My Bilstein HD review
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My Bilstein HD review
Just installed them this week end
My car is a 02 TA , m6 with 42000 miles
After reading on ls1tech I decided to get the Bilstein HD
price was good, 330
and since I wanted to stay non-lowered, it made sense
Let me first start telling you that I live in Tucson AZ and our roads in town are bad: pot holes everywhere, road un-leveled ,etc...
I had good alignment and tires balanced on my car and the stocks decarbons were doing a decent job as far as confort but my car felt like a boat or a mini ford expedition while taking turns
the ride now with the new shocks is a litle bit more harsh not as confortable
it make more noise when swallowing pot holes
nothing terrible, and remember that I m talking on really bad roads
Now, the positive things,
1. the car doesnt handle like a boat anymore
2. stock height didnt change as far as I can tell
3. the car just feels more solid during hard launch
I never felt like pushing my car high in the rpms while cornering before, now I have a more precise strong car and feel confident to push it
I actually cant wait to go to climbing mountain hills, I m goign tonight and I ll probably have more to say about the performance I got from these shocks
I was wondering if the shocks are goign to soften up a bit on bad roads and pot holes once the break in , once I give put 500 miles ont them
Like I said I ll come back for a second post after a 1 hour hill climbing
I know most of you already expericenced this stuff, but I m sure there is newbies around and I hope my .02 will give an idea on the product
Good day to you guys !
C.
My car is a 02 TA , m6 with 42000 miles
After reading on ls1tech I decided to get the Bilstein HD
price was good, 330
and since I wanted to stay non-lowered, it made sense
Let me first start telling you that I live in Tucson AZ and our roads in town are bad: pot holes everywhere, road un-leveled ,etc...
I had good alignment and tires balanced on my car and the stocks decarbons were doing a decent job as far as confort but my car felt like a boat or a mini ford expedition while taking turns
the ride now with the new shocks is a litle bit more harsh not as confortable
it make more noise when swallowing pot holes
nothing terrible, and remember that I m talking on really bad roads
Now, the positive things,
1. the car doesnt handle like a boat anymore
2. stock height didnt change as far as I can tell
3. the car just feels more solid during hard launch
I never felt like pushing my car high in the rpms while cornering before, now I have a more precise strong car and feel confident to push it
I actually cant wait to go to climbing mountain hills, I m goign tonight and I ll probably have more to say about the performance I got from these shocks
I was wondering if the shocks are goign to soften up a bit on bad roads and pot holes once the break in , once I give put 500 miles ont them
Like I said I ll come back for a second post after a 1 hour hill climbing
I know most of you already expericenced this stuff, but I m sure there is newbies around and I hope my .02 will give an idea on the product
Good day to you guys !
C.
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Good to hear you felt a difference going with the Bilstein HD's. I should be getting mine on Thursday and will be installing them that same day on my stock springs. Be sure to let us know your review on the hill climbing.
So, you feel the ride a little harsher compared to the stock Decarbons? Are there any negative effects of swapping to the Bilsteins?
So, you feel the ride a little harsher compared to the stock Decarbons? Are there any negative effects of swapping to the Bilsteins?
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Does anyone have any experience with both the HD's and the Revalves? I plan on keeping stock height and was wondering if getting the revalves would be way more noticeable or will the HD's be fine.
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GreekGator, I believe the revalved Bilsteins are for different spring rates. Sort of like getting an adjustable shock, but you have to choose a single setting that best fits your spring rate and you can't change it. From what I've read here on the board, the Bilstein HD's will work well for us guys that don't plan on lowering our cars.
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what do you mean diff spring rates? like diff rates for the front and rear? From what i know, the revalves are built to suit whatever springs you have.
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Originally Posted by GreekGator
what do you mean diff spring rates? like diff rates for the front and rear? From what i know, the revalves are built to suit whatever springs you have.
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I'm pretty sure the revalves could be used with the stock springs, but it would be more expensive than the Bilstein HD's which I hear work very well with stock springs. You'd be spending money extra cash on the revalves (if they even offer revalves for stock springs) when you could get the HD's and be just as effective. In other words, HD's for stock springs, and revalves for aftermarket springs.
#10
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Originally Posted by cedric85745
Just installed them this week end
My car is a 02 TA , m6 with 42000 miles
After reading on ls1tech I decided to get the Bilstein HD
price was good, 330. and since I wanted to stay non-lowered, it made sense
Let me first start telling you that I live in Tucson AZ and our roads in town are bad: pot holes everywhere, road un-leveled ,etc... and the stocks decarbons were doing a decent job as far as confort but my car felt like a boat or a mini ford expedition while taking turns
the ride now with the new shocks is a litle bit more harsh not as confortable
it make more noise when swallowing pot holes
Now, the positive things,
1. the car doesnt handle like a boat anymore
2. stock height didnt change as far as I can tell
3. the car just feels more solid during hard launch
I was wondering if the shocks are goign to soften up a bit on bad roads and pot holes once the break in , once I give put 500 miles ont them
My car is a 02 TA , m6 with 42000 miles
After reading on ls1tech I decided to get the Bilstein HD
price was good, 330. and since I wanted to stay non-lowered, it made sense
Let me first start telling you that I live in Tucson AZ and our roads in town are bad: pot holes everywhere, road un-leveled ,etc... and the stocks decarbons were doing a decent job as far as confort but my car felt like a boat or a mini ford expedition while taking turns
the ride now with the new shocks is a litle bit more harsh not as confortable
it make more noise when swallowing pot holes
Now, the positive things,
1. the car doesnt handle like a boat anymore
2. stock height didnt change as far as I can tell
3. the car just feels more solid during hard launch
I was wondering if the shocks are goign to soften up a bit on bad roads and pot holes once the break in , once I give put 500 miles ont them
#11
Originally Posted by Krab
I'm pretty sure the revalves could be used with the stock springs, but it would be more expensive than the Bilstein HD's which I hear work very well with stock springs. You'd be spending money extra cash on the revalves (if they even offer revalves for stock springs) when you could get the HD's and be just as effective. In other words, HD's for stock springs, and revalves for aftermarket springs.
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EXACTLY!
HD's are fine for stock springs, that doesn't mean that you have to settle for just that damping. May Spin actually did quite a good job explaining what you can get from Revalves. Just like many folks with stock springs and Koni's find they run a setting higher than full soft, you can make use of more damping from Revalves as well.... if it suits your needs. I can't really tell you if they do or not unless we speak about it personally. And even then I'll ask a lot of questions to try and, well... translate what you want into what shocks you want to run.
HD's are fine for stock springs, that doesn't mean that you have to settle for just that damping. May Spin actually did quite a good job explaining what you can get from Revalves. Just like many folks with stock springs and Koni's find they run a setting higher than full soft, you can make use of more damping from Revalves as well.... if it suits your needs. I can't really tell you if they do or not unless we speak about it personally. And even then I'll ask a lot of questions to try and, well... translate what you want into what shocks you want to run.
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Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
#13
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
EXACTLY!
HD's are fine for stock springs, that doesn't mean that you have to settle for just that damping. May Spin actually did quite a good job explaining what you can get from Revalves. Just like many folks with stock springs and Koni's find they run a setting higher than full soft, you can make use of more damping from Revalves as well.... if it suits your needs. I can't really tell you if they do or not unless we speak about it personally. And even then I'll ask a lot of questions to try and, well... translate what you want into what shocks you want to run.
HD's are fine for stock springs, that doesn't mean that you have to settle for just that damping. May Spin actually did quite a good job explaining what you can get from Revalves. Just like many folks with stock springs and Koni's find they run a setting higher than full soft, you can make use of more damping from Revalves as well.... if it suits your needs. I can't really tell you if they do or not unless we speak about it personally. And even then I'll ask a lot of questions to try and, well... translate what you want into what shocks you want to run.
#14
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Change the way the shock is valved... In other words alter the damping forces and/or the shape of the damping curves to offer different performance and/or ride characteristics.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
#16
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Sure can, and that's the way I prefer to do it. But you can certainly feel free to call if you have any questions.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
Sure can, and that's the way I prefer to do it. But you can certainly feel free to call if you have any questions.
#18
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I think they are very poor, low-tech, overpriced dampers. Chintzy adjuster, no gas-charge to keep the oil from cavitating, and valving more meant for drag racing, which frankly equates to weak shocks. You want some loosy-goosy damper for weight transfer, but weight transfer and soft damping is NOT what you want for every other aspect of what the car does (street, handling and ride uses).
Also, a shock that is very soft makes for a hell of a ride on the top end of the track as well. And if the car doesn't have good bite in order to maximize transfer then you don't really help with soft shocks anyway.
I'm not a big drag racer myself. I know what to do for a drag car to hook. However, when most folks weigh what needs to be done vs. what happens for road manners, the road manners often (and IMHO should) win out. After all, you drive the car much more everywhere else but the drag strip, and "drag" setups are frankly a bit dangerous on the street. So, what we do is concentrate on things shocks that don't hurt the launch, while working wtih parts that can help but not make for a hairy ride all the other times.
Also, a shock that is very soft makes for a hell of a ride on the top end of the track as well. And if the car doesn't have good bite in order to maximize transfer then you don't really help with soft shocks anyway.
I'm not a big drag racer myself. I know what to do for a drag car to hook. However, when most folks weigh what needs to be done vs. what happens for road manners, the road manners often (and IMHO should) win out. After all, you drive the car much more everywhere else but the drag strip, and "drag" setups are frankly a bit dangerous on the street. So, what we do is concentrate on things shocks that don't hurt the launch, while working wtih parts that can help but not make for a hairy ride all the other times.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
#19
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Originally Posted by RevGTO
Well, I've had Bilstein HD's on my car for a couple of weeks now and here are my impressions ... first, the main reason I got them was that Wichita, like Tuscon, has a lot of terrible roads and I was tired of the impact harshness crashing into potholes, joints, ridges, etc., which got worse after installing SFC's. My impression was that there was some improvement - maybe 25%, but was the result dramatic? No. I think these ride a little better - less jarring in the bumps - and they handle better, but was it worth the $350 shipped and the $100 I gave a friend for his help and the use of his shop? The jury is still out on this one ...