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wontonron
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2015
Posts: 7
Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 12:33 pm Post subject: Bilstein shock problems |
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So I decided to pull the trigger on a set of Bilsteins for my 67 Fastback. The rears went on perfectly, the front ones not so much. They do not fit. The part numbers match from the vendor I purchased them from as well. Basically the lower mounting point for the shock is too narrow to slide over the lower trailing arm. Any info to point me in the right direction will help. Thanks.
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Clatter
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Joined: September 24, 2003
Posts: 7544
Location: Santa Cruz
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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If I'm seeing this like I think I am,
You have the inner sleeve from the old shock still on the mounting stud.
If they seize on there, and the old rubber bush deteriorates, it will stick in place.
See if you can't grab that sleeve off of there.
Maybe some penetrating oil, heat, and some twisting...
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Yeti69
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Joined: July 14, 2010
Posts: 114
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Exactly what clatter says - the old sleeve is still in situ. Maybe you can get away with a good pair of pliers and rotate the sleeve without using heat, twisting it off.
You will love the Bilsteins - once they fit!
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Last edited by Yeti69 on Sat Apr 25, 2015 1:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wontonron
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2015
Posts: 7
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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| You are absolutely right. Thank you. |
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Yabbadubbadoo
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Joined: May 21, 2012
Posts: 914
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:52 am Post subject: |
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Hey, let us know what you think of the ride when you get it rolling.
Cheers. P
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pitargue
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Joined: December 24, 2006
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
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Tram
Samba Socialist
Joined: May 02, 2003
Posts: 22727
Location: Still Feelin' the Bern- Once you've felt it you can't un- feel it.
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| pitargue wrote: |
I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
In the early days of gas shocks, we saw these complaints all the time. 100% of the time it was due to overinflated tires. Hydraulic shocks will "forgive" overinflation to a degree, gas will not.
I regularly see 30 plus year old Bilstein shocks on Mercedes that still have a most definite gas charge.
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JeeJeeJason
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Joined: May 23, 2014
Posts: 234
Location: Bay area, CA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:23 am Post subject: |
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| pitargue wrote: |
I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
I agree. My car has Bilsteins all the way around and it is much too stiff. You can tell when you go to install them that they're super stiff, it takes quite a bit of force to compress them and fit them on.
I'll probably go with the KYB oil shocks soon.
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Erik G
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Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13280
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:39 am Post subject: |
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| JeeJeeJason wrote: |
| pitargue wrote: |
I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
I agree. My car has Bilsteins all the way around and it is much too stiff. You can tell when you go to install them that they're super stiff, it takes quite a bit of force to compress them and fit them on.
I'll probably go with the KYB oil shocks soon. |
I'm not aware of any KYB oil shocks for our cars
for what it's worth, their new black "excel-g" is the old silver GR2. Gas
Their new silver "Gas-a-just" is the old White gas-a-just
I'm not a KYB fan - never have been. I've found regular local store brand oil shocks to be cheaper and better than KYB. I prefer Koni - but settle for OEM Sachs/Boge
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JeeJeeJason
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Joined: May 23, 2014
Posts: 234
Location: Bay area, CA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:33 am Post subject: |
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| Erik G wrote: |
| JeeJeeJason wrote: |
| pitargue wrote: |
I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
I agree. My car has Bilsteins all the way around and it is much too stiff. You can tell when you go to install them that they're super stiff, it takes quite a bit of force to compress them and fit them on.
I'll probably go with the KYB oil shocks soon. |
I'm not aware of any KYB oil shocks for our cars
for what it's worth, their new black "excel-g" is the old silver GR2. Gas
Their new silver "Gas-a-just" is the old White gas-a-just
I'm not a KYB fan - never have been. I've found regular local store brand oil shocks to be cheaper and better than KYB. I prefer Koni - but settle for OEM Sachs/Boge |
Yea typo, I was looking at the KYB gas shocks. Have you ever used the EMPI shocks?
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Air-Cooled Head
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Joined: October 15, 2002
Posts: 4070
Location: Chicago Suburbs
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:04 am Post subject: |
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| Erik G wrote: |
I'm not a KYB fan - never have been. I've found regular local store brand oil shocks to be cheaper and better than KYB. I prefer Koni - but settle for OEM Sachs/Boge |
Agreed. KYB=Keeps You Bouncing. I never tried Koni once I went to Boge.
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Erik G
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Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13280
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| Air-Cooled Head wrote: |
| Erik G wrote: |
I'm not a KYB fan - never have been. I've found regular local store brand oil shocks to be cheaper and better than KYB. I prefer Koni - but settle for OEM Sachs/Boge |
Agreed. KYB=Keeps You Bouncing. I never tried Koni once I went to Boge. |
Koni makes quite possibly the finest shock absorbers on earth. And they are priced like it. I just can't justify the cost for a car I drive so little
summitt seems to have the best price and free shipping
http://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/koni/depa...l/fastback
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Tram
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Joined: May 02, 2003
Posts: 22727
Location: Still Feelin' the Bern- Once you've felt it you can't un- feel it.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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| JeeJeeJason wrote: |
| pitargue wrote: |
I put Bilsteins on the front, and it was way too stiff. Car kinda pushed/skidded on turns due to the firmness of the shocks. Put oil shocks back on and it's a more compliant ride. Also, the Bilsteins raised the front about 1/2".
Maybe if the Bilsteins broke in a bit, it would be better. |
I agree. My car has Bilsteins all the way around and it is much too stiff. You can tell when you go to install them that they're super stiff, it takes quite a bit of force to compress them and fit them on.
I'll probably go with the KYB oil shocks soon. |
Once again... if you are running more PSI than the car was designed for, you'll get a stiff ride.
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| Just my hands. And a little lube. No tools. |
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blues90
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2009
Posts: 1912
Location: Hollywood ,CA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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When I got new tires in 98 the fellow who installed the tires pointed out my left front shock was leaking so I went the the same small family owned VW I got most of my parts from and they suggested KYB gas shocks . The rears were more heavy duty than the fronts , he said if you put the heavy ones on the front it will ride to stiff . I just took their advice . They were a bit difficult to install on the rear I had to install the top bolt first . If I recall they come with a sort of strap to keep them compressed so you can get them on.
I felt they were just fine , car handled better . They were the white ones . they still seem to act just like they did when I got them. |
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EverettB 
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Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69824
Location: Phoenix Metro
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vwfye
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Joined: April 15, 2000
Posts: 7661
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:13 am Post subject: |
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I run bilsteins on the rear of my speedster notch and stock on the front. makes for a fantastic handling car, yet tame on speed bumps and such...
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Nate M.
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Joined: August 11, 2003
Posts: 1306
Location: Anacortes, WA U.S.A.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:56 am Post subject: |
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Agree 100%!! That is a smokin' deal on Koni adjustables too!! Thanks for posting that. It costs double that to have Koni rebuild a single shock. . . amazing deal. I just wish they were easier to adjust like the Koni Yellows are. . . 
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blues90
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2009
Posts: 1912
Location: Hollywood ,CA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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| EverettB wrote: |
Yes, they come tied together so they are not laying around fully extended.
I'm guessing that is bad for it.
You should be able to push them together by hand unless you have a dangerously low level of muscle tone. |
The front shocks I could move by hand but the rears were quite a bit larger in diameter , took quite a bit of force to compress those they even raised the rear of the car over an inch. |
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JeeJeeJason
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Joined: May 23, 2014
Posts: 234
Location: Bay area, CA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| blues90 wrote: |
| EverettB wrote: |
Yes, they come tied together so they are not laying around fully extended.
I'm guessing that is bad for it.
You should be able to push them together by hand unless you have a dangerously low level of muscle tone. |
The front shocks I could move by hand but the rears were quite a bit larger in diameter , took quite a bit of force to compress those they even raised the rear of the car over an inch. |
Yea I had to basically put my whole body weight on mine to get them compressed for the front of my car when I went down two splines. Obviously that's because we lowered the car as well, but they're definitely stiff. I'm also just a skinny dude with a lack of muscle tone (Thanks Everett)
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EverettB
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Joined: April 11, 2000
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Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| JeeJeeJason wrote: |
| blues90 wrote: |
| EverettB wrote: |
Yes, they come tied together so they are not laying around fully extended.
I'm guessing that is bad for it.
You should be able to push them together by hand unless you have a dangerously low level of muscle tone. |
The front shocks I could move by hand but the rears were quite a bit larger in diameter , took quite a bit of force to compress those they even raised the rear of the car over an inch. |
Yea I had to basically put my whole body weight on mine to get them compressed for the front of my car when I went down two splines. Obviously that's because we lowered the car as well, but they're definitely stiff. I'm also just a skinny dude with a lack of muscle tone (Thanks Everett) |
Got it - I must not be familiar with these larger ones.
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