Bilstein Sport Gas Shock? - Suspension gods help

[SteveDX89]

I'm having a bunch of trouble finding rear Koni's now. Tirerack cancelled my order because there's none available and I called Koni. They don't have any left. Short of calling every Koni distributor within a 120 miles radius (I've called one and they're checking their suppliers for me), I guess I'm stuck with Bilsteins in the rear. I went to Nopi.com and looked at the shocks. It says Bilstein's Sport Gas Shock can be used with lowering springs. Do you know if this is true or would they still need revalved? If they still need revalved, are the cheapest H.D.'s ok to use or do I need to get the more expensive model. Last question, sorry. Will they be any handling problems using Koni shocks in the front and Bilstein's in the rear? Thanks for any help.

[markmdz89hatch]

if I had to choose a lighter-duty shock, I'd put it in the rear before I ever thought of putting it up front. I don't know the valving specs on each Bill, so I can't give a great answer on which one to get.

Have you contacted anyone at www.shox.com ? If not, give them a call and see if they have any Koni's left.

[Vinny]

shox doesn't even list them, and from what I heard from another member when they were listed a week or so ago, they were actually out. I called tirerack last night and they said they ARE taking orders and putting them on backorder. They also told me thay are not aware of the being discontinued, this from the phone rep, we all know better. However he said they are expecting a shipment in mid to late october. He couldn't tell me if it was a set number or jus to fill the backorders. Worst case you can try to backorder through tirerack and if they get em.....you get em. They won't charge your card until they ship so it may be worth the gamble. I plan on having them backorder a set for me just incase

[SteveDX89]

I tried Shox.com earlier. They're out. Tirerack called me today and said they can't get them anymore and my order would be cancelled. I had them on backorder but I guess I was too late. Koni told me they are not making them at all. They had to cancel orders too. I told them mine was probably one of them. You can get the front ones on backorder. I'm waiting for them to come in. That might be what the rep was thinking of unless they didn't know until today.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Bilstein doesn't make thier sport struts for our cars. And the H.D. struts they do make are only Heavy Duty against stock springs. No matter what anyone says, DO NOT USE THEM ON A LOWERED CAR! They do not have enough power to deal with stiffer lowering springs. They are 15% stiffer than stock, but even that wasn't enough to even contorl springs only 26% stiffer than stock. I know, I tried. I hated them so much that I pulled them off the car and replaced them with Koni's, night and day better, superior. Only latter did I find out that I could have send the Bilstiens back to Bilstien and had them revalved. Which I did cause I wanted to get even stiffer springs. Revalved, the H.D. was actually better than the Koni's on the same springs.

Also, BUYER BEWARE: Bilstein now makes another type of sturt for our cars called Touring class, DO NOT BUY THEM for a lowered car, their even weaker than the H.D's are!. And don't buy them to revalve, cause they can not be revalved like the H.D's can.