Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

E28 technical advice asked and given! Troubleshooting, modifications and more.
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cek
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Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by cek »

I ordered a set of Billy Sports for use with a set of Spax springs for Maytag.

For the rears Blunt sent me Bilstein part # 24-006071:

https://us.bilstein.com/en/product-sear ... 0574488836

These have 6 perches and are “Parameter 160/80”.

On my other car (Vlad), I *swear* I have 24-007276:

https://us.bilstein.com/en/product-sear ... 0574488836

These have 3 perches and are “Parameter 270/100”. These are what I wanted as they are valved more firmly. I didn't have a chance to look at Vlad to absolutely verify 3 perches, but I very much recall this.

Blunt has checked around and:
Im not showing 24-007276 available from any of the 5 suppliers we use

And this is direct from Bilstein: Out of stock at Bilstein as of 11-17-2017
(Note there's only one front part number for the "B8 Performance Plus" line).

Is anyone else familiar with this situation? Any recommendations?
nik77356
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by nik77356 »

Not to take anything away from Blunt, as I quite like the guy, but if he can't get them from his suppliers, Bimmerworld allegedly has the Parameter 270/100 in stock: http://www.bimmerworld.com/Suspension-S ... 07276.html
Karl Grau
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by Karl Grau »

3 grooves are HDs for standard springs and 6 grooves means Sports. The only difference is that the Sports are 10mm shorter.

Image
cek
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by cek »

Karl Grau wrote:3 grooves are HDs for standard springs and 6 grooves means Sports. The only difference is that the Sports are 10mm shorter.

Image

This is fake news.

Look at the two links above:

Part # 24-006071: https://us.bilstein.com/en/product-sear ... 0574488836
Image
These have 6 perches and are “Parameter 160/80”.

Part # 24-007276: https://us.bilstein.com/en/product-sear ... 0574488836
Image

I have found other threads on mye28.com indicating folks have B8 Performance Plus with 3 and 6 grooves.

This is what I think people refer to as the HD (aka the B6 Performance), part Number: 24-006088: https://us.bilstein.com/en/product-sear ... 0574488836
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cek
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by cek »

cek wrote:I
On my other car (Vlad), I *swear* I have 24-007276:
Turns out this is fake news as well. I just checked Vlad photos and see this:

From April 23, 2013:
Image

From August 2015:
Image

I very clearly have 24-006071 on Vlad (in one pic I can see the part number ends in 071).

As far as I'm concerned, these are "Bilstein Sports" for the E28:
B8 Performance Plus - Shock Absorber
Part Number: 24-006071
Parameter 160/80

As I am very happy with them, I have decided this whole thread is for naught, and I will be be using these on Maytag.

Thanks anyway.
maybeillbuyit
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by maybeillbuyit »

I dont think this thread was for naught. I appreciate the pics and learned something. I find this subject a bit confusing as there “seems” to be multiple sport versions of the bilsteins. Add to that the e12 versions seem more confusing.
Karl Grau
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by Karl Grau »

I dug up my two most recent receipts. Both sets have six grooves. :?

Image

Image
cek
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by cek »

Karl Grau wrote:I dug up my two most recent receipts. Both sets have six grooves. :?

Image

Image
So we're agreed that there is no longer anything called Bilstein Sports or Bilstein HDs? And we're agreed that there are B8 Performance Plus that used to be called Sports, that come with 6 grooves? And there USED to be a variant of the B8 Performance Plus that had a stiffer valving that only had 3 grooves, but this variant is recently NLA? And that the softer line, which people used to call HDs are called B6 Performance and they have 3 grooves?
Karl Grau
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by Karl Grau »

cek wrote:So we're agreed that there is no longer anything called Bilstein Sports or Bilstein HDs?
I'm not agreeing to anything without speaking to my attorney first.
(BTW, I'm very jealous of how clean the underside of that car is)
cek
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by cek »

Karl Grau wrote:
cek wrote:So we're agreed that there is no longer anything called Bilstein Sports or Bilstein HDs?
I'm not agreeing to anything without speaking to my attorney first.
(BTW, I'm very jealous of how clean the underside of that car is)
Was.
Sharkpilot
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by Sharkpilot »

Well, I recently installed a set of Bilstein B8 24-007276 with the 3 spring perch heights which replaced the less firmly valved 6 perch rear Bilsteins B8 24-006071. I will say I prefer the more firmly damped 3 groove B8 (which by definition is "Sport") however with shorter springs the 6 groove has the highest perch setting at least one setting higher than the 3-groove which does give more flexibility in setting the rear ride height. That is the only issue that I can determine. The firmer valving feels great though. The ideal would be the firmer valving with 6 grooves for dialing in ride height. I guess if you really wanted it dialed in you would have Bilstein re-valve the shocks based on your specific springs.
Sharkpilot
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by Sharkpilot »

Ok, did a little more research and according to the German Bilstein site the 24-006071 is for the 528i: http://www.bilstein-shop.com/bilstein-b ... fm1tlnolf4 and the 24-007276 is for the 535i and M535i: http://www.bilstein-shop.com/bilstein-b ... fm1tlnolf4.
SlickDizzy
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by SlickDizzy »

I wanted to bump this thread as this continues to be a huge misconception in the E28 world. 6 perches does not automatically mean the shock is a Sport (B8) and 3 perches does not automatically mean the shock is a HD (B6). This may have been the case for a long time but it is not currently.

Bilstein now offers a softer rear B8 (160/80 damping), and a stiffer rear B8 (270/100 damping) for our cars. Their German-language catalog recommends the stiffer version for 535's and the softer version for all other E28. This recommendation is lost in the English catalog and many "parts house" listings, which adds significantly to the confusion.

RockAuto has both B8 types in stock in addition to the B6:
Image

I have held both shocks in my hands side-by-side and verified the perch difference, as I have run both on my current 535i, which has Eibach springs.

The softer version (6 perches) did not feel quite right with the lowering springs, the ride was very harsh and it felt like the shocks were under-damped for the springs. The stiffer version (3 perches) provided a significant increase in ride quality and handling despite being stiffer - likely because the shock damping is more closely matched to the Eibach spring rate.

I believe the "parameters" are compression and rebound, so the stiffer version would have significantly more compression damping and slightly more rebound damping, which explains the difference in feel.

Image
ahab
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by ahab »

Nice work. This is helpful.
philipj
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by philipj »

I am dealing with a completely stock M535i, so this can be confusing... The OEM number is 33 52 1 129 241. Does anyone know the exact counterpart? Is it the Series B6 (Heavy Duty) B46-0608 = 24-006088, or should it be the Series B8 (Sport) B46-0607 = 24-006071

Yet to make matters more complicated the numbers on the actual strut cannot be found anywhere but they're 33 52 1 129 264 and 242B46 0737E000... If anyone can clarify this it would be great... Thank you.
TimU
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by TimU »

SlickDizzy wrote: Dec 24, 2019 8:44 AM
@SlickDizzy, THANK YOU for confirming the info above, this helped close a confusion for the E24 as well.

Are you able to confirm if the rod lengths are different between the parts at all please?

Just extracting some relevant info for anyone else searching for part numbers:

Rear Shocks
24-006088 = Bilstein B6 - 3 Perch rings for Standard Ride Height
24-006071 = Bilstein B8 (Softer) - 6 Perch rings with 160/80 damping parameter
24-007276 = Bilstein B8 (Firmer) - 3 Perch rings with 270/100 damping parameter

FWIW, most E24 suspension kits use the softer 24-006071 B8's.
SlickDizzy wrote: Dec 24, 2019 8:44 AM The "parameters" are compression and rebound, so the stiffer version would have significantly more compression damping and slightly more rebound damping.
TimU
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by TimU »

ROOTS.
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Re: Bilstein Sports for E28 - Two part numbers - One NLA?

Post by ROOTS. »

Just saw these listed which conflicts slightly with some of the details above. 6 perches on part # 276. Not sure what is what anymore…

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