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B4 vs B4 M tech

1.7K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  VpointVick  
#1 ·
Hello guys I have a 318i e46 from 2005 and as a cruiser type of person I am looking into the OE suspension parts because I want to keep the comfort level. But when I was looking for struts I discovered on AutoDoc that there's 2 types of Bilstein B4's.

First one says B4 for standard suspension and the second one says for cars with M Tech.
I don't have a M tech and with M tech I heard that it is slightly lowered. I wouldn't mind to go little lower. But I wonder if I can just normally use M tech B4 on my non M setup. Do I have to get certain springs or something else or is it just plug&play like a non m B4.

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#2 ·
A quick Googling reveals that the first one is for the 4 pot cars while the second is for the 6 pot ones. Nothing to do with ride height, likely just valved differently, which makes sense since shocks/struts don't determine ride height, only springs do.

I'd get the first ones as the others would likely make your car ride harshly. Also, 50 quid cheaper.
 
#3 ·
When I tried Billy B4s, I remember reading from trusted sources the difference was to account for the different ride heights of stock suspension and M-Sport suspension. As Vick says, the spring determines the ride height, but they offer different dampers to better match those different ride heights. At least that's my recollection.

My advice on buying aftermarket parts is not to completely trust compatibility claims on seller's websites but to go to the manufacturers' websites and look up the correct part numbers for your application yourself.

Click the Browse Catalogue button here:
BILSTEIN B4 - BILSTEIN Workshop
And you can enter your car's details to find matching products. You can also lookup the BMW part number on bmwfans.info or realoem for your VIN and put those part numbers into the web catalogue, to see what Bilstein part numbers they correspond to.

However, my experience is the B4 rides a little firmer than (new) BMW dampers. If you want to restore the BMW ride, I'd fit Sachs/Boge, the original supplier to BMW. You can browse their catalogue here
Find the Right Spare Part Quickly With the ZF Aftermarket Catalog