How much ride height change from new shocks??

[chrisbruck]

Based on your experience, can you tell me how much (if any) your ride height increased when you replaced the shocks only? 1/4", 1/2", 1"... etc.

I'm looking for specifics on these options:

FRONT - Stock Boge to Bilstein HD

REAR - Stock Boge to Bilstein HD
or
REAR - Stock Boge to Bilstein Sport

[Reifle]

I replaced all four corners with Bilstein Sport. The old shocks were so far gone that the car sagged into the wheel wells. (Real bad in the back). I had already done the adjustment to lower the car. To my surprise when I did install the new shocks the car came up slightly and the wheel wells were no longer interfering with the tires. The car was level - equal front and rear and it had a great stance. As you can see in the first photo how the back is sagging quite a bit. The second photo shows the correction made with the new shocks - looks much better - 15 X 6 with 205/50 tires! Since then I am running 16 in. wheels which raised the car just slightly again but it kept the even stance and looks great. (Sorry no photo)

With the Fuchs wheels the cars stands just under 25 ins. from the bottom lip of the fender to the ground.

[Bob Kontak]

Reifle,

Did you replace Boge with the Bilstein Sport?

I replaced the factory Bilstein HD's with Sports. I did not notice a difference in height.

[JAR0023]

I added Bilstein HDs to my 86 last fall. I'd recommend not finalizing ride height until you get a few miles on them. Mine settled in a smidgen after a few hard drives.

My car came to me with Koni Reds (low/no pressure gas) on the front and KYB (high pressure) on the rear. Nothing wrong with either given their purposes but a mismatch. PPO loved the car. PO kept it going, hence the KYBs.

When I swapped out the fronts ride height came up maybe half an inch. I think I remember needing two turns on the torsion adjusters to get it back close. On the rear the Bilstein HDs actually brought the ride height down. Not much, maybe a quarter of an inch. All from memory. I remember it being just about enough to measure. -J

[Reifle]

Yes I replaced the Boges. It just settled the car evenly more or less and after a few hard drives the car settled a bit more. Great ride - it is harsh but I like it.

[michael lang]

Mine came up a lot. I went from the stock Boge shock to Bilstein Sports in the front & rear. At the time I did it, I had already lowered my car. The front came up about 1 3/4 in and the rear was about 1 1/2 in. So back to the alignment shop I went. I was not expecting that when I installed the shocks in my car.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Reifle

Great ride - it is harsh but I like it.

Bill Verburg and many others have stated the Sport only in the rear and HD in front will save you a few trips to the dentist. However, I have Sports all around and I am fine with it. I would not call the ride harsh, perhaps very telegraphic. :-)

chrisbruck, read up on digressive valving in the Bilsteins. May be a cool option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMnZTodTCZ0

[chrisbruck]

This is exactly what I'm hoping to avoid..... but not much I can really do about it. Maybe I will get lucky and it won't change a whole lot. My car is already lowered some and I could handle maybe 1" of height increase.

Originally Posted by michael lang

Mine came up a lot. I went from the stock Boge shock to Bilstein Sports in the front & rear. At the time I did it, I had already lowered my car. The front came up about 1 3/4 in and the rear was about 1 1/2 in. So back to the alignment shop I went. I was not expecting that when I installed the shocks in my car.

[Quicksilver]

I'm trying to figure out what possible physics could be used to claim that the quantity of lifting force from a nitrogen charged shock could lift a car anything near an inch.

The shocks don't hold the car up. Shocks dampen movement. Springs hold the car up. If you want to accurately calculate it simply use some weights to measure how much lifting force the gas charge gives you and then calculate against the weight of the car. The effect will actually be less because of the attachment points of the shocks but it would give you a slightly high ballpark.