Help needed fitting new shocks

[MBradbury]

Hi everyone ,

Preparing to switch front and rear shocks this weekend and I need some help. I have already removed the front shocks which are Koni Sports, and plan to fit Bilstein HD in their place. The car is jacked on its rear so the removal of the rears will have to wait for the weekend. I don’t expect any problems with the rears other than access.

The questions I have are associated with the assembly sequence of the front inserts. As you can see from the photo (dust covers removed for better view) the new Bilstein front insert came without a bump stop. Is this correct? The assembly diagrams in the Bentley manual show a bump stop, but that could just be a generic schematic. Also, if you look closely near the top of the Bilstein insert you can see a slim rubber/plastic washer. Surely this can’t be a bump stop replacement, but where does this soft washer fit with respect to the dust cover? underneath, between cover and camber plate, or underneath top nut?

Final question; I have often read on this board that there is a thick spacer at the top of the front strut that should be removed when lowering the car to allow full travel. I have never seen this spacer on any diagrams in any manuals. The PO lowered my car, but I had to reraise it when I fitted a new spoiler, so if it was removed I don’t have it anymore. Can anyone offer advice or post a diagram or picture of how a Bilstein final assembly should look.

Thanks in advance
Mark Bradbury

1983 911 SC

[dickster]

i'm working from memory but since noone else has answered......

i did this swap a few months back and had the same issues.

from memory i discarded the plastic washer (after calling the shop), and i wonder whether the bilstein's have internal bump stops or diff design?

i would fit them how they came - thats what i did (minus that weird plastic washer!).

[89911]

Bilstein's don't have the rubber bump stop for the front inserts that the koni's do. That small rubber thing may just be so the dust cover doesn't rattle around when shipping. The rears do have the bump stops as indicated. By the way, if the car is jacked by the rear, why not do the rear shocks. Put some upward pressure on the trailing arm with a jack to take of the torsion force off, and then loosen the bottom bolt. Follow with the top. They are very simple.

[KFC911]

Mark notes:
"...Also, if you look closely near the top of the Bilstein insert you can see a slim rubber/plastic washer. Surely this can’t be a bump stop replacement, but where does this soft washer fit with respect to the dust cover? underneath, between cover and camber plate, or underneath top nut?"


I installed my fronts last night, and I too have this same question. I put the soft rubber washer on top of the dust cover (underneath the camber plate). Can someone confirm that this is correct (before I drive my car and mess something up)? I've also got another question...On the washer(s) beneath the nut at the top of the shock(s), the washers had been bent on two sides (w/ a small chisel I guess) to form a very secure hold on the nut. Since I was replacing the original Boge's, I assumed this was done at the factory...Is 'clamping the washer around the nut' a good idea, and should I do this on my replacements? Thanks everyone...Keith

[john walker's workshop]

as noted, the small rubber washer is just a retainer so the dust cover stays on in the box. toss it. the bumper is already inside the insert in the center. that's a bilstein insert to fit a boge strut. an insert for a bilstein strut has the shaft exposed and then you can see the bumper. if the top nut provided is a nyloc, the locktab washer is not needed.

[MBradbury]

All,

Thanks everyone.

I knew I would get the answer and peace of mind if I asked the question here.

I will post comments on the ride and handling when the job is finished.

Regards
Mark Bradbury

1983 911 SC