steering and suspension Guess What I'm Doing This Weekend??

[BLUNT]

Whaat? I will never install those animals in any of my bimmers, period. Yes they are nicely engineered parts but man they are stiff. May be I am getting old. I like the original oil shocks or konis, much smoother ride especially over bad roads. You must have great roads in North Pole you live Santa.

 

lol When Im in my golden years like you and drive 47MPH in the fast lane Ill consider some oil shocks. Until then Ill be the guy passing you on the shoulder at 85MPH..

[Buckeye]

didn't need that $5 wrench thingie, my big pipe wrench worked just fine.

I thought pipe wrench is for pluming only. Good quality pipe wrench =$30, that thingie tool $5......

[Mike Self]

My experience:  KYBs vs Bilstein HDs...

 

KYB's -- gone at 35k miles

Bilsteins--still going strong at 170k miles--can't tell the difference from the Bilsteins on my '69 with less than 15k on 'em.   And the De Carbons on the rear of the 69 were installed in 1974...I've worn out a set of upper and lower mounting bushings, but not the shocks.  Incidentally De Carbon, (a French company) invented gas pressure shocks and licensed the process to Bilstein...

 

mike

[pehlivanov_tii]

@mike, glad to hear that your billys are still strong at 170 k miles. How old are they? Guys, do you think that the old Bilstein production (like any other things in our life) are with better quality than the new production? I was just wondering about that and it would be nice if somebody have experience with old and new bilsteins and give an opinion. I've just purchased Billys from wallothnesch.com. I should take a picture when they arrive and show what contains the set.

[AceAndrew]

@mike, glad to hear that your billys are still strong at 170 k miles. How old are they? Guys, do you think that the old Bilstein production (like any other things in our life) are with better quality than the new production? I was just wondering about that and it would be nice if somebody have experience with old and new bilsteins and give an opinion. I've just purchased Billys from wallothnesch.com. I should take a picture when they arrive and show what contains the set.

 

 

They'll be just fine.  Bilsteins do come with a lifetime warranty, BUT to use the warranty you need to send them back to whomever you bought them from (with receipt).  Which, because you bought them overseas, may be a bit spendy for you.

[roadhog0]

My used Billy's are just Meh (old black booted ones). But I'm also a little underdamped for my springs And I second the pipe wrench method!

 

[pehlivanov_tii]

For those who were wondering what does the set include - my Billies from Walloth & Nesch arrived today. I am very happy with them:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nik2p95zdtogkng/2014-06-10%2023.32.37.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/133tl5167r8ybcn/2014-06-10%2021.05.05.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnii5ye018umjk1/2014-06-10%2022.27.22.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/df5pzijs6vopdpc/2014-06-10%2021.04.20.jpg

[2002Targa]

Yeah, that's what I received also. 

I spoke with BAVAUTO and they stated that the struts no longer come with the strut caps and "Bilstien" recommends using a bigass pipewrench also.

 

Unfortunately, life happened last weekend and I was unable to get my new suspension in 

[OriginalOwner]

Hey Road,

 

"Here, hold my beer ......"    

 

With a mile-long cheater bar like that, iff'n that cap doesn't spin loose you'll have the dubious distinction of being the only guy who twisted & snapped those three small bolts that hold the strut to the lower control arm !!  Doing the math, I'm seeing at least 10,000 ft-lbs of torque available ..... Good Job !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[AceAndrew]

Yeah, that's what I received also. 

I spoke with BAVAUTO and they stated that the struts no longer come with the strut caps and "Bilstien" recommends using a bigass pipewrench also.

 

 

I call shenanigans.  Just got a couple HD and Sport sets from one of the same wholesale wharehouses that (I) IE and BavAuto and Blunt all buy from. 

 

All the HD's and the Sport's came with gland nuts.

 

 

My guess (and it may have no place in reality) is that they may have been buying direct from bilstein usa and got shipped a batch that didn't include gland nuts.  If you've ever delt with bilstein usa direct you'll have found they can be very difficult to deal with, especially if something is wrong.

 

pehlivanov_tii - looks great, just bear in mind that Bilstein's rear hardware randomly vary between 3 different styles (all of which will function on the 2002).  So what your showing may or may not be what the next guy gets.  Resellers have NO way to differentiate which hardware they receive, so asking for a certain "version" won't do any good.

Edited June 11, 2014 by AceAndrew

[M3M3]

Hey Road,

 

"Here, hold my beer ......"    

 

With a mile-long cheater bar like that, iff'n that cap doesn't spin loose you'll have the dubious distinction of being the only guy who twisted & snapped those three small bolts that hold the strut to the lower control arm !!  Doing the math, I'm seeing at least 10,000 ft-lbs of torque available ..... Good Job !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

i have taken apart a bunch of struts, and have never had to use any kind of cheater bar to get a gland nut loose...

[OriginalOwner]

+1 mlytle.  me neither.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[2002Targa]

Ok, my bad.  I didn't look under the boot.  They're there.   For some reason I remembered them coming in a bag like the shock hardware.  I still have my special wrench from my last set (and a bigass pipe wrench)