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Hi! Has anyone tried putting different brands of shocks in their car? So a few weeks ago, I ordered B6 from 4WheelOnline. I have standard Gabriel shocks for the fronts but the new shocks will be used for the rears. I don't have new springs yet. I've read the Bilstein sports shocks are meant to be used with lowering springs. I'm currently looking at H&R springs 29533-1 to pair with the B6's. Is it true that the rear springs will come off the perches when you jack the car up due to the heavy-duty shocks?

I've often run different brands F and R. Always seems to be KYBs on one end and Bilsteins on the other. No issues that I could tell although I might not be as sensitive to it as some. Never had a problem with the spring coming off the seat either, it might be undriveable if it did, going over a bump is a much sharper compression/extension than jacking it up.

I think the primary concern should be the age difference of the shocks vs. the brand difference. Bilsteins are available for the e12 in B6 or B8 for the rears, fronts B6 only. B6's are called Sports and B8's are Heavy Duty. B8's were traditionally recommended with lowering springs however I had a conversation with Bilstein who said B6's are ok to use with lowering springs. I believe the dimensions of each are the same, just different internal valving. Wallothnesch carries the front strut specific to the 535 M Sport model but I have no idea if they're 6's, 8's or a hybrid. The rears have 3 seating positions which I suppose accommodates different spring heights. I just set mine in the middle using H&R lowering springs. Note that front strut applications changed somewhere around 1977, the production dates are noted in RealOEM.

I currently have Bilstein HDs on the rear in my 530i. Springs remain compressed when jacked up.
I don't think spring compression is ever released without disassembly when using the stock springs and struts.
That statement stands for both front and rear.