M030 vs. Bilstien Sport
 

At 120,000 miles it's time to freshen up the suspension. I've been researching the options and I'm curious why no ones talks about the Bilstien Sport option. I'm not sure if it's valid but there is a debate on the strength of the M030 shocks, Bilstiens on the other hand are just abou invincible. Living in the city on cobble streets and autocrossing several times a year im pretty hard on my shocks so if like to find a stoat option. The other thing about the M030 option is that it's getting expensive! It's 1400 bucks now, while the Bilstiens are under $900 and would likely out last the car. They'd also give me more spring options down the road. Is anyone running Bilstien sports? How are they?


M030 debate
ROW M030 shocks and alternatives


Billy sports
http://www.shox.com/appguide/shoxshop/productsdisplay.php

RoW M030 shocks AFAIK are made by bilsteins...

The M030 kit includes dampers, springs and anti roll bars.

Upgrading the shocks alone to Bilstein HD's is a good first step, but if you're starting with a stock suspension, the best bang for the money is the M030 since it includes shocks, springs, and anti-roll bars (as edc noted above). This setup provides better handling than stock and still very acceptable for daily driving.

Unfortunately, the next step up from there is the Bilstien PSS9 coil-over shock/spring and GT-3 sway bars which will push the cost to $3K. Thus, there is quite a bit of value of the M030 even at $1,400.

If you want stout struts, compare the diameter of the rod on this damper to your other choices, and consider:

1- With our suspension design, the strut serves to locate the wheel, which is why it is technically a "strut" and not a "shock"

2- Stiffness of any strut is calculated as the 4th power of the diameter

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/AST11394758002.jpg

I went the Bilstein route 2 years ago because I also did the clutch, Ims, RMS, and flywheel at the same time. I had to do a little economizin' to get it all in. 20k miles later they're handling like a charm.

I just went the ROW M030 route. My understanding is the shocks/struts that come with the kit are the Bilstein sports. Add to that you get new lower springs and new sway bars/bushings, it was a no-brainer.