blown out Bilsteins - Page 2

JoeH · 03-04-2021, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boywonder

Wow..that's pretty cool....so they drill and tap and add a schrader? That's the main difference? Convenient if you are willing to rebuild. Do they sell seal kits?

Yes, the damping profiles are the same. This is what was spec'd by Jeff at Deaver Spring when I upgraded to their full progressive springs.
25-177503, 360/80 linear (Front)
25-177473, 360/240 digressive (rear)

I thought about trying a 400/100 linear profile to try something different but its some rather expensive experimentation. The Land Rover and Toyota Landcruiser overlanding rigs run that profile a lot.

You can source the parts from them or online. https://pitstopusa.com/c-134718-shoc...ice-parts.html

Service options: https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/techn...ledge/service/
Here's the repair order form: https://www.bilstein.com/us/wp-conte...on-Sheet-2.pdf

Lance · 03-05-2021, 10:22 AM

To measure suspension travel do I need to remove shocks? I just peaked under van and couldn't see any rubber stoppers. What limits travel when shock is fully extended? Seems like Quad van would have this all sorted out. Also I see Bilsteins are warrantied except for off road use. Wonder what off road means? Thanks to all for thoughts

boywonder · 03-05-2021, 04:30 PM

Do you know the P/N of the shocks?

Once you have this, some web searching will give you extended length. compressed length and travel (or any two of the three..from which you can calculate the third).

If you can pull up the shock boots, measure how much shaft length is showing. That needs to be more than the distance from whatever part of the axle contacts the frame/crossmember when bottoming. That checks the compression part of the issue.

Then Jack up the front of the van by the frame/body (don't jack the axle up) until the wheels are off the ground and measure the amount of shock shaft showing at full droop. The shock shaft shouldn't be fully extended at full droop....something else should be limiting the full extended travel.

You can also unbolt the lower shock mount when the van is jacked up and convince yourself there is a little shock travel left. You won't need to do this if you know the shock travel.....just measure with a tape measure and convince yourself there's some shock travel left.

....as a side note..It can be a bit tricky to get both front wheels off the ground with an average floor jack and some jack stands on a lifted van....but you can jack up one side far enough to get the wheel off the ground...get a jack stand under the frame, then remove that wheel then lower jack and repeat on the opposite side. The downside of this method is that you may be slightly shy of "full droop" without the weight of the wheels/tires.

Lance · 03-05-2021, 05:05 PM

Thanks so much for the procedure, I just got the jack out and was wondering how to attack. The presumed contact point I see for compression is inboard of the shock, would there be some additional travel need by shock due to that or is it 1 to 1? What is p/n? I've got label with series # and another 8 digit #, that it? Also, do you think the blown shock has any load in it? One more thing, do you think this happened all at once or more likely a slight leak that got to critical point and overheated? Thanks again!

Lance · 03-05-2021, 05:23 PM

I figured out part # and got length info. The rubber on shock melted some, must have been pretty hot.

Lance · 03-05-2021, 05:47 PM

I measured distance to axel stop and length of shock showing and came up with over 1" more travel possible than shock had left to give. The only travel stop I could see was a small plate on top of axel that would contact frame. No rubber stops. My van is an 05 and axel is 2017 or there about. Am I missing another possible contact point?

boywonder · 03-05-2021, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

I measured distance to axel stop and length of shock showing and came up with over 1" more travel possible than shock had left to give. The only travel stop I could see was a small plate on top of axel that would contact frame. No rubber stops. My van is an 05 and axel is 2017 or there about. Am I missing another possible contact point?

So the shock will bottom out approximately an inch before the axle/hardware contacts the frame/crossmember?

..any chance you can post a few pics?

When you say "length of shock showing" do you mean length of shock shaft showing...??

Lance · 03-06-2021, 09:42 AM

Yes, the shock will bottom out 1"+ before axle contacts frame. I was referring to shock shaft showing, about 3 1/2" and about 5" between contact points. Sorry to say I don't know how to post pictures. I'm a retired farmer who never needed much tech savvy. I don't own a smart phone, though my wife does. I'll see if I can figure it out how to post. It sure seems to me that there should be a bumper stop. Thanks again, for staying with me on this, feels like things are making sense.

boywonder · 03-06-2021, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

Yes, the shock will bottom out 1"+ before axle contacts frame. I was referring to shock shaft showing, about 3 1/2" and about 5" between contact points. Sorry to say I don't know how to post pictures. I'm a retired farmer who never needed much tech savvy. I don't own a smart phone, though my wife does. I'll see if I can figure it out how to post. It sure seems to me that there should be a bumper stop. Thanks again, for staying with me on this, feels like things are making sense.

Yup..sounds like the shocks are too long.......

You may find find that the next shorter part no. shock may be too short...ie it will run out of shock travel at full droop......there is usually a small window where one size just meets both compression and full extension criteria.

As the shock gets shorter the shaft travel gets shorter too.....

And, as you've mentioned bump stops bolted to the frame may help as well.

Summit Racing sells lots of bump stops ..and Ebay, etc. There are fancy polyurethane ones and rubber ones ...dorman makes inexpensive ones....most have threaded studs and a nut; drill a hole and install.

boywonder · 03-06-2021, 10:41 AM

The next thing I would do at this point is to remove the shocks and jack up the frame to get full droop.......then use a tape measure to measure from lower shock mount (center of the hole) to the upper shock mount surface.

You'll need a shock with a little more length than this.....so the shock isn't "topped out" at full droop....that can damage the shock as well.

Then remove jack stands and measure again....take that measurement and subtract the shock compressed length from it.....that will give you the minimum travel the shock will need to have left ...and this has to be more than your 5" measurement above.