Bilstein Probs

[rapidcossie 0]

Just looking for some quick advice.

 

Bought a second hand set of bilstien shocks and when you compres them they do not rebound at all, even if you pull them.

 

Take it they are f***ed?

[welshpug 1,626]

unless they are gas charged dampers they wont come back up on their own, bopg standard oil filled dampers will need the damper rod pulling out (by hand) prior to assembly

Edited February 22, 2009 by welshpug

[philfingers 5]

are they the 40mm units or the std stuff? I thought that all Billys were gas so therefor should extend when not loaded, ie when off the car and not built up into a strut

[rapidcossie 0]

unless they are gas charged dampers they wont come back up on their own.

 

 

its the group a tarmac ones.

I have the old tired ones from my car and they are exact same style and they still rebound on their own so would expect these ones do do it too.

Edited February 22, 2009 by rapidcossie

[philfingers 5]

GpA ones are gas and should extend under gas pressure. Could be the upper bushes are seized. These units need regular stripping and cleaning to keep the water out. They're coil overs then?

[rapidcossie 0]

GpA ones are gas and should extend under gas pressure. Could be the upper bushes are seized. These units need regular stripping and cleaning to keep the water out. They're coil overs then?

 

yeah phil they are the normal coil over type. but came with eccetric top mounts that dont fit inside my strut tops?

 

I bought them from ebay and the seller stated they worked perfetcly.

 

the do look new but bottom out on bumps and do not rebound at all.

 

 

The seller is having non eof it and says they work fine.

 

I had to put my old ones back on for the two days at Knockhill this weekend.

 

two secs ill get a pic

[rapidcossie 0]

[philfingers 5]

have you stripped them down? Undo the nut at the bottom and then screw the threaded part IN to the body. Genuine ones have a flat for a screwdriver I think. Obviously you need to wind the adjusters off the spring tension first. What state are the adjusters/ collars in. This usually gives you a good idea of the state of maintainence they've had. I'm off to bed now but will be on in the morning,

 

Phil

 

ps http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/ these are mine, some genuine PTS ones others are cheap Compbrake ones. My eccentric top mounts (which I had fitted to my 309) don't line up with my 205 holes for some reason, which is odd!

[rapidcossie 0]

have you stripped them down? Undo the nut at the bottom and then screw the threaded part IN to the body. Genuine ones have a flat for a screwdriver I think. Obviously you need to wind the adjusters off the spring tension first. What state are the adjusters/ collars in. This usually gives you a good idea of the state of maintainence they've had. I'm off to bed now but will be on in the morning,

 

Phil

 

ps http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/ these are mine, some genuine PTS ones others are cheap Compbrake ones. My eccentric top mounts (which I had fitted to my 309) don't line up with my 205 holes for some reason, which is odd!

 

 

they do have flats for screw drivers on the bottom.

 

thanks for the advice but I wont be messing around and strippng them down as I paid for a perfectly working set and am now in a dispute on ebay.

 

 

Thanks again

Edited February 22, 2009 by rapidcossie

[philfingers 5]

you got the link to them on ebay?

[Spiky 37]

were they "cheap" matey?

 

but yeah mine extend ..

 

 

i heard you enjoyed your track day on the weekend too

[rapidcossie 0]

you got the link to them on ebay?

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...INRBNMR:GB:1123

[rapidcossie 0]

were they "cheap" matey?

 

but yeah mine extend ..

 

 

i heard you enjoyed your track day on the weekend too

 

 

No they were 400 quid mate!

 

The seller is sticking by his story and saying they worked perfectly.

 

What can I do?

 

YeaH i did enjoy the track days, I was on sat and sun!

[Spiky 37]

i think he is trying to rip you off then dude

 

the springs looks much bigger than mine too

[rapidcossie 0]

i think he is trying to rip you off then dude

 

the springs looks much bigger than mine too

 

 

Its a crapy situation to be in.

 

I Have his address but dont want to have to travel 5 hours to Grimsby to face him.

 

I can show him a video of the shocks being compressed and not rebounding to prove but he seems to think Im trying to pull a fast one somehow?

[Spiky 37]

 

 

looks like a drive then

[rapidcossie 0]

 

 

looks like a drive then

 

 

Yeah it might end like that mate.

 

If it was less money i could write it off but no way for 400 quid!

 

Hopefully ebay can sort it out bit Im not sure what powers they actually have?

[philfingers 5]

Have you stipped them? I did find them on ebay yesterday. they look painted, are they? Either way I'd get them stripped, it's easy to do. Not sure if you've done it before. Don't even worry about the top nut, wind the bottom collars down to wind off the spring pressure. As I mentioned before if the collars move then it's a good sign. if they don't then a good indication they haven't been looked after. These type of coilover do fill with water and after every wet rally I strip mine to get the water out and spray some anti-corrosive oil in there. A top tip here, once you know the ride height you want, take the springs off and where the thread is above the lower collar coat it with grease then I wrap with insulation tape and put a tie wrap around the loose tape end to stop it coming undone. Put the spring back on and then do the same to the thread below the lower collar. It makes things a lot easier when you need to strip them later.

Anyway, once you have wound the springs off, undo that bottom nut and screw the 'screw' in (well looks like a screw from here), bascially you're screwing the insert out. It should then come out the top with top mounts and upper collar etc. It should just pull out. Are there any score marks on the damper rod that you see above the body? This way indicate corrosion around the upper casing bush/bearing

Do they look like these at the bottom, these are genuine PTS ones. Spikey genuine ones have a larger dia spring, 70mm (larger than compbrake).

 

 

 

Let us know how you get on. Worst case is a new set of inserts probably at £140 each, or a rebuild at around £75 each. I'm in the same situation with mine. Top bearing (it's a phospor bronze bush I think) in the top of the body is replaceable too. You just knock the new one in the top and it pushes the old one down

 

Phil

Edited February 24, 2009 by philfingers

[djinuk 2]

did you pay via paypal, if so then file a dispute, they will tell you to send them back to him and then issue the cash back into your account once you give them the trackign number of the returned parcel.

[205Rallee 59]

I bought a set of 40mm inserts and springs on e bay described as 205/206 Bilstein inserts and was told by the seller they'd fit 205 and 206's. Needless to say, when they turned up the top spindle wouldn't fit Comprake, PTS or standard 205 top mounts and the springs were 1.9" instead of 2.25". I started a dispute and 20 odd e-mails to Paypal and about 5 weeks later I got a full refund plus I had to pay to send them back to the vendor. So if you've used paypal and you've got 100% positive feedback you've got a good chance of getting your cash back.

 

I've learnt a lesson and won't buy anything off e-bay if I have the slightest doubt and always use paypal. I saw your struts advertised and I have to say they looked 100% in the listing, looks like you've just been unlucky. Unless you know the real history of some of this stuff it's better to bite the bullet and get it new at the cheapest price you can find as it saves shed loads of hassle.

 

If you're stuck with them, strip them down and hopefully you can get them rebuilt by Bilstein without having to go for new inserts.

[philfingers 5]

I had the same thing. I picked up a pair of ones described as PTS ones, they turned out to be compbrake (which I have since found out aren't so strong-they bend!). However they were advertised as 1 stage old, the RAC! I had a 350 mile drive to fetch them and they were basically new but covered in mud (seller had very few sales and pics were bad). All bright zinc passivated(?) coating still in place(genuine ones go off colour with the fumes of salt and vinegar crisps!). Anyway the inserts were absolutely shot. No damping. You can't tell by hand, they still have gas pressure but on the car it's like driving zeberdeee! You just got to be real careful. I've bought and sold a fair bit on ebay, I always take lots of pictures and answer Q's honestly but don't always offer info such as 'full working order' etc. but I'd be honest and say, 'needs checking', 'I wouldn't use without a rebuild' etc etc

I paid £300 for mine and they need either new inserts at £280 or rebuild the ones I got at £150. Then you're not far off the price of a new proper set. . . . .off someone like AB, Shenpar etc

[rapidcossie 0]

I have the shocks home with me now so Ill get somepics and put them up in a bit.

 

I have suggested to the seller that we send them away and to get checked and we can go from there.

 

He cant ask fairer than that can he.

[rapidcossie 0]

They are defo genuine article as the have "Bilstein made in west germany" stamped on them.

 

The top mounts and top spring platform is completely different from the ones already on my car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

you can see in this pic that both shocks are stuck down.

[205Rallee 59]

They are the long top spindle ones, definitely stuck down, very strange. Mine have Bilstein West Germany on the casings and that's cos they are 15 years old and the east/west Germany thing is long gone now. My 15 year old inserts have the screw driver slot in the bottom, whereas the later ones I've seen have hex key fittings in the end. The top spring pans aren't PTS ones either. Go for a refund via paypal.

[rapidcossie 0]

the spring pans on my other ones are serveral inches taller.