07th May 2011 - Bilstein B12 Suspension

One of my small complaints about the Fiesta ST as standard was that the suspension seemed a little bit crashy when on uneven roads or when hitting potholes. After reading around on fordfiestaST.co.uk, the general concensus seemed to be to replace both the springs and dampers.

One of the forum members was stripping his "beaST" Fiesta ST and so I snapped up his Bilstein B12 suspension.



The installation was done in my friend's garage. He had access to a hydraulic ramp and all the required tools which made the job far quicker and easier. The whole job took around 4-5 hours including installing 20.5mm spacers on the rear axels (see the page on these). The installation could have been done quicker but we were taking our time and cleaned them all thoroughly before fitting.




The suspension kit comprises the Bilstein B8 dampers which were developed at the Nurburgring and the Eibach Pro springs which lower the car by a uniform 30mm over standard. Bilsten describe the suspension as follows:

If you're looking for the perfect combination of sporty dynamics, a superior appearance and high performance, you're on exactly the right track with this Bilstein B12 sport suspension kit.

The B12 Suspension Kit benefits at a glance:

- Precise responses, excellent driving dynamics and added safety
- Uniform lowering of approx. 30 mm
- Quality sport springs made from highly durable material
- Springs and absorbers road-tested by Bilstein engineers and fine-tuned to complement one another perfectly
- Gas pressure technology
- Bilstein mono-tube/Upside-Down technology, made in Germany
- German TUV certificate




The handling is absolutely fantastic now it is done, far far better than the already good standard suspension. Not only does it feel less 'crashy' on uneven roads, it is more solid, 30mm lower and has less roll on the corners.