B14 PSS9 coilover ride quality

[Danith]

Who's fitted these? I know it's a clio forum, but the more feedback from other cars the better - who actually has a clio on here these days anyway

I expect them to be firm, I'm not daft. But compliance/ride quality? Do they bounce around like mad and smash your head into the roof lining?!

 

[Kev@KAM]

I've fitted a few of the Bilstein B14 over the years and always found them to be very comfortable. They stop the original chassis role when cornering but soak bumps up well too. The rear spring rate is relatively soft compared to a track coilover so its not really designed for anything more than road use.

 

[Danith]

I've fitted a few of the Bilstein B14 over the years and always found them to be very comfortable. They stop the original chassis role when cornering but soak bumps up well too. The rear spring rate is relatively soft compared to a track coilover so its not really designed for anything more than road use.

Seems to be dependant on ride height too? Ideally after having the arches sat just above the rim (like tupac ), but that'd mean almost maxing the rears on my car I believe. Also looking at H&R monotubes, supposedly a bit more compliant but more pricey

 

[-Jamie-]

I had B14s on my Megane for a bit and didn't rate them at all, Damping was worse than OE, lacked rebound and just made it pretty poor to drive down a UK B road without it wanting to thrown you into a Bush

 

[Danith]

This is my dilemma for every 'OK' I get an 'it ruined the ride' comment

 

[Kev@KAM]

H&R use Bilstein dampers to their own spec so I'm not sure how different in reality they are.
As with any car. The lower the ride the more likely you will compress to a point you are sitting on the bumpstops which will worsten the ride.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I’ve had Clio’s with;

AST, KW, FK, KTec, B14 coilovers and the usual cup shocks and grams, Cooksport, eibach etc.

On track they were too soft, but on the road they were without doubt the most comfy and compliant. Smashing down a country road they just soaked up the bumps and handled beautifully. I really rate them.

 

[Danith]

H&R use Bilstein dampers to their own spec so I'm not sure how different in reality they are.
As with any car. The lower the ride the more likely you will compress to a point you are sitting on the bumpstops which will worsten the ride.

Oh right. It's crazy how all these different brands share parts. So confusing! I believe KW V1 and 2 are actually Koni units, only V3 are in house KW.

No wonder it's such a minefield.

 

[Ant1]

I find the dampening not much different to cup shocks but with much less roll and more ability to soak up bumps.

I think they are a great road coilover personally but will be to soft for hard track work.

 

[Danith]

I find the dampening not much different to cup shocks but with much less roll and more ability to soak up bumps.

I think they are a great road coilover personally but will be to soft for hard track work.

What car mate?

 

[Ant1]

What car mate?

I have them on one of my phase 1s

 

[joe hk&uk]

I’ve had Clio’s with;

AST, KW, FK, KTec, B14 coilovers and the usual cup shocks and grams, Cooksport, eibach etc.

On track they were too soft, but on the road they were without doubt the most comfy and compliant. Smashing down a country road they just soaked up the bumps and handled beautifully. I really rate them.

Considering replacing my old b14 so fancy to know which KW fitted? And hows their ride quality compare with B14?

Cheers

 

[Kev@KAM]

KW own ST suspension, AP Suspension. They use their own damper tech but its basically KW is their premium brand with stainless casings etc and the others get the cheaper versions of a similar design. You will find the twin tube technology they use as being reasonably good. Maybe a little bit more crashy over bumps as the monotube can react to smaller damper movements. I've always prefered a monotube setup myself but KW is popular.

 

[Danith]

Cheers all, I've bit the bullet and opted for the H&R monotubes.

Go a bit lower and apparently more compliant for my particular car. £200 extra as H&R are a bugger for not giving discounts it seems!

 

[alexthekid]

I've currently got KW V2's on my 182 - finding them too harsh on our roads for fast road use. I'm definitely after something more compliant to soak up the bumps at speed. Alignment & tyre pressures are spot on.

Bilstein B14s are at the top of my list but I really don't want to swap them out for not a lot of difference.

Has anyone compared the KW's to the Bilstein B14's - will it be worth it?

Any bushes that need replacing will all be done at the same time with alignment.

 

[Danith]

The chat on the MQB pages was that KW were the softer of the 2 between them and B14.

Really does sound car specific.

I think the chinese bodied ones like BC/yellowspeed/meister R would be fine if you maintained them and kept them clean from salt and other corrosive stuff.

I have Meister R on my track Ep3 as they're fully adjustable, but then I don't use it on crappy UK roads.

For my Skoda tho, adjustability isn't top of the priorities, it's robustness and longevity.

 

[Kev@KAM]

I've currently got KW V2's on my 182 - finding them too harsh on our roads for fast road use. I'm definitely after something more compliant to soak up the bumps at speed. Alignment & tyre pressures are spot on.

Bilstein B14s are at the top of my list but I really don't want to swap them out for not a lot of difference.

Has anyone compared the KW's to the Bilstein B14's - will it be worth it?

Any bushes that need replacing will all be done at the same time with alignment.

KW springs have their spring rate on so have a look and we can compare those - but like for like the Bilstein will seem more compliant with the road as the monotube dampers can dampen a smaller piston movement than a twintube

 

[Danith]

KW springs have their spring rate on so have a look and we can compare those - but like for like the Bilstein will seem more compliant with the road as the monotube dampers can dampen a smaller piston movement than a twintube

Which are twin tube?

 

[Kev@KAM]

KW are twin tube. Bilstein are Monotube. The KW are great as a performance coilover but I've never got on with them myself as I prefer the finesse of high end monotubes over bumps.

 

[Danith]

KW are twin tube. Bilstein are Monotube. The KW are great as a performance coilover but I've never got on with them myself as I prefer the finesse of high end monotubes over bumps.

Ahhhhh, I thought twin tube was really old tech and doesn't have the same durability

 

[Coops Mk1]

Bit late to the party but I have them on my phase 1 and they are a bit bouncy the B14's. However I run them looooooow

the ride quality and bump absorption is still superior to my 182 on cup dampers and Grams springs though, even set this low. so much so I have a set of B14 for the 182 now as well to pop on in the summer

 

[Flob]

I think it depends a lot on the car as well though, like PSS10's were supposedly heavily developed on the E46 M3, as a result everyone raves about them on M3cutters, they might tweak for various other models but can't possibly properly test them on every car. BC was slammed a lot on cutters while historically lots of the scooby owners liked them.

These this come and go too, I remember a while back everyone was raving about cooksports on here but many seem to have gone off them now. Sadly I didn't get the memo so bought a set recently 🤦‍♂️

 

[Danith]

I think it depends a lot on the car as well though, like PSS10's were supposedly heavily developed on the E46 M3, as a result everyone raves about them on M3cutters, they might tweak for various other models but can't possibly properly test them on every car. BC was slammed a lot on cutters while historically lots of the scooby owners liked them.

These this come and go too, I remember a while back everyone was raving about cooksports on here but many seem to have gone off them now. Sadly I didn't get the memo so bought a set recently 🤦‍♂️

You can get a set of eibachs when the cooksports snap next week ha

 

[Flob]

It was either new Renault shocks all round with cook sports or B14's, I was actually shooting for a good road car and I 1000% made the wrong choice, I don't think the cooksports and cup shocks will be bad necessarily just that everyone speaks so highly of the B14's. Oh well, maybe when they snap next week, be the perfect excuse lol.

 

[Danith]

Yeah sure be fine

 

[Kev@KAM]

too low and the bump stops will not offer a good damping effect.
I always found the b14’s on all the cars I’ve driven worked really well. I’d love to develop a mono tube replacement for the standard damper but the cost would mean no one would buy it

 

[Coops Mk1]

@Kev@KAM

A phase 1 can never be too low

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

Who's fitted these? I know it's a clio forum, but the more feedback from other cars the better - who actually has a clio on here these days anyway

I expect them to be firm, I'm not daft. But compliance/ride quality? Do they bounce around like mad and smash your head into the roof lining?!

I know it's been a while, but did you buy the b14's in the end?

 

[Danith]

No i went for the h and r monotubes. But still waiting to get over to the garage to have them installed.

 

[joe hk&uk]

No i went for the h and r monotubes. But still waiting to get over to the garage to have them installed.

Hi mate Would you share what's the reason for choosing H&R over B14 finally? As they also used Bilstein damper technology it seemed the only difference r with H&R springs on but that cost around £250 more...🤔

 

[Danith]

This is for an octavia vrs 2017 mate. I chose the h and r as the damping is supposed to be more compliant and they drop a bit lower. Do cost more but no pt getting the b14 just cos they're a bit less if they're not suitable for what I'm after

 

[joe hk&uk]

This is for an octavia vrs 2017 mate. I chose the h and r as the damping is supposed to be more compliant and they drop a bit lower. Do cost more but no pt getting the b14 just cos they're a bit less if they're not suitable for what I'm after

😅👍🏻 thought they r for the 182, so H&R springs r abit stiffer then?

 

[Danith]

😅👍🏻 thought they r for the 182, so H&R springs r abit stiffer then?

Pass mate. I asked a load of guys who use both on their Octavias and every single comment assured me that HR were softer than the B14 in this example - and AKS said so too (they sell both B14 and HR and he uses the HR on his own car)

I think B14 would be spot on for a Clio 182 - unless you want to go super low. I need to retain some level of compliance as I've got a kid and the B14 would more or less retain Eibach pro line springs kinda height, if I wanted any sort of level of refinement. To get the arches sat on top of the tyres I'd have to max out the rears and then this would make them very stiff. If not maxed out they're supposedly much better.