35d with Koni Reds From Pelican (USA Based)

[KnudsonM3]

So, they work and fit wonderfully. I was looking for a suspension that rode like stock but had better dampening, body control and overall improvement of handling. I did not want to lower the car as it is my wife's car. I had zero desire to get aftermarket springs or reduce clearance of the vehicle in any way.

The only thing that fit the bill that we could see of the market was an OE replacement. Yea no thanks.

Bilsteins reportedly ride rougher and they do based on my experience. KW's lower the car and cost 3200. Nope and nope.


Koni had to work but was confused why they weren't listed anywhere on US based sites. Nothing "fit" on their website but they had fitment for European models. I called Koni and they said they didn't sell a shock for our cars.

After several questions, I was able to verify, through Koni, that the Koni Reds do fit. Turns out it has been an error in their system that has caused this issue. I ordered the shocks in October so I have no idea if they still have the issue.

Part #: KON-8245-1389R
Part #: KON-8245-1389L
Part #: KON-8245-1394 x2 for the front struts.

Order them on pelican, theyre the only trust worthy site that carries them in the US.


They ride exactly like stock until you push the vehicle. I can hit train tracks at 60 mph and the car just lands planted. It has better turn in, soaks up washboard bumps in the road better and handles flatter all while being a comfortable vs stock. Its actually better because the back end wallow is gone and is now planted making it more comfortable for passengers.

Overall, I am very pleased with these shocks.

I only replaced the shocks, nothing else.

Hope this helps others, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[tlow98]

Wow. So glad to hear this. I also found these while searching but was confused by all of the same road blocks you found.

I ended up going with bolstering B4. Pretty meh, imo.

I wish they made yellows for these cars, but I’ll certainly take the reds!

Great to know and appreciate you posting this!

Side note : what the hell happened pelican’s website? We have to shop by brand now? Awful…

[jmack123]

Would shocks/struts which work on the E70 platform automation be translatable to the F15? Not sure but it seems they have Koni Reds for the E70, which may be why these fit. I’m maknly curious because I believe Bilstein makes B8s for the E70 which may be a good lowering option if applicable to the F15 chassis.

[KnudsonM3]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Wow. So glad to hear this. I also found these while searching but was confused by all of the same road blocks you found.

I ended up going with bolstering B4. Pretty meh, imo.

I wish they made yellows for these cars, but I’ll certainly take the reds!

Great to know and appreciate you posting this!

Side note : what the hell happened pelican’s website? We have to shop by brand now? Awful…

Agreed, yellows would be amazing! Im happy with the reds since theyre simple and have a great warranty.

Not sure about their site. Part numbers should work just fine.

Originally Posted by jmack123

Would shocks/struts which work on the E70 platform automation be translatable to the F15? Not sure but it seems they have Koni Reds for the E70, which may be why these fit. I’m maknly curious because I believe Bilstein makes B8s for the E70 which may be a good lowering option if applicable to the F15 chassis.

Negative. Different part numbers.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by jmack123

Would shocks/struts which work on the E70 platform automation be translatable to the F15? Not sure but it seems they have Koni Reds for the E70, which may be why these fit. I’m maknly curious because I believe Bilstein makes B8s for the E70 which may be a good lowering option if applicable to the F15 chassis.

Don’t they have b6/8 for the f15 platform? Thought I saw one of those while researching. At any reate, they won’t work. The upper strut mounts and bump stops are of a different design.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by KnudsonM3

Agreed, yellows would be amazing! Im happy with the reds since theyre simple and have a great warranty.

Not sure about their site. Part numbers should work just fine.
.

Yep, the part numbers work.

Again, can’t thank you enough for posting this. Did you order them October and they just came in?

I’ve been looking for a reason ditch these bilsteins .

I’ll give pelican a call.

[jmack123]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Don’t they have b6/8 for the f15 platform? Thought I saw one of those while researching. At any reate, they won’t work. The upper strut mounts and bump stops are of a different design.

They do have B6s, but not B8s.

[KnudsonM3]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Yep, the part numbers work.

Again, can’t thank you enough for posting this. Did you order them October and they just came in?

I’ve been looking for a reason ditch these bilsteins .

I’ll give pelican a call.

Glad I could help!

I ordered them in October and have had them on the car since November. I didn't want to post anything until I had some miles on them.

I test drove a couple 958.2 Cayenne's recently since I was considering one for a DD. I couldn't find a diesel to test drive but I found a turbo and a gas base model. The turbo had air and the base had steel springs. Neither of them rode as nicely as the F15 I own (base with air). I could write an entire review on how the F15 is superior to the Porsche but I'll just leave it at that.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by KnudsonM3

Glad I could help!

I ordered them in October and have had them on the car since November. I didn't want to post anything until I had some miles on them.

I test drove a couple 958.2 Cayenne's recently since I was considering one for a DD. I couldn't find a diesel to test drive but I found a turbo and a gas base model. The turbo had air and the base had steel springs. Neither of them rode as nicely as the F15 I own (base with air). I could write an entire review on how the F15 is superior to the Porsche but I'll just leave it at that.

Wait, wait. Wait.

I was looking at 958.2s, as well. We were cross shopping them with the x5, but wife didn’t like the perceived snootiness of the brand, and lack of third row so I never even got to set foot in one. Of course, we’ve never used the third row, but I digress. I do like the comfort rear seat, though, so there’s that.

I was thinking the principal advantages of the cayenne were the ride/handling balance, interior quality (I despise the plastic creaks of my f15), and maybe the noise isolation. But if that isn’t true, I’ll feel a lot better, haha.

My F15 is base with air, as well. I put DWS 06 + tires on it. That helped with the ride, but not as much as I thought it would. Another change I made was adding rear subframe bushing inserts. Amazing change, and would recommend. Got rid of the saggy butt feeling (mostly) and eliminated the secondary rocking motion that those hollow bushings create when there’s nothing to damp them. I extra NVH that I could tell. I did a similar mod to my e91 with similar results.

I’ve been eyeing the 970 series sport turismos, but they seem to be hanging at a level that I wouldn’t want to spend on a depreciating asset. Decisions, decisions.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by jmack123

They do have B6s, but not B8s.

Good to know. Thanks.

[1norseman]

So, I appreciate OP for finding out about these. I have still not found a new vehicle I truly want, will keep driving my X5 until I do.

Anyway. In the past I reached out to Bilstein about their B6 shocks, were told they were a nono on lowered vehicles. I almost ordered them a few times, despite being told it would not work, just to see, but held back.

After reading this thread, I reached out to KONI and got this reply:
Thank you for your interest in KONI Shocks. Yes, these dampers will work with the factory M-Technik (sport suspension) lowering springs or a with a mild aftermarket lowering spring.

Good info to know. I might just order these KONI's, give them a try, since OEM shocks now have quite a few miles on them.

[jmack123]

KnudsonM3 - any experience with Bilstein B6s? Wondering how these compare as they are comparable in price.

[KnudsonM3]

Originally Posted by jmack123

KnudsonM3 - any experience with Bilstein B6s? Wondering how these compare as they are comparable in price.

Ive ridden in cars with bilsteins before and have always found them rough. I had a set of bilstein HD with H&R springs on my 95 M3, they were rough. The only bilstein Ive liked was a PSS9 I had on my e46 but as always, you get what you pay for.

Ive owned the following suspension set ups:

Bilstein HD with H&R sport springs 95 M3 (rough, not enough dampening)
Koni adj with H&R race springs 98 M3 (too low but was ok)
H&R coils 99 M3 (rough but functional)
TCKline Double adjustable coils 99 m3 (best suspension ive had in any car)
Fox shocks with internal and external res 2020 4runner (great for off road at high speeds, very comfortable for a truck framed rig)
Adaptive Suspension on an e70 (best at keeping our heads from moving everywhere)
Koni Adj with eibach's 128i. (most comfortable spring strut combo)
Sachs with Dinan springs F30 (current car and its the roughest worst riding car ive ever owned)

Im currently in the market for an f15 with Adaptive suspension to replace the F30.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Wow. So glad to hear this. I also found these while searching but was confused by all of the same road blocks you found.

I ended up going with bolstering B4. Pretty meh, imo.

I wish they made yellows for these cars, but I’ll certainly take the reds!

Great to know and appreciate you posting this!

Side note : what the hell happened pelican’s website? We have to shop by brand now? Awful…

What is the issue with the b4? Considering these for my wife's f15 that is in desparate need of new shocks. She would hate a buckboard ride. Running the eibach springs with the stock 98k mile shocks. I'm actually considering doing b8 front and b4 back, since I've read that the b8 in back is just way too stiff, and the b4 front is way too floaty. Not concerned about mismatching the front and back.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

What is the issue with the b4? Considering these for my wife's f15 that is in desparate need of new shocks. She would hate a buckboard ride. Running the eibach springs with the stock 98k mile shocks. I'm actually considering doing b8 front and b4 back, since I've read that the b8 in back is just way too stiff, and the b4 front is way too floaty. Not concerned about mismatching the front and back.

They’re just not that great. The B4s have issues with rebound and hysteresis. They buck and bounce around. At first, I thought they were ok, and they are compared well to blown stock units, but they’re nothing compared to Konis. B8s are monstrously stiff in my experience, so look out there. Especially at low speeds.

I was expecting the b4s to be just like stock. They’re not. They’re less refined.

At the end of the day, I don’t see why anyone would buy the Bilsteins when the Konis exist. The Konis are like a damn magic carpet and handle great. What more could you want?

I’ve been through this on 3 other BMW platforms. I am kicking myself for not going with the Konis. The b4s already have 30k on them. I’ll replace them around 50k with the Konis.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by tlow98

At the end of the day, I don’t see why anyone would buy the Bilsteins when the Konis exist. The Konis are like a damn magic carpet and handle great. What more could you want?

The big "why" is that the set of konis will run over $1k whereas I can get a set of b4s for around $520. End of the day is while the B4s aren't the best, will they be good enough for a daily driver suv.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

The big "why" is that the set of konis will run over $1k whereas I can get a set of b4s for around $520. End of the day is while the B4s aren't the best, will they be good enough for a daily driver suv.

Yeah, I get that. I do that work myself and so I look at it as “for $500 more I get exactly what I want”.

And, yeah, they will definitely work.

As I get older and have kids I’m always kicking myself for doing the same job twice. Time is more precious these days!

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

The big "why" is that the set of konis will run over $1k whereas I can get a set of b4s for around $520. End of the day is while the B4s aren't the best, will they be good enough for a daily driver suv.

I think i still have two rear brand new b4s. The company shipped me 2 sets back in the day. If you want them, you can have them for the cost of shipping plus $50.

This will make the set up incredibly reasonable for ya. Lemme know. PM and I can send pics or whatever.

No worries either way!

Also, to clarify, the front b4s are not floaty in my opinion. They just aren’t as refined as other options.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

The big "why" is that the set of konis will run over $1k whereas I can get a set of b4s for around $520. End of the day is while the B4s aren't the best, will they be good enough for a daily driver suv.

Might as well have the better option in this case, it's a very important suspension component and I think if your goal was "good enough" you wouldn’t have landed in an X5 as there are plenty of cheaper suv's that are good enough.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by tlow98

I think i still have two rear brand new b4s. The company shipped me 2 sets back in the day. If you want them, you can have them for the cost of shipping plus $50.

This will make the set up incredibly reasonable for ya. Lemme know. PM and I can send pics or whatever.

No worries either way!

Also, to clarify, the front b4s are not floaty in my opinion. They just aren’t as refined as other options.

Finally got the b4s installed, the fronts were a breeze, the rear was a complete nightmare. I don't know who the genius was that decided using a massive steel bolt threaded into aluminum threads was a good idea, but man alive, what a completely idiotic engineering decision. The bottom shock bolt on both sides were fused to the control arm due to galvanic corrosion. Car has spent it's entire life in NC and has never seen road salt, so no real reason for the corrosion other then the idiotic choice to thread a giant steel bolt into aluminum. No amount of heat/cold/force/drilling could be applied to get the bolts all the way out. One side snapped off, which is really saying something given it's a grade 10 m14 bolt, the other side I had to cut off. In the end, I had to replace the swing arm on both sides as there was no saving the original arms. Thanks BMW for the extra $1k in parts expense to replace something as basic as a rear shock.

Install drama aside, the ride is certainly better than the old stock shocks/struts. Overall, I'd say it's a little on the soft side for my taste, but very controlled without oscillation driving over bumps/dips in the road at speed. To be honest, I've never been a big fan of the way the f15 rides/handles, it's the least BMW-like ride/handling of the many BMWs I've owned. It's always been on the floaty-feeling side with twitchy steering, and the B4s didn't magically transform it into a handling phenom, but it's certainly comfortable and drives way more confidently than before.

Thanks Trent for hooking me up with the rear shocks, and nice job on the packing

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

Finally got the b4s installed, the fronts were a breeze, the rear was a complete nightmare. I don't know who the genius was that decided using a massive steel bolt threaded into aluminum threads was a good idea, but man alive, what a completely idiotic engineering decision. The bottom shock bolt on both sides were fused to the control arm due to galvanic corrosion. Car has spent it's entire life in NC and has never seen road salt, so no real reason for the corrosion other then the idiotic choice to thread a giant steel bolt into aluminum. No amount of heat/cold/force/drilling could be applied to get the bolts all the way out. One side snapped off, which is really saying something given it's a grade 10 m14 bolt, the other side I had to cut off. In the end, I had to replace the swing arm on both sides as there was no saving the original arms. Thanks BMW for the extra $1k in parts expense to replace something as basic as a rear shock.

Install drama aside, the ride is certainly better than the old stock shocks/struts. Overall, I'd say it's a little on the soft side for my taste, but very controlled without oscillation driving over bumps/dips in the road at speed. To be honest, I've never been a big fan of the way the f15 rides/handles, it's the least BMW-like ride/handling of the many BMWs I've owned. It's always been on the floaty-feeling side with twitchy steering, and the B4s didn't magically transform it into a handling phenom, but it's certainly comfortable and drives way more confidently than before.

Thanks Trent for hooking me up with the rear shocks, and nice job on the packing

Holy crap. That is a nightmare! Sorry to hear that.

Glad it all worked out in the end, but yeah that’s a terrible material choice, BMW.

Completely agree with you about the handling. It’s definitely a floaty car with twitchy steering.

Nothing like some home brew packing. Eesh, tho, that extra $1k. Le sigh. Happy to hear you powered through!

[NR40050i]

Hey any update on the koni red special active on the x5? I have an 50i msport with air leveling. Koni says they wont fit. ECS said they would, bimmer world said no, and Pelican said they should be good. Anyone have the air level system with the konis on them. i was looking into getting the b6 bilstien and keeping the stock springs but worried about the harsh ride i keep reading about.