Shock recommendation please

[Steve205 14 1 Cars]

Good afternoon all. It's a tired topic and has been debated here on numerous occasions. So apologies for asking again. My '89 standard 1.6 gti is in need of shock replacements. I am finally getting around to it, as I've spent last 2 years slowly improving her. The shocks on it seem very old, could well be oe stock. Can anyone please give me advice on which shocks to put on car. She is completely standard road only car. Not used for any racing. Will never see a track and I wish to keep ride as close to standard as possible. Car is used as a fun drive wherever I  Iike to go. Back roads are the usual routes taken.No lowering or rock hard ride would be a plus. Was thinking of either KYB or Bilstein B4. Any advice would be gratefully accepted. 

Stephen

[jord294 87]

Bilstein b4s, all round. Make sure you get the fat body 1931 rear shocks. 

 

I always fit this set up to customers cars

[joris_andriesse 8]

What about Sachs or Monroe?

Both high quality brands.

[Tom Fenton 1,524]

15 hours ago, jord294 said:

Bilstein b4s, all round. Make sure you get the fat body 1931 rear shocks. 

Agree with this

12 hours ago, joris_andriesse said:

What about Sachs or Monroe?

Both high quality brands.

Have you first hand experience of either brand?

[joris_andriesse 8]

7 minutes ago, Tom Fenton said:

Agree with this

Have you first hand experience of either brand?

Not myself, since I alway's drove the more sporty shocks.
But I do drive my gti since 2003 and have been member from GTI clubs/fora since, and I alway's read that those are the recommended brands for thos who want to keep is 'standard'. Have to say, last couple of years I have seen the advice shift to TRW/Sachs (and less the Monroe).
I fully agree that the Bilsteins are top notch, but they are also more expensive and tend to be more sportive, so it's up to the TS what he wants for his car. I just wanted to trow in another opinion

[Steve205 14 1 Cars]

Thanks for the advice. Bilstein B4 seem to be the preferred choice so far. Just wanted to find out which ye thought most suitable for road only use. All the first hand experience you all have is invaluable to newish owners like myself. You learn by your mistakes, so I've learned to ask the people who know more than me. Don't want to ruin car. Thanks again. 

Stephen 

[DamirGTI 323]

I've Sachs Supertouring on my daily 205 ,  really good quality , no complains .

 

 

D

[lagonda 41]

Having decided to get a garage to fit a new clutch and replace burnt exhaust valves, this after nearly 50 years of doing it all myself, I've been quoted €2456 labour and parts! Clutch kit in that is €200, and I can buy a LuK kit for €67 delivered. So sod it, back to doing it myself.

 

Pondered changing the front shocks, and it strikes me changing the clutch could be a bit easier with the strut assemblies off. So, pleased to find this post. Same question, my car is simply my everyday car, albeit driven quickly. A bigger concern therefore is finding something suitable that preferably makes speed humps less annoying.

 

The difference though, is that my car is a CTi, so  the more basic suspension as fitted by pennypinchers at Peugeot, although I believe the same shocks as the GTi.

 

Some sample prices here in France

 

Bilstein pair B4 22- 040196  €116.90 gas (present shocks are the originals, would they be gas or oil?)

 

TRW pair JHM419T €76.60 oil

 

Monroe pair 11505 €89.90 oil

 

KYB Premium pair 63380 €110.90 oil

 

Others include Delphi, HD, Gabriel, Stark, Ridex, Optimal, Magneti Marelli etc, any of those to be considered?!

 

(Damir, not seeing Sachs being sold here!)

 

So ... recommendations of which to opt for would be much appreciated. Ideally not something that increases ride height, as the rear sits too low thanks to maldjusted torson bars.

 

 

 

 

[jord294 87]

I always go bilstein b4

[Type-R 3]

@Lagonda, seeing as you are in France you might want to give these guys a try http://www.amortisseurs-viarouge.com/

 

[Gohn 62]

stay with the originals, especially if its just a regular roadie

OE shocks look old and very drab but are very very good

new expensive ones with bright colours look better and have good marketing and you can change the settings etc

if your current ones aren't broken/leaking, leave them well alone and save your money

 

my own experience is limited to OE ones and Koni's

it was a relief to put the originals back on and get rid of the Koni's

[lagonda 41]

Thanks for replies. Kam, checked out Viarouge and they are pretty expensive! Gohn, my CTi has covered some 232,000 miles, all on the original shock absorbers, so I suspect they must be pretty knackered by now, especially given the stupidity of speed humps that have proliferated. Jord's Bilstein recommendation is looking favourite at the moment.

[welshpug 1,621]

On the road I have used Bilstein B4, at the time I did have the skinny bne1931 rears and didn't  know any better, however  it was quite a revelation when I swapped to Yellow Group N gravel type dampers all round.

 

With hindsight now I would  use B4 fronts and Xsara B4 rears, bne1932.

[Type-R 3]

I suggested Viarouge because the French guys swear by them, apparently they valve them to replicate OE characteristics.

For me though it would be Sachs or TRW for as close to original as possible at a reasonable price. Good quality too.

Xsara B4s are nice too but you can feel the increased firmness. There's also KYB Ultra SRs which are in between a B4 and B6 in terms of firmness.

[jord294 87]

The b4 1931s are a fat body shock, similar to oe.

 

Problem is, there doesn't seem to be any stock at mo. 

 

I usually carry quite a bit of stock, but down to last couple of pairs 

[lagonda 41]

Noted ... can I assume Bilstein B4 is now 19 - 019314? Also, will these (ie front and rear Bilsteins) give a similar ride to the factory originals? Ideally I don't want a harder ride!

[Tom Fenton 1,524]

The B4 are what I imagine the original dampers were like when new. The difference compared to worn out 30 year old dampers is massive, but for the better. Because they never seem to leak, people think the original dampers are still good, the reality is they aren't damping well any more.

[lagonda 41]

At getting on for a quarter of a million miles, I guess it's surprising the originals damp at all. The roads over here are pretty well maintained and good, but blinking speed humps proliferate and doubtless cause far more wear (let alone damage) than would occur on roads without them.