Eibach/Koni vs. Bilstein PSS10 for a street setup

[ethan]

If you go this route, you’ll need to significantly increase bump travel. The B6s have borderline too little bump travel with the stock springs, and once you start lowering it... you’re just parked on the bump stop.

Is this typically achieved by cutting the bump stops or using aftermarket street camber plates or both?

Also, I see the B6s are described as monotube shocks due to the design of their internals (despite their packaging for the E46 M3 platform as inserts inside strut housings), but Konis use "twin tube technology". In practice, are these roughly comparable dampers for dual duty work?

[Apex Hitter]

Has anyone used the Dinan Springs and newer Koni SA shocks? Those seem that they would play well together.

[Tbonem3]

Is this typically achieved by cutting the bump stops or using aftermarket street camber plates or both?

I did both

[Icecream]

Hmmmm, so I should be thinking about returning my New in box Konis for B6's?

Paired with Dinan springs . . . I got those sitting on the self too

I have the B6 with eibach springs, I like them just fine and enjoy it a lot on back roads, extremely composed when pushing it. I did not modify the bump stops and I really don't have an issue with it. If the dinans are lower than the eibachs, then yeah, you will need to modify them. I have said this before, just get the PSS10 and be done with it. If you are at the point of modifying the B6 with cut bump stops, GC plates or whatever the ****, it's not worth it. And the cost isn't much more for the PSS10 so it is a no brainer.
I also asked Bilstein about getting a different spring than the eibachs for the B6 shocks, they strongly advised against it for what it's worth. Do it right, do it once. I'm already itching to replaced my suspension again, not because these are bad, I just get bored and like adjustability.
I have never tried the koni shocks but in general I found the bilsteins to be a better shock for a few reasons while looking around. Mainly build quality of the Koni's was questionable and the twin tube design didn't appeal to me (whatever that's worth) and it sounded like their adjustability was, gimmicky (useless except to compensate for them wearing out which is....not why I want adjustable suspension). The bilsteins are extremely well built and highly regarded for a reason and at the price point, they are hard to beat.

[r4dr]

Agreed— which is why I’m running TCK Koni SAs on the rear (on the M3 wagon), with generic Koni yellows up front. Softer and top adjustable (instead of compress to adjust).

Aren't the TCK rear shocks just Mustang shocks (Koni p/n 8241-1200Sport)?

https://www.tcklineracing.com/webdocs/Items/Details30.cfm

https://www.amazon.com/Koni-8241-1240Sport-Sport-Mustang/dp/B003620QQM

[Obioban]

Aren't the TCK rear shocks just Mustang shocks (Koni p/n 8241-1200Sport)?

https://www.tcklineracing.com/webdoc.../Details30.cfm
https://www.amazon.com/Koni-8241-124.../dp/B003620QQM

It's possible they're the same shock body, but all of TCK's Koni's are valved to TCK specifications-- so not the same part AFAIK.

Has anyone used the Dinan Springs and newer Koni SA shocks? Those seem that they would play well together.

That's the setup I have on my M3 wagon. Excellent DD setup IMO.

[Obioban]

Is this typically achieved by cutting the bump stops or using aftermarket street camber plates or both?

Also, I see the B6s are described as monotube shocks due to the design of their internals (despite their packaging for the E46 M3 platform as inserts inside strut housings), but Konis use "twin tube technology". In practice, are these roughly comparable dampers for dual duty work?

Were it me, I'd far prefer going the camber plate route to the bump stop modification route. The bump stops are part of the suspension-- modifying means your changing how the car behaves. At a minimum, which trimming a bump stop you should install a packer to ensure that full compression (of the bump stop) ends up at the same point.

Twin tubes and monotones both have their benefits. On the e46 chassis, monotubes are a bit limited because they're too large to actually fit (the functional part of the shock) within the clam shell up front. This is why all the monotube options for the car don't have a ton of front travel. This can work fine for stiffer track setups, but softer, street friendly setups benefit from more travel. The twin tube can fit down inside the clamshell. The net result of this is that something like TCK D/As I used to run (twin tube) have ~double the front travel of the Ohlins (monotube) I currently run.

... which is why for my softer, street M3 I run a twin tube (Koni Yellow) and a soft springs (Dinan) with a bunch of travel, and for my more hardcore/track M3 coupe I run a monotube (Ohlin) with a stiffer spring... and front ride height determined 100% by optimizing the available travel.

[ethan]

Great post Obioban - thanks. I'll have to investigate travel more thoroughly on my MCS 1WNRs - I just naively set ride height to 13.5F 13R with spring rates chosen using Shaik's calculator and then corner balanced from there, but I should see what the implications of that ride height mean for shock travel.

My daily M3 has some beat twintube Bilstein B4s and Eibach springs - sounds like Konis might be the right move. Would I have sufficient travel with stock strut hats and the Eibach springs paired with Koni SAs or should I be looking at a street plate and/or stock springs?

[WoGGo]

... which is why for my softer, street M3 I run a twin tube (Koni Yellow) and a soft springs (Dinan) with a bunch of travel, and for my more hardcore/track M3 coupe I run a monotube (Ohlin) with a stiffer spring... and front ride height determined 100% by optimizing the available travel.

Would it be beneficial to go with the pre-adjusted Konis from Dinan?

[Obioban]

Great post Obioban - thanks. I'll have to investigate travel more thoroughly on my MCS 1WNRs - I just naively set ride height to 13.5F 13R with spring rates chosen using Shaik's calculator and then corner balanced from there, but I should see what the implications of that ride height mean for shock travel.

My daily M3 has some beat twintube Bilstein B4s and Eibach springs - sounds like Konis might be the right move. Would I have sufficient travel with stock strut hats and the Eibach springs paired with Koni SAs or should I be looking at a street plate and/or stock springs?

I actually made spacers to adjust where the top of the shock mounts to the camber plate to allow me to be at 13.5" up front with 60% of my travel as bump and 40% as droop.

The Konis work fine with stock/unmodified everything with Eibach or Dinan springs (both of which are also flat ride incidentally-- unlike every other spring package for the car that I know of).

[Obioban]

Would it be beneficial to go with the pre-adjusted Konis from Dinan?

The Dinan Koni yellows are unmodified Koni yellows. They just pre set them to
Front = 1/4 turn from full soft
Rear = 1-3/8 turn from full soft

Since they're ~double the price you can get them for otherwise, as it takes ~30 seconds to put them at that setting, I don't think it's worth paying the extra.

[PipeUy]

The Dinan Koni yellows are unmodified Koni yellows. They just pre set them to
Front = 1/4 turn from full soft
Rear = 1-3/8 turn from full soft

Since they're ~double the price you can get them for otherwise, as it takes ~30 seconds to put them at that setting, I don't think it's worth paying the extra.

What would be a good starting point, adjustment wise, for front stock Konis, rear TC Kline Konis and stock springs? The car is be used almost exclusively for street use.

[old///MFanatic]

Has anyone used the Dinan Springs and newer Koni SA shocks? Those seem that they would play well together.

For a (non adjustable height) set-up for a street car this should be one of the better combos.

[old///MFanatic]

I have the B6 with eibach springs, I like them just fine and enjoy it a lot on back roads, extremely composed when pushing it.
[BI also asked Bilstein about getting a different spring than the eibachs for the B6 shocks, they strongly advised against it [/B]for what it's worth.

You saying they strongly advised against using a different spring than what your Eibach specs were close to? Or about a different brand than Eibach?
Because it kinda reads like you’re saying they’re against other spring brands and Eibach their first choice.

[Tbonem3]

Wouldn't be surprising though; they sell their B6 packaged with Eibach pro kit as the b12 (they used to pair with H&R.)