Bilstein B6 Struts and Shocks Review

Quick recap:

OEM suspension components were marginal around 95,000 miles. Probably started noticing small symptoms back around 90,000 though. I limped everything along until 97,000 miles before throwing in the towel and replacing. Since I tow a travel trailer during summer months that weighs about 4,000 lbs loaded, I wanted to go with a more heavy-duty application than ACDelco OEM replacement.

What was replaced:

• Front struts
• Front coil springs
• Rear shocks
• Mounts

(Kept original rear coil springs, bump stops, etc.)

Bilstein B6 Review:

After having my mechanic install everything, I did a few quick trips around town yesterday and then towed my trailer 170 miles for some warranty work today. So I have a good initial idea of how the B6’s perform daily driving vs. loaded scenarios.

For me, these were a GREAT upgrade and I’m absolutely floored by how the vehicle performs. However, I don’t think they’re for everyone.

Why do I say this? Well, the ride is noticably stiffer, which I anticipated and was prepared for, but it definitely reduces the Acadia’s overall smoothness. Washboard roads provide some more noise and feeling throughout the frame, but in what I’d describe as more “grounded with the road” feedback. If you’re looking for the OEM feeling or a plushier ride, these are not for you.

But… speaking of grounded with the road, holy crap! These are freaking awesome! I never knew the Acadia could drive or feel like this. Even new, the Acadia OEM suspension has a lot of body roll and general “bounciness,” to give it that smoother over the road experience. Cornering always sort of sucked, but you convince yourself to get used to it, and handling was always meh.

Well, no more!

The B6’s make the Acadia handle like a sedan. Body roll — virtually eliminated. Handling and steering — actually responsive and fun. Large bumps and deep potholes — no more bottoming out and/or extra vertical motions. The whole vehicle feels more grounded and gripped to the road, with way better traction and launch than I ever got out of the OEM suspension. This was money well spent for these vehicles dynamics alone.

For towing, I never really had any squat before, helped by the weight distribution hitch, but when putting the trailer on the ball with the OEMs, the rear would sort of relax before the shocks and springs would provide resistance and sort of re-level everything out. With the B6’s, the rear barely twitches now — and I didn’t even replace the rear coils. On road, I feel even more in control of the trailer than I did before and turning is very much improved. I also found that I seem to have more control pointing the trailer in reverse — small bumps don’t make the hitch jump and throw off where I’m aiming as much.

Personally, I think these struts and shocks are awesome and well worth the money for both my towing needs and the driving dynamics that I want — but I also think they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. If you want slightly more handling and control without giving up the general OEM feel, supposedly the Bilstein B4’s are an OEM replacement with just 10% more stiffness.

I’ve read on some other forums that the Bilstein’s can have a little bit of a break-in period, so we’ll see if they get a little bit more cushy with some more miles.

If I had to assign points ratings, I’d give the Bilstein B6’s the following:

Ride quality: 7
Motion control: 9
Handling: 9.5
Payload: 9.5
Overall: 8.75

I’m not sure if anyone on the forum has installed the Bilstein B6 struts and/or shocks on their Acadia — because I didn’t find much in my earlier searching — so I figured I would provide a review. These are a HD option for the Acadia.OEM suspension components were marginal around 95,000 miles. Probably started noticing small symptoms back around 90,000 though. I limped everything along until 97,000 miles before throwing in the towel and replacing. Since I tow a travel trailer during summer months that weighs about 4,000 lbs loaded, I wanted to go with a more heavy-duty application than ACDelco OEM replacement.(Kept original rear coil springs, bump stops, etc.)After having my mechanic install everything, I did a few quick trips around town yesterday and then towed my trailer 170 miles for some warranty work today. So I have a good initial idea of how the B6’s perform daily driving vs. loaded scenarios.For me, these were a GREAT upgrade and I’m absolutely floored by how the vehicle performs. However, I don’t think they’re for everyone.Why do I say this? Well, the ride is noticably stiffer, which I anticipated and was prepared for, but it definitely reduces the Acadia’s overall smoothness. Washboard roads provide some more noise and feeling throughout the frame, but in what I’d describe as more “grounded with the road” feedback. If you’re looking for the OEM feeling or a plushier ride, these are not for you.But… speaking of grounded with the road, holy crap! These are freaking awesome! I never knew the Acadia could drive or feel like this. Even new, the Acadia OEM suspension has a lot of body roll and general “bounciness,” to give it that smoother over the road experience. Cornering always sort of sucked, but you convince yourself to get used to it, and handling was always meh.Well, no more!The B6’s make the Acadia handle like a sedan. Body roll — virtually eliminated. Handling and steering — actually responsive and fun. Large bumps and deep potholes — no more bottoming out and/or extra vertical motions. The whole vehicle feels more grounded and gripped to the road, with way better traction and launch than I ever got out of the OEM suspension. This was money well spent for these vehicles dynamics alone.For towing, I never really had any squat before, helped by the weight distribution hitch, but when putting the trailer on the ball with the OEMs, the rear would sort of relax before the shocks and springs would provide resistance and sort of re-level everything out. With the B6’s, the rear barely twitches now — and I didn’t even replace the rear coils. On road, I feel even more in control of the trailer than I did before and turning is very much improved. I also found that I seem to have more control pointing the trailer in reverse — small bumps don’t make the hitch jump and throw off where I’m aiming as much.Personally, I think these struts and shocks are awesome and well worth the money for both my towing needs and the driving dynamics that I want — but I also think they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. If you want slightly more handling and control without giving up the general OEM feel, supposedly the Bilstein B4’s are an OEM replacement with just 10% more stiffness.I’ve read on some other forums that the Bilstein’s can have a little bit of a break-in period, so we’ll see if they get a little bit more cushy with some more miles.If I had to assign points ratings, I’d give the Bilstein B6’s the following:Ride quality: 7Motion control: 9Handling: 9.5Payload: 9.5Overall: 8.75