Why You Should Fit Bilstein B8 Dampers To Your M140i (Side-By-Side Comparison)

Before and after comparison of my M140i, before upgrading the dampers to B8's. The stock dampers with the Motech Eibach springs just never wanted to settle on the road, making the car feel skittish and sketchy when pushing on. The B8's have genuinely sorted this out. Not only has it made the ride more comfortable, the handling is massively improved.
Thanks to TLB Automotive for fitting them, and being an awesome mechanic.
Gear used to create this video: iPhone 11 Pro Max. - amzn.to/39lcOLK
Go Pro: amzn.to/3d9daX6

[@forensicunplugged4295]

Cool comparison 11:56 showed a big difference between the 2 setups.

[@IvanS5-5]

Great side by side! B8s even sorted out with your haircut!

[@roadreg1820]

They certainly did lol. Thanks 😊

[@samsunderland4255]

Finally a KZbin review on the bilstein B8 dampers on the b58 platform! I’d hugely recommend putting “B8” in the video title as that’ll pull more attention to the channel and help more people find this helpful review :)

[@roadreg1820]

Really glad you found this review helpful. I’ve changed the title. Thanks Sam 👍🏼

[@samsunderland4255]

@@roadreg1820 no worries :) looking forward to the next video

[@orfilenonobregabezerra8428]

Congratulations on the video. I'm from Brazil. You could see the difference well even in the lateral movements. I believe this is the only video on youtube that showed this difference in practice. Thank you very much!!

[@roadreg1820]

Hello. I really didn’t expect the difference to be that visible on camera but I’m so glad it is! Glad you found the video helpful. Regards :)

[@anthonyh958]

Fantastic effort gone into this video Reg with an outcome that can actually be seen by the viewer. Thanks for taking the time to do this,has given me motivation to get my B12 kit installed 👍

[@roadreg1820]

That’s very kind of you Anthony. Glad it encouraged you to get them installed. Transforms the ride !

[@astroclicks3036]

pretty amazing work on this idea and realization. Best advertisment the B8 can have.

[@DAVEXR2007]

Great quality honest review from an amateur's point of view..This is what KZbin was originally intended for. Keep up the good work. You may wish to do a 2000+ mile or 12 month follow up vid.

[@Gill_Bates]

👍Brilliant side by side comparison, thanks very much.

[@roadreg1820]

Cheers Gill!

[@CIRCUITDRIVERCARS]

Well done Reg, good to see a side by side comparison! Would be great to see/compare an adaptive car down the same piece of road!

[@roadreg1820]

Thank you Matt. I’ll try and make that happen 😎

[@WalkinSalmon]

I have adaptive on H&Rs springs. Got b14 in a box on the floor!

[@avalaugh1980]

Nicely done Reg 👌

[@skodakatie7341]

They do make a massive difference to handling characteristics!!.

[@jjturner7463]

when scrolling and looking at the thumbnails, i saw you were IN the car doing the comparison and i was like well this aint what i wanted, but it def shows the difference in the ride quality!

[@roadreg1820]

It’s quite a difference isn’t it !

[@Martian305]

Fantastic work.

[@roadreg1820]

Thank you!

[@Addselwyn]

They totally transform the car ,adding the m4 LCA and TS helps with the steering feel and handling massively too

[@Tunehead99]

It added more feedback to the steering wheel?

[@B2KJFF]

Can’t wait for my b12 kit to arrive after this video

[@ukcabbage]

great comparison buddy. wanted to get the B8's soon but seem to be out of stock everywhere

[@zaink7037]

Surprising how handling mods transforms the car

[@joemyers2786]

Ive just bought a set of these as I've got to the point you had by really getting annoyed by how the car rides on British roads 😑! Great comparison video, cheers 👍

[@simsneon2]

Awesome thank you brother your video helps sell me on those shocks because I want to do the same thing

[@shaneobrien7978]

Hi Reg, thanks for your excellent review. I’m sure my experience with a 640D Gran Coupe will probably be different but after watching the improvements you achieved with the B8 dampers I’m going ahead with a Bilstein B12 Pro Kit. Currently my 640 is not handling the way I want it to. It’s wallowing and kicking off the bumps on our Irish roads. I know it’s a big old bus but I believe there’s a good handling car in there. I’ll let you know how I get on. Thanks again

[@roadreg1820]

Hi Shane! Really glad the video helped. How did you get on with B12 kit in the end?

[@AnonymousAndy2]

I have just been through this battle with my M140i and can confirm that the B8 dampers are a massive improvement and worth every penny. The word pogo is used a lot to describe the standard M140i suspension and does describe it very well. The standard M140i rear springs are around 600lbs where as the Eibach springs are around 400lbs same as the M135i rear springs are! So if you want to keep standard ride height and improve handling then fit a pair of rear M135i springs. Love the side by side comparison, you can actually see the discomfort 😂

[@E30SIX]

How is the ride comfort for someone with back problems?daily use

[@AnonymousAndy2]

@@E30SIX well, put it this way, I sold it over 2 years ago as I got fed up with the ride quality & I found the drivers seat incredibly uncomfortable!

[@RIFF0RAFF]

I've tried M135i rear springs and they lifted rear higher making ride uncomfortable like in a charriot. Returned to stock after few days.

[@AnonymousAndy2]

@@RIFF0RAFF strange, mine looked exactly the same after swapping the springs over! Sounds like you had standard springs, did you check part numbers?

[@rogerea337]

I installed racingline springs with stock dampers on a golf 2019 4 months ago. I am thinking to install biltein b8 now. But I have the doubt if these dampers will improve the suspension, handling, feeling of the golf.

[@mikelottermannlol7917]

Got the KW Street Comfort for my M140i and it’s a Great difference, the car lost its nervousness and bumpiness altogether, feeling like a much longer car and sitting far better on the road.

[@MurphySuperstar]

Nice to read that. I’m thinking of installing them on my M140 too. Is the comfort noticeably improved in potholes etc? Is it a standard setup? A specialist suggests me the KW V3 but they are more expansive and maybe overkill for my use, as I don’t go on tracks and will above all improve confort (way too stiff now in potholes and all those things you come accros here in Belgium)

[@mikelottermannlol7917]

@@MurphySuperstar hey Murphy: Yes the comfort has improved a lot without missing the firmness and contact to the road. A friend of mine owns a Porsche and drove many fancy cars and I had him taking the car on a spin on windy roads and he drove the car Porsche style and was very much impressed as to what the car is capable of (I would be afraid driving the car like that but it was impressive to see it). I am driving a lot on the German Autobahn and the difference is amazing. I do not race the car. I had the BMW adjustable suspension but it was still too harsh and bumpy especially on high speed. KW V3 is certainly nice and I was thinking about that as well but there are at least €1K more which I did not want to spend. The same is true for KW adjustable suspension. Would I do it again: Yes. However if you want to do track or competitive driving then you should get V3 or higher.

[@MurphySuperstar]

@@mikelottermannlol7917 Thank you very much for your answer!

[@madalinnicolae5594]

Did you get kw street comfort and lowering springs also? BMW 2012 116i here, undecided how to improve my overall ride and lower the car also!

[@mikelottermannlol7917]

@@madalinnicolae5594 yes, the KW Street Comfort are adjustable („Gewindefahrwerk“) and even in the highest position already about 2 cm lower than the M suspension (I left them at the highest position to be on the safe side). KW offers adjustable (the ride, not the height) suspensions by push on a button as well but these are at least €1.200,00 more.

[@thedayidrive3422]

Hi, question... Did it affect the ride Height..? or globally damaged the everyday drivability (Comfort) of your car..? Thanks a lot

[@tackycomrade]

Good video, but I take the B8’s are for passive setup only? Like I believe the B6 set up is adaptive only?

[@juanpablosilva1596]

Great review! What if only put the b8 dampers and stock springs?...motech are stiffers than stocks I guess...

[@stuartduncan5865]

Well done with this video mate. I test drove the m140 & m240i. I was put off with the suspension and then decided I wanted a fiesta ST mk8. This is making me think for £1300 I could have suspension and underbody brace. There is s good car in there somewhere. Enjoying the content. Keep it up. 💯

[@markymark2833]

Mistakes are made everyday and from this we grow, hope you have had some fun in the festa

[@Shughesy]

Nice video dude, where did you get the dampers from? Trying to get hold of some without the springs

[@roadreg1820]

Thanks Sion. Give Motech a buzz 😎

[@johnnygouvanis]

How about the hardware, my shocks are shot! I want better I can’t decide. I have 435x, I heard it’s the support of the bump stops and the other supports?

[@LamannaGarage]

Do these need to be coded out if you have edc?

[@kevmak2600]

Have B8's with Eibach springs on my Mk7.5 golf.....difference between stock and these is night and day. B8's feel less jittery and overall the car is planted to the road.

[@rogerea337]

I want to install B8 with racingline in a mk7.5 too. Could you give me a tips?

[@kevmak2600]

@@rogerea337 take your time and be prepared to take off the front disks/ hubs and cv joints. It's not hard just time consuming

[@W00LFY100]

Ah yes 😅 my old pogo sti... i mean M140i. Fond memories of being bucked out've the seat and sliding into the footwell while the back end of the car was in the air on some moorland roads 😳 😅

[@roadreg1820]

Haha, Hence the need for the Bilsteins! Even just watching back the video from side to side, you can really tell how bad the passive stock dampers are.

[@EJR20]

I’m on a dilemma between B4 and B6 for Audi A4 because I love a smooth ride, but I’d also like it to be sharp with the handling, so I came across two types of B4s on ECS one listed as Standard sus, and another Sport sus (the Sport is less expensive than the Standard so that’s funny), so it got me thinking I should go for the Sport B4s? Because I’d pick smooth over sharp on any day of the century esp on these unadjustable once put together setups, and if my research had taught me anything it would be that the B6 are stiffer which equals to sharp handling and the B4 are smooth. So I’m guessing the Sport B4s won’t be as stiff as the B6s? Any input would be appreciated.

[@anothey93]

B4 factory replacement, B6 sport stock springs, B8 sport lowering springs. B4 is softest and likely not an improvement over stock, unless your stocks are worn out.

[@PixelVogue]

MSS Springs from Evolve automotive would of been a good shout

[@roadreg1820]

The Motech Eibach’s are perfect for what I need.

[@daysofgrace2934]

Just bought these for E87 120d stage 2, hope they last longer than the 7 years 50K miles the Koni FSDs did, disappointed considering it only being driven on the roads...

[@roadreg1820]

🤞 They say you should change your dampers and springs every 5 years, believe it or not. I guess anything mechanical will wear out. I hope yours last though!

[@E30SIX]

How is ride comfort as a daily use for long drive inside city? Do you recommend?

[@roadreg1820]

Absolutely recommend. It’s firm but rides much nicer than the stock dampers. You don’t bounce around as much and it responds much better to small pot holes and uneven road, etc. definitely recommend! Let me know how you get on.

[@davidpalmer3131]

Is it possible to backfit adaptive dampers to a car with passive dampers fitted?

[@roadreg1820]

Good question!! I wish I knew 🙁

[@Gill_Bates]

No

[@stevefarrimond]

I had a PPF/RES delete on mine with a gearbox flash and custom map. it ruined the car. it simply couldn't put the power down. Quaife LSD underbody brace rear poly bushed m4 control arms and tensions struts Bilstein B14 Kit M2 Geo setup now its a weapon

[@MurphySuperstar]

Quite a noob when it comes to suspension, so sorry for the maybe silly question, but could these dampers also improve the suspension even with the stock springs?

[@roadreg1820]

Yes, definitely!!

[@MurphySuperstar]

@@roadreg1820 thanks mate

[@martinlee7706]

someone can compare the B8 vs B14 .... not many B14 example going on thx

[@roadreg1820]

I actually ran B14’s on my old car.. the dampers are exactly the same; the spring’s are different tho, and have a different spring rate. Essentially the B14’s have a firmer spring and the ability to adjust ride-height.

[@PixelVogue]

That numpty Jon from Forensic said to sub here so I have.... lol

[@jbamrah1]

I don’t understand so is it softer suspension?

[@roadreg1820]

Better quality damping.. less rebound. So far less choppy and bouncy.

[@jbamrah1]

@@roadreg1820 is it good for performance I assume not?

[@roadreg1820]

@@jbamrah1 definitely better for performance 😎

[@jbamrah1]

@@roadreg1820 I always thought a soft ride = bad for track??

[@roadreg1820]

@@jbamrah1 it’s not softer.. it’s firmer but B8’s are more sophisticated dampers than the stock dampers, and they have less re-bound than the stock dampers in the 140i, meaning less choppy and bouncy. You have to feel them really. Hard to explain.

[@kyefx7673]

Much difference between the b8 and b12

[@roadreg1820]

Only difference are the springs that they come with. The B12’s come with Eibach pro kit. The B8’s are just the dampers with no springs, as I already had the Motech Eibach lowering springs to go on.

[@martinlee7706]

i got the B14 still in the box ..... saving up for the BIG setup estimate £5k

[@stevefarrimond]

@@martinlee7706 7k i spent on mine

[@DDG-Downfall]

My car os a death trap with the origional spring/dampers

[@djjackjones1]

What’s the bleeping?!

[@roadreg1820]

Dash Cam telling me I’ve had a crash

[@djjackjones1]

@@roadreg1820 Would you tell it to shut up! 😂 Watched the video you did with your mate and his R wagon. What sort of fuel figures do you get on a regular and what mileage do you get to a tank?

[@roadreg1820]

Long run about 36-40. Around town 25/28 ish

[@MrScootmcg]

Good to see someone acknowledge and tackle the real issue on the f2x platform = bad damping for UK roads. The springs alone help but won't fully solve the problem. I had the b12 kit on my previous m235i and the difference was dramatic. Forget tunes, exhausts and assorted carbon fibre tat, this should be the first mod any new owner makes. Now if only there was a cost effective LSD option available, I would probably still have that car!

[@roadreg1820]

It really is a problem, and makes the car feel cheep and non-confidence inspiring! If mine were adaptive, I may have kept those dampers! Wavetrac are probably the most cost effective limited slip diff to be honest. £1,500 for one of those, vs 2k for the M performance, etc. Saying that, I went for the M performance diff recently. Video coming soon!

[@MrScootmcg]

@@roadreg1820 Good stuff. It will be interesting to see your thoughts on the diff. MP was the only option I had at the time and was quoted about 3k fitted!

[@jonah9165]

@@roadreg1820 The whole housing has to be modified for the wavetrac due to the welded crown gear. I was going to get the wavetrac diff as I thought it would be more affordable and found out it was a long, complex and costly job just to get the diff fitted into the housing and back on the car.