This is my first E-class and I could not find much info available about people whom have done this upgrade, except this small thread here. That thread is many years old and I did not want to necro that one, so I started a new one. I was very surprised to find so little suspension talk, not just here, but anywhere about the W212. It is a very nice chassis, but the glaring flaw to me is the very soft stock suspension. I get that most owners of this car are a little older and likely more comfort oriented, but the stock shock absorbers/struts are way to soft. They are okay at interstate cruising, but anything with a less than smooth surface and the stock set up is quickly overwhelmed. Even little bumps that my wife's 2010 C350 eats for lunch, upset the car to a shocking degree. When contrasted to my stock, 2023 BMW 330e, it is a downright pillowy mess. Before anyone asks, my shocks are not worn- I only have 35k miles now and they felt exactly the same when I bought the car with 25k miles. Most of my driving is done in urban Los Angeles and I am an aggressive driver.

I am on my 28th vehicle and I have had Bilsteins on numerous cars, they have never let me down. So this past week I ordered Bilstein B6 all around. TLDR: Night and day difference. Big bumps, small bumps, washboard, dips, driveways, you name it, huge improvement. Now it basically rides about 95% as firm as my 330e, about 50% of people might say the 330e ride is too firm. Which brings me to this: If you are the type who values comfort above all else, I would go with the B4's that are quite a bit more forgiving. However, if you are like me and place a priority on ride composure and controlled handling, then you will be happy with the B6's. These shocks have fixed the most glaring flaw on my E350.

 

Air up your tires; ;those wheels will take a bigger beating with the weight of the car bearing down on every pothole.

The '85 300D was riding on a cloud and had the (lack of) handling to go with it.
The '05 E320CDI was nice n tight.
I found my '13 E350 to be sporty enough.
Moving into my ML350 showed me just how stiff the E suspension is. The ML clearly ain't no sports car.

 

I am on B6 but at the REAR only.
I started with B4 all around.
I would not want B6 on my front for my road. Thus I tried B6 at the rear first to feel how it is. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...gine-data.html

My wheel is 18" only, standard size, not 19" or insane 20".

 

Man, thank you for this thread 04gto. I've been eyeing B6 for my '15 W212. Reviews on them are so hard to find!

I like a more tied-down ride and the stock E-Class is not exactly that way. I'm not sure how much of the mushiness (especially in front rebound) I'm feeling is worn shocks and how much of it is just the way the stock tuning is set up. It would suck to get new stock replacements (like B4s) and find out my old shocks were actually not worn haha.

For the B6 upgrade, I'm wondering about bump compliance. I'm in LA, too. What's it like on, say, La Brea Ave just north of Wilshire?

I'd love to hear more of your impressions now that you've driven them for a while. Thanks!

 

Thanks for your inputs . I still stick to OEMs but nice to hear positive feedbacks on the aftermarket units

 

I’m curious did you also replace the springs? I have. 2013 e550 low miles that drives like a caddie.
i miss that German stiff feeling and confidence in turns.
did your upgrade give you that feeling? If so please let me know everything you replace, and a good place to purchase.

 

Updating our W212 to B4’s eliminated every bit of wander and float.

Knowing what I do about Bilsteins, the B6 will be another level beyond that. B6 is made for sport valving for stock springs. B8 is for lower/stiffer springs.

 

I have a set of B6s on the rear of my wagon - I am a fan. Front has KW V3 coil overs, and the rear shocks from KW didn't fit since its technically for a sedan. The B6s took forever to get (14 months!) because of backorder issues, but I am a satisfied customer.

 

Sorry, I am relatively new to this forum and did not realize people had replied to this thread. I will answer now (better late than never?). Bump compliance is firm but controlled throughout LA, including the very rough area north of Wilshire on La Brea. Never harsh, in fact I find the increased control and reduced body motion of the B6 makes the car more comfortable in a way, even if firmer. a lot less wallowing around. No more crashing over bumps like the stock set up. If you are used to and appreciate a slightly firm ride and good feedback from your suspension, this will be great for you. If, however, you prefer to waft along on a cloud of air completely unaware of anything going on around you, these will not be for you.

 

I did not replace the springs. I also have a strong preference for the 'Germanic' feel like my previous BMW's have had. This upgrade provided that perfectly!

 

Hello and thank you for the reply, but this suggestion is not good. This is not how tire pressure works. You only need to change your cold tire pressure when your load increases or decreases. Over/under inflating your tires will cause poor handling and grip, increased noise, deteriorate the ride, it will also cause uneven tire wear, necessitating early tire replacement.

 

Is yours the standard or sport? 4 matic??

 

I have the Sport, same as yours.

 

I missed this the first time around. If you’re still here, can you share the part number for rear Bilstein’s on your 2016 wagon? You have rear Airmatic, right?

 

I do not have Airmatic. part of why it took me months to find and buy my E350 initially was I had a few criteria for must haves and must avoids. Must haves 1. Harman Kardon. 2. Under 30k miles. 3. Come from a rust free state. My must avoids 1. Air suspension (they are ALWAYS more trouble than worth) 2. The color white, I was okay with any color but white. As a side note, my friend has a W212 wagon with AIrmatic and he has had numerous issues costing upwards of $2k in repairs, which would have cost even more had he not found a good indy shop.

The part numbers for what I installed on my car are Bilstein 24-166874 . I also used these upper mounts, since the shocks do not include them. Note about the mounts: everywhere you check will tell you that these mounts do not fit. For some reason in the USA everyone wants to sell you generic shocks that already have mounts on them and nobody lists a replacement mount. If you check overseas, you will will find that the above linked mount fits the W212 E350. This is what I have on my car.

 

Here you go! BIL-24-191128

Yes, sport model with rear airmatic.

 

a wagon has airmatic in the back, did you remove that ?

 

[QUOTE=Left Coast Geek;9244779]a wagon has airmatic in the back, did you remove that ?[/QUOTE

Nope, still has the airmatic setup in the rear with the B6s and lowering links.

 

Some time ago there was a lengthy discussion, either here or on another car discussion board I visit, that was started by a guy that tried to compare the ride of his W212 E350, with 85k miles on it, to that of his brother's BMW (I can't recall the model), which had less than 40k miles on it. The thread eventually led to a discussion about shock/strut options for the W212, and the differences between them. The options discussed were primarily MB OEM, Bilstein B4, and Bilstein B6.

It was generally agreed that the MB OEM option is too soft of a ride, and tends to start wearing out between 65k - 80k miles. Those that had made the change felt that the B4, while still offering a nice ride, was a step up in sportiness from the OEM. While some liked the B6, those that had tried them recommended caution in selecting them, suggesting that they are a little on the harsh side.

I picked up B4 kits (front and rear) from FCP and installed them about 25k miles ago on my '14 E350. So far I've been very happy with the B4, and would definitely consider them a better option than the MB OEM.