Recommedation: Shock absorbers.

[Porsche 2]

My 1987 911 has Boge struts. Shock brand options include; Bilstein, Koni, and Sachs. Recommendations for "street" use please, and there appears to be a good sale price on Sachs.

[chrisbruck]

I put the Bilstein HD's on my '87 last year.... love them. I nice upgrade from the original Boges I had on there.

[tobluforu]

I have Bil HD, wish I would have stuck with Boge. If street car, Boge if you can get them.

[Reiver]

I use Bil HD's on the rear and the stock sachs/B up front and that is a good for street.
When guys say 'upgrade' they mean stiff...not nec good for a street car as the originals are stiff enough.
Put Bil sports all around and lose fillings on a bumpy road.

[drtyler]

My '75 originally had Koni's. About two years ago, I replaced the originals with new Koni red shocks and strut inserts. I've been very pleased with them. The originals were worn out, and the new ones are not too firm.

One thing to keep in mind though. The original Koni shocks in the rear were not gas pressure, but the new ones are. So it raised the rear of my car up some, and I had to re-index the torsion bars. I believe many report the same kind of thing when going from the non-gas Boge to the high gas pressure Bilstein HD shocks. I could see the same thing happening with the front struts as well, if you use Bilstein HD. Just something to keep in mind.

Since your car is newer than mine, adjustment of the rear height may be a bit easier since your rear spring plates are adjustable.

[chrisbruck]

Originally Posted by Reiver

I use Bil HD's on the rear and the stock sachs/B up front and that is a good for street.
When guys say 'upgrade' they mean stiff...not nec good for a street car as the originals are stiff enough.
Put Bil sports all around and lose fillings on a bumpy road.

I wouldn't categorize my "upgrade" as stiff at all. Very nice ride on the street. Not jarring or harsh.

I want to say the Bilstein HD were the factory sport alternate to the Boge's.

Now the Bilstein sports are another story. Those are quite stiff for everyday street driving.

[BER]

I run Bilstein Sports on the '84 Carrera and love them. The Sports complement the larger t-bars that I am running on that car. The '77 911 has Koni struts/shocks and they work fine. When it's time for new shocks/struts, I'll replace them with the same setup I have now.

You say you have Boge struts on the front of your '87. Are you sure a Bilstein strut cartridge will fit into a Boge strut housing? My front Bilstein struts require a roll pin that is inserted into the base of the strut housing. I may be mistaken, but I don't think the Boge strut housing has the holes for the Bilstein roll pin. Again, I may be wrong on this...but it's something you should check.

The rears should not be a problem since they are regular shocks back there.

BER

[ganun]

I put Boge / Sachs on the rear of my 87 and do find them a bit soft, strictly street, wonder if the B HD are just a bit more firm?

[Bergo]

I have Boge struts on my '74 911, upgraded to Bilstein HD last year, they are firm, but not uncomfortable, going to Bilstein Sport in the rear this year, and if I can find Bilstein struts without breaking the bank, I've also got new Bilstein sports for them. Currently wanting to go to coilover, but I can't raise the spindles on Boge struts much.

[Porsche 2]

Follow-up: Are there quality issues, e.g. life, between these three choices? The non sale prices advertised for the Sachs shocks are considerably higher then the Bilstein or Koni shocks.

[chrisbruck]

Originally Posted by Porsche 2

Follow-up: Are there quality issues, e.g. life, between these three choices? The non sale prices advertised for the Sachs shocks are considerably higher then the Bilstein or Koni shocks.

I think all three are equally well regarded in terms of quality. I've had Bilsteins and Koni's on other vehicles and they are well made. KYB's for example would fall in the lower quality category.

[wrxnofx]

My struts are Boge in my '87, like yours. The PO swapped out the standard dampers for Bilstein Sport inserts. I'm happy with them but don't really have a comparison.

The Boge struts are versatile because manufacturers make different inserts for those struts. Here is an example.

[douglas bray]

I was fine with Bilstein HD inserts in my Boge struts and Bilstein HD's in the back when all my T-bars were stock....Now, OMG that isn't the case.

[DRACO A5OG]

I had old Bilsteins HD all around.

Steve Alarcon of Johnsons Alignment in Torrance recommended I go with HD fronts and Sport rears for "Aggressive Street" use.

Wow, what a difference, it will ride about 1/2" higher due to the newness of the struts/shocks.

If you just want it for street go with HD Bilsteins all around.

Note, when tightening the gland nuts for the fronts, tighten the heck out of it, put your foot in the wheel well and use a cheater bar extension, you'll need it. A good guide is count 3.5-4 threads up, that is how many threads should show, it should be snug enough. Also use some BLUE loctite for insurance. The Bilstein tool is crap, it is too loose and the nuts are too soft, after 120 ft lb, the tool will fail the torque needs to be 184 ft lbs. Pipe wrench is what Steve uses

[RichardNew]

Here's an article I did about shocks last year. No one is talking about spring rates. You springs or torsion bars are a key factor in shock selection.

Richard Newton

[Porsche 2]

Thanks for your valuable comments. I decided to replace with the same Boge inserts and rear shocks. For street, I go with the factory provided equipment.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Porsche 2

Follow-up: Are there quality issues, e.g. life, between these three choices? The non sale prices advertised for the Sachs shocks are considerably higher then the Bilstein or Koni shocks.

Yes, Bilstein quality and durability are head and shoulders above most if not all of the off the shelf alternatives

Additionally the upside down design of the shocks when used in a Bilstein strut reduces unsprung weight.

hd front/sport rear is a nice setup

It can be made even better w/ custom digressive valving

[tdw28210]

I just put Bogue in my '87 and Bilsteins in my '85 FFA (Factory Fat-Ass) M491. I can tell you that I will be putting Bilstein HD's in the '87 after I get my plaid interior project done. Not sure if the Bogue's are just that way, but honestly, they seem rough, while the Billy's are firm, yet supple.