[Z K]

Originally Posted by TheMirror

So are you now running FSDs in front and B4 Sports in the rear? If so, I'd be interested in impressions, considering the excellent data at the beginning of this thread plus the knowledge that Dinan uses specially valved Koni yellows up front but OEM shocks at the rear (228ix?).

Sorry, Just saw this post. I returned the FSD front and rear. I am using Koni Special Active front with Bilstein B4 rear. The car feels pretty natural. Together the ride is sporty and firm without feeling unnatural. It is overall a bit firmer than OEM. I am also running Yokohama Advan V601 max performance tires so that contributes to the firm sporty ride.

The Special Active is neither soft nor hard. If you have driven Special Active before, it's how they feel. I would not place it near the Koni yellow which is a firm sport shock. This is more comfortable but still more dynamic feeling than stock. I'm not sure if the Special Active is different than the FSD.

The B4 Sport rear shocks feel like traditional shocks. Probably a slight bit stiffer than OEM sport shocks.

I like the ride overall, I think I would have trimmed the front bump stops if I had to do it again. I think the F30 sport suspension has fairly short shock travel and rides on the bump stop under hard cornering.

[jjjccc]

im a lil confused people report different things. they say base black Sachs struts/shocks are floaty. mine are so stiff. and got wayy stiffer once installed the M lower control arms so daily drivin is soooo Harsh now.. so im lookin into the koni sa struts for front to soften it back up a little..
am i goin to be stiffer or softer with the SA struts??? my 335i has no edc or sport suspension. i dunno why the black struts/shocks are sooo stiff/HARSH feelin every lil pebble when everyone reports them as being floaty. mine have never been floaty AT ALL. im pretty sure theyre sachs brand.i think the black sachs and black b4 are oem that bmw uses. but mine are NOOO where near floaty.

[MEN54]

[jjjccc]

MEN54. Special Active it is! thanks
from research looks like if u have that FLOATY feeling, its time for new struts/shocks, that means the hydraulic fluid is leaking from them. chime in if im wrong on this.

[natesi]

Originally Posted by ouengineer

Good thread. I ended up with the Koni SA after finding out the B6's were backordered several months. They've been great with stock xdrive springs. Pretty much what I expected the car to be from the factory.

Since I did rear shocks first and then front struts a few weeks after, I don't know what the car would have felt like with just the front struts though. I might have tried it out if I'd have seen this thread first, but I'm happy with the setup. No more floating, body roll cut in half. I do kind of find it hard to believe the stock rear shocks could be adequate with how easy they were to compress (by hand) and how incredibly long it takes for them to rebound.

Did you notice the most improvement doing the rears only, or did adding in the fronts give you the biggest improvement? Thanks!

[GoldenWest]

[QUOTE=FaRKle!;25372932]
“One thing I found interesting is that it doesn't look like there's really any difference between the Koni SA M-Sport and Koni SA regular dampers. The mid-speed has a negligibly higher compression force, but that's it. It's possible the low-speed damping could differ a bit, but for now that's in the "unknown" region.”

I have a 2020 230i with adaptive (edc) M (Technic) suspension, and contacted Koni asking for differences between their M-Sport and non M-Sport shocks/struts.
They answered as follows;

“I was able to take a quick look into the dampers for the m-technic vs. non m-technic suspension…. yes there are minor differences between the dampers. The dampers for the factory lowered m-Technic equipped models are 15mm shorter in extended (droop length) in the front, and 5mm shorter in the rear compared to the non m-technic dampers. They are also valved just a touch firmer for the factory increased rate lowering springs as well. Attachments points are the same.”

I asked and am waiting if “ valved just a touch firmer” is for the compression stroke.

[natesi]

On my 2016 LCI x-drive, I tried:

1. The stock rear shocks
2. A brand new set of pre-LCI rear shocks
3. and Koni SA rear shocks.

The 2016+ LCI (stock) rear shocks and the Koni SA seemed almost the same, to me. The exception being on really broken pavement -- the Koni SA did a little better. But there wasn't a big difference, IMO. I was quite disappointed. The Koni SA definitely DO NOT take out small road imperfections, as I was hoping. If that's what you're looking for, do NOT buy them.

The pre-LCI shocks gave the most comfort, by far, and ironed out all sized imperfections better. If you're looking for an improved ride with less up-and-down body motions, go for the pre-LCI rear shocks.

[GoldenWest]

Since owning the car I removed the original edc dampers and have Bilstein B6 with wired the adaptive function. The difference in improved cornering, road feel and overall handling is tremendous; definitely a lot firmer in both compression and rebound strokes. Thinking about if the Koni Active might ride more comfortably on poor roads.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by natesi

On my 2016 LCI x-drive, I tried:

The stock rear shocks
A brand new set of pre-LCI rear shocks
and Koni SA rear shocks.



The 2016+ LCI (stock) rear shocks and the Koni SA seemed almost the same, to me. The exception being on really broken pavement — the Koni SA did a little better. But there wasn't a big difference, IMO. I was quite disappointed. The Koni SA definitely DO NOT take out small road imperfections, as I was hoping. If that's what you're looking for, do NOT buy them.

The pre-LCI shocks gave the most comfort, by far, and ironed out all sized imperfections better. If you're looking for an improved ride with less up-and-down body motions, go for the pre-LCI rear shocks.

Curios what front struts you were using for all of these rear shock evaluations. And what springs you were using all around?

[GoldenWest]

Ditto that.
In my case, I’m more interested in the front struts for comfort, overall handling, on good and poor road surfaces.

[GoldenWest]

Koni just advised that “Both, compression and rebound” are increased for M-Technic SA over non sport version.

[rlesko]

Going through this thread again and looking at the Dynos, I wonder why B8 (allegedly same as B6 just for lowering springs) are not more popular on the platform, yet the Koni SA are massively popular.

[GoldenWest]

Originally Posted by rlesko

Going through this thread again and looking at the Dynos, I wonder why B8 (allegedly same as B6 just for lowering springs) are not more popular on the platform, yet the Koni SA are massively popular.

B6 is for both BMW OEM sport and non sport vehicles, where B8 applies to aftermarket lowering spring set ups.

[GoldenWest]

Originally Posted by natesi

On my 2016 LCI x-drive, I tried:

1. The stock rear shocks
2. A brand new set of pre-LCI rear shocks
3. and Koni SA rear shocks.

The 2016+ LCI (stock) rear shocks and the Koni SA seemed almost the same, to me. The exception being on really broken pavement -- the Koni SA did a little better. But there wasn't a big difference, IMO. I was quite disappointed. The Koni SA definitely DO NOT take out small road imperfections, as I was hoping. If that's what you're looking for, do NOT buy them.

The pre-LCI shocks gave the most comfort, by far, and ironed out all sized imperfections better. If you're looking for an improved ride with less up-and-down body motions, go for the pre-LCI rear shocks.

Regarding the comments above, I replaced failed, leaking original stock struts at 43,000, and installed B6 F and R on my wife’s 2017 X1 (non adaptive).
Major handling, control and stability improvements, but the rebound of rear shocks was too quick and overt. Removed and replaced the rears only with Koni SA; problem solved. Provided a night and day increase in comfort, plus better handling, control and stability.
So regarding “(stock) rear shocks and the Koni SA seemed almost the same, to me”,
the Konis generally “stay out of the way” until conditions demand. Yet they are actually more comfortable than stock. And in addition to the benefits I noted above, road connection and feel is much more substantial~solid in day to day driving situations.

[jjjccc]

Originally Posted by rlesko

Going through this thread again and looking at the Dynos, I wonder why B8 (allegedly same as B6 just for lowering springs) are not more popular on the platform, yet the Koni SA are massively popular.

cuz b6 are STIFF, feelin every single crack in the road daily drivin isnt that fun not everyone cares about handling cuz not everyone is tracking the car. b8 is only gonna be MORE STIFF. koni sorta best of both worlds, like if u wan a lil more comfort but want them to load up if u corner fast now n then they will. i will say i went koni and its no Cadillac, its not that much less stiff a ride than bilsteins. but i just couldnt do bilsteins again. they dampen just a hair more often than bilsteins but not by miles or anything. wen cornering theyre still bout the same/konis loadin up a lil smoother maybe at high speeds..

[stanleyw808]

Hello All,

Reviving an old Post.

When we look at the data, does it means that the OE Damper will feel more hard than the rest of the other test Dampers?

Thank You.

Cheers..

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

I added my OE EDC dampers to the plots (unpowered state).

Front Dampers


Rear Dampers

[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by GoldenWest

B6 is for both BMW OEM sport and non sport vehicles, where B8 applies to aftermarket lowering spring set ups.

Incorrect.

"For vehicles with M technology suspension" = B8

SE suspension = B6