big johhny

Does anybody here have or tried using 3rd Gen rear Bilsteins on the 4th Gen with regular HDs on the front?

If so, how was/is it? I have read the 3rd Gen rear shock is a little better riding.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Not a good combination. You heard wrong, which isn't a suprise these days.

big johhny

Thaks Sam, lot of misinformation around the net.

Sneakyws6

What do you recommned for a daily stock suspension driver Sam. I ahve a 01 Formula with SLP 17" and BMR sub frame connectors, Hotchkis strut tower brace, braced factory lower control arms and panhard bar.

I am wanting to leave it at stock height right now and was thinking of putting a set of Bilstiens on it. Which ones or what would you recommend.

Chaotic Firebird

Sam will probably have better info, but I would suggest Bilstein Heavy Duty's for daily driving if you do not plan on lowering your car.

JasonG

iTrader: (1)

Sam hooked me up several years ago with some revalved front HD's, normal rear HD's, and a 35MM front sway bar. Works very well with stock springs. I have also talked to him about replacing the stock springs with the SLP eibach's as it's a small drop and he said that I'll still be set with his revalves for the small drop. He can allways give you more info on them but there are some adj front's that he uses himself and is also a fan of.

JasonG

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Now, Sam does use ( and sold me ) 3rd gen rears with the Eibach Pro kit ( revalved fronts ) and a 21mm rear bar. But flat out HD's up front with 3rd gen rears won't work well.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Can't say for sure. HD's might be fine. We might be better off with Revalves, or Koni's. I don't know enough about what you want/feel about it now to be able to tell you. And FWIW, I can't do it by e-mail. Feel free to call me (tech-line please), and I'd be happy to help you through it!

Studytime

iTrader: (15)

To the top to get more opinions.

A guy that knows a lot about shocks suggested this setup to me as well. Third gen rear HDs with 4th gen HDs (stock valving) up front. This was suggested for my '98 Z28 that sees a trip to the strip once every two months on slicks. I mostly wanted ride comfort and wasn't that concerned with handling and carving corners. I also don't want to pay $500 for a set of shocks. Also, this car is at stock ride height.

I recall something about Bilstein changing the rebound/compression on all the recent fourth generation HDs, making the 3rd gen shocks a better choice.

My stock shocks have 108K miles and are riding rough over bumps which is the only reason I want to replace them.

I was suprised to see some people saying this was a bad idea. In fact, I was floored.

Ben T.

BAD99TA

I don't have any experience with the Bilstein HD shocks, but FWIW if you have 100K miles on a set of stock shocks IMO they need to be replaced. Think of your safety first, then performance/ride/handling and all that other good stuff. My $.02.

Silverbird01

This is what I was told when I ordered my Bilsteins also. I was told that the changes Bilstein made to the recent 4th gen HD's valving made them ride as hard or harder than the stock Decarbons. It was suggested to go with the 3rd gen Bilsteins on the rear with the 4th gen HD's on the front.

Studytime

iTrader: (15)

But Sam Strano posted (second post on this thread) "Not a good combination. You heard wrong, which isn't a suprise these days." So, I'm dumbfounded.

Sam?

Ben T.

Studytime

iTrader: (15)

To the top for Sam's input.

Ben T.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I don't really know what input you are looking for, I don't see in what context my words were used.

Regardless, there have been some changes of late to Bilstein shocks. I worked pretty hard (as well as some folks I know) to find out what those changes are. I'm not going to just let that info out freely in a public setting. I try and never make recommendations online, and this case is no different.

Studytime

iTrader: (15)

Sam,

In regards to, "I don't see in what context my words were used," I was asking for your current stance on the post you made at "05-08-2006 10:35 AM". In reference to a thread asking if rear Bilstein third Gen shocks and front 93-02 Bilstein HDs would be a good shock set up, you responded by saying this was NOT a good combination, but a rather a "wrong" combination.

I am not trying to deduct from your credibility, but this seems to not gel with a setup I was suggested (for the sake of professionalism, I'll leave it at "an anonymous, authoritative individual"). I have noticed your lack of eagerness to blindly suggest shock/suspension combinations, and I respect your holistic approach to a system as important as a vehicle's suspension. Before making a recommendation, you are privy to; vehicle's intended usage, current suspension modifications, customer's vision/forcasting, areas of desired improvement, as well as other pertinent parameters. You combine all of these attributes to formulate your non-cookie-cutter suggestion.

Now, in this case things are a little different. A forum user "Big Johhny," posts in a dearth of words [paraphrasing] has anyone tried rear 3rd gen shocks with front regular HDs? How was the ride quality? "I have read the 3rd Gen rear shock is a little better riding". Now you come in... but differently than usual. There is no suggestion to call you personally for a "holistic" recommendation. You follow suit to his abbreviatedly short response and refute his combination. When you suggest a suspension [shock] combination, in general, if there is an available application for it, it can be considered a "good combination" by means of the components working together in harmony. Whether that appliction, again in general, is here or there, if there is an available application it can be considered a good combination. You painstakingly decide where that "good combination" is applicable at. The contrapostive of the above idea is "if a particular set up is not a good combination there is not [never is!] an available application. This is what has me "dumb-founded" as I previously put it. It seems, to me, as though you are saying there never is an available application for this setup (implied by suggesting the combination was "wrong" without knowing the setup).

The reason I care is that I was suggested the above combination that you refuted, and I'd like to know why. I'm not asking you to give away any of your trade secrets or to make a suggestion on line, but I would like to know why you do not recommend this setup, and if your current stance still is "not recommended". Lastly, would you say there would be any practical application for this setup? No sense in saying what that application is (you can disseminate that information via your shop phone).

Last, let it be understood this post is not meant to bash Sam Strano. Sam has been in business since the late 60's and has been teaching driving school since the mid/late '90s. This alone establishes Sam Strano's credibility "far above my poor power to add or detract". Lastly this further establishes his authority in the industry; http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...22&btnG=Search . Compare this to a vanity search under my name and you get approximately 100 hits of which half aren't even about me...

There is no need for an immediate follow-up posting. At your convenience, if you would, please cover these three underlined questions and set me straight. I'm sure there is no discontinuity here, but rather some communication disconnect.

Ben T.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Old 4th gen fronts and 3rd gen rears aren't the ideal match ever. But now the 4th gen fronts have changed, as have the 4th gen rears (and those quite a lot). Suffice to say that I now feel given what the valvings are like off the shelf that in any case where HD's are deemed appropriate that the new 4th gen front with a 3rd gen rear is MORE appropriate than the screwed up (IMHO) "new" 4th gen rear shock is.

Nothing is static in the world, you quoted a post that's 3 months old and before anyone knew what was different about the changes on the HD's.

More than ever I'd have to say most folks are better of on Koni's or Revalves (because revalves are dictated by me, not Bilstein) than on HD's. What was workable in some situations before now might not be so good.

Studytime

iTrader: (15)

And the disconnect was the post was three months old. I didn't know the changes were so recent. Thanks for your response. I especially liked "nothing in the world is static". That's sure enough the truth.

Thanks again for clearing up MY misunderstanding.

Ben T.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

That would do it.... And that's one difference with me when compared to many other parts outlets. I keep on top of this stuff. I like it, but I also race the cars where handling is involved, and I'm self-employed. I screw up and I don't make my house payment. So I work very hard to stay on top of things.