Confusion over front shock - strut ???

[Kemo]

looking at my front shocks / struts, I am a bit confused as to the way things are set up. It seems that the bottom part of the assembly is black and is stamped as BOGE. However, the top part of the assembly is BILSTEIN green. Is this a normal setup from the factory? The back shocks are BILSTEINs. Below are some pix

[Kemo]

Forgot to mention that this is on a 78 911SC

thx

[kwm]

bump I have had a similar question myself...

[Steve@Rennsport]

Someone simply installed Bilstein inserts into the Boge struts and this is quite common.

[Flieger]

I thought the "insert" was the part that moved- the smaller diameter tube with the damper parts in it. In my view, he has Boge inserts in Bilstein struts.

Am I mistaken?

[barney911rs]

Flieger,

Yes you are mistaken. The insert is inside of the tube you see marked BOGE. The only way to truly know what strut inserts are in there is to pull them out. The only exception I can think of off the top of my head would be the Koni sports as it would have the adjuster at the top. Normally the green dust cover shown in the picture would not be changed with the inserts. I've never had BOGE struts, so I'm not sure if the dust cover would have to be changed if Bilstein inserts were used??? I'm sure Steve has the correct answer to the original question.

[robmog]

bilstein struts take bilstein inserts.
koni struts take koni inserts.
boge struts take any insert.
if you have rear bilsteins you probably have bilstein front inserts.
the only way to know for sure is to open up the front strut

[Hcarraro]

I have a similar problem, I have green Bilstein struts I recently purchased and Boge struts assemblies currently on my car. My question is this, I want to install the Bilsteins and use the upper Boge components are they compatable with each other?

I have been running around like head with its chicken cut off and have not had a chance to do a trial fit.

I was also considering sending the struts to Bilstein to have them rebuilt and the missing parts installed. Have any of you used Bilstein for rebuilds? Alertnatives?

Thanks in advance.


Henry

[RWebb]

several threads with good reports on Bilstein for rebuilds

[JWest]

Originally Posted by Hcarraro

I have a similar problem, I have green Bilstein struts I recently purchased and Boge struts assemblies currently on my car. My question is this, I want to install the Bilsteins and use the upper Boge components are they compatable with each other?


Henry

No. There are two different Bilstein inserts.

The one for the original Bilstein strut has a small diameter rod on the lower portion and is held in by a roll pin at the bottom of the strut housing.

The aftermarket Bilstein insert for the Boge strut has a larger metal tube on the lower portion to properly adapt the insert to the Boge housing and is held in by the strut tube upper gland nut. The two inserts are not interchangable except as an entire assembly with the housing.

[Hcarraro]

James,

Sorry I wasn't very clear in my question. I have purchased bilstein struts with bilstein inserts, I am missing the bilstein strut protection tubes and any mounting hardware that is specific to the Bilstein strut.

I was hoping to use these parts off of the boge struts still mounted on the car. At first glance it looks like the Boge strut protection tube opening at the top is too small for the Bilstein. I was thinking find a source for the bilstein strut tube and if they were not available in parts, just enlarge the hole on the Boge part and make it fit.

Hour host shows OEM striut protection tubes but don't indicated interchangeablility.

Henry

[JWest]

Originally Posted by Hcarraro

James,

Sorry I wasn't very clear in my question. I have purchased bilstein struts with bilstein inserts, I am missing the bilstein strut protection tubes and any mounting hardware that is specific to the Bilstein strut.

I was hoping to use these parts off of the boge struts still mounted on the car. At first glance it looks like the Boge strut protection tube opening at the top is too small for the Bilstein. I was thinking find a source for the bilstein strut tube and if they were not available in parts, just enlarge the hole on the Boge part and make it fit.

Hour host shows OEM striut protection tubes but don't indicated interchangeablility.

Henry

Well, the upper shaft has to go through the same size hole in the top mount so the hole should be the same size. As long as the outside diameter is workable they should interchange. I had a set of each here two weeks ago, but not now.