oem shocks vrs blistien sports with h&r springs on xi

the ride quality was way smoother with oem shocks and h&r springs on the xi until i blew my shocks.

now i replaced the shocks with blistien sports and h&r springs and my ride is way harsher than before. i feel every bump.

is this normal? is there a better shock to smoothen out the ride?

thanks

koni has adjustable dampening shocks that could help you. bilsteins are normally quite firm and you likely wont feel any changes in your ride

Sports are super stiff. Probably too stiff for a daily driver. I have them on one car and it's difficult to drink coffee without spilling it over bumps.

They're good on the track though....

Preferred xi setups are Koni/Eibach, BilsteinHD/stocksprings, Dinan.

Thats funny someone mentioned this. I just got bilstein sports with H&R sport springs (not race), and it dropped about 3/4" or so, not too bad. However the ride is much firmer, maybe slightly too firm for a daily driver but it's manageable. Maybe because this is my first week with them that I'm saying they're ok, maybe after a while I will be annoyed by them, not sure. Yes too firm for drinking coffee...but now when I take exits off the highway for example I barely feel sharp turns now, the roll has significantly reduced.

Originally Posted by 2003zhp

...now i replaced the shocks with blistien sports and h&r springs and my ride is way harsher than before. i feel every bump.

is this normal? is there a better shock to smoothen out the ride?

You aren't the first to notice this is a very firm set up on xi's ^^. I installed the Koni Yellow/ Eibach set up and it has the smoothness on OEM with much better handling. I would replace the springs with Eibach ProKits and see if that is better.

am i the only one who doesnt mind the H&R with bilstein sport setup? i bought the car with 50kmi, and now im at 100kmi. so i guess i just didnt know how bad my oem setup was compared to you guys. It is firmer but its not punishing at all. Upstate NY roads are horrible, but its not bad at all. its sporty.. my buddies saab 9-3 aero feels the same.

I have the same set up. They did get slightly softer over time, but don't expect any huge difference. In CT the roads are pretty bad and people in the back seats seem to have a much harsher ride. When I'm at school in NC the roads are a lot better and no one really complains about the ride there, so it's pretty much just potholes that make it too rough.

Overall I think the rougher ride is worth it for the big reduction in body roll.

Many say the B-Sports are harsher than the B-HDs. HDs and Sports are more harsh than OEM shocks overall, which are the SACHS, even when paired with OEM springs. I believe that f you get the B-Sports, you need to ahve lowered springs as the Sport shock is shorter than the HD shock.

I've got Bilstein HDs in the mail for delivery (can't wait!). I'm pairing them with OEM non-sport springs. I'll let you know how they ride once they arrive and I have them installed.

i have just put on bilstein sport and h&r lowering springs on my car about 3 weeks ago. to say there are pro's and con's. the ride comfort is just too firm, feel all the little bumps, gives me a headache. planning on getting me some eibach pro and see how that goes. but on the country roads down here in nc, it feels awesome, it hugs all the turns.

I have stock shocks on H&R Sport springs. I could give a crap about the handling. I just want a softer ride with a drop. My ride is waaaay too rough now.

What should I get, go back to stock? Dinan? Something else?

Originally Posted by Dreamliner330

I have stock shocks on H&R Sport springs. I could give a crap about the handling. I just want a softer ride with a drop. My ride is waaaay too rough now.

What should I get, go back to stock? Dinan? Something else?

Eibach springs will be much more comfy, but not as low as H&R.

blistien sport and h&r here to. it is a harsher ride over a crappy road. i might try the eibach pro kit myself.

Is the ride with H&R sports that bad? I've heard Race is almost unbearable but Sports should be a pretty good compromise.