Hello, after 8 years and 2 sets of oem dampers(both started leaking) it is time to replace them with something that i actually better than stock. I’ve read few reviews of bilstein B6 shocks on here and I think they are perfect match for my needs, little stiffer and better body control without big compromise on usability.

But I have a few questions, as I am not sure what to buy for my car, 2017 skoda superb mk3 2.0 tdi dsg 4x4 sportline(non dcc).

As all of you here know, sportline has 15mm lower ride height than standard, so I need to know should i go for B6 or B8.

As far as i understand they are the same shock, just that b8 is 20mm shorter. On Bilstein website they say b6 is for oem suspension and b8 is for cars with lowering springs or oem sports suspension(which i have, but it is -15mm, while the b8 shock is 20mm shorter than b6 shock).

I found some website that had information about bilstein shocks for superb mk3 and b6 and b8 had same PR codes listed… My car has a G02 code on that little list under VIN in the service manual.

Also, my car is 8 years old now and I wonder should i also change factory springs for new ones?

Edited 7 May, 20251 yr by fiki
Inserting images

I have B6 and also had them on my Octavia. Can recommend highly and not had any reason to assume B8 would be better. Both cars on eibach prokit (30-35mm drop). On the first car I was worried about the springs going slack at full extension but that's never been an issue even when jacking the car up.

The only reason I would now go for B8 is for tighter body control due to less droop travel. For a family road car that's never really a consideration.

Same vote here for the B6, in my mind B8s are only for dropping much further than stock sport suspension. I have used B6 on Mk1 Superb V6 TDI (redone sport springs front, raised HD springs rear) and on Mk3 Octavia vRS TDI (stock sport front, raised HD springs rear), work very well without issues, in case of Mk1 Superb and over 200k miles, and in cases of both Mk1 Superb and my wife's Roomster for over 12 years and still counting on the Roomster :)

Regarding springs, in my experience usually the rears sag more than fronts on liftback cars, so if you want to replace, it would be the rear ones. Personally, I prefer handling of the car with HD / slightly raised springs at the rear (ca 30mm over stock "sport" height), especially when the car is full of luggage and/or at high speeds (as in autobahn, 120mph+). This has certainly been true for Mk1 Octavia, Mk1 Superb, and my current Mk3 Octavia vRS, so my guess is Mk3 Superb won't be much different in this respect.

So if you decide to replace the rear springs, it may make sense to get ones 1 or 2 groups up from stock, but it is your decision.

Edited 7 May, 20251 yr by dieselV6

+1

Bilstein B6 + Eibach Pro is one perfect combination!

to avoid lowering choose Eibach Pro kit from Kodiaq

-> https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/510961-2023-280ps-lk-replaced-2016-220ps-style/page/3/#findComment-5854160

But shouldn’t the b8 be clearly better choice if paired with eibach pro kit, or any -20mm or more spring?

I ask because as far as i understand the b8 is the exactly the same shock as the b6, just with 20mm shorter “rod”.

If we asume that b6 has the lenght that matches the suspension travel of the stock spring, doesnt that mean that if we fit for example 30mm shorter spring the b6 shock has 30mm shorter travel than before, because the rod will hit internal bump stop earlier.

If we fit b8 with the same spring 30mm shorter than stock-it has 20mm more room before hitting the internal bump stop, am i right?

That is why I am confused should i go with b6 or b8 with stock -15mm spring, because i dont know if those 5 milimeters less in damper lenght can cause wear or damage to the damper, but on compression it should be better because it has more travel, doesn’t it?

Build code L19 means that the car has 5Q0411105HF front springs. KYB lists their KYB RA4127 front spring to replace 5Q0411105HF, although KYB also lists three other OEM part numbers against this spring so KYB RA4127 may not be an exact match to 5Q0411105HF. However, 5Q0411105HF is listed as being 33mm shorter than the standard ride height front spring 5Q0411105GN that KYB lists for the standard ride height car (Superb MK3 2.0TDI 190HP 4x4).

So that 15mm nominal drop could actually be a lot more, eg. 33mm. Bear in mind that both the 5Q0411105HF and 5Q0411105GN front springs have a wire diameter of 12.5mm and about 4.6 coil turns, so it's reasonable to assume that the 33mm difference in their uncompressed lengths will result in a 33mm drop in ride height.

Bilstein make their B8 for the nominally 15mm lower ride height cars. Bilstein want to sell a lot of their B6 shock absorbers, so they aren't primarily aimed at the Eibach 30mm-40mm drop springs, etc.

KYB RA4127 (sold to replace 5Q0411105HF and three other front springs)

Length 285mm

Wire diameter 12.5mm

Number of coil turns 4.6

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/kyb/12818916#coil-spring

KYB RA1491 (matches 5Q0411105GN)

Length 318mm

Wire diameter 12.5mm

Number of coil turns 4.6

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/kyb/18427435#coil-spring

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by Carlston

Thanks everybody for taking the time to help me.

@Carlston

13 hours ago, Carlston said:

Bilstein make their B6 for the nominally 15mm lower ride height cars. Bilstein want to sell a lot of their B6 shock absorbers, so they aren't primarily aimed at the Eibach 30mm-40mm drop springs, etc.

Did you mean to write B8 here? Because for eibach they are the clearly recomended option.

Thanks for all that info about the sportline springs, i had no idea, and I will continue to call them -15mm now just for sake of discussion.

If B8 can work with factory sportline spring thats is rated for -15mm drop form standard that is much more compeling option for me, because in that case I can also order eibach pro kit for my car, try it and if I don’t like it for any reason simply put the oem sportline spring back on the car.

I guess after all this time factory springs on my car must have already settled so it is probably atleast half way between “factory new” sportline and eibach pro kit.

Yes, the shaft is 20mm shorter. The bump stop as far as I know is in the same place so the B8 travel is 20mm shorter also. At loaded static height the shocks will have the same compression travel available as this is defined by the springs. At full extension the B6 will have 20mm more travel so may have the ability to droop into holes while maintaining tyre to ground contact. That is where my preference for B6 comes from. In real use you may not notice any difference. The country lanes I drive on have some large pot holes and also things like hump backs so the additional droop is beneficial.

6 hours ago, fiki said:

Did you mean to write B8 here?

Yes, well spotted...now corrected.

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by Carlston

1 hour ago, MarkyG82 said:

Yes, the shaft is 20mm shorter. The bump stop as far as I know is in the same place so the B8 travel is 20mm shorter also.

Bilstein B8 are about 20mm shorter than Bilstein B6, but I expect it not just the fully extended length that is 20mm shorter but also the fully compresed length that is shorter.

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by Carlston

You may well be right (you usually are). The B6/8 front bump stops are integrated due to the inverted design.Given your knowledge on the subject I don't need to explain the importance of bump stops in the overall setup of suspension. It could be that the stops in the Bx shocks are longer and more progressive. Thus not needing different lengths.

9 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

You may well be right...

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who actually does a side-by-side comparison of Bilstein B8 front shock absorbers with Skoda's sports front shock absorbers...particularly in regard to the fully compressed lengths.

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by Carlston

3 hours ago, Carlston said:

Bilstein B8 are about 20mm shorter than Bilstein B6, but I expect it not just the fully extended length that is 20mm shorter but also the fully compresed length that is shorter.

I think you are right, b6 and b8 should be 2 identical shocks, aside from the “shaft” (the thin shiny thing 😆) that is 20mm shorter on the b8.

I read somewhere that dampers on standard and sportline are the same, but that to me sounds not likely, especialy having in mind that when i previously changed my dampers at the dealership I had to wait for a month for them to arrive because they had none that fit my car available in the country 🫤

5 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

Yes, the shaft is 20mm shorter. The bump stop as far as I know is in the same place so the B8 travel is 20mm shorter also. At loaded static height the shocks will have the same compression travel available as this is defined by the springs. At full extension the B6 will have 20mm more travel so may have the ability to droop into holes while maintaining tyre to ground contact. That is where my preference for B6 comes from. In real use you may not notice any difference. The country lanes I drive on have some large pot holes and also things like hump backs so the additional droop is beneficial.

Can you help me understand here, how is the compression travel defined by the spring? Isn’t the bump stop the end of the compression travel? And doesn’t the spring dictate ride height and ground clearence?

So, lets say that parked superb with B6 damper and standard oem spring has 10cm of compression travel (number is ofcourse imaginery, just for this exhample).

Now, if we fit some lets say -30 mm lowering spring, now the B6 damper has 7cm of compression travel before hitting the internal bump stop.

The B8 damper has the same body as the B6, just 20mm shorter shaft, so if we fit the same -30mm spring to the B8 equiped car, it should have 9cm of compression travel because the shaft is shorter, therefore the damper is more extended when car is static.

Correct me if I’m wrong, as this is why I fear the B6 would bottom out easier on shorter sportline spring(and especialy the pro kit).

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by fiki

In terms of the standard dampers it doesn't really matter, they're all equally inadequate for their assigned task.

You're overthinking this though, given that the same set of dampers are specified by Bilstein for more or less the entire MQB and MQB Evo range (and apparently the Transit Connect...who knew?).

For the Sportlines it's a simple rule of thumb; if you're sticking with stock springs then go for whichever is cheaper, the difference in practical terms for our application is negligible. If you're planning or considering fitting aftermarket lowering springs, then go B8.

Edited 8 May, 20251 yr by AlistairCookie

7 hours ago, fiki said:

The B8 damper has the same body as the B6, just 20mm shorter shaft, so if we fit the same -30mm spring to the B8 equiped car, it should have 9cm of compression travel because the shaft is shorter, therefore the damper is more extended when car is static.

Correct me if I’m wrong, as this is why I fear the B6 would bottom out easier on shorter sportline spring(and especialy the pro kit).

This is where you are getting mixed up. With the shorter springs it will be in exactly the same spot with the same remaining compression travel available regardless of B6 or B8. As the shaft is what defines how much space there is for the spring when nothing is compressed, the B8 extends less so has less droop travel.

Both setups will sit in the same place when static on the road.

will add few cents -

lowering springs + B8 is good choice for track or vehicle usage in countries with sunny weather

for all rest, springs without lowering + B6

most of us got conclusion, OEM springs are too soft,

then Eibach Pro kit from Kodiaq is solution(stiffness without lowering)

even with last combination, few times each winter,

i catch ice blocks by bottom, which were drop from mudflaps of other cars

Just to come back and write about what i dod to the car in the end.

In the end went with bilstein b8 shocks, kept the factory sportline springs and did audi tts bushings.

I am blown away how much better the car feels after that, if i had known this i would have done it 5 years ago.

Car now feels much more “sophisticated”, it is more compliant, rounds off bumps with ease, there is no more crashing from the suspension and it feels much more controled.

I guess the harder bushings also made a steering feel a tiny bit more direct.

These dampers are supposed to be “sport” option, but they made car feel better allround and I am more than happy with the results, I just hope they last more than the OEM dampers.

@fiki

share please picture from the side and used part codes list

19 hours ago, fiki said:

, I just hope they last more than the OEM dampers.

Really good to hear your positive response. Yes they should last longer. The mono tube setup is in theory more robust.

Presume this is non-DCC? The only B8 Damptronic I could find was for Porsche (Macan I think edit: 911) whereas searching for Skoda Superb parts only returns B6. Guess it settles the dilemma anyway.

Edited 2 July, 20252 Jul by travs

On 01/07/2025 at 11:48, MartiniB said:

@fiki

share please picture from the side and used part codes list

I don’t have side pics of the car right now, I will post them in a few days when i get it cleaned and ready for photoshoot 😄

But it remained pretty much stock, you be the judge when I post pics.

I went with bilstein b8 dampers(numbers are in the picture attached to the first post in this thread), did all the “boring stuff” by chasis number (lemforder brand) and I changed out the bushings for audi tts(or s3, I am not sure) but the “almost full rubber” kind, I found part no. here on briskoda. It is 8SO 407 183 B or 5QO 407 183 F, I really am not sure as i sent both to my mechanic who sourced the one which was available, but going by the google pics I think its the latter.

On 02/07/2025 at 20:35, travs said:

Presume this is non-DCC? The only B8 Damptronic I could find was for Porsche (Macan I think edit: 911) whereas searching for Skoda Superb parts only returns B6. Guess it settles the dilemma anyway.

Yes, the car is non-dcc.

And that b8 damptronic is for the old 997 generation 911 with sport suspension option, which was surprisingly rare, especially having in mind that it meant getting the limited slip diff in the back.

Good thing is those dampers for 997 are monotube front and rear.

For newer generation porsches(meaning 991 gen. 911 onwards) there is only b6 both for PASM(damptronic) and non-PASM cars, no matter the standard or sport ride height, and they are twin tube in the front and monotube in the rear.

For 718 caymans and boxsters they are twin tube allround, i guess its because they have mcpherson struts front and rear meanwhile 911 is mcpherson front and multilink in the back.

I dont know if the b16(pss10) for any of those is monotube allround.

I decided to write this as a seperate post, because it may help someone with similar dilema.

I kept my stock sportline springs even though I thought about going for eibach pro kit.

I even tried to order them, but my car is superb 3 190tdi 4x4 liftback and the sales guy insisted I should go for the superb 3 combi/ vw touaran spring set ( part no. E10-79-012-04-22 ), even though what I found I should buy is set for superb 3 liftback (part no. E10-85-042-03-22 ).

These two kits have the same front springs, but different rear.

I listened to my gut and decided to stick with oem height as lowering wasn’t something I wanted, i just thought to give them a try when the whole suspension is already being done, having in mind they aren’t too expensive and may improve handling.

What made me get cold feet was I have read about “nose heavy” look that many guys got after instaling the eibach and I really don’t like it.

So i did some digging and found out :

Stock sportline springs for my car are:

Front: 281 mm lenght, 12.5mm wire, 140mm diameter, 4.6 coils

Rear: 320mm lenght, 13mm wire, 109mm diameter, 7.8 coils

Eibach pro kit:

Front spring(same in both kits)

F11-85-042-03-FA

248mm lenght, 12.5 wire, 136.5 diameter, 4.75 coild

Rear spring in liftback kit

F11-15-007-04-HA

303mm lenght, 13.5 wire, 116mm diameter, 8 coils

Rear spring in estate/ touaran kit

F11-79-008-01-HА

327mm lenght, 13.75 wire, 122mm diameter, 8.2 coils.

I put all these in one of those spring rate calculator(i know that isn’t really scientific) but it was interesting.

Sportline oem front- 39.02 NM/mm

Sportline oem back- 51.74 NM/mm

Eibach front- 40.4 NM/mm

Eibach liftback rear- 47.89 NM/mm

Eibach estate rear- 42.43 NM/mm

Rake it with a grain of salt but it does look interesting.