Bilstein 9200 series shocks are designed with racing in mind, but they are a good fit for most customers over the 8125 series shocks.

In this article i will go over a few of the differences between the 2 models of shocks.

Inventory levels of either model are low by industry standards, but there are many other brands in stock and on the shelf if you can't find the size you're looking for.

The biggest difference between the 2 shocks is piston design.

The 9200 series utilizes Bilsteins Gold linear style piston.

This is a high flowing piston designed with performance in mind.

On the left is the grey 8125 series piston. This is Bilsteins standard 60mm digressive style piston.

Customers often complain about low speed performance with this piston as it can feel "harsh" and "jittery". The main shims are preloaded against the face of the piston to make them harder to lift off, which can lead to poor performance over nuisance rocks and razr burn.

In contrast the gold piston is a high flowing linear style one, the shims are not preloaded against the face, and bleed is accomplished with holes drilled into the piston.

Both shocks use standard seal head assemblies that use an O ring and U cup style wiper seal.

They have large rod guide assembly sections which help with any side loads on the damper while its cycling.

9200s use much larger fittings for the reservoir which lends itself better to high speed performance.

This will reduce jacking from hydraulic force as the piston rod assembly pushes some of the oil volume out of the shock body.

Faster and easier flowing oil creates a cooler shock, which more stable performance for longer.

The hose on the 9200 series is a high temp race hose.

It's rated to 2,550 psi and features high flow bent 90 degree fittings. This makes it easier to fit the reservoir hose around tube work.

The 8125 uses a standard hose with standard fittings that come straight out of the shock.

The shafts are similar between the 2 dampers.

The rod ends on the 9200 series feature high quality COM10t bearings.

Both shocks come standard with a GM style foam shaft bump.

Both shocks use the same wiper cap.

This is a high strength wiper seal to remove dirt and rocks from the shaft so as to not damage the main seal head assembly.

Both the 8125 and 9200 are high quality coilovers with moderate to low inventory levels.

The 8125s come valved at 370/110 while the 9200s are valved at 255/100. While i haven't found an application where 370/110 is appropriate, either shock can be revalved for your application. That being said starting with 255/100 will get you much closer to the performance you're after.

8125s can be outfitted with the linear piston for better performance, but the other advantages of the 9200 series make it worth upgrading if you're after performance.

Whichever you decide, we're here to help. Let us know if you have any questions.