Bilstein Shock Question

[rockryno]

My shop is a Bilstein dealer, and looking at the Bilstein site there is a ton of different options for replacement shocks. I have yellow Bilsteins in the rear of my '80 911 and they feel so stiff over bumps that I'd like to replace them with something softer. I daily drive this, no track.

Anyone know the part number for the softest rear Bilsteins? From what I've read, the green ones should soften it up - 24-001694. Any other input?

https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/product-search/?YearId=5986698419897221299&MakeId=6625040480082853653&ModelId=2519919736562830481&SubModelId=4721286252877769428

Thanks!

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by rockryno

My shop is a Bilstein dealer, and looking at the Bilstein site there is a ton of different options for replacement shocks. I have yellow Bilsteins in the rear of my '80 911 and they feel so stiff over bumps that I'd like to replace them with something softer. I daily drive this, no track.

Anyone know the part number for the softest rear Bilsteins? From what I've read, the green ones should soften it up - 24-001694. Any other input?

https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/product-search/?YearId=5986698419897221299&MakeId=6625040480082853653&ModelId=2519919736562830481&SubModelId=4721286252877769428

Thanks!

rear
yellow are Sport
Rebound/Compression
220/180 N@~.52m/s

green are hd (24-001694)
Rebound/Compression
195/151 N@~.52m/s

[rockryno]

Appreciate it Bill. Can you elaborate quickly on what the numbers mean in real time? the 195 would be softer than the 220? Or am I backwards?

[emac911]

I just put green HD bilsteins on my 88 911. Very happy, not too stiff. I also found it very confusing and hard to find the HD for both front and rear from the same place. Listings can be confusing.

Here is a screenshot of my invoice of what I got.




Bilstein part #'s off of the boxes

Front for boge: 34-001142, P36-0114
Rear 24-001694, B46-0169

[rockryno]

Originally Posted by emac911

I just put green HD bilsteins on my 88 911. Very happy, not too stiff. I also found it very confusing and hard to find the HD for both front and rear from the same place. Listings can be confusing.

Here is a screenshot of my invoice of what I got.

Thanks! Unfortunately, this invoice doesn't show the actual Bilstein part numbers to reference. What shop is this from?

[emac911]

Edited my post with part numbers from the boxes. Came from vertex.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by rockryno

Appreciate it Bill. Can you elaborate quickly on what the numbers mean in real time? the 195 would be softer than the 220? Or am I backwards?

correct, the #s are the resistive force as measured on a shock dyno @ the specified speed

lower #s are softer

[mepstein]

HD is softer than sport

[rockryno]

Perfect, thanks guys!

[midnight911]

I'm sure y'all ran into the same things by googling...but..

https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/0804/POR_0804_SUSSHK_pg2.htm

Passenger car

[Tremelune]

Search around for digressive valving...You can have Bilsteins revalved with much more modern internals that will give you a reduced compromise between ride quality and motion control.

If you're gonna go through the effort to replace 'em, you might as well improve the tech by a few decades...

[shoooo32]

How low is your car? Stock Bilsteins on a lowered car are basically riding on the bump stops. The oil filled adjustable Koni 1159s has a shorter body which puts a lowered car in the center of the shock travel. At full soft they are a game changer. Even with 21/27 torsion bars on my SC targa, I put 17k miles on last year with no discomfort.

[emac911]

B8's are for lowered cars. As I understand that is the only difference in B6 vs B8.

[Ok here we go]

If I remember correctly, the B6 is for pre-1989 911 models, the B8 is for 964/993 models.

[Schulisco]

"Normal" shocks in the 911 means either Boge/Sachs or Koni (and some Woodheads) shock absorbers, Bilstein was always the "sport" option, this means the "normal" B6 shocks (all green).
But Bilstein offers far more shock absorbers with different settings, and they're all far more stiffer stiffer than the "normal" green ones. I see you have a Targa. Here in germany most of the owners of convertibles & Targas recommend not to use anything stiffer than the green Bilsteins (sport option), some of them go back to from Bilstein "sportlich Strasse"/"sporty road" to stock Boge/Sachs absorbers (the softest and stock with no sport option) because the body of the car suffers too much over time...Kayaba also proivides shocks for the 911 G body cars, they're a stock replacement (no sport option), in the rear for all G body cars, but in the front only for Boge struts available:

They're worth a test.

All Bilstein shocks for G body are B6 (what I know). The colour on Bilstein is not useful to separate the shocks, only on the back: Green = Bilstein stock replacement = Porsche sport option, Yellow = Bilstein sport (any!). Boge/Sachs do not offer sport settings for the 911G from what I know. B8 are for coil over replacement.

Also be aware about the different meanings on "sport options" here:
-Porsche stock (no sport option) => Boge/Sachs/Woodhead
-Porsche sport option => Bilstein B6 (all green, but Bilsteins stock setting)
-Porsche Club Sport => also Bilstein B6, but stiffer setting, all yellow, this is one of two settings Stefan Rosar figured out on the Nordschleife in the "Yellow Bird"
-Bilstein "sportlich Strasse" (front green, rear yellow) => far more stiffer than "normal" Bilstein, often recommended here in Germany, but more and more go back to "stock" Porsche sport option (bilstein all green) or even Sachs/Boge...

Please refer to the Bilstein catalogue (the 2019 version linked here is the only one which contains most of the settings): https://www.bilstein.com/de/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/4_BILSTEIN-Klassik-Katalog-2019.pdf
See pages 46 and following for Porsche, the values for the settings


And here's an overview I created last year about the different settings of Bilsteins:
https://www.pff.de/thread/2794625-erfahrungen-mit-fahrwerk-von-kw-variante-3-fuer-g-modell/?postID=155619585#post155619585

Regards, Thomas

[TxGerman]

Thomas, thanks for the info, that is very helpful.

I have B6 shocks installed on my '82 SC, it is also lowered and I get a "clunk" noise periodically that I have believed to be from the shocks. These are new shocks installed last year and suspension was adjusted lower at the same time. Through this thread and my own research I have read that since my car is lowered that I should be using the B8 or the Koni 8210-1159 (reply #12 from shoooo32).

According to years of PP topics on the clunking phenomenon, it is generally believed to be the shock bottoming out when going over more harsh road bumps on lowered 911's.

Can anyone confirm that these other shocks will eliminate the clunking noise?

Also, I have not be able to locate a B8 rear shock. Does Bilstein make a B8 shock for the rear? I have found the Koni's easily, so sourcing them is not an issue.

TIA

[Schulisco]

Originally Posted by TxGerman

... and I get a "clunk" noise periodically that I have believed to be from the shocks.

From where do you hear/feel that noise? Front or back?

[TxGerman]

Originally Posted by Schulisco

From where do you hear/feel that noise? Front or back?

In back, in the shock mount area.

[Schulisco]

Broken sway bar holder?

[TxGerman]

Originally Posted by Schulisco

Broken sway bar holder?

Nope, everything is new and refreshed. The only conclusion I have been able to come to is the B6 shocks are bottoming out on harsh bumps. I'm likely to try a set of the Koni's.