Modifying Bilstein Shocks

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

FYI I'm getting an occasional loud "ping" from the front springs, like they are popping back into place or something. Usually when going over speed bumps/curbings (round curb on my driveway) and sometimes when turning. It only happens once though and stops... I'm thinking the springs are too low now and they aren't compressed at all when at full droop?

That's pretty easy to check: jack up the car, remove tire, disconnect sway bar, check spring. Although typically loose springs aren't an issue unless both wheels become unloaded at the same time because the sway bar prevents you from hitting full droop.

[Racecomp Engineering]

I pretty much always recommend helper springs. It could also be a little bit of spring binding, which you can fix with a little lube or torrington bearings (lube is easy).

- Andrew

[Kostamojen]

I'll fiddle with it more this weekend, maybe cut those bumpstops too. Lube sounds like a good idea.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

I'll fiddle with it more this weekend, maybe cut those bumpstops too. Lube sounds like a good idea.

It always is. Giggity.

- Andrew

[Racecomp Engineering]

Just thinking out loud, a 7 inch 280 lbs/in spring with helpers might work better all around for you. You'll make a little more of the travel you have with the slightly firmer rates.

- Andrew

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Just thinking out loud, a 7 inch 280 lbs/in spring with helpers might work better all around for you. You'll make a little more of the travel you have with the slightly firmer rates.

- Andrew

How much space would the helper spring plus seprator take up?

If its more than an inch and a half it won't even fit while retaining a normal ride height.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

How much spacebattles would the helper spring plus seprator take up?

If its more than an inch and a half it won't even fit while retaining a normal ride height.

Haha spacebattles.

Not much, for reference on our upcoming coilover based on B14s uses 6 inch 400 lbs/in springs with helpers and can get about a 1.25 inch drop.

- Andrew

[strat61caster]

I'm seeing similar things, once you start hitting the upper end of the spring rates the B14's come with, if you want lower than OEM you're going to want helper springs, unless it's a racecar and you can keep an eye on it easily. If you're staying within the supplied spring rates (avoiding a revalve) you'll probably have the perches relatively high up.

6" spring with a helper looks like the way to go unless you're keeping things soft.

Once I solve the clunking I've got in my rear I'll post the drawing for the adapter I had fabbed up so I didn't have to buy rear top hats, it's a very simplistic part but because it's basically a >4" aluminum donut (matl cost at least $40/pair unless you go plastic or can buy in bulk) I would be surprised if anyone could get it made for less than $100/pair unless a company steals the plans and makes a batch of them for sale. Not sure if the clunking is something loose or if it can be solved with a piece of rubber to take up the gap in my adapters (which is what Toyobaru did).

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Haha spacebattles.

Ugg I hate typing on my phone.... Hopefully my new S7 arriving this week is better.

Originally Posted by strat61caster

6" spring with a helper looks like the way to go unless you're keeping things soft.

My goal is actuallyto keep things soft up front. I thibk my solution will probably be some non-lowering camber plates but thats proving to be difficult to find the right ones...

Once I solve the clunking I've got in my rear I'll post the drawing for the adapter I had fabbed up so I didn't have to buy rear top hats, it's a very simplistic part but because it's basically a >4" aluminum donut (matl cost at least $40/pair unless you go plastic or can buy in bulk) I would be surprised if anyone could get it made for less than $100/pair unless a company steals the plans and makes a batch of them for sale. Not sure if the clunking is something loose or if it can be solved with a piece of rubber to take up the gap in my adapters (which is what Toyobaru did).

I haven't had my spring noise since I posted about it *knock on wood* bit it was only happening once per drive and was difficult to replicate. It may have solved itself.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

My goal is actuallyto keep things soft up front. I thibk my solution will probably be some non-lowering camber plates but thats proving to be difficult to find the right ones...

I haven't had my spring noise since I posted about it *knock on wood* bit it was only happening once per drive and was difficult to replicate. It may have solved itself.

Totally understood, my post was geared more towards those considering customizing the B14's with a revalve and stiffer rates for autox/hpde/racecar/'because I want to' reasons.

I'm positive my rears are clunking either due to the spring adapters I made or there's a slim chance it's my LCA. My fronts are great right now as well (once I remembered to torque the top strut nut ) but at near OE ride height my springs are loose at full droop, looser when the car is lowered. I'll likely go to a 6"+helper setup eventually but these are good for now.

Another thing I'd like to mention is for those changing the rear springs don't forget dustboots, the OE boots Bilstein has you re-use are too large for even a 2.5" spring iirc (doesn't fit through the 60mm end of the B14's springs). I tried cutting a section out but that didn't really buy me very much but I think a shorter version of the dust boots provided on the front would work well, going to try and order a pair from bilstein or someone else sometime soon. I'll post the p/n if I find it.

Also don't forget coilbind when selecting springs, make sure that at full compression of your suspension your springs don't bind first.

[Kostamojen]

Well... Attempting to modify the bumpstops is one of the worst mistakes ive ever made...



I'm stuck now with no car to drive until I can get a replacement shock...

Removing the nut was easy, but the shock WOULD NOT move. I tapped on it a bit and nothing so i gave up, but the threads were ruined so the nut wouldn't go back on. I tried to re-thread the shaft but my rethreader wont fit in that recessed area. So i tried a larger thread nut that i could just force on there so something would be there, but it decided to rotate the whole shaft and move it finally but by then the threads are so ruined that nut just spins. Now I'm stuck with the shaft partially pushed through and no way to get it to go all the way through or back out, its stuck

The good news is i discovered that the springs were just BARELY compressed, which means i need some "non-lowering" camber plates to help with the ride height.

[Shankenstein]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Well... Attempting to modify the bumpstops is one of the worst mistakes ive ever made...

Sorry to hear about the painful learning experience, but I will say "Welcome to the club!"

I mushroomed a CV axle like this, while working in my apartment's parking lot. Not a good day, but it was great exercise biking to work that week. Never again!

For those attempting this type of job in the future, thread the nut back onto the stud a couple threads. Torch the strut body around the threads (thermal expansion helps with any remaining Loctite). Tap the nut with a hammer (gently). If there's room for a socket to distribute the impact, that helps in some situations. Rinse and repeat, with increasing hammer force.

Hopefully a machine shop can salvage the threads. My grandfather worked on B-52's and there were some epic stories about thread work. Even if they have to turn down the current threads and cut new threads with a die (of a smaller size)... it should hold things in place. Depending on how much "work" is done, a custom-made step washer might help fill the gap.

[strat61caster]

Omg so sorry that happened to you and that we lead you down that path!

Again, welcome to the club! I can't tell you how many threads I've stripped (2 on my FRS wheel studs) bolts I've snapped (never found out how much those titanium fasteners cost) or parts I've bent. To make an omelette, you gotta break a few eggs.

Are you getting in touch with Bilstein for a replacement? I'd be surprised if they charged much more than $200 for a strut, probably a bit less. While you could get it fixed by a local machine shop like shankenstein describes is be surprised if they could seriously undercut just replacing it.

iirc that FCM video uses an impact driver, I'm not a huge fan of using those anywhere there's a serious load going on or hardware that could be damaged and non-trivial to be fixed, someone experienced (who has made a few mistakes in the past) can tell when something isn't right and stop before damage happens but guys who do this as a hobby generally aren't in that class. I've got access to a set of pass through ratchets to do suspension work which allow for use of an Allen wrench to prevent things from spinning, yes it takes longer and sometimes you'll need a big breaker bar but IMO it really reduces the odds of making a mistake, getting something cross threaded or over torquing and such.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Crescent-CX6PT20-Pass-Through-Ratchet-20-Piece/dp/B009L8GEPM"]Crescent CX6PT20 X6 Pass-Through Ratchet and Sockets, 20-Piece - Socket Wrenches - Amazon.com[/ame]

Might need a big breaker bar to get the nut loose but after that this ratchet with an Allen on the damper would prevent things from spinning and getting threads and dampers seals torn up.

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Omg so sorry that happened to you and that we lead you down that path!

Again, welcome to the club! I can't tell you how many threads I've stripped (2 on my FRS wheel studs) bolts I've snapped (never found out how much those titanium fasteners cost) or parts I've bent. To make an omelette, you gotta break a few eggs.

Are you getting in touch with Bilstein for a replacement? I'd be surprised if they charged much more than $200 for a strut, probably a bit less. While you could get it fixed by a local machine shop like shankenstein describes is be surprised if they could seriously undercut just replacing it.

I shipped it out to FRsport, they offered to help repair/rebuild it for me... (for a price of course, but its cheaper than what you mentioned). I found an old FRS suspension i had layong around to use on the fronts in the meantime.

Ive done a lot of rethreading too, but the location of this made it impossible for my tools to access

FYI ive also contacted Raceng about possibly making custom lowering camber plates, ive seen them state before they can do custom builds if need be.