Bilstein B14 172 Cup

[Keyser Soze]

Does anyone have experience of these?
I'm particularly interested in ride quality.
Don't want anything that's silly hard or bounces too much.

 

[Ph1 Tom]

Spot on for fast road imo. Just fitted a set I bought off here and I'm very happy with them.

Alternatively if your shocks are good the Cooksport springs have had some very good feedback when paired with Cup dampers

 

[Keyser Soze]

Spot on for fast road imo. Just fitted a set I bought off here and I'm very happy with them.

Alternatively if your shocks are good the Cooksport springs have had some very good feedback when paired with Cup dampers

Cheers.
Unsure what to do at the moment. I've heard good reports about the Cooksports but also read a few people say they are slightly bouncy.
By the time I've bought all new shocks and springs I wonder if its worth paying that bit more for the Bilsteins.
How much did you pay for your B14 and where from?

 

[Cup_Phil]

B14's are good for fast road - quite soft and comfortable.

BUT to be honest my car handled just as well on standard cup shocks with eibach springs, so you're paying £900 just to be able to adjust the height up and down

 

[Adamm.]

Have a search mate plenty been said about them. Oh and they cost £700 not £900.

 

[Dan@SJM]

B14's are good for fast road - quite soft and comfortable.

BUT to be honest my car handled just as well on standard cup shocks with eibach springs, so you're paying £900 just to be able to adjust the height up and down

Did you ever have yours corner weighted?

 

[Emma.]

B14's are good for fast road - quite soft and comfortable.

BUT to be honest my car handled just as well on standard cup shocks with eibach springs, so you're paying £900 just to be able to adjust the height up and down

Sorry I will disagree there. The B14's are much much better then standard shocks and sportlines.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Sorry I will disagree there. The B14's are much much better then standard shocks and sportlines.

This.

So much better damped than any Renault shock absorber, even Sachs.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Sorry I will disagree there. The B14's are much much better then standard shocks and sportlines.

You'll agree with me also when I say that corner weighting makes a MASSIVE diifference

 

[Emma.]

You'll agree with me also when I say that corner weighting makes a MASSIVE diifference

Yes that too.

When I had standard shocks and sportlines I struggled to keep up with a 200. With the B14's and corner weighed its faster then the 200 now.

 

[Cup_Phil]

I did have them setup properly - they were just too damn soft

The eibach sportlines were stiffer

 

[MancmanRS200]

Yes that too.

When I had standard shocks and sportlines I struggled to keep up with a 200. With the B14's and corner weighed its faster then the 200 now.

Errrrrrrrrrrrrr NO !

 

[Emma.]

Errrrrrrrrrrrrr NO !

Errrrr yes. I have the video to prove it

 

[Martin.]

You'll agree with me also when I say that corner weighting makes a MASSIVE diifference

Was that sarcastic? I genuinely don't understand how it can make a difference? Unless you are including taking weight from one corner/axle and spreading it more evenly to the others? Battery is one example I was given by a friend.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Corner weighting means the diagonal spread is a perfect 50/50 balance. Made such a difference on my LCR. As Emma has confirmed when I convinced her to go and get hers done too, she agreed when on track it makes all the difference.

 

[MG cup]

 

[MG cup]

Was that sarcastic? I genuinely don't understand how it can make a difference? Unless you are including taking weight from one corner/axle and spreading it more evenly to the others? Battery is one example I was given by a friend.

In layman's terms it is done so that all four corners have a fair share of all weight, the result of one corner working harder than the other is bad handling...simples

 

[Cup_Phil]

Corner weighting means the diagonal spread is a perfect 50/50 balance. Made such a difference on my LCR. As Emma has confirmed when I convinced her to go and get hers done too, she agreed when on track it makes all the difference.

Almost pointless though when you alternate between single driver and having a passenger

 

[Adamm.]

I had mine corner weighted and although I never noticed a big difference the car felt very well balanced.

 

[Martin.]

I get what it is. But I can't come to terms with it. Lets say for example on my car. Obviously it's going to be a lot more weighted on the front corners than the rear. But then how do you change that? I can understand moving small things like the battery to the rear. But what else is there to do? Can you actually get a perfect 50/50 spread as you say Dan?

 

[Cup_Phil]

Errrr coilovers? lol

You raise the front and lower the back which shifts the weight distribution to the rear wheels

But no you can't get 50/50 front/rear on a clio - but you can try to get 50/50 left to right and 60/40 front to rear
Again it's kinda pointless though when you throw a 100kg passenger in the car and it all shifts to the left

 

[Martin.]

What about if you put a 50kg passenger in the boot lol!

In all seriousness, is it not possible then without having adjustable coilovers?

 

[...]

What about if you put a 50kg passenger in the boot lol!

In all seriousness, is it not possible then without having adjustable coilovers?

nope its not , and some people set up cars to be across the diagonals for balance , and some will go for across the axles , it depends on the cars initial front rear distribution and whats important .

on very light cars success and laptime can be gained by having the front axle balanced to aid braking and stop front wheel lock up (non abs) ..... but on the track its all about consistency and laptimes to know what improves things .

 

[Martin.]

Ok cool, thanks for clearing things up.

 

[...]

Ok cool, thanks for clearing things up.

actually i will muddy the waters , you can corner weight a car without coilovers , but it would involve physically moving weight around the car ,and placing lead (or another ballast weight to even things up ) but the manufacturuer will have done this in the design process as a best compromise

hence why we use height adjustable suspension .

 

[Dan@SJM]

Errrr coilovers? lol

You raise the front and lower the back which shifts the weight distribution to the rear wheels

But no you can't get 50/50 front/rear on a clio - but you can try to get 50/50 left to right and 60/40 front to rear
Again it's kinda pointless though when you throw a 100kg passenger in the car and it all shifts to the left

You can get 50/50. Emma.'s is 49.9/50.1 iirc.

 

[Cup_Phil]

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr you'd need a pretty heavy cage in the back and a very light driver! lol

 

[Dan@SJM]

She's 55kg I think lol. But also has a stripped rear.

 

[Cup_Phil]

That sounds so wrong!!

I have no idea how she's got 50/50 without a cage in the back - I can nearly bench press the back of my car when the alloys are off lol

 

[Cup_Phil]

Dan - think you've been drinking a bit heavy

Emmas results ->

702kg front, 379kg rear - so a 65/35 split

Pretty much what I expected from a Clio

 

[Dan@SJM]

49.7% split diagonal... Which is what I said.

 

[Cup_Phil]

Ohhhhhh sorry somewhere in the conversation it had switched to front:back

Yes it's a good diagonal split
I suspect mine would be fairly close with battery in rear passenger side and cage over rear wheels etc..

 

[mitch1503]

Spot on for fast road imo. Just fitted a set I bought off here and I'm very happy with them.

lucky u messaged me when you did as they were all set to go on my cup, made me want to keep them even more when cleaning them and seeing how well they came up