[krispyrob]

Hey guys, I'm torn between the Bilstein shocks and struts and D-Spec's for my car. Unfortunately it's difficult to compare apples to oranges (Adjustable vs non,) but I'm going to ask you guys anyways. I've heard that the Bilsteins have adjustable valving, so they stiffen up when a load is on them automatically, so they really don't have a disadvantage to adjustables, but when you are just cruising, they ride really nice. I want to be able to track my car eventually... but it's my daily driver (read: pick's up a lot of girls for dates), and I don't know a whole lot of ladies who like a really stiff ride.... .... .... at least in a car. So I'm looking for subjective opinions, as well as objective ones. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance!

-Rob

[07stanggt]

I run the bilseins on my stang and what you said is correct. I guess the term would be progressive vavling, i dont know, but they stiffen up when corning and have a very smooth ride on the highway. My car rides smoother now and takes bump better then it did on the highway with the stock shocks.

It is a tuff choice though the dspecs are adjustable and basically cost the same.

What made my mind up in the end is that i dont want to adjust my shocks all the time. Thats why i went with bilsteins.

If you want the dspecs let me know, i got a guy that ordered them and then didnt want them so i got a set i want to move. they are still in the box new.

I sell bilsteins as well but im not as motivated to move those if you know what i mean.

[menace07]

I love my dspecs...I played with the adjustments for fun, but finally set them on something that is firm but very comfortable on the street. That was about 3 months ago and I havent moved them since.

[PiggySmallz]

i have the d specs they are nice, but im more than likely swapping to bilsteins shortly. I have a squeak coming from the rear of the car. I've read a few others who have the problem with the d specs...supposedly if water gets into the shocks they will deteriorate the lubrication in them so a little silicone lubrication spray will help that, but if it doesn't these are gone.

[scramblr]

I've probably missed a couple of posts, but have only read of two people with noise in the rear they believe is from the D-Specs, but haven't confirmed. I've had mine on for over two years with zero issues. The adjustments between city, hwy, and track use is amazing. Hell, when my wife was pregnant with our second, I'd set them to full soft all the way around and she was very comfortable with the ride. I normally have them set a 3 front and 3.5 rear for city driving.

On the same token, I've read good reviews on the Bilstein's. It's going to come down to how much freedom you want with settings and the goals for your car.

[PiggySmallz]

I also live in new york city lol...i probably hit more bumps and potholes in one day than you do in a year haha. Damn city streets!!!

[scramblr]

I hear you. The last place I lived the roads were so shitty I had the run the D-specs at almost 6 all the way around 'cause it felt like a damn carnival ride. Now where I live the roads are nice and smooth so I can run the harder setting.

[PiggySmallz]

Originally Posted by scramblr I hear you. The last place I lived the roads were so shitty I had the run the D-specs at almost 6 all the way around 'cause it felt like a damn carnival ride. Now where I live the roads are nice and smooth so I can run the harder setting.

I ran them on 2 turns from hard before I put the 20's on it was stiff...but then i softened them to 5 full turns from hard to try and prevent damaging the rims. Even still these roads are rough!!!

[krispyrob]

Thanks everyone for your input. So 07stanggt thinks that the Bilstein's ride smoother on the highway than stock, which is awesome, cuz I do road trips from Tampa, FL to western NC pretty often... 9 hours of driving. You guys with the D-Spec's, when they are set all the way soft, how do they compare to stock as far as smoothness of the ride? Obviously performance comes first for me, but comfort is always nice.

[PiggySmallz]

on the softest settings the d specs are much softer than stock, kind of feels like the car is floating lol. I have them on 5 turns from fully hard and 7 is the max. I wouldn't do any softer because I lose some feeling of the road. If performance comes first I'd say go with the bilsteins, some guys have problems dialing the dspecs in correctly for the 1/4

[krispyrob]

Well, I'm not planning on drag racing my car... more road racing, so that makes a difference.

[07stanggt]

Originally Posted by PiggySmallz on the softest settings the d specs are much softer than stock, kind of feels like the car is floating lol. I have them on 5 turns from fully hard and 7 is the max. I wouldn't do any softer because I lose some feeling of the road. If performance comes first I'd say go with the bilsteins, some guys have problems dialing the dspecs in correctly for the 1/4

Yea remember everything i have. FRPP springs, strut tower brace, panhard bar, lower control arms with brackets, swaybars and the bilsteins. Yes when i put the bilsteins on it made the car handle bumps and ride better then the stock shocks did with the lowering springs. If your lowered it will be an improvement in ride quality for sure, im not sure what it would feel like if everything else was stock on your setup.

The sway bars if you ask me have had the most negative impact on ride quality of all the suspension stuff i did. the rear swaybar namely. i guess becuase it connects from that solid axle to the bottom of the car, your useing thicker billet hangers that go straight up from the swaybar to the bottom of the car with stiffer bushing and i feel and hear more noise from the bumps in the back. good chance ill be going back to the stock rear sway bar and leaving the heavier one on front.

+ plus one on the adjusting shocks at the track, not that im trying to talk you out of them cuase i want to sell them. but i go to the track with regular guys everyweek so i get to see what their trying. one of them has koni adjustable, before those shocks, 13.5s like the sunrise, once he switched he was running 14.1s now he has it back down to about 13.7s. but i dont think he adjust them right, and he runs nitto dr's at 25psi, he wont go lower and he doesnt do a burn out. never cuts better then a 2.1 60. he is also stock on the rest of the suspension except LCA's.

[LV51FER]

I have had D-Specs on mine since 2005 with no issues. I make it more 1- 5 turns soft to hard but maybe I'm generous with my turns. I set it on 3 and on a fast run, with stock sway bars, I felt it just needed stiffening so put it one turn off hard. Now I have Roush springs with a 1/1.25" lower and even on that setting on 20" rims with 275/35s, the ride is still comfortable, so much so that I haven't really moved them since.

I had Bilsteins on my Z28 in 2004 and they too were very good but I think, on balance, I prefer the D-specs. Even if you don't adjust them, you have the choice.

[RKNMACH]

I run my fronts at three and the left rear at four and the right rear at five. Works for me.