Bilstein 5160s and limit straps

[CorporalClegg]

On the road in my LX again.
We're traveling from Colorado to North Carolina, Alabama and back to Colorado, mostly highway with few national forest visits for back county camping.
My cruiser is a 99 LX on bilstein 5160s dissent and slee steel bumpers, sliders roof rack, drawer "system" and a winch not to mention all the junk a woman needs for two weeks, along with the dog and myself.
Last time I weighed with no recovery gear, tools or jacks spare parts ect the car came in at 6800lbs.
So we pushed through from Colorado loaded to the gills to Nashville nonstop arriving at 5am. Camped out and made the short trip into the Ashville area of NC.

Spent the next few days visiting family before loading up and heading south.
I'd noticed the rear of the car on this leg of the trip to be a little under dampened and once we got off pavement in the Chattahoochee national forest I realized what was happening. A lot of noise coupled with some bounce I got under the car to investigate. Road was muddy shock was definitely loose or broken I wasn't sure, our pre-planned forest service road was closed no cell reception and no camping was available without permit from rec.gov( i loathe that site). I tired to remove the shock quickly but was unsuccessful with the car sitting on the ground. Needless to say I was a little annoyed at this point.
We continued back towards the highway to find another forest road, by now the banging bothered me enough to get the hi-lift off the roof and remove the shock.

After a quick chat with state patrol I had the shock off and car back on the road.
We bounced our way back up another mountain we're we found a nice place to stop. Next morning we moved onto Alabama where I was able to remove the rest of the shock and investigate the cause of failure.

Apparently these shocks are threaded together, I was curious how these were attached when I installed them now I know didn't even see any thread locker..
Looks to be that the shock was pulled apart and didn't unscrew.

So I finally get to the title of this post, is anyone here using limit straps or have you guys broken any rear shocks? Closer examination looks like the threads are all pushed over and somewhat flat on the tips.
I'm going to weld this one together and get some limit straps for the rear axle but am curious if anyone else has dealt with this.

I did run into a another LX that broke two rear shocks in the same place that were welded together and couldn't really make sense of why, im suspecting now it was due to being pulled apart.

 

[hoser]

If the shaft and nut come loose.... the constant back and force will eventually strip out the threads. Sometimes happens to rear adjustable control arms too. IMO, I'd just screw them back together (retap, if needed) and weld it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

If the shaft and nut come loose.... the constant back and force will eventually strip out the threads. Sometimes happens to rear adjustable control arms too. IMO, I'd just screw them back together (retap, if needed) and weld it.

No nut, if you look closely at the photo the part of the shaft that holds to the chassis with bushings and a nut threads onto the shock shaft. That part was assembled by the shock manufacturer.

 

[hoser]

"a nut threads onto the shock shaft. That part was assembled by the shock manufacturer."

Yes, I believe we are talking about the same connection. Can you screw them back together or are the threads stripped? If the threads are still good on both ends, just screw them back together with red loc-tite. You'll have to figure a way to clamp down the shaft without damaging it and torque it down... maybe a hydraulic press and protect the shaft with rubber.

 

[jLB]

Don’t I remember a similar issue with rear Bilstein shocks a decade or so ago, mainly reported out of Australia.

Examples:

bilstein shock unthreading

I have a rear drivers side shock that has un-threaded from the attachment and flopping around. I lowered it back onto the the hole, and it is kinda in the right place but threads still show. Do I need a new one, or do I take it off and re-thread into the hole? I did not install them, and am not...

forum.ih8mud.com

Ball joints

Sometimes when I go over a speed bump I hear something rattle , I believe it's in the front and on the right side by the wheel. My guess and the guess of a friend is that the ball joints are wearing out. I have hitch cargo carrier on the back and I was hoping that was the problem but I will...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Ridgerunner78]

I had this problem with a set of Bilstein 4600s about 5 years ago. My 100 had them on it when I bought it and shortly after one of the rears broke off right where the threaded end meets the shaft. One of the fronts would also loosen from time to time and I would have to tighten it back up.

 

[JackA]

Shocks are never meant to be a suspension travel limiter. I have had these same issues like stated above. My current Slee branded ADS shocks are slowly pulling the top nut deeper into the top washer. I plan to install limit straps to relieve the shocks from this issue.

 

[jLB]

Shocks are never meant to be a suspension travel limiter. I have had these same issues like stated above. My current Slee branded ADS shocks are slowly pulling the top nut deeper into the top washer. I plan to install limit straps to relieve the shocks from this issue.

No offense intended, but if this were completely true, please explain what is the (droop) suspension limiter, with the factory suspension? I personally believe that the issue is, lifting the vehicle where you’re “riding on the limit” of droop, and “half assed” shocks, modified to fit a platform, with 2 piece shafts.

 

[MongooseGA]

I could be wrong, it happened once, but I think @hotdiggitydamn had a similar issue with one of his Bilsteins.

 

[4Beast]

When I was looking at shock choices, I considered the 5160s and there were several similar stories of the threads backing out.

 

[JackA]

No offense intended, but if this were completely true, please explain what is the (droop) suspension limiter, with the factory suspension? I personally believe that the issue is, lifting the vehicle where you’re “riding on the limit” of droop, and “half assed” shocks, modified to fit a platform, with 2 piece shafts.

Aftermarket shocks are not designed to be suspension limiters. It is true in stock applications that the shock is the limiter. If you have ever seen the inside of a smooth body or coilover type shock, you can see there not much holding it from over extending. That's why any properly built off road rig with spendy shocks also runs limit straps.
Not sure what half asked shocks you are referring too at the end of your statement.

 

[MongooseGA]

Not sure what half asked shocks you are referring too at the end of your statement.

Probably the ones with a history of unaliving themselves.

 

[Texsun84]

Well damnit. Are all shocks like this or just Billys?

 

[hoser]

Well, most shocks that have the two piece shaft use aluminum eyelets with the steel shafts.... more likely the issue is getting them apart.

 

[jLB]

Aftermarket shocks are not designed to be suspension limiters. It is true in stock applications that the shock is the limiter. If you have ever seen the inside of a smooth body or coilover type shock, you can see there not much holding it from over extending. That's why any properly built off road rig with spendy shocks also runs limit straps.
Not sure what half asked shocks you are referring too at the end of your statement.

No argument on a trophy truck type application, but aren’t the Bilstein 51XX series more of an OE+ type product? Even on an OE or OE+ application shock, if you’re continuously hitting maximum shock extension you’re going to eventually destroy the shock. My issue was more with the word “never” in your response.

I was referring to the Bilsteins for the rear of the 100 series, that seem to have a decade or more history of the same problem, not the ADS/Slee shocks that you mentioned.

Probably the ones with a history of unaliving themselves.

Yep.

 

[JackA]

I am sorry I ever said anything. For the record, I have had the same issue with Icon and Slee shocks not liking being the limiter in travel. Same type of issue like stated above with the Bilstiens. I was really just suggesting an easy fix is a limit strap.

 

[jLB]

I am sorry I ever said anything. For the record, I have had the same issue with Icon and Slee shocks not liking being the limiter in travel. Same type of issue like stated above with the Bilstiens. I was really just suggesting an easy fix is a limit strap.

Sorry my response(s) were not intended that way.

 

[JackA]

It's all good. I understand where you're coming from (i think).....why would a nice shock pull apart like that right? It should not in a perfect world, but reality says they need limit straps.

 

[hoser]

I think the shaft just needs to be welded together. The OE shock and the AHC OE shocks aren't coming apart. Nor are the upper washers deforming.... hmm I just came to the realization maybe the $14 per washer is justified for some ultra high strength steel washers.

 

[4Beast]

No argument on a trophy truck type application, but aren’t the Bilstein 51XX series more of an OE+ type product? Even on an OE or OE+ application shock, if you’re continuously hitting maximum shock extension you’re going to eventually destroy the shock. My issue was more with the word “never” in your response.

I was referring to the Bilsteins for the rear of the 100 series, that seem to have a decade or more history of the same problem, not the ADS/Slee shocks that you mentioned.

Yep.

I'd agree that the 51xx are like an oe+ shock, probably a bit more rugged in certain applications, but not on the scale of the higher end shocks.