Strut question

[Kazoo-Mal]

I've got a 1989 911 with 67K miles. Bought last year and I cant find any records of any change in struts, so I'd like to change out. Struts look to be black front and back. The only code I can find in owners manual is Code 474 ( Sports shock absorbers). Suggestions would be appreciated on what I should use to replace. Thanks

[Harpo]

I believe that black struts are typically Boge, Yellow are Bilstein and Red are Koni. There are also green ones but I forget who makes them. What you replace them with largely depends on what you want to do with the car and your budget. IMHO Bilstein & Koni are some of the best.

David

[darrin]

what makes you think yours are in need of replacement? -- mine worked well for around 100k (when I replaced them with yellow Konis)

[AG81]

Mine where replaced at 150,000 and they were not leaking.

[PFNog]

Originally Posted by Harpo

I believe that black struts are typically Boge, Yellow are Bilstein and Red are Koni. There are also green ones but I forget who makes them. What you replace them with largely depends on what you want to do with the car and your budget. IMHO Bilstein & Koni are some of the best.

David

Green are also Bilstein. Yellow Bilstein are "sport" and Green are "HD" ... although I think Bilstein also uses other terms, but usually referred to as that. The 'sport' are firmer than 'HD', which are firmer than the Boge.

[S15508g]

Originally Posted by darrin

what makes you think yours are in need of replacement? -- mine worked well for around 100k (when I replaced them with yellow Konis)

How do you like the yellows. Thinking of doing them on my 89.

[RWebb]

if color is important you can paint them Black

I suggest getting them revalved or replaced with digressive shocks

even more importantly is whether the rubber in the suspension mounts has been replaced, not to mention fuel & brake hoses...

[Trackrash]

Koni Yellows with their external adjustments are the way to go IMO. 30 seconds to change the stiffness.

[stubble88]

I think green are Bilstein HD. No?

[BER]

Originally Posted by stubble88

I think green are Bilstein HD. No?

The Bilstein “greens” were a factory option on my 84 911; they were option code 474 and were listed as “Sport Shock Absorbers” on my COA.

I switched to Bilstein yellows in 1997 and have used the yellow shocks and struts since then. The yellow Bilstein are titled “Bilstein B6 Performance (Street Sport / Yellow)” by our host. They provide a bit firmer dampening and pair well with my larger torsion bars.

Be careful switching to Bilsteins. The rear shocks are an easy upgrade to Bilsteins, but if memory serves me you need a Green or Yellow Bilstein strut housing in order to fit Bilstein struts on the front.

I had red Konis on my old 911S; they were also a very nice performance shock/strut.

[Lyle O]

Originally Posted by BER

The Bilstein “greens” were a factory option on my 84 911; they were option code 474 and were listed as “Sport Shock Absorbers” on my COA.

I switched to Bilstein yellows in 1997 and have used the yellow shocks and struts since then. The yellow Bilstein are titled “Bilstein B6 Performance (Street Sport / Yellow)” by our host. They provide a bit firmer dampening and pair well with my larger torsion bars.

Be careful switching to Bilsteins. The rear shocks are an easy upgrade to Bilsteins, but if memory serves me you need a Green or Yellow Bilstein strut housing in order to fit Bilstein struts on the front.

I had red Konis on my old 911S; they were also a very nice performance shock/strut.

The OP has an ‘89, which came with Boge struts and shocks as standard. Bilstien makes inserts for the Boge struts in most performance levels (as mentioned above), as does Koni, etc.

[BER]

Thanks for the clarification Lyle. Was not aware Bilstein made inserts for non-Bilstein strut housings. Good to know. 👍

[Walt Fricke]

As Bruce knows, Bilsteins are "upside down" shocks, with the heavy part attached to the car (sprung weight). The actual Bilstein strut has a hole at the bottom. The shock inserts into the strut tube, and a pin goes through the holes at the bottom, one of which is on that end of the shock. This is what resists droop.

The Bilsteins for Boges (at least), which don't have provision for a cross pin at the bottom, simply have an extra tube on their outsides. This tube has the attachment for the base of the shock. The extra tube extends all the way to the top of the strut, and the strut collar, when screwed on tight, captures the tube. Neat. When you buy them you can't see any of this, just a cylinder you drop in a hole like other shocks for McPherson struts.

Racers like the Bilstein struts because their exterior is just a uniform tube, which means you can cut the wheel spindle welds and raise the spindle, thus lowering the car without (or with less) changing suspension geometry adversely. Boge struts are necked down at the spindle collar, so you can't sensibly raise them - not without cutting and sectioning and welding on the strut tube itself.