Bilstein B6 with stock springs vs 2016 Limited shocks

deathmage · 06-04-2023, 01:30 PM

Hello all,

My 2016 WRX Limited has 120k on her and finally, the day has come that the rear shocks started leaking.

In my last car I did Koni Yellows, Eibach lowering springs, Hypergram wheels, Stage 3 ECM/TCM, 20mm spacers, Brembo's front/rear, Front STB, Front/Rear Eibach sway bars, Energy Suspension poly bushing, MMI's, Optima Red Battery, APR-300 wing, Hood Ram Cold Air Intake, Quad Transmission cooler, True Dual Invidia Exhaust; etc. it was a 2009.5 Pontiac G6 stock at 219; Stage 3 at 346 HP.

Anyways, WRX is a faster more agile car than the 2000 lb heavier G6, that 3.5L V6 was heavy.

The WRX, very minor things as the Limited doesn't need much more: front STB, rear Whiteline sway bar, slotted/drilled rotors with Hawk HPS pads, SS brake lines, Optima Red Battery, and Konig Crown wheels with Cooper RS3's; other than that nothing else. The only thing for the future will probably be the Whiteline front sway bar, CTSV Brembo conversion, and APR-200.

So I recently ordered Bilstein B6's after seeing a number of videos on Youtube about them and I was curious if anyone has had a 2016 WRX Limited before and has gone to the B6's...

I'm curious if it will be a little bit more firm, less of a softer rebound on overpass bumps/dips with the stock shocks seeming like my car will bounce to the moon, and it would be nice if it kept the same ride quality. Just wondering if others have done this kind of swap before.

I did do research and found the rear limited shocks are OEM Bilstein B6s and the front shocks are from KYB; so felt it would probably be best to use the same brand shocks on both front/rear. I fully expect the front to be stiffer than the rears, as the bounce should be absorbed in the front and reverberated to the softer rear; that is exactly what I did with the Koni yellows in the G6. Sadly, I couldn't find the Koni yellows in stock in numerous places or else I would have gotten them, I did like the "dial-in" knob. But I felt since I wasn't going to do lowering springs on the car now that she has 120k on her and I didn't want to think about the "cons" of lowering a car after 120k vs a car with 10k on her, so felt that using stock springs for now with normal shocks would be ideal, i.e Bilstein B6 OEM+ shocks.

Perhaps in the future, I'd do a Koni yellow set with Eibachs, I'm just an old man now with cars, and know if you drop a car you need to think about other stuff like caster/camber, the added stress on the control arm bushings, and other variables of the frame that are using OEM parts fully expecting factory parameters of height and unsprung weight. Just things you don't think about until you lower other cars previously. Maybe in the future, once I get a stiffer front sway bar and get around to doing the CTSV swap for the Brembo I'd put on the Koni's and who knows maybe with the APR GTC-200 the car might need more "controlled" "Dial-in" that the Koni's did really well.

But since this is my 1st WRX, and my 1st shocks replacement, these variables of the other car is a bit like "I'm 90% sure it should be like this" but in the back of my mind I'm like "my other cars were much heavier than the go-cart weight of the WRX"....

Hence the reason I'm asking ya'll...

Anyways, thanks in advance for your opinions and feedback.

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deathmage · 06-07-2023, 05:59 PM

So shocks are in, paired with a set of H&R springs. Used H&R in the past as they are lowering springs but not as much as Eibach, I also ordered the Whiteline front sway bar since they needed to drop the front anyways.

So far, the ride quality of the car is superior to what it was when I 1st got the car. The ride is more firm for sure, not as precise as Koni Yellow Sport on the Pontiac G6, but that's to be expected.

I do think these B6s are comparable to the OEM Limited suspension, if not slightly superior. They add that edge of "throwing" power you'd like in a WRX when hitting turns and corners aggressively.

A new set of Cooper RS3s arrive this week so will be pairing them to the car soon. Will probably order the APR front splitter and APR GTC-200 in the coming months to provide more downforce.

Overall happy so far, I reckon these will take a few hundred miles to settle in properly. Will follow up in a few weeks.

GoFrogs · 07-17-2023, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathmage

So shocks are in, paired with a set of H&R springs. Used H&R in the past as they are lowering springs but not as much as Eibach, I also ordered the Whiteline front sway bar since they needed to drop the front anyways.

So far, the ride quality of the car is superior to what it was when I 1st got the car. The ride is more firm for sure, not as precise as Koni Yellow Sport on the Pontiac G6, but that's to be expected.

I do think these B6s are comparable to the OEM Limited suspension, if not slightly superior. They add that edge of "throwing" power you'd like in a WRX when hitting turns and corners aggressively.

was hoping you would have followed through with the B6 and stock springs. I too was thinking of this combo as a VW parts place was having a "Shock Week" sale and the B6 (yes, matched the p/n from the Bilstein website) was on sale for $132 ea. (B8 were $144ea)

I even contemplated the B8s, but thought the stock spring would have been too tall for them.

deathmage · 07-19-2023, 05:50 PM

@GoFrogs - My uncle is an ASE mechanic, so he has one of those mechanical spring compressors and a Hawkeye alignment lift in his shop, changing out the shocks and doing an alignment is pretty cheap for me to perform...

He just watches me do it, cause killing me wouldn't go over well for my mom, him being her brother at all. >.<

I was curious about stock vs. H&R coils. I only felt that the brake nose dive was slightly less and also the planted feeling was stiffer, but with the Whiteline front and rear swap bars installed, there is literally near zero body roll in turns, on backed turns, or on country roads. If anything the H&R is more harsh over stock coils. I was switching between both coils for about a week and finally settled the H&R's just cause I like the more planted feel. My +1 doesn't like that her butt hurts me more, but lol...

I'm about to put on the Beatrush rear STB to even further stiffen the chassis.

But I've put about 1200 miles on the car in the past 2 months, and I do think the B6's are more sporty but are less comfy than the Limited stock shocks as I remember them. My biggest problem with the stock-limited shocks is they were sometimes too bouncy and soft vs stiff in certain instances.

I might in the future get a full set of Koni Yellow Sports with the H&R's, just cause I know them so well and adjustments are super freaking easy with the dial-in knob. But this may not be until after I get the final piece of aerodynamics: APR GTC-200, APR front air dam, and APR canards.

If anyone here knows of a solid and reliable light bar for the bottom grille that would be awesome. I want more light output to complement the Limited HID lights.

deathmage · 07-19-2023, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoFrogs

was hoping you would have followed through with the B6 and stock springs. I too was thinking of this combo as a VW parts place was having a "Shock Week" sale and the B6 (yes, matched the p/n from the Bilstein website) was on sale for $132 ea. (B8 were $144ea)

I even contemplated the B8s, but thought the stock spring would have been too tall for them.

Just so you know the B8's would probably be better for lowering springs like Eibach's since they are designed for lowering springs. The reason why I got the B6s with the H&Rs in the H&Rs is a very slight drop whereas the Eibach's are a more aggressive drop and need more rebound room from the shock recoiling action.

H&R's vs Eibach, to me was just a lesson learned from previous cars. H&R's give the desired form and function without them being super harsh. With the Koni's though, they pair perfectly with the Eibach's once you set them to 1.4 to 1.6 turns past stock Koni recoil. Koni's also come with a lifetime warranty; they hardly ever leak and if they do, they send you a replacement set and then send you back the fixed ones in the future.

06-04-2023, 01:30 PM	#1
deathmage Scooby Newbie Member#: 525105 Join Date: Jun 2021	Bilstein B6 with stock springs vs 2016 Limited shocks Hello all, My 2016 WRX Limited has 120k on her and finally, the day has come that the rear shocks started leaking. In my last car I did Koni Yellows, Eibach lowering springs, Hypergram wheels, Stage 3 ECM/TCM, 20mm spacers, Brembo's front/rear, Front STB, Front/Rear Eibach sway bars, Energy Suspension poly bushing, MMI's, Optima Red Battery, APR-300 wing, Hood Ram Cold Air Intake, Quad Transmission cooler, True Dual Invidia Exhaust; etc. it was a 2009.5 Pontiac G6 stock at 219; Stage 3 at 346 HP. Anyways, WRX is a faster more agile car than the 2000 lb heavier G6, that 3.5L V6 was heavy. The WRX, very minor things as the Limited doesn't need much more: front STB, rear Whiteline sway bar, slotted/drilled rotors with Hawk HPS pads, SS brake lines, Optima Red Battery, and Konig Crown wheels with Cooper RS3's; other than that nothing else. The only thing for the future will probably be the Whiteline front sway bar, CTSV Brembo conversion, and APR-200. So I recently ordered Bilstein B6's after seeing a number of videos on Youtube about them and I was curious if anyone has had a 2016 WRX Limited before and has gone to the B6's... I'm curious if it will be a little bit more firm, less of a softer rebound on overpass bumps/dips with the stock shocks seeming like my car will bounce to the moon, and it would be nice if it kept the same ride quality. Just wondering if others have done this kind of swap before. I did do research and found the rear limited shocks are OEM Bilstein B6s and the front shocks are from KYB; so felt it would probably be best to use the same brand shocks on both front/rear. I fully expect the front to be stiffer than the rears, as the bounce should be absorbed in the front and reverberated to the softer rear; that is exactly what I did with the Koni yellows in the G6. Sadly, I couldn't find the Koni yellows in stock in numerous places or else I would have gotten them, I did like the "dial-in" knob. But I felt since I wasn't going to do lowering springs on the car now that she has 120k on her and I didn't want to think about the "cons" of lowering a car after 120k vs a car with 10k on her, so felt that using stock springs for now with normal shocks would be ideal, i.e Bilstein B6 OEM+ shocks. Perhaps in the future, I'd do a Koni yellow set with Eibachs, I'm just an old man now with cars, and know if you drop a car you need to think about other stuff like caster/camber, the added stress on the control arm bushings, and other variables of the frame that are using OEM parts fully expecting factory parameters of height and unsprung weight. Just things you don't think about until you lower other cars previously. Maybe in the future, once I get a stiffer front sway bar and get around to doing the CTSV swap for the Brembo I'd put on the Koni's and who knows maybe with the APR GTC-200 the car might need more "controlled" "Dial-in" that the Koni's did really well. But since this is my 1st WRX, and my 1st shocks replacement, these variables of the other car is a bit like "I'm 90% sure it should be like this" but in the back of my mind I'm like "my other cars were much heavier than the go-cart weight of the WRX".... Hence the reason I'm asking ya'll... Anyways, thanks in advance for your opinions and feedback. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads. Last edited by deathmage; 06-04-2023 at 01:48 PM.

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06-07-2023, 05:59 PM	#2
deathmage Scooby Newbie Member#: 525105 Join Date: Jun 2021	So shocks are in, paired with a set of H&R springs. Used H&R in the past as they are lowering springs but not as much as Eibach, I also ordered the Whiteline front sway bar since they needed to drop the front anyways. So far, the ride quality of the car is superior to what it was when I 1st got the car. The ride is more firm for sure, not as precise as Koni Yellow Sport on the Pontiac G6, but that's to be expected. I do think these B6s are comparable to the OEM Limited suspension, if not slightly superior. They add that edge of "throwing" power you'd like in a WRX when hitting turns and corners aggressively. A new set of Cooper RS3s arrive this week so will be pairing them to the car soon. Will probably order the APR front splitter and APR GTC-200 in the coming months to provide more downforce. Overall happy so far, I reckon these will take a few hundred miles to settle in properly. Will follow up in a few weeks.

07-19-2023, 05:50 PM	#4
deathmage Scooby Newbie Member#: 525105 Join Date: Jun 2021	@GoFrogs - My uncle is an ASE mechanic, so he has one of those mechanical spring compressors and a Hawkeye alignment lift in his shop, changing out the shocks and doing an alignment is pretty cheap for me to perform... He just watches me do it, cause killing me wouldn't go over well for my mom, him being her brother at all. >.< I was curious about stock vs. H&R coils. I only felt that the brake nose dive was slightly less and also the planted feeling was stiffer, but with the Whiteline front and rear swap bars installed, there is literally near zero body roll in turns, on backed turns, or on country roads. If anything the H&R is more harsh over stock coils. I was switching between both coils for about a week and finally settled the H&R's just cause I like the more planted feel. My +1 doesn't like that her butt hurts me more, but lol... I'm about to put on the Beatrush rear STB to even further stiffen the chassis. But I've put about 1200 miles on the car in the past 2 months, and I do think the B6's are more sporty but are less comfy than the Limited stock shocks as I remember them. My biggest problem with the stock-limited shocks is they were sometimes too bouncy and soft vs stiff in certain instances. I might in the future get a full set of Koni Yellow Sports with the H&R's, just cause I know them so well and adjustments are super freaking easy with the dial-in knob. But this may not be until after I get the final piece of aerodynamics: APR GTC-200, APR front air dam, and APR canards. If anyone here knows of a solid and reliable light bar for the bottom grille that would be awesome. I want more light output to complement the Limited HID lights.