Bilstein 6112 Shock and Spring Completed Assemblies

Why do I need to assemble my Bilstein 6112s?

The Bilstein 6112 shock & spring kits need one final piece to complete the easy-installation puzzle for drivers, which are new top strut mounts. These are of course not included from Bilstein, leaving the shocks and springs to require a spring compressor to complete installation otherwise.

Why weren’t they included as an assembled unit similar to other brands?

This could be for a number of reasons; the extra labor to assemble them at the factory, acquiring or manufacturing their own top mounts, or leaving it up to the driver for their height adjustment. Unlike performance coilovers, there is no threaded body on the 6112 shocks, instead there are different circlip grooves for the coil spring collar to sit that determines vehicle ride height.

We continue to stand behind our recommendation that the Bilstein 6112 shocks are some of the best available dampers available for the price; a 2.5” bodied shock, with adjustable height settings, and an amazing 60mm active digressive piston, for a fraction of the cost compared to the race-level competition 2.5 coilovers.

To make these an even better value, we’ve gone the extra mile to assemble the Bilstein 6112 shocks and springs into a single assembly, utilizing either KYB or Monroe factory-spec top strut mounts (depending on application). We take the customer’s requested ride height for the shock, install the springs, and assemble it all into a unit that is ready to install out of the box. This removes the necessity of a coil spring compressor, setting an appointment with an installer, and more importantly, downtime for your vehicle. The 6112s can be installed with basic tools in roughly 60-90minutes per side, depending on your mechanical prowess.

How do the Bilstein 6112 Shocks and Springs compare to the competition?

Given the price point and use-case for the Bilstein 6112s, these shock and spring considerations usually go up against offerings from Rancho Suspension, Fox Racing, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, and King Shocks.

• Vs. Rancho Quicklift

  The shock designs and damping differ between the two, Bilstein being monotube and Rancho being an adjustable twin tube. The Rancho Quicklift also is a preset lift height out of the box, with no ability to change the height, whereas the Bilstein 6112 has numerous height settings that can be set prior to installation. The RS9000XL shock also allows soft or firm ride comfort adjustment.

• Vs. Fox 2.0 Coilovers

  Both the Fox and Bilstein are monotube design, but the 6112 is about a half-inch larger body, leaving a lot more room for oil volume, and larger active piston that translates into more consistent damping in all conditions. Considering the pair of Fox 2.0 coilovers are more expensive than our assembled Bilstein 6112 units by quite a bit, the Bilstein gets our vote for best-shock-for-dollar for all drive types.

• Vs. ICON & KING & FOX 2.5 Race Coilovers

  One of the strengths that the Bilstein has against the race-series coilovers from the bigger guys is the longevity of the shock in terms of mileage. The race-series coilovers require servicing between 25-50k miles, depending on the amount offroad miles. Bilstein shocks are designed with longevity and overall ride comfort in mind, not necessarily for high speed performance in offroad environments, but dont count them out either.