c43ollie

Hey Everybody,

This is actually my first time posting something, but I have been looking all over the web for a place that currently has the Bilstein Sport Shocks for a '98 C43. It seems like the people who I have talked to once had it in stock but no longer do. Did Bilstein discontinue this model? Whats the deal? Let me know, any help is greatly appreciated.

-Oliver

raymond g-

check the old part number in the bilstein catalog for possible new number
assignment. they may have simply repurposed the numbering but the technical
and physical specs remained the same...and suitable for more than one model

Pagz

..Yes sure they are at MB dealership

Assuming you are trying to find stock C43 valving?

I've never seen the 202/208 AMG Bilstein's for sale outside of MB,

I have a second set lying around from my CLK55, did the compression test and they have lost zero oil after 150kkm's.

mkoons

Try Eshocks.com They have the #24-025997 & 24-018555 listed for the clk55
$115 for fronts & $85 for rears.

Pagz

I think American CLK55 didn't use C43/Euro CLK55 shocks, they had C36 part numbers in my EPC2012...so not sure if your CLk55 parts listing will be same as C43 maybe they do update to same but I cant confirm

c43ollie

I guess I should have specified more, that I am interested in finding the aftermarket Sport Shocks, not the stock HD shocks. I am interested in lowering the vehicle, and came to the conclusion that Bilstein would be best when paired with the H&R Sport Spring. Any advice on where to get this shock would be helpful, or if you have any toher recomentations on alternative shocks please let me know! Thank you :]

-Oliver

KJI3jflarryfe93

according to our german buddy popeye24, aftermarket Bilsteins are no good and not suitable for c43 chassie.

if you don't want to buy new stealership shox, only advice is go for koni yellow adjustable shox.
these are great, i have them on my car paired with vogtland springs, i love this combo to death!
i always have my shox on stiffest settings, ride is gocart like, i give this combo 2 thumbs up!

c43ollie

Can anyone confirm that Bilstein's Sport Shocks for a w208 will fit on our c43's? If so I think this is what I will choose. The Koni's seem tempting but I can't find as much info or as many reviews compared to the Bilstein's so I am a little hesitant to go that route.

KJI3jflarryfe93

w208 is a shorter version of w202
shox will fit your car

Pagz

As Dennis said they W202/208 share same suspension!

If you remove shocks from euro CLK55 you will find C43 AMG written on the label.

c43ollie

Thank you very much!

I have one last question before I'm done annoying you guys

I know that the part number for the Bilstein Sport's in the rear is 24-018555. But I have been looking around different threads and I am unsure which part number is the correct for the front. I have a 1998 c43. The two numbers I have found are 24-018548 (previously F4-B36-1854-H0) and 24-025997 (previously F4-BE3-2599-H1.) Any suggestions?

-Oliver

KJI3jflarryfe93

this is sold on ebay
must be correct partsnumber front shox B 36 1854

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-W...item51bfa3ece8

mkoons

The Bilstein Sport shock for lowered cars fitting W202/W208 is 24-025997 for front. Car be purchased at eshocks.com for $115. US

benzslo

I'd say that person is full of it then. Last year I replaced original bilstein shocks with 70k miles with bilstein sports. For the most part you can't tell a difference. The main difference is that on the bigger bumps and potholes, the sport shocks felt more solid and compliant, they soak up the bigger hits better and are just as good as OEM on normal roads. My car rides absolutely fantastic. My buddy also put the same shocks on his w202 with the same results.
So much misinformation on this subject. I'm driving all sorts of Mercedes cars all day every day so I have a pretty good gauge for how they should be.

KJI3jflarryfe93

when i was in the market for new shox before i bought my koni's, he told me the aftermarket Billies were not made for c43 therefore i didn't buy them.
i got koni's instead something I don't regret.

popeye had the aftermarket Billies on his car and didn't like them, dude removed them got somehing else instead

Fallbangskid

NEED LIST SUSPENSION SHOP:

Vogtland Contact: 951-694-6981 Andrew
Part # ( 952079 ) with a 1.4 inch drop Front & 1.4 inch Drop Rear to fit 1994 to 2000 Mercedes W202 chassis C280 C36 and (for C43 use tallest 14mm. spring pads available at the
Dealer)

Bilstein Sports B8 Shocks (Must be lowered)
Pure Motorsports: 858-566-7873 Michael
Shocks: $ 312 Springs $ 212.95
Ask about Adj. Camber rods Etc…. NO Need for any….

nd4spd13

My obligatory 2c on Billy's VS. Konis
Here
Not going back to rubber bushings on a lowered set up. This is the reason the billy's never show up when searching for a C36 or C43, they are not made for 202 AMGs per Bilstein's own words. Using ones spec'd for a CLK55 might work, but they still have the same rubber bushings, so I wouldn't trust them paired with low springs like the vogtlands.
Plus if you can't get billy's for under $100 there is no reason do get them instead of Konis anyway.

mkoons

We certainly have some varying opinions which is good. My question to nd4spd is are you running Kmac bushings as they are not rubber. And since they are not rubber why would they not work with the Bilsteins. I am almost ready to do my suspension rebuild and want to get this controversy settled.

Pagz

Only complexity I can think of with heavily lowered setup and stock shocks is that if you reset the bushes once lowered you may over extend them and either reduce there life or rip when you jack the car off the ground, this happened to one of my solid front-front lower arm bushes it ripped free of it metal housing.

If you don't reset them then will be stressed and increase the spring rate..depending on your drop it will usually sit high on the front some 10-15mm above where it should, and a little less on the rear. The front upper arm alone is good for 3-4mm lift if its not released and that's soft rubber.

Another factor is gas pressure, your Koni twin tube have very little pressure maybe 50 -100psi so you will sit lower, where as the mono billy will have more like 350psi..

nd4spd13

The bushings I am referring to are in the eye of the bottom mount of the shock, not control arm bushings.
On the Billy's (both stock AMG ones and Sports) these bushings are rubber. The stock AMG ones held up fine after 15 years with minimal cracking, but the sports fell apart entirely so that it was impossible to reinstall the shocks after removing them. On the Konis these are solid.







Shock on left is brand new, shock on right is broken and is as far as I can get the bushing back in





Broken bushing



If you lower the car without changing the shocks you will blow out your shocks very quickly.
Never thought about the difference in pressures. I didn't notice a change in height between the billys and the konis. But Koni's are adjustable (though not sure if that changes the oil or the air) and that's a great feature the billys don't have.

PJmak

Should i be looking at my shocks and checking if those bushings are broken^^^^

if they need to be replaced where can one find them? Do you know if this will have any effect on drive comfort?

Ive had my bilstein sports for a while. No complaints...

nd4spd13

When the rubber is inside the metal eye, it is forced to stay in place by the bolt. The only problem is if you take them out and the rubber pops out of the eye.
I never noticed a single problem or sound or anything until I uninstalled them. I wouldn't worry unless you have to take them off, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing them again to anyone and putting them in that situation. Especially because Koni does list the C36 as an application, so should anything go wrong with them on that car it will be covered by a warranty. And when I got them from tire rack they were $88 a pop. I don't remember how much I payed for the Konis but if Billys are over $100 i'd spring the extra dough for the adjustability.

Pagz

thanks for pics!

Interesting,I haven't seen these fail , the sports variant might have less durable/softer rubber?

I assume you mean if your ride is very low on stock shocks and you regularly use the bump stops as a spring then damage to the shock might happen?... maybe this is why your lower shock bush has failed?

nd4spd13

Than the OEM AMG ones I'd say so, yes.

This is what I have from talking with Bilstein:
"Just talked to Bilstein, and here's the deal. The B4 shock is for direct stock replacement, so NO difference in ride hight. The B6 (HD) is good for stock ride height to <1" drop, and the B8 (sports) are for 1"+ but be careful, because I do remember the Tirerack numbers for their "HDs" linked up to B4s in the bilstein catalogue, so you wouldn't want to put those on a car that's been lowered at all."

So if you use anything other than a B8 on a lowered car you will blow out a shock when you reach full compression, as the lowering springs and shocks will constantly be forcing in opposite directions.
When my shocks went I was on Vogtland springs and B8 sport shocks.

Pagz

Thanks, Would you know the hub to fender distance on your current setup?

My current ride height is 331mm front and rear on stock AMG billys.. there is ~40mm of travel to the bump stop on the rear shocks still, this is lower than euro springs by around 12mm I don't feel this will be low enough to cause any significant shock issues.

My old setup was Eibach Pro kit with #1 pads all around and Koni externals. the body length is same as stock billy's and with hub to fender height of ~305 rear and ~315 front I would often hit the bump stops on uneven corners, though I never had any obvious shock damage