), but not much about the installation. The original hardware has a notch in them, aligning them with the gap of the swivel bearing: The swivel bearing has a notch in it to set a low...

www.m5board.com

 

[Greg T]

I had B16s installed on my 2010 with 66k miles last summer. I’ve had two track weekends with the car, and wow what a difference the B16s make to the handling. With one of the track events, I loaded up my two boys and wife and drove the M5 350 miles each way to VIR from Ohio. The wife said she thought the B16s where slightly stiffer than stock and I agree. Sport mode is for track only, I found is a lot stiffer than stock.
The shop that installed them spent a lot of time adjusting the height and alignment. I have 0 regrets going with the B16s.

 

[Derived]

Thanks everyone for the input so far, appreciate it.

I also see that rock auto has one set of B16s in stock right now, didn't see them at first given the creative way they list parts. Also have great deals on the B6s too right now.

I would like to start taking this car to some track events, on the order of 1-2x a year possibly, and I am very hoping to retire it from DD duties within the next 12 months. So it doesn't need to be the most comfortable car in the world. But...I also live in downtown Chicago, for now, and we all know how horrible the streets are here. Tough choice, the price difference is definitely considerable.

I drive around in "normal" mode a lot right now, unless on smooth roads then I will often kick it into sport, would it be fair to say that "comfort" on the B16s is equivalent to "normal" on the OEM shocks? I think I've read that before. If that's the case, I would find that an acceptable trade-off.

 

[flacoramos]

I'm an hour+ away in Rockford so I know what u mean by chicago / IL streets. I'll say that stock suspension in comfort mode was manageable for me. Car was my daily pre covid. On B16s now I feel every bump and cranny on the road. Not cool for a daily. Weekend toy it's fine. Granted I also went with 4 monoballs upfront and tighter sways and new bushings on the back. If I have to compare I'd say that b16 comfort (given my setup) is equivalent to my old worn shocks in sport. That's 2 settings different.

But it's all worth it at the track.

 

[Epoustouflant]

I have the B16s on my E92 M3. My firm opinion is EDC is fundamental to the M5 experience and for any street driving M3s.

The B16s use a higher spring rate, and the valve is slightly more aggressive at Sport settings. However, the B16s’ spectrum is much wider than OEM due to improved valving and frequency of adjustments.

It is a standard coilover setup with adjustable height. It is the ideal coilover for those looking to lower their E60 with a properly matched damper and spring.

It feels absolutely amazing on my E92, it absorbs bumper better, has less rebound, yet doesn’t crash on road imperfections.

A common complaint was their max lower specs were still to high - but that is fixed by running a Turner hybrid plate. My M3 is slammed - I will raise it this Spring.



The B6 is considered a performance replacement. It will act and feel just slightly stiffer than stock, and is valved for OEM height springs.

Evolve is about to release a shorter and revalved B6 to match with Height Adjustable Spring - think of it as a budget EDC coilover - a very cool thing.

I have a chat planned with Bilstein’s marketing department this week. I have been trying for months to do a group buy for B16s for M3 & M5s, but margins are tight. We may have found a clever solution.

JRZ is also coming to market with an EDC damper, first focusing on Porsche and M3 applications. I met the owner at SEMA and discussed their tech for an hour. Truly interesting - higher frequency adjustments, plug and play with EDC and can also have its own suspension ECU for non EDC cars.

Options are coming back guys - and I’ll do everything I can to get the M5 into everything I do for the M3 guys.

 

[Garfunkgrin]

Maybe a dumb question as I haven't even done a part check, but since folks in here have probably done all the research already I'll ask anyway:

Are the B6's different between the E60 and E63, or just spring differences, same shock?

 

[Derived]

I have the B16s on my E92 M3. My firm opinion is EDC is fundamental to the M5 experience and for any street driving M3s.

The B16s use a higher spring rate, and the valve is slightly more aggressive at Sport settings. However, the B16s’ spectrum is much wider than OEM due to improved valving and frequency of adjustments.

It is a standard coilover setup with adjustable height. It is the ideal coilover for those looking to lower their E60 with a properly matched damper and spring.

It feels absolutely amazing on my E92, it absorbs bumper better, has less rebound, yet doesn’t crash on road imperfections.

A common complaint was their max lower specs were still to high - but that is fixed by running a Turner hybrid plate. My M3 is slammed - I will raise it this Spring.



The B6 is considered a performance replacement. It will act and feel just slightly stiffer than stock, and is valved for OEM height springs.

Evolve is about to release a shorter and revalved B6 to match with Height Adjustable Spring - think of it as a budget EDC coilover - a very cool thing.

I have a chat planned with Bilstein’s marketing department this week. I have been trying for months to do a group buy for B16s for M3 & M5s, but margins are tight. We may have found a clever solution.

JRZ is also coming to market with an EDC damper, first focusing on Porsche and M3 applications. I met the owner at SEMA and discussed their tech for an hour. Truly interesting - higher frequency adjustments, plug and play with EDC and can also have its own suspension ECU for non EDC cars.

Options are coming back guys - and I’ll do everything I can to get the M5 into everything I do for the M3 guys.

Damn, now I wish I could wait for the JRZ setup. I'm assuming that's a couple years out however...but sounds very cool.

For me lowering isn't even really a concern, not looking to drop the ride height much at all, need the ground clearance where I live for now. But the performance of the B16s does sound quite appealing...tempted to go for it.

 

[Derived]

I'm an hour+ away in Rockford so I know what u mean by chicago / IL streets. I'll say that stock suspension in comfort mode was manageable for me. Car was my daily pre covid. On B16s now I feel every bump and cranny on the road. Not cool for a daily. Weekend toy it's fine. Granted I also went with 4 monoballs upfront and tighter sways and new bushings on the back. If I have to compare I'd say that b16 comfort (given my setup) is equivalent to my old worn shocks in sport. That's 2 settings different.

But it's all worth it at the track.

What makes it even harder is that even though it is my "daily driver" - I don't drive it daily. I walk to work 99% of the time, take an Uber/Lyft if the weather is just impossible. I only drive it on weekends, and really want to enjoy it when I do. Difficult to decide whether to build it up for fun or practicality.

My biggest issue with the ride quality right now is really the crashing, bounciness, and what I can only describe as "shuddering" that comes through over large bumps. To me, that's worse than just feeling the impact. And I assume part of this is due to the OEM shocks being heavily worn - just allowing too much wheel movement after impact.

 

[Bangkok_M5]

I have B16s with approx. 7,000 km on my 06 M5. Car has 85,000 km. Original shocks were ruined when I got the car. Front right was leaking. Then my EDC unit failed (replaced when I did the B16s)

Stiffness
EDC modes are: Stiff, even stiffer, shakes your teeth filling out. (nearly as stiff as when the EDC unit failed!)

As my stock shocks were done when I acquired its hard to compare but the B16s on soft felt around the same stiffness as the stock on Firmest setting. Maybe slightly softer but not by much.

I found the B16s were too stiff for daily driving at first but they took about 1,000 km of driving to 'soften up' a little. The best 'ahh' moment came after changing my tires from a 25 profile back to stock. (Yokohama Advan V105). This extra sidewall really worked well. They are firm to drive now but not uncomfortable. The tire/shock combination seems well balanced now. It wasn't on the lower profile in my view. Crashed over every pot hole.

I've had 2 other M5 E60 drivers take my car out and compare. 1st guy said, "best match for this car, love it". 2nd guy said, "How do you drive that daily! Way too firm". The 1st guy was intending to buy them until he saw the price landed in Bangkok with tax and shipping. It was nearly $5k USD. I got mine reshipped by sea so landed was more like $3500 (declared the value as $100 so no tax hehe)

Handling
Simply stunning.

I live in Bangkok and the roads are very poor with random pot holes, etc. The soft setting is firm but great to drive fast and it rarely "crashes" over bumps and I've never hit the bumper stops (note: with stock profile tires). I don't need to firm it up to go fast around the city but on the open road...

So, I took the car to the north of Thailand over Christmas/New Year through mountain roads that I would normally ride on my S1000RR HP4 or S1000XR (now I'm older, XR usually!) I've ridden these roads for around 15 years and know them well. One road has been voted into the top 10 motorcycle roads in the world. Porsche driver club does this route annually (100km of joy. Highway 1148). I also took it through a very tight technical loop called, "Bor Klua" and the car was in its element. Even some bikers couldn't keep up (Kawasaki 650 versys - no chance). The car was amazing. I was not on the edge either but not far off it (one tire squeal the entire trip - 2 squeals from the wife)

On intermediate stiffness through the twisties it was a joy - stunning drive. I had 2 passengers and bags in the car and it attacked the corners like it was on rails. I was always on mid setting, occasionally on max stiffness. Highway driving up and back softest setting of course.

On the firmest setting the car is exceptional if the road surface is smooth. Very simple to manage drifts with only slight hints of understeer, no oversteer unless being club footed with the power. A joy. However, the moment the surface became a little patchy and bumpy the firmest setting is too stiff. The car wants to skip too much. Luckily I know the roads well so I know when I can push the EDC button to max or let it off. The M5 is infinitely easier than on the bike when the surface gets torn up (both bikes have EDC as well)

As this was in rural Thailand I had no concerns about speed tickets, not track pace but not far off it. Spirited driving would be the description. Probably 60-200 kph most of the way. Total trip was 2,400 km (half of which in the mountains). Did get one ticket in the mail for 180kph. USD20. lol

I'll finally get the car on track on the 27th Feb so if I remember I'll post my track impressions. I used to race a 2015 S1000RR at the same track so will be able to compare my M5 track time to my bike times.

Would I buy the B16s again? For the mountains yes, any day.
If I used the M5 as a daily driver I'd probably think twice. If my roads were good quality I'd probably go the B16s but if rough then I'd stick to the B6s. Unless you have mountains or tracks you want to attack they are too firm.

Its firm for sure but now I'm satisfied it was a good investment on balance only after the tire change back to stock profiles.

Good luck with your choice whichever it is - most likely better than stock regardless of the model

(PS they are pretty much plug and play. Just have to take care when you route the cables)

 

[o2sys]

Does anyone have the weights for each coilover ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Epoustouflant]

Great writeup @Bangkok_M5

I've found the B16s on my E92 M3 to have much improved valving over the stock, used EDC dampers. Comfort was softer, Sport Plus was stiffer. Overall body control was massively improved - but I can't isolate the coilovers alone as more work was done in the process.

 

[Greg T]

I posted my 7 month review above. I wonder if the ride height you adjust these to have an effect on ride quality. I have mine setup at about the height of HH springs front and rear. When my whole family is loaded into it, it does seem to ride a little smoother. The roads in Ohio, where I live aren't the greatest, but they are far from the minefields they call roads up in Michigan . If your roads are like they are in Michigan Bacgkok, yeah not a great upgrade.

 

[Derived]

@Bangkok_M5 Excellent write-up, thank you so much for taking the time. What you described is what I've always wanted the car to feel like...able to attack the corners like a proper sports car and not just a stiff sedan with fat tires. Proper body control and grip.

Seeing as I am badly trying to find something else to drive as my "regular" car - I am leaning more and more towards the B16s. I will always wonder what it would have been like otherwise. Also, I am on stock size tires (well, +10mm in width front and rear) - and I plan to stay on 19s no matter what. Also, I am essentially replacing everything else in the suspension and have done the spherical bearings up front so I feel it deserves a proper coil-over setup at this point. I also am not interested in slamming the ride height, so that's something else to help with the ride quality.

Driving around the city this past weekend I really paid attention to how the car deals with bumps and potholes, and I am more and more convinced that much of the poor ride is not even just the stiffness of the factory shocks/springs, but really the lack of body control that must be coming from worn out shocks. It is so bouncy and has such poor body control once sufficiently upset, I am convinced that's most of the problem. If stock tire size + standard ride height + B16s results in stiffness something like the OEM setup between "normal" and "sport" but with vastly improved body control, I think that would be more than acceptable.

And, after all, I don't plan on living in the city too much longer...seems a shame to set the car up for a temporary environment.

 

[Fiftytwoeighty]

@Bangkok_M5 Excellent write-up, thank you so much for taking the time. What you described is what I've always wanted the car to feel like...able to attack the corners like a proper sports car and not just a stiff sedan with fat tires. Proper body control and grip.

Seeing as I am badly trying to find something else to drive as my "regular" car - I am leaning more and more towards the B16s. I will always wonder what it would have been like otherwise. Also, I am on stock size tires (well, +10mm in width front and rear) - and I plan to stay on 19s no matter what. Also, I am essentially replacing everything else in the suspension and have done the spherical bearings up front so I feel it deserves a proper coil-over setup at this point. I also am not interested in slamming the ride height, so that's something else to help with the ride quality.

Driving around the city this past weekend I really paid attention to how the car deals with bumps and potholes, and I am more and more convinced that much of the poor ride is not even just the stiffness of the factory shocks/springs, but really the lack of body control that must be coming from worn out shocks. It is so bouncy and has such poor body control once sufficiently upset, I am convinced that's most of the problem. If stock tire size + standard ride height + B16s results in stiffness something like the OEM setup between "normal" and "sport" but with vastly improved body control, I think that would be more than acceptable.

And, after all, I don't plan on living in the city too much longer...seems a shame to set the car up for a temporary environment.

I think you're spot on with your assessment.

 

[o2sys]

No B16 available, no ETA on availability either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Derived]

Yeah I'm really kicking myself for not grabbing that last set that Rock Auto had the day I posted this thread...the next day I figured I should pull the trigger just in case since I could re-sell anyway...and they were already gone.