My car now has 60K miles on it and I am looking into new shocks. I have read on here that most have gone with Koni but I was interested in knowing if anyone has tried KYB or Bilstein?

I called both KYB and Bilstein and here is what I found so far:

The Bilstein guy told me that they probably made our original shocks and if they are black they are twin tube which is not very good. He also mentioned that they don't get to chose the valving on their OEM shocks. Valving is dictated by the manufacturer of the car. their after market shocks are mono-tube (as are Koni and KYB) and valved to what Bilstein believes is best They have HD and Sport shocks. He told me the valving is the same in both shock and the only difference is the length in case you have a lowered car. The Sport shocks are for lowered cars. The have two differnent shocks for our cars that are both available in HD or Sport. One is for the Crossfire and the other is for the SLK230. The SLK have slightly lighter valving than the Corssfire shock. He said the Crossfire shock would be slightly faster to re-act and the SLK shock would give a little softer ride. If we are running heavy wheels and tires, he thought we would be better off with the Crossfire shock. the part numbers for the sport shocks (my car is lowered) are:

BE3-A998-H0 front - Crossfire
BE3-A999-H0 rear - Crossfire

BE3-2525-H0 front - SLK 230
BE3-2526-H0 rear - SLK 230


KYB has never tested their SLK shocks and so they don't know if they will bolt on (they will). Since they are for SLK230's and SLK320's I am betting they have softer valving since KYB tries to match factory specs.

I have read great stuff on here about the Koni's but am interested in knowing if anyone has any real life experience with KYB or Koni on a Crossfire since Koni have always been the most expensive option. I have past experience with Bilstein on a Hot rod that I went through many shocks before finding a shock that could control a live axle suspended by composite mono-leaf springs. I was very happy with those Bilstein's, but that doesn't mean I will like them on my Crossfire.

 

i have used both koni's and bilstein shocks on my cars in the past and hands down recommend koni's.

 

I was reading Benzworrld and the SLK guys seem to really like the KYB's. I had KYB's on '68 Shelby Mustangs and loved them. I may "take one for the team" and see how well they work on my Crossfire.

Two quotes from SLK owners on Benzworld:

About 6 months ago I posted a plea for help to soften the ride of my 97-230 . I think I've found the answer. I bought a pair of rere KYB gasAdjust shocks from Impotec (I believe from Dallas) for $54.88 each. Importantly I also bought their shock mounting kits - they have the correct rubber-mountings from Mercedes. I am buzzing around (with happy wife onboard) who now likes the new comfort of the car as do I! So now, I dont need to change either as previously suggested! [] It feels like a comfortable Limo now but with a serious sporty twist.

I replaced OEMs with 4 KYBs from tirerack 2.5 yrs and 35000 kms ago I was looking for a cheaper and slightly softer option than the Bilsteins (had 125000kms on them ) Worked out well - still happy with them - half the price of OEM in OZ Best $250 you can spend on handling. (note - fronts are KG 4731 -rear KG 4732) -almost the same price from Tirerack I notice!! - check shipping costs)

 

Please report back.....

 

Placed order. should receive and have them on the car by next weekend.

 

Any news on these? Like them, hate them, indifferent?

Les

 

i had kyb adjustable on my acura 4 way in the front and 8 way in the back.


i like the ability to dial it in for a long drive or spirited driving around town

 

Has anyone replaced the OE shocks with the OE SRT6 shocks? I noticed they are only about $70 each.

 

The new KYB's arrived this week but I was traveling internationally and just got home. I will get them on probably tomorrow and let everyone know what I think. All i can tell everyone now is that they look like good quality shocks. KYB has been around a long time and are made in Japan.

 

I had KYB's on a vehicle in the past and they really made a nice difference.

 

The KYB's are on and I really like them. Even though KYB doesn't list them for the Crossfire, the KYB's for the SLK bolt right in. My factory shocks had 61,000 on them but they were not leaking and were made by Sacks. The only thing I ever did to the old shocks was to cut the rear bump stop in half after lowering the car. The stock shocks made the car feel like it was crashing into big bumps, especially in the rear.

The KYB's are a firmer shock but take the bumps much more smoothly. I also notice the car handles better and corners much flatter. It feels like I have added thicker sway bars. KYB's seem like a high quality shock. They are made in Japan and are mono tube which is supposed to react quicker and not foam the oil. These shocks are definetely better than stock and are priced well.

 

I'm also looking for a shock replacement. Can you post the website you got it from Lantana?

-GDrag

P.S. I found this.

http://www.autocarparts.com/c_Mercedes_SLK_m_KYB/

But is the lowest price you can find them?

 

About $100 less here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KYB-4...spagenameZWDVW

 

I put Koni's on mine. Made the ride liveable but also made it handle better. Needswings has them on his site for a decent price.

The only better shock that I have seen/driven is Ohlins. They are semi custom and VERY expensive!

 

I am trying to decide whether I want to go with the koni's or the KYBs. I really like the pricepoint of the KYBs and going from Lantana's review, they seem to be very good shocks. I am wondering if there are any inherent benefits of the koni's, such as more adjustability, better rebound, etc. If anyone who is in the know would be kind enough to educate me, I would be much appreciated. Thanks.
John

 

The KYB's are not adustable. They self adjust based on road conditions. I believe Koni have rebound adustment *****, but they are not easy to get to once installed in a Crossfire. If anyone is considering KYB, please hold off for a day or two as I am putting a few more miles on them and would like to update my review. I can't write this up now as I have to get to work now.

 

I have been driving for a couple of days now and think these shocks are much smoother on rogh bumpy roads. The bumps that used to jar me and pant me in my seat are no longer an issue. What I am seeing though is a more jittery ride at slower speeds under 40mph. I am looking into spring options (see my new thread on Spring rate facts). I really believe these shocks with softer springs would be awesome. I have had really good resutls by using softer springs with firmer shocks on some cars I have built in the past. KYB's have a very high pressure gas chamber that effectively increases the spring rate.

 

I am anxiously awaiting your reviews and what you find out about the springs, after putting on these 20's and going through the dragon, I need some suspension and brake upgrades for sure LOL.

I just wonder with my 20's if I will be able to swap out the springs, I assume you are going with lowering springs, which I would like to do as well. Is there any way for me to figure out if I can lower it with those wheels on it and keep essential clearences intact? Thanks a lot Lantana, looking forward to reviews of the KYBs with more mileage, maybe even a roadtrip under the belt...

 

Just a quick update: The KYB's have been awesome over 40mph. I actually aim for pot holes now and amazed how well the shocks smooth out the bumps. They also seem to be doing better now at low speeds of 20-40. They had seemed too stiff at low speeds but seem to be doing better now. I took my son to school this morning and he thought the car was much better through the school zone. I am really liking the shocks now and would never consider the OEM shocks again. I do think that to fine tune my ride to the Texas roads here, I would like to try a softer spring. A softer spring with these KYB's would be awesome. I am wonding what the spring rate is on an SLK230?

 

I am really liking these shocks now! The ride is very good and I can't believe there are too many lowered cars out there that ride this good. I still think these shocks woould be awesome with a little softer spring for the street and the auto cross guys would love thse shocks with the stock springs. I called Potomac German auto becuse they have better interchange knowledge than anyone I know. They said the only spring softer for our cars came on the base SLK230. 230 Sport and slk320 use the same spring we already have. Another way to improve ride is to use smaller wheels with higher profile tire. I have already gone to 18's all the way around but intend to go to 17's and 18's. The wheel I am interested in will also show off my "Mercedes" Brembo calipers and drilled and slotted rotors. for tires I will use my existing 265 40 18 in the rear and will use 235 45 17 in the front.

I think most of you would love these KYB shocks. Just give them a couple days and some miles.