BILSTEINS IN THE BIN

A long-term review (4 years / 45,000 mile) of the Bilstein B12 suspension kit for the E36.

Thanks for watching!

[yojay]

Well done for calling this out! Bilstein have always had a problem with rusting and poor paint on the B6/12, but failing entirely is unacceptable.

[edwinderegt]

Had the B12 on my last car, and after 12 years, 220000KM they were still in good condition and without leaks. Did still handle great. Even after driving my new car for couple of weeks, and then the old one again, I was surprised how good in felt in compairison to the new. I would buy them again without a doubt! I am surprised about the qualety of yours. And yes, the paint on mine was bad after 12 years. But also was the paint on subframe of my car.

[terrymanoranjan]

I’ve got the b6 kit on my 46. I run it on estate rear springs and shocks as it’s a vert and they break rear springs and fail the rear shocks. Been in the car for over 6 years and still perfect. I’m extremely happy with them

[NotclownJkr]

Had a B12 kit on an E90, just over 4 years with around 20, 000 miles on them. 1 front leaked and 1 rear broken spring. The rust on all 4 corners with the shocks + springs, just not upto scratch

[johncoleman]

I've run Bilstein on all my Jeeps and full-size trucks! Never had a problem! They make a lot OEM shocks, and they last!

[wolfcrossing]

I caught your video ("BILSTEINS IN THE BIN", 22 March 2022) just as I was about to pull the trigger for a Bilstein (B12) Kit with Eibach springs. Now, I think I will have to do a bit more due diligence and take another look at some of Bilstein’s competitors.
Very much appreciate your efforts and report.

[jimdcars]

Not me watching this AFTER buying the b12 kit… I’m yet to install it and seriously considering sending them back and getting koni

[ryanhansen]

I literally have that in my cart right now. Springs too. I’m glad I caught this first.

[garrydiggins]

I’ve just fitted them to my M3 evo about 2 months ago fingers crossed don’t do much more than about 2 or 3000 miles a year though at the most

[VeganBytes]

Have B6 shocks on my mx5 2019 from factory. Not even 30k miles and my rear left shock is clunking badly going over uneven road.
Will be removing all bilstein dampers gradually and opting for koni.
Im a bit strapped for cash right now so x2 rears will get changed first, and probably after a fortnight the fronts will get replaced 👍

[theman]

I used these KYBs on my 2010 Ford Focus .. the ride was just calm, planted and smooth ..
doesn’t regret the purchase !

[TenXBikesSenzatiiTariBucuresti]

God bless you, who work hard and talk straight. This help some of us who dream and would keep dreaming and keep loosing ourselves. No wonder why I got to this review that hard, at the end of efforts to search and find a hidden gem, and why your content is hidden too. Thank you!

[Smidnight]

Hey! I bought mine in 2014 and had been using them in my track day E36 for 5years, and now they're in my daily E36 (😃). I'm sure they must have done about 80k miles or so. They're still ok (the same result at MOT throughout the years) As far as the ride quality is concerned in case of my set (B12 + eibach anti rollbars) it all depends on what u expect when you buy them - I don't think they're supposed to work good when commuting in town or sth. To me they worked ok at the track but they worked brilliantly at the speed over 100mph on normal road ☺️. I think that stock shocks work 1000 times better for normal, slow commuting, because these (B12) can even cause serious problems with spine if you try to use them for "normal driving"

[nick.gooonan]

glad i found this video, was going to pull the trigger on the b12 kit. I'm already having a terrible time with the rubbish suspension i have where the sway bar end link mount snapped and blew one of my tires. might look into some quality stuff like KW next time around

[flybobbie]

I have B6 all round, std. springs, rears since 2014 front since 2016. Done about 45k now on Z4 E89. Still OK. some edges of tube have rusted, touch of paint keeps them reasonable looking on the edges.
I have noticed recently the front left shock seems to have some play at the rod to seal interface. But last time i checked the play had gone?

[khestehave]

I feel your pain and I’m sorry you’ve had those experiences with these shocks. However some of the areas you touched upon can be explained. The minimum warranty a product (any product) must have in the EU (you were in the EU at the time of purchase 🙃) is 2 years. Why it is different in the US can have many reasons like legislation and the market situation I.e. competition. The warranty is not determined based on how long they believe the product will last, a company is free to provide a longer warranty if they feel so inclined, but not a shorter one. KYB can be using a longer warranty as a competitive measure to get you to buy their product instead of another.
As for the warranty for the replacement shock you got from Bilstein they were not forthcoming with the correct information because when you get a replacement, the 2 year warranty “starts over”. It is not from the initial purchase even though it is a component in a set. If the left front shock goes and is replaced the left front shock has a new 2 year warranty on it.
I have had a B12 Sport Line kit on my e46 track day car for 6 years now with no problems and just installed B6’s on my 911 this summer so I hope I won’t run into the problems you have seen so far.

[Harleyforever]

I’m looking to trash my oem shocks and struts. Just the other day my best friend called me and asked what he should put on his car. I told him Bilstien B4. I have been looking hard at the KYB for OE replacement. I live in the U.S.A. In the heart of the south. For me it’s going to be a decision between the B4 and the KYB. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I feel your disappointment when you spend allot of money on a product and it doesn’t meet your expectations. The KYB will serve you well.

[jospoz]

4 years of heavy rain and bad roads. Track used I think it’s a pretty good life span specially if driven on snow and salty ocean areas. Quality is not there anymore. K3 kw are failing too. I used to be a strong believer of KW. Thanks for you video great info.

[frankm]

Bruh. I just had B12 pro kit fitted to my e90 saloon daily driver. Fingers crossed, it turns out okay. Whenever I replace my shocks on all 4 corners, I change everything it works with like top mounts, lower mounts, spring pads (very important), arms too if the bushings are weak etc. Never put new shocks on worn components. Do it nice or do it twice. This is the way with Bimmas. (Man, my Lexus was headache free lol)

Another thing to note is, BMW fits different springs for the same model. Each car has springs fitted to it based on options the vehicle is equipped with e.g sunroof, convertible etc…but I’m not 100% certain if aftermarket suspension manufacturers account for this variation in models re optional equipment from factory which increase or decrease the overall weight of the cars. Hence the mixed reviews on them. Not invalidating your experience. Just a thought. Let’s see how my new B12 pro kit set up turns out. *In Terminator’s voice* I’ll be back.

[csalmon]

So... I've had many sets of shocks. Best so far on the front was the std Bilsteins off the avus 328 sport stamped bmw. But that's for the front of a few E36s I've had.
But every rear minus koni yellows and MTS tecknik ( not TAs!! ) have pissed oil or failed to return. I've still got AP Gewindefarhenwerk Fronts somewhere.... Buried. Rears binned.