Thread: Bilstein shocks - where to get in melb?

G'day NJZ,

Try Ritters in Burwood.

I had a quote for $189 each.. which I thought was pretty good..... Les Richmond quoted over $220....

The I walked in to Ritters on Saturday morning as I was passing.... $167.50 each

So I have brand new front shocks and very happy too....

What I saved should get me at least... umm...100km worth of fuel...V8

Mark

Originally Posted by njz

Thanks for the info - its much appreciated.
I've got 2 part numbers for the rear shocks:
B46-0253 and BE5-2779
Anyone know the difference between them? I'm running stock springs if that makes any difference. Also do they usually supply the mounting hardware? I remember reading another thread where someone had problems with the bilstein mounting hardware (washers?) wearing out. Any advice?

b46-0253 is for coil spring up to 50mm lift according to Quadrant. Be5 is intented for air bag on later model rovers.

glen

got mine from ritters too.

I finally got the Bilsteins fitted and thought I should write a few lines about them...

Handling has improved considerably, with much less body roll around corners. You have to push it quite hard to get some body roll. It also feels more stable at freeway speeds. Even cruising around at 60 its smoother with less of that side to side jiggle over small road imperfections. Overall its much nicer to drive around town and on the highway.

The ride has firmed up a bit but not uncomfortably so (in the front seats that is). I'm not sure why, but you feel it more when the rear axle rides over a bump compared to the front. Out of curiosity or maybe stupidity I drove around a bit and over a few speed bumps with my gf in the back seat and she said you could feel the bumps more compared to the front.

Excuse my highly technical description here, but get a sort a ka - thump when the rear wheels go over a bump compared to a very well damped soft thump from the front.
Could I have the wrong spec shock installed in the back? Do the letters at the end mean anything?

On a 97 V8 D1 I've got:
front B46-0243 HD
rear B46-0255 MO (or MD have to check)
new front and rear genuine springs

depends on the spring rate and shock valving. Try it with a few more pounds than your gf in the back.
'HD' used to mean heavy duty valving, and 'C' used to be comfort, maybe Discoute knows if the 'MD' means medium duty ???

The felt reduced roll is attributable to the increased low speed (shock shaft speed, not vehicle speed, and mainly bump) forces. Dampers don't actually reduce the amount of roll achievable, just the rate of roll, or time taken to achieve it.

I dunno what anyone else thinks but to me the washer shown has been whacked by something hard ie a rock. That is why the thing distorted and the rubber cracked!
To me no blame to the poor washer.
Regards Philip A

By the way shocks are not intended to limit body roll. Thats the job of the springs and roll bars if any.
If a shock limits body roll, or to be more precise the initial movement of the body just as you turn, then generally it is too stiff, but the gas pressure in Bilstiens can give this impression.
Graeme Cooper tells me there are 2 versions of Bilstien, comfort and sport, and many who buy sport bring them back to have revalved to comfort. Even comfort is significantly stiffer than OEM.
The back will maybe be better with a load,but shocks should be like kids
unobtrusive ie seen but not heard or in this case felt.
He also tells me that comfort on a D11 is to many people unbearable, but that Bilstien just ignores him.
Regards Philip A

sorry, gas pressure in a damper has absolutely no bearing on felt roll or the lack of, it's totally down to low speed valving, generally the bleed port size. We are talking 4"/sec or less shaft movement. If there is a felt roll reduction, it certainly doesn't mean the damper is too stiff. You can valve a damper so the damn thing barely moves in a comparatively short corner in roll, yet blows the main valve stack wide open on a decent bump and be totally underdamped. I've had dampers (billies btw) that were valved so stiffly in low speed rebound they were pulling the rear wheels off the track under brakes, yet rode ripple strips superbly.