Stock Bilsteins garbage or rebuilt and shop rant!
Jun 19, 2017, 09:57 AM
#1
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Stock Bilsteins garbage or rebuilt and shop rant!
Long story:
So I have been super busy at work and needed to have the brakes done on my IX. At that time I wasn't able to spare the time. I was recommended a tuner shop (which will rename unnamed) because my original tuner shop no longer works on the Evo IX. They've moved on to the newer vehicles.
My IX has 157k on her and I've done the brakes twice myself. I called up the referred shop and made an appointment for brakes and rotors at all 4 corners. Being it is mostly my wife's car now I decided to go with something basic. Stoptech's pads and their power slot rotors. No drilled. I also wanted all the fluids changed as I don't recall in my records having changed all of them. Besides I was at the 150k mark and figured now was the time.
The day of the service came and I showed up with my wife and work van. Dropped the car off and also wanted to chit chat about upgrades to make to the old girl since she is coming up on her 10th birthday. I bought her new off the showroom floor in 2007. One of the last ones still new in the country.
*NOTE* The employee behind the counter was probably more helpful then I am about to describe him but this is my POV. But I also ask my wife after we left both times if I was over reacting and she said she didn't think so. Either way I am not a superfan of to be described guy. Also this conversation is not verbatim but it is mostly to get the idea across.
The guy behind the counter proceeds to tell me we can do anything you want. "Tell me a horsepower number and we can make it happen." Clearly. Your a tuner shop. That's your job. I said "I don't know what I want. It's my wife's car. She will daily it and go to the grocery store. I want it have more pull but I also want it to be street-able."
Guy: "We can make anything streetable. We have 6-800hp Evo's that are streetable."
Me: "Well by streetable I mean I don't really want to wait till 4-5k RPM's to wait for boost."
Guy: "Well with the new turbos you don't really have to."
Me: "Ok well what do you recommend?"
Guy: "Tell me a hp number and I'll make some recommendations."
I'm a professional sales person and by now I am getting more than irritated. I have money in my hand (figuratively speaking) and wanted this "expert" to recommend to me what I should "invest" my money into on my car. Me not having done research of what others have done was looking for this gentleman to guide me on the road to modifying my Evo and avoiding the pitfalls.
Me: "I don't know a horsepower number. I have nothing to compare it to. All I know is I have 308 to the wheels from the other tuner shop and I would like to have more."
Guy: "Well I need a number before I can make any recommendations."
Me: (Now VERY frustrated) "600."
Guy: "Sure. We can do that."
Me: "Ok, how."
Guy: "I'll put together some quotes on paper for when you come back to pick up your car."
Me: "Great. Thank you."
We leave and I am so frustrated at this point that I said to my wife. "I don't even want to leave the car their."
Wife: "Then lets go back and get it." I was already driving down the highway at this point.
Me: "No, we are already driving and I have got too much to do. If the **** it will just cement my thought that they are idiots."
We went back two days later (dropped off the car the night before the service day, then picked it up the second following day. They were not able to finish another car ahead of mine so I opted to pick it up in the morning the next day instead of fighting rush hour.
Again when we came back the next day I did not have the overwhelming feeling of 'know how' or enthusiasm to help me get to where I want to go. Paid for the service. Received 1 quote and left. I asked if they bed the new brakes in and they said no.
As we left the shop my wife was complaining about a smell to me over the phone. I said the new brakes may be cooking the resin out, as I had just done a 'quick bed in process' before we left the shop. She said ok and I went to my jobsite for the day. She had some errands to run and was going to meet me later for lunch. As she is coming to see me for lunch she is still complaining about smell. I said ok I'll check it out when you get to the jobsite.
She gets to the jobsite and I smell burning rubber. Not brakes. I said that's interesting. I can't think of anything that is rubber that they would have touched. And their was a metal grinding noise also. It was a late lunch and I needed another part that was at home. It was a Saturday so I decided to call it quits for the day. We drove to lunch and she called me saying "now it sounds like something is really grinding." And as she finished that I heard on the phone, 'ping'. The audiable metal sound of a piece of sheet metal getting flung. "Ok let's go straight home" I said.
We get home and I put the Evo in the garage. I smell the rubber. I then notice a groove being cut into the less than 100 miles new Michelin drivers front tire from the spring perch of the stock Bilstein.
"Well I found the problem, although I can't say as to why it happened."
And frankly I still am not certain "why" it happened but maybe you guys have suggestions. Also I am not sure the tuner shop is fully to blame. It may just be a coincidence. But I don't believe in coincidence.
In any event I was forced to replace the strut and decided I might as well get some new coils if that is the case.
So first question I have:
1.) Are the Bilstein struts in the picture worth being rebuilt or are they to far damaged from rust?
2.) Does anyone have any performance shop suggestions in Illinois or in the nation for that matter. I want someone that is competent and confident that knows what the hell they are doing. Or if you have suggestions on what to do. Input is welcomed.
3.) Am I retarded? Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening?
Thank you for your help friends. I do appreciate you all.
Short story:
06 MR Bilstein struts failed. Can these be rebuilt or are they garbage now due to their rusty condition?
So I have been super busy at work and needed to have the brakes done on my IX. At that time I wasn't able to spare the time. I was recommended a tuner shop (which will rename unnamed) because my original tuner shop no longer works on the Evo IX. They've moved on to the newer vehicles.
My IX has 157k on her and I've done the brakes twice myself. I called up the referred shop and made an appointment for brakes and rotors at all 4 corners. Being it is mostly my wife's car now I decided to go with something basic. Stoptech's pads and their power slot rotors. No drilled. I also wanted all the fluids changed as I don't recall in my records having changed all of them. Besides I was at the 150k mark and figured now was the time.
The day of the service came and I showed up with my wife and work van. Dropped the car off and also wanted to chit chat about upgrades to make to the old girl since she is coming up on her 10th birthday. I bought her new off the showroom floor in 2007. One of the last ones still new in the country.
*NOTE* The employee behind the counter was probably more helpful then I am about to describe him but this is my POV. But I also ask my wife after we left both times if I was over reacting and she said she didn't think so. Either way I am not a superfan of to be described guy. Also this conversation is not verbatim but it is mostly to get the idea across.
The guy behind the counter proceeds to tell me we can do anything you want. "Tell me a horsepower number and we can make it happen." Clearly. Your a tuner shop. That's your job. I said "I don't know what I want. It's my wife's car. She will daily it and go to the grocery store. I want it have more pull but I also want it to be street-able."
Guy: "We can make anything streetable. We have 6-800hp Evo's that are streetable."
Me: "Well by streetable I mean I don't really want to wait till 4-5k RPM's to wait for boost."
Guy: "Well with the new turbos you don't really have to."
Me: "Ok well what do you recommend?"
Guy: "Tell me a hp number and I'll make some recommendations."
I'm a professional sales person and by now I am getting more than irritated. I have money in my hand (figuratively speaking) and wanted this "expert" to recommend to me what I should "invest" my money into on my car. Me not having done research of what others have done was looking for this gentleman to guide me on the road to modifying my Evo and avoiding the pitfalls.
Me: "I don't know a horsepower number. I have nothing to compare it to. All I know is I have 308 to the wheels from the other tuner shop and I would like to have more."
Guy: "Well I need a number before I can make any recommendations."
Me: (Now VERY frustrated) "600."
Guy: "Sure. We can do that."
Me: "Ok, how."
Guy: "I'll put together some quotes on paper for when you come back to pick up your car."
Me: "Great. Thank you."
We leave and I am so frustrated at this point that I said to my wife. "I don't even want to leave the car their."
Wife: "Then lets go back and get it." I was already driving down the highway at this point.
Me: "No, we are already driving and I have got too much to do. If the **** it will just cement my thought that they are idiots."
We went back two days later (dropped off the car the night before the service day, then picked it up the second following day. They were not able to finish another car ahead of mine so I opted to pick it up in the morning the next day instead of fighting rush hour.
Again when we came back the next day I did not have the overwhelming feeling of 'know how' or enthusiasm to help me get to where I want to go. Paid for the service. Received 1 quote and left. I asked if they bed the new brakes in and they said no.
As we left the shop my wife was complaining about a smell to me over the phone. I said the new brakes may be cooking the resin out, as I had just done a 'quick bed in process' before we left the shop. She said ok and I went to my jobsite for the day. She had some errands to run and was going to meet me later for lunch. As she is coming to see me for lunch she is still complaining about smell. I said ok I'll check it out when you get to the jobsite.
She gets to the jobsite and I smell burning rubber. Not brakes. I said that's interesting. I can't think of anything that is rubber that they would have touched. And their was a metal grinding noise also. It was a late lunch and I needed another part that was at home. It was a Saturday so I decided to call it quits for the day. We drove to lunch and she called me saying "now it sounds like something is really grinding." And as she finished that I heard on the phone, 'ping'. The audiable metal sound of a piece of sheet metal getting flung. "Ok let's go straight home" I said.
We get home and I put the Evo in the garage. I smell the rubber. I then notice a groove being cut into the less than 100 miles new Michelin drivers front tire from the spring perch of the stock Bilstein.
"Well I found the problem, although I can't say as to why it happened."
And frankly I still am not certain "why" it happened but maybe you guys have suggestions. Also I am not sure the tuner shop is fully to blame. It may just be a coincidence. But I don't believe in coincidence.
In any event I was forced to replace the strut and decided I might as well get some new coils if that is the case.
So first question I have:
1.) Are the Bilstein struts in the picture worth being rebuilt or are they to far damaged from rust?
2.) Does anyone have any performance shop suggestions in Illinois or in the nation for that matter. I want someone that is competent and confident that knows what the hell they are doing. Or if you have suggestions on what to do. Input is welcomed.
3.) Am I retarded? Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening?
Thank you for your help friends. I do appreciate you all.
Short story:
06 MR Bilstein struts failed. Can these be rebuilt or are they garbage now due to their rusty condition?
Last edited by N1MR0D; Jun 19, 2017 at 09:58 AM. Reason: Typo
Jun 19, 2017, 10:09 AM
#2
I didn't read your post since its was way too long lol, but the Bilsteins can be rusted out and still be good. They don't make the bilsteins for the evo anymore though so you'd have to get a different bilstein (HD model?), and from what I've gathered over the years, that rebuilding the ones you have now cost close to if not more than buying new bilstein HD struts.
The newers ones don't drive the same as the stock ones, but there pretty close, and much better if your stock ones are bad.
The newers ones don't drive the same as the stock ones, but there pretty close, and much better if your stock ones are bad.
Jun 19, 2017, 11:12 AM
#4
EvoM Guru
iTrader: (1)
Looks like the spring perch rusted out and failed. Definitely time for new dampers all the way around.
As for Quality shops, you have Boostin Performance and AMS in IL. Not sure where you are relative to them.
As for Quality shops, you have Boostin Performance and AMS in IL. Not sure where you are relative to them.
Jun 19, 2017, 01:21 PM
#6
EvoM Guru
iTrader: (1)
Yeah, those things are done.
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Jun 26, 2017, 05:09 PM
#8
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
mrfred: In the shops defense, I can't honestly say one way or another if the shop recommended it to me. I do know they suggested several things on paper that had to do with bushings and or an inner tie rod but nothing about the struts.
I was most disappointed that I was not being "sold." Let's be honest. These things, cars, more boost, toys, are not NEEDED. I was really looking forward to an 'expert" suggesting to be how to spend or "invest" my multiple thousands of dollars. That's all. I don't know what horsepower I want. Be the expert and guide me.
I suppose I have to high of expectations. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
I was most disappointed that I was not being "sold." Let's be honest. These things, cars, more boost, toys, are not NEEDED. I was really looking forward to an 'expert" suggesting to be how to spend or "invest" my multiple thousands of dollars. That's all. I don't know what horsepower I want. Be the expert and guide me.
I suppose I have to high of expectations. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Jun 26, 2017, 06:38 PM
#9
https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/...170627013041:s
These might be a good option for you they are basically a KW v1 coilover in a cheaper body, If you shop around you can find them cheaper and there is also a $100 rebate at the moment.
and for power this would be a nice increase without a spool penalty
http://www.forcedperformance.net/mer...e=Lancer-Turbo
These might be a good option for you they are basically a KW v1 coilover in a cheaper body, If you shop around you can find them cheaper and there is also a $100 rebate at the moment.
and for power this would be a nice increase without a spool penalty
http://www.forcedperformance.net/mer...e=Lancer-Turbo
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