The world of automotive suspension has two faces. You’ve got the flashy one centered around performance coilovers, springs, and shocks. And then there’s the much more extensive, OEM-focused side that governs tie rods, control arms, and other suspension parts you won’t read about in many tuning guides.
While Bilstein is a popular name in the world of flashy suspension upgrades, Febi Bilstein dominates this other, much larger segment.
The Origins of Febi Bilstein
Much like many other auto industry brands from Europe, Febi Bilstein has a long and rich history. Although the company was first founded all the way back in 1844, Febi, as we know it today, was registered as a brand in 1923. Ferdinand Bilstein went from a metal product trader to a full-on auto parts manufacturer as soon as motor vehicles were invented.
From the early 20th century up until 1951, Febi was mainly focused on producing various bolts for the automotive industry. Among these was their patented spring-bolt, which gave the brand that initial push it needed.
The period from 1951 and onward represents the OEM era of Febi Bilstein — a trend that continues to this day. Febi Bilstein is a proud member of the Bilstein Group that most car enthusiasts are familiar with.
The OEM Range
Even though Febi Bilstein covers various engine components and vehicle parts with their catalog, this brand is best known for quality OEM suspension components. Part of the reason why is the association with the other Bilstein brand. In fact, both are members of the same group.
They offer control arms, ball joints, steering components, wishbones, and many other suspension parts for various vehicles. The other part of their catalog covers engine parts, transmission components and transmission mounts, water pumps, and many other spare components.
All of the products found in Febi Bilstein’s catalog are OEM grade and are often considered to be the go-to choice when Genuine parts aren’t available.
Quality First Policy
Quality is a massive part of what makes Febi Bilstein such a trusted name in the OEM and aftermarket industry. It’s a tradition that was forged back in the early days of the automotive industry when Febi was going against every other machine shop in Germany and elsewhere.
Back then, there were no established brands. You had to make your own reputation, and you had to beat dozens of strong competitors to do so. Then, just like today, quality was the only metric that could solidify your company’s position in a market. The leadership of Febi Bilstein hasn’t forgotten that important lesson. This company’s policy revolves around providing the best possible quality to its clients.
Advanced Engineering
Vehicle parts made by Febi begin their journey in this company’s R&D department, where engineers are using the latest technologies to design automotive components carefully. This phase of the process is where all parts are pushed to their limits, and design flaws are ironed out before anything is sent to mass production.
As a result, steering components, suspension parts, and other OEM products that leave the Febi Bilstein factory are parts you can trust.
Made in Germany
The OEM certification on Febi Bilstein parts is a valid proof of quality, and there’s no doubt about that. Yet, there’s something about the Made in Germany stamp that inspires even more confidence when it comes to auto parts. Even though it sounds like an overused trope by now, German quality is a real thing.
Febi Bilstein runs a massive 10,000 square meter production facility where they utilize the latest and greatest in tooling and manufacturing machines. Everything that carries this brand’s logo is made in-house using their own manufacturing plants.
Speaking of manufacturing plants, Febi Bilstein has moved its entire production line into a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in 2017. Fitted with the most advanced tooling and production line technology at the time, this new facility ensured that Febi’s brand continues to deliver quality and reliability well into the future.
Quality Control
After each part is designed, cleared for production, and manufactured, it needs to pass rigorous quality control. The QC procedures and standards at Febi Bilstein are precisely what you’d expect them to be — strict, thorough, and with zero tolerance for imperfections. Every OEM and aftermarket part is tested and inspected for defects of any kind.
The parts that get cleared are those that pass the QC stage with flying colors. That way, when you buy wishbones, steering parts, or transmission parts for your car, you can rest assured that your vehicle is fitted with the absolute best quality you can get.
FebiPLUS
Aside from the standard OEM range of products, Febi also offers a FebiPLUS group of OEM/aftermarket auto parts. This class of products was specifically designed to address vehicle parts that you can rarely find outside the Genuine range. We’re talking about anything from ignition switches and fuel filler caps to engine control units and body panels.
The idea behind FebiPLUS is to give retail users, and DIY enthusiasts access to the same type of parts that are usually reserved only for official service networks. Despite being under development, the current catalog of FebiPLUS includes over 34,000 parts, and this list keeps expanding year after year.
Febi Bilstein at eEuroparts.com
eEuroparts.com is happy to announce that we carry a wide range of Febi Bilstein products. To find parts that match your vehicle, all you need to do is head over to our online store. There, you’ll find a navigation menu where you can select your vehicle’s year, make and model. Once you input that information, our system will give you a comprehensive list of products that match your criteria.
To narrow the search down to a specific brand, simply check the left-hand side of the result page and look for the brand selection menu. Next, find Febi Bilstein on the list, click the checkbox next to it, and our system will automatically filter out any other brands.
If you have any questions regarding our catalog or the availability of specific parts, you can contact our customer support service. We’re standing by to offer whatever assistance you need.
Does FEBI make more than one level of quality for a given part? I find that machining specs can be accurate but if an inferior grade material is used it will fail sooner than one machined with a better quality material.
febi has a span of quality levels not disclosed to us directly, from premium aftermarket to Original Equipment. Whenever we know what this level is we will update the listing with this information. Otherwise the quality of febi parts should be assumed higher than most aftermarket, with a price point that reflects this.