Bilstien front strut issues

jhelgesen · 09-12-2007, 04:35 PM

I've boge front struts with Bilstien inserts, custom valved for my car. I can't keep the top nuts (externally threaded strut) tight, they keep working loose, and the rubber seal keep popping out. Plus I have side to side movement of the shock in the strut on the passenger side. They didn't do this before I had them re-valved.

Car is only driven on the track.

Can I get new top nuts and seals, and do they have a spacer to go in the strut to take up the 1.7+mm of play ( measured with feeler gauges), or do I need to bite the bullet and find a set of bilstien struts and get new shocks again?

patkeefe · 09-12-2007, 04:59 PM

John, did Bilstein do the revalve? I seem to remember some brass threaded cap that goes into the Bilstein insert to maintain the spacing.

jhelgesen · 09-12-2007, 05:02 PM

Yes, I sent the shocks straight to Bilstein.

john walker's workshop · 09-12-2007, 05:16 PM

some strut/insert combinations used a cup shaped spacer sleeve that went in first and the nut was tightened down over that. if the insert wobbles sideways as it sits free in the strut, perhaps that's the issue.

jhelgesen · 09-13-2007, 08:11 AM

I've got Bilstein on the phone now, they think the nut may be bad, don't know of a spacer to go in there.

I notice in the picture a bulge under the nut/threaded portion. Should this be there?

jhelgesen · 09-13-2007, 08:24 AM

I love digging up old threads....

Bilstein question

While on the phone with Bilstein (in Mooresville, they said bring the car up for them to look at, hehehe) I started looking up my old threads, trying to find part numbers of what I had, and I found them.

Gave the part numbers to the guy, they say I have the wrong shocks. I have late 85-89 struts with early 74-85 shocks. The later shocks are 3.5mm longer.

They are sending me new nuts to work with since the seals are damaged, and said to put 4mm worth of spacers in the bottom of the strut housing, then the nut will have enough meat to engage the shock tube.

We'll see what happens. They were great to deal with.

jhelgesen · 11-05-2007, 03:50 AM

Update.

After I got the new strut nuts, I pulled the struts out and dropped 4mm worth of fender washers down each tube, then reinstalled the struts. After a weekend at Roebling, everything is still tight.

Incidentally, I took the car over the scales while at Roebling and found my corner weights way off. Had the car balanced at Eurowerks the other week, so I'll see how she does at CMP this weekend. The rear is little lower, so I hope it doesn't rub the fenders on the hard rights. They were able to -1.5 camber on the front, was hoping for more, have to work on that next.