[3aboodE92]

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to decide between Koni Special Active (reds) and Bilstein B6s for my E92 335i and wanted some real-world input before I pull the trigger.

Car/setup:

E92 335i (N54, 400hp)

OEM M-sport (S704) springs (keeping these)

M3 front control arms

19” wheels (not changing these)

Street around town car, but I do drive it hard sometimes

What I want:

Good rear stability under power (don’t want it to feel floaty or overly soft)

Still at least decently comfortable no crazy stiff crashiness

Not trying to build a track car, but I want it to feel tight and controlled like handling like a nice m e92

My dilemma:

I know B6s are firmer and better at controlling squat, but I’ve heard they can get pretty harsh, especially on 19s

Koni Special Active seems like the better daily option, but I’m worried they might be too soft in the rear with my power level. I also dont like the yellow rears as they are not adjustable on the car

Things I’m considering:

Full Koni Special Active setup

Full Bilstein B6 setup

Or possibly mixing: Koni yellow front + B6 rear

Main question:

For those running similar setups (especially 19s + M-sport springs), do the Koni Special Actives feel too soft in the rear under hard acceleration? Or are they actually well-controlled enough for street use?

Also curious how bad B6 harshness really is in daily driving on rougher roads.

Appreciate any real experiencesHey everyone,

I’m trying to decide between Koni Special Active (reds) and Bilstein B6s for my E92 335i and wanted some real-world input before I pull the trigger.

Car/setup:

E92 335i (N54, 400hp)

OEM M-sport (S704) springs (keeping these)

M3 all around control arms

19” wheels (not changing these)

Street around town car, but I do drive it hard sometimes

What I want:

Good rear stability under power (don’t want it to feel floaty or overly soft)

Still at least decently comfortable no crazy stiff crashiness

Not trying to build a track car, but I want it to feel tight and controlled like handling like a nice m e92

My dilemma:

I know B6s are firmer and better at controlling squat, but I’ve heard they can get pretty harsh, especially on 19s

Koni Special Active seems like the better daily option, but I’m worried they might be too soft in the rear with my power level. I also dont like the yellow rears as they are not adjustable on the car

Things I’m considering:

Full Koni Special Active setup

Full Bilstein B6 setup

Or possibly mixing: Koni yellow front + B6 rear

Main question:

For those running similar setups (especially 19s + M-sport springs), do the Koni Special Actives feel too soft in the rear under hard acceleration? Or are they actually well-controlled enough for street use?

Also curious how bad B6 harshness really is in daily driving on rougher roads.

Appreciate any real experiences

[whyzee125]

Honestly I would go Koni Yellow. The Koni Special Actives are a good idea in theory but a lot of people don't end up liking them. I have no personal experience.

I do have experience with Bilstein B6/B8 and I prefer Konis for this chassis. Those get the job done but Konis are more refined and can be as aggressive as you want them to be.

[je335iau]

I am also e92 with sport springs. I have b8 front and rear and the ride is quite firm. Rear up travel is only a few inches before the bump stop/ aux shock. If you are looking for comfort then you may want the konis. The b6 may not operate in the correct damping zone due to ride height. I understand the b6 and b8 are essentially the same but b8 is optimized for the shorter travel stroke. Not sure that is accurate info.

[bimmermech123]

Originally Posted by je335iau

I am also e92 with sport springs. I have b8 front and rear and the ride is quite firm. Rear up travel is only a few inches before the bump stop/ aux shock. If you are looking for comfort then you may want the konis. The b6 may not operate in the correct damping zone due to ride height. I understand the b6 and b8 are essentially the same but b8 is optimized for the shorter travel stroke. Not sure that is accurate info.

Used to have the B12 kit, which is Eibach lowering springs and B8 dampers. My experience with the B8 dampers was poor, they only lasted around 40 000 kms before the chrome coating on the piston shaft started to deteriorate and damage the seal, causing oil to leak. General consensus is that the B8 dampers do not withstand road salt. The ride quality around town at low speeds was very uncomfortable, though the handling and ride quality at high speeds was excellent. So definitely a trade off. If you plan on doing any sort of track driving, just get a set of quality coilovers from the get go, like KW or Ohlins. i have heard Ohlins is the best of both worlds.

I have heard good things about koni. I am currently on Eibach springs with Sachs sport suspension shocks/struts, which is very comfortable at low speeds and is almost the same performance as the B8 dampers at highway speeds.

[steifan]

Originally Posted by bimmermech123

Used to have the B12 kit, which is Eibach lowering springs and B8 dampers. My experience with the B8 dampers was poor, they only lasted around 40 000 kms before the chrome coating on the piston shaft started to deteriorate and damage the seal, causing oil to leak. General consensus is that the B8 dampers do not withstand road salt. The ride quality around town at low speeds was very uncomfortable, though the handling and ride quality at high speeds was excellent. So definitely a trade off. If you plan on doing any sort of track driving, just get a set of quality coilovers from the get go, like KW or Ohlins. i have heard Ohlins is the best of both worlds.

I have heard good things about koni. I am currently on Eibach springs with Sachs sport suspension shocks/struts, which is very comfortable at low speeds and is almost the same performance as the B8 dampers at highway speeds.

I have some B8s on my E46 that has been used as a winter car only in Sweden, which makes it subject to quite a lot of salt. I think i replaced one quite early thats was subjected to a brake fluid leak (valid failure?).. but I haven't seen any chrome damage on the piston shafts. They do rust, but not alarmingly much

[steifan]

I've run Bilstein B8 on my E90 in the rear for a few summers, will add B8 in the front as well (around 140k km/ 87k miles now) and just adding the rear ones helped quite a lot with comfort (yes). One of the genuine shocks was on it's way out but not too bad before I replaced it. I've got the early m-sport springs on my 1/2006 325i.

And as of my experience with my E46, B8 can be quite harsh in winter on uneven roads. I've also got a set of B8's (with lowering springs) my old Volvo 740 and thats quite harsh actually.

For my little commuter Audi I went with Koni STR.Ts which seems like a fine price/performance offering, did look at the Special Actives too but the STR.Ts where found with good pricing so they made me an offer I couldn't refuse..

[jaffles]

Reckon without valving specs of STD Sachs, Koni red, of Bilstein 6 or 8 its all a bit guessy.

But then it all gets a bit complex also.

Why do you think aftermarket is better than BMW specified that a whole team of engineers settled on? Sachs is a major manufacture no different to Michelin for example.

I found M sport shocks and springs, with 19" rft tyres rides harsh, unforgiving, and noisy. I went to 45 walls on 17" with standard tyres and the car still handles like on rails, is quiet, an comfortable like you would hope a luxury sports car would be. It appears, to me anyway, that OE m sport suspension does work in a way that's not obvious with 19 rft. Given we don't have smooth roads around hear the standard tyres feel like they work with the suspension better to deal with the road rather than dealing with chatter from a system with no give.

I know its not what your asking, but just an observation.

[whyzee125]

Koni yellow is a better choice than either of these IMO