Jump to content
HybridZ

Bilstein Struts


Recommended Posts

My car is up on stands at present with the wheels off and the engine out so, for once, I got off my bum and actually checked something Jon. Actually checked the monoball for steering rotation, both with the suspension loaded and unloaded. It does not rotate and as you can see from the pic it would not be a good idea if it did.

post-185-073244500 1293606051_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That thing at the top is a swivel. I know that much. I still don't see how it would be possible to turn the wheel without the monoball moving, unless the bottom half of the strut turned and the top half didn't. I know it's blazing hot out there, but I'd appreciate if you would turn the wheel and see if the shock shaft moved with it. Maybe also take a marker and put a dot on the monoball itself and see if it moves. FWIW, I also turned mine today (with the top nut loose), and I watched the shock shaft turn in the monoball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that answer doesn't make sense. Just thinking about it logically I'd like to see how the monoball does not rotate with steering effort. Once you tighten down the nut on top of the strut, it forces the strut to hold tightly to the monoball. If you turn the wheel, when the strut housing turns at the bottom, there is no way that the monoball at the top can resist turning unless the shock shaft turns, which is what the site you linked to says they are trying to prevent with their design.

 

The shock body and strut may be turning around the shock piston and shaft or the shock shaft may be turning within the monoball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shock body and strut may be turning around the shock piston and shaft or the shock shaft may be turning within the monoball.

I think it is answer A, but that is specifically what the previous page he linked to says shouldn't happen. I don't think B is likely if the top nut is tight, because that would hold the shock shaft to the monoball tightly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Well I have bad news. I shipped the strut out on the 6th of january and got a call from bilstein this evening stating that they received my package but the strut was missing. The tech said there was a small hole in the box and only the service request paper work was in the box.... So now since the strut is long NLA i have to buy a new pair of illuminas and hope they can take the unknown spring rate of my mysterious black springs. Not to mentions I have to spend $236 for them as opposed to $100 to rebuild my bilstein strut. I asked for insurance and never got it. Not that it matters since i have no way of proving the value of the part or a receipt of purchase... I digress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't rule out new Bilsteins. They're about $100 each, and all you need is a roughly cut spacer to run them. I used 1.625 x .060" tube for a spacer. You can get the 1.625 x .120 for about $7 per foot, I think you'd need about 6 inches to do both fronts if they're stock length.

 

http://www.onlinemet...283&top_cat=197

 

Hope you sent the package via some sort of insured shipping method.

Edited by JMortensen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Well I ended up getting the Illuminas they can in the mail with shock shaft poking out of the box. I bought them from shox.com and they were shipped via UPS this time ( go figure). they seem to be fine but that just annoyed me.

 

Anyway, I also found out some interesting news. I basically had a home-made coilover setup. The springs I have are stock 3" ID springs with a length of 13.5 decompressed.

 

I'm in the process of ordering new springs t fit the 2.5 ID camber plates i received. After a little bit of searching My question is should I just go with a 12" spring or a 14" to stay as close to the height the stock spring was at before. I'm thinking 12" springs because of where the camber plates will be mounted now ( underneath the tower which brings the whole setup down a few inches. I like the height the car was at and I CANNOT move the adjustable perches I dunno if they are stuck or welded that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

The monoball will always take the damping load, It also will take huge peak loads if you bottom the shock and jam things tight. Bottoming out the shock is what pounds out the monoballs. The needle bearings allow the spring/strut to rotate for steering and to relieve torsion build up in the spring on the rears.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...