w261w261
04-20-2005, 06:33 PM
Last year, I ordered and installed a set of Eibach springs (1" drop), and Bilstein struts/shocks. At the time, I didn't know this site existed, or I would have read that the Bilsteins needed to be revalved to cope with the progressive and firmer Eibachs. I put in all new bushings while I was at it. The first bump I hit was, like "What the hell is this? Where is my rebound damping?" But it was too late. It wasn't terrifically bad, but definitely a letdown. It felt like I had worn shocks, but it was just that the Bilsteins were overpowered by the forces exerted by the new springs.
It took me 6 months to order up a new pair of Bilsteins from Shox.com, which is right down the street from the Bilstein corp. It still took almost a month to get the new struts revalved to 100 compression, 300 rebound (I'm redoing just the fronts at first, maybe I can live with the rears). The struts were $93 each + $75 ea for revalving, so my earlier mistake has a price tag of $350 so far. Still to come is the install cost, which will probably be $100 per corner. Since my rotors are warped a little, I'm also having Brembos installed at the same time, so the labor can get spread around a little.
The place that is doing the work is accomodating me (I have other cars and they get the tire sales and brake work), but I can tell they're not extremely happy about putting on someone else's parts. I called today for an appointment, and they (nicely) said "call us next week and we'll see," as opposed to "ok, here's an appointment in 2 weeks." But they're good and won't screw up, so I'll live with the attitude.
I have high hopes that this will end things, e.g. the right spring/strut combo. But my experience is an argument for adjustable struts. If I had them, I could just make them a little firmer and be done with it. As it stands, my original error is costing $600 or so for another try. This is one of those times when you just say "I love my car," because the money going in will never come back out.
Finally, in hopefully 3 weeks or so I'll have a surplus pair of pretty new Bilstein struts. I don't think they've been damaged or blown by being on the Eibachs, as the car is reasonably well-controlled. If anyone here wants them in conjuction with Eibach springs or any other springs, they're going to be available. I think they will have to go back to Bilstein for revalving however, so you can count on that $150 charge. I assume they'd be fine on the stock springs, but that's the thing....you don't really know unless someone else has been there first with the exact spring/strut combo you want. And the price for being wrong is high in both aggravation and $$.
It took me 6 months to order up a new pair of Bilsteins from Shox.com, which is right down the street from the Bilstein corp. It still took almost a month to get the new struts revalved to 100 compression, 300 rebound (I'm redoing just the fronts at first, maybe I can live with the rears). The struts were $93 each + $75 ea for revalving, so my earlier mistake has a price tag of $350 so far. Still to come is the install cost, which will probably be $100 per corner. Since my rotors are warped a little, I'm also having Brembos installed at the same time, so the labor can get spread around a little.
The place that is doing the work is accomodating me (I have other cars and they get the tire sales and brake work), but I can tell they're not extremely happy about putting on someone else's parts. I called today for an appointment, and they (nicely) said "call us next week and we'll see," as opposed to "ok, here's an appointment in 2 weeks." But they're good and won't screw up, so I'll live with the attitude.
I have high hopes that this will end things, e.g. the right spring/strut combo. But my experience is an argument for adjustable struts. If I had them, I could just make them a little firmer and be done with it. As it stands, my original error is costing $600 or so for another try. This is one of those times when you just say "I love my car," because the money going in will never come back out.
Finally, in hopefully 3 weeks or so I'll have a surplus pair of pretty new Bilstein struts. I don't think they've been damaged or blown by being on the Eibachs, as the car is reasonably well-controlled. If anyone here wants them in conjuction with Eibach springs or any other springs, they're going to be available. I think they will have to go back to Bilstein for revalving however, so you can count on that $150 charge. I assume they'd be fine on the stock springs, but that's the thing....you don't really know unless someone else has been there first with the exact spring/strut combo you want. And the price for being wrong is high in both aggravation and $$.