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"
> >