Bilstein strut inserts - more questions.
 

I've been working on the car all weekend and one of the jobs I've done is replace my front Boge inserts with Bilstein.

I'm surprised by what came off against what went back on. Above the strut 'gland' nut on the Boge units was a plastic spacer piece, and a large rubber bumpstop, and of course the metal dust cover. Compared to this the Bilsteins simply had the metal dust cover. I even did not use the small rubber 'washer' that I believe is just a packing piece on the new Bilsteins.

Can anyone confirm that I didn't have to re-use either the plastic spacer or the rubber bump stop?

Another question - what is the correct torque for the strut top nut (the top most one in the front compartment)?

Thanks again.

The replacement Bilsteins have the bump stop stuff inside the cartridge. So you don't need any of the junk that came off the Boge setup.

The torque spec. for the top nut of the damper shaft is 80 Nm = 59 lb-ft. The torque spec for the screws that hold the strut bushing to the body is 47 Nm = 35 lb-ft. if you want to check those since you have the torque wrench out anyway........... :D

Thanks Kevin!

Just got to find someone local that can powder coat my belly pan now, and order some new rack gaiters......

Kevin,
Do you mean the 3 socket head ones that affect allignment? If so, I don't suppose you know what size these screws are?

I've still not got round to doing this. but going by the state of the top mount, I think replacing the 3 bolts may be a smart idea.

Yep. The three socket heads are the ones. They are M10 x 20mm long. I'm pretty sure the pitch is standard M10, which is 1.5.

Sorry I missed your other topic. Never saw it...... :(

Chuck M is dead on about the heat gun for the black tar stuff. Comes off so easy with the gun. Then you clean up the remaining residue with a rag and solvent such as kerosene or adhesive remover.

Thanks Kevin. Now I'm thinking a strut brace would be a cool idea while I'm at it. The old "while I'm in there" mentality can be expensive!

Do you need to replace the black caulk like substance once aligned?

John

[QUOTE]The old "while I'm in there" mentality can be expensive![QUOTE]

You can say that again!

If your car sees wet weather regularly? It'd be a good idea to put some sealant around the top strut mount inside the trunk. That's what the goop is for, to keep water from sneaking between the cracks and getting into the trunk.

A thin bead of clear RTV would do just fine IMO. My car rarely sees wet weather. So i've yet to do it myself. But since i'm done boogering with the alignment anymore, I ought to put the tube of RTV to use instead of it eventually drying out and being thrown away!

And yes, the "while you're in there" thing got way out of control back when I did my car. Live and learn................. :rolleyes: