Bilstein HD Application For EVO
No problem. 
I definitely would try and pick up some rear STi dustboots from a scooby dealership....you do need something on there and these cover the (inverted) shaft perfectly.
- Andrew
I definitely would try and pick up some rear STi dustboots from a scooby dealership....you do need something on there and these cover the (inverted) shaft perfectly.
- Andrew
Well shucks - What happens if you run two bump stops?
Hi,
I mounted mine with both bump stops.
Are you sure that this is a problem?
In the general cutaways I have seen, they use small cushions to mount the narrow shock rod, to the bottom of the outer strut.
They are not really stops but more like a old style sway bar endlink. Or a standard rear shock mount. About a 3/8" rod with a quarter sized cushions with a hole through them and some washers to trap them.
I don't think that there are internal stops on the shocks since the gas piston seperator is above the shock piston.
The OEM KYB stop will act between the strut hat and the outer body of the shock.
This stops the movement of the shock, and is used with the OEM bilstein shocks also.
I think external stops were used due to the very short body of the Evo strut.
I have not noticed any handling problems having installed the struts and reused the KYB parts.
If you undo the bottom nut on the strut, without spring installed, and slide everything apart, that will show if there are stops or not.
I would not install my shocks this way, I think someone has given you some bad info.
Mitsuatb
I mounted mine with both bump stops.
Are you sure that this is a problem?
In the general cutaways I have seen, they use small cushions to mount the narrow shock rod, to the bottom of the outer strut.
They are not really stops but more like a old style sway bar endlink. Or a standard rear shock mount. About a 3/8" rod with a quarter sized cushions with a hole through them and some washers to trap them.
I don't think that there are internal stops on the shocks since the gas piston seperator is above the shock piston.
The OEM KYB stop will act between the strut hat and the outer body of the shock.
This stops the movement of the shock, and is used with the OEM bilstein shocks also.
I think external stops were used due to the very short body of the Evo strut.
I have not noticed any handling problems having installed the struts and reused the KYB parts.
If you undo the bottom nut on the strut, without spring installed, and slide everything apart, that will show if there are stops or not.
I would not install my shocks this way, I think someone has given you some bad info.
Mitsuatb
Another thing to keep in mind with the Bilstein HDs....the fronts have internal bumpstops. So DO NOT swap the oem bumpstops to the new strut. You don't need two. 
This presents a problem as the dust boot is incorporated into the bumpstop. You NEED dust boots, so you need to do something.
Our solution: Subaru Impreza STI rear dust boots we had laying around fit perfectly and completely keep dirt out. Sweet!
- Andrew
This presents a problem as the dust boot is incorporated into the bumpstop. You NEED dust boots, so you need to do something.
Our solution: Subaru Impreza STI rear dust boots we had laying around fit perfectly and completely keep dirt out. Sweet!
- Andrew
Last edited by mitsuatb; Apr 15, 2008 at 09:04 AM.
Hi,
I mounted mine with both bump stops.
Are you sure that this is a problem?
In the general cutaways I have seen, they use small cushions to mount the narrow shock rod, to the bottom of the outer strut.
They are not really stops but more like a old style sway bar endlink. Or a standard rear shock mount. About a 3/8" rod with a quarter sized cushions with a hole through them and some washers to trap them.
I don't think that there are internal stops on the shocks since the gas piston seperator is above the shock piston.
The OEM KYB stop will act between the strut hat and the outer body of the shock.
This stops the movement of the shock, and is used with the OEM bilstein shocks also.
I think external stops were used due to the very short body of the Evo strut.
I have not noticed any handling problems having installed the struts and reused the KYB parts.
If you undo the bottom nut on the strut, without spring installed, and slide everything apart, that will show if there are stops or not.
I would not install my shocks this way, I think someone has given you some bad info.
Mitsuatb
I mounted mine with both bump stops.
Are you sure that this is a problem?
In the general cutaways I have seen, they use small cushions to mount the narrow shock rod, to the bottom of the outer strut.
They are not really stops but more like a old style sway bar endlink. Or a standard rear shock mount. About a 3/8" rod with a quarter sized cushions with a hole through them and some washers to trap them.
I don't think that there are internal stops on the shocks since the gas piston seperator is above the shock piston.
The OEM KYB stop will act between the strut hat and the outer body of the shock.
This stops the movement of the shock, and is used with the OEM bilstein shocks also.
I think external stops were used due to the very short body of the Evo strut.
I have not noticed any handling problems having installed the struts and reused the KYB parts.
If you undo the bottom nut on the strut, without spring installed, and slide everything apart, that will show if there are stops or not.
I would not install my shocks this way, I think someone has given you some bad info.
Mitsuatb
Reusing the external ones won't cause you any problems really, but you are sacrificing a bit of travel.
The Subaru STi inverted struts have internal bumpstops as well, if you undo the nut on the bottom it's in there. Prodrive/Bilstein Subaru inverted struts are the same, and so are Subaru Legacy Bilstein HD struts.
- Andrew
Bilstein says that external bump stop must be used
I want to say that my goal in posting is not to rip on GTWorks.
They impress me as trying to do a good job with their products and services.
I called Bilstein directly and spoke with:
John Cerveny
Technical Product Information Coordinator
Research & Development
ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America
14102 Stowe Drive
Poway, CA 92064
Phone: +1 858 386-5950
Fax: +1 858 386-5980
E-Mail: john.cerveny@thyssenkrupp.com
Website: www.bilstein.com
At first he said, that the shocks had an internal bump stop. Then he decided to check some drawings and get back to me.
When he replied, he stated that the external bump stop must be used. He said that this is very rare in Bilstein shocks, this was one of the few that are setup this way.
He confirmed that I had correctly installed the shocks.
It was dumb luck on my part, it never occured to me that I shouldn't reuse the stock parts. I got lucky.
He also provided the Bilstein paint code.
We buy the paint from a company called Smith Paint & Supply Inc. out of Long Beach Ca. The paint is an Ellis Paint code number 217. They can be reach at (562)595-4761 for further assistance or below is a link to their web site. Thanks.
http://www.smithpaint.com/LongBeach/Index.htm
I sent him the pictures of the grinding I had to do, starting to feel like a Beta shock tester.
Mitsuatb
They impress me as trying to do a good job with their products and services.
I called Bilstein directly and spoke with:
John Cerveny
Technical Product Information Coordinator
Research & Development
ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America
14102 Stowe Drive
Poway, CA 92064
Phone: +1 858 386-5950
Fax: +1 858 386-5980
E-Mail: john.cerveny@thyssenkrupp.com
Website: www.bilstein.com
At first he said, that the shocks had an internal bump stop. Then he decided to check some drawings and get back to me.
When he replied, he stated that the external bump stop must be used. He said that this is very rare in Bilstein shocks, this was one of the few that are setup this way.
He confirmed that I had correctly installed the shocks.
It was dumb luck on my part, it never occured to me that I shouldn't reuse the stock parts. I got lucky.
He also provided the Bilstein paint code.
We buy the paint from a company called Smith Paint & Supply Inc. out of Long Beach Ca. The paint is an Ellis Paint code number 217. They can be reach at (562)595-4761 for further assistance or below is a link to their web site. Thanks.
http://www.smithpaint.com/LongBeach/Index.htm
I sent him the pictures of the grinding I had to do, starting to feel like a Beta shock tester.
Mitsuatb
The Bilstein instructions do say that there is an internal bumpstop and that you should not swap the OEM one over. That's what I followed.
Reusing the external ones won't cause you any problems really, but you are sacrificing a bit of travel.
The Subaru STi inverted struts have internal bumpstops as well, if you undo the nut on the bottom it's in there. Prodrive/Bilstein Subaru inverted struts are the same, and so are Subaru Legacy Bilstein HD struts.
- Andrew
Reusing the external ones won't cause you any problems really, but you are sacrificing a bit of travel.
The Subaru STi inverted struts have internal bumpstops as well, if you undo the nut on the bottom it's in there. Prodrive/Bilstein Subaru inverted struts are the same, and so are Subaru Legacy Bilstein HD struts.
- Andrew
Well crap. They REALLY need to change their included instructions then....that's unacceptable.
I'll call John at Bilstein tomorrow.
Thanks for the heads up.
- Andrew
I'll call John at Bilstein tomorrow.
Thanks for the heads up.
- Andrew
Last edited by GTWORX.com; Apr 15, 2008 at 05:41 PM.
I went back and read the instructions, and like you said, they clearly state not to use the external bump stop.
I guess they are general instructions, and this setup is the exception.
When you call him, let me know if they say anything different, this time.
Mitsuatb
I guess they are general instructions, and this setup is the exception.
When you call him, let me know if they say anything different, this time.
Mitsuatb
No
No, nothing in writing,
I don't expect that they would be very fast to admit a mistake.
If you are not trying to use camber bolts to gain some negative camber, you should be ok.
If not, easy to grind.
Mitsuatb
I don't expect that they would be very fast to admit a mistake.
If you are not trying to use camber bolts to gain some negative camber, you should be ok.
If not, easy to grind.
Mitsuatb
I stuck with the EVO boots and bumpstops in the end since Bilstein had trouble clarifying whether there was an internal bumpstop or not. I could have opened them up with the bolt on the bottom but didn't.
- Andrew
- Andrew
Last edited by GTWORX.com; Oct 26, 2009 at 11:09 PM.