Owner reviews for shock absorbers

I replaced all mine at 88k. A little bit before that (maybe around 85k), I started getting wheel hop with WOT in 1st and even a little in 2nd, with stock power. Bilstein B4s, and no more wheel hop :)

Just passed the 1,000 mile mark on these and thought I'd share my thoughts on this innovative shock from Koni. Marketed as a "jack-of-all-trades" sport shock with bypass valves for a smooth ride over harsh roads and flatter cornering. Initially, the ride felt slightly firmer than stock, but over time, I noticed it's smoother over bumps and rough jolts. The car feels like a more premium German Sports Car. Big jolts are ironed out noticeably, making it smoother than stock, even if not softer. Slight waves are more noticeable as they don't activate bypass valves. Koni's add stability, preventing the car from being upset by mid-corner bumps. Overall rating on KONI's: 8.5/10. They are somewhat firmer but handle rough roads better and ride "richer" and more premium overall.

when my shocks wore out on the C5, I wasn't gonna pay $750 per shock for shitty, soft shocks, even if they're some form of (very early) mag ride. I bought way cheaper, way better ones far more suited to my needs than grandpa's. Funny, the cheapest shocks you can buy for a C5 are the OEM C6 Z06 shocks and they're like $280 for all four, and they're great.

I like Gabriel shocks. Gabriel offers one of the most extensive light vehicle product lines in the aftermarket. Not to mention the most durable, too

The B4 is now available for both ends.

Bilstein B8 Sport is a great strut/shock. I'm using the MKV version on my 2006 GTI paired with H&R Sport and the ride is great.

Used B6s front and rear along with GTI springs, resulted in nearly as smooth and predictable ride and vastly better handling.

B4 are like oem with better control and rebound damping. B6 and B8 are the same except for length. B8 is for lowered suspension. Basically, if you going with R springs, do R B6 shocks and either shim the rear or get R variant rear springs from Europe.

I had a 2010 for nearly 6 years. 3 sets of rear shocks in that time. Otherwise it was perfect.

Glad you ruled out old man emu. I have them on my 100 and they are rough!