I have Bilsteins, and they were making a strange noise when going over speed
bumps. I didn't know if it was them or something else, and for a moment I
wondered if they needed to be oiled. This was kind of a moaning sound.
Eventually a different sound emergered, a clicky/clacky sound. So I got
under the front and tightened the bottom of the shocks, and now no more
sound of any kind. Mona and Clacky have found another vehicle to haunt.

>From: Steve Schwenk <steve@syncro.org>
>Reply-To: steve@syncro.org
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Any Bilstein users?
>Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 06:40:09 -0700
>
>Based on my experience with both, I would give the KYBs
>away before I would ever use them again.  The Bilsteins
>have been superb.
>steve
>Hi, Karl!
>
>Karl Wolz wrote:
> >
> > HK,
> >
> > There are so many variables that it is really hard to tell.  My bad
> > experience with Bilstiens involved their warranty situation.  At the
>time,
> > there was no Bilstein outlet in Phoenix, so if I had a bad shock, I had
>to
> > mail it to San Diego and wait for a new one.  Since the van is a daily
> > driver, this was not a very acceptable situation.
> >
> > I had two Bilsteins go bad, both of then because the shocks were too
>damned
> > stiff for their own good.  In both cases, the attachment loop on the
>bottom
> > of the shock let go where the loop is welded to the shock body.  When
>one
> > went the second time, I replaced them with the KYBs.
> >
> > I put about 150K on the KYBs before I took them off the Westy.  The
>front
> > end guy asked why I was replacing them, as they still looked and felt
>good,
> > but there was a noticeable difference in ride between the old KYBs and
>the
> > new ones.  I then put the old ones on my '84 7 passenger van (lighter
> > vehicle), where they still are today.
> >
> > Bottom line - I don't think there was any REAL difference between the
>two;
> > certainly not enough to justify the difference in price.
> >
> > Karl
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@mindspring.com>
> > To: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 4:57 AM
> > Subject: Re: Any Bilstein users?
> >
> > > At 09:33 PM 5/22/01 -0700, you wrote:
> > > >KYBs have a lifetime warranty, too.  I've had KYBs and Bilsteins on
>my
> > '85
> > > >Westy.  I kinda preferred the KYBs.
> > > >
> > > >Karl Wolz
> > > You actually tell a difference??  I mean, discernable in some way?
> > > hk
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "David Beierl" <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> > > >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > > >Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 6:38 PM
> > > >Subject: Re: Any Bilstein users?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > At 12:22 PM 5/22/2001, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> > > > > >What are the opinions of the Bilstein users out there?  Are they
> > worth a
> > > > > >$210 premium over the KYBs, even with the lifetime warranty?
> > > > >
> > > > > I have them, I like them.  No opinion on the KYBs.
> > > > >
> > > > > They helped the handling, but not nearly as much as shifting to
>MXT
> > > >tires...
> > > > >
> > > > > d
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > David Beierl - Providence, RI
> > > > >   http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> > > > > '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
> > > > > '85 GL "Poor Relation"
> > >

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com