(not)living with bilsteins (1 Viewer)

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Jul 31, 2007
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San Diego North
after purchasing the bilstein hd shocks and even posting that i thought the ride was much improved i have decided the cons outweigh the pros. first of all the handling was vastly improved. i could go around corners at much higher speeds confidently but after driving a bit more i started noticing the flaws. waaay too stiff. i started hearing rattles from places that have never rattled before. i noticed i could feel every little bump,crack,reflector,crack repair, everything and my tires are not over inflated. then my wife started feeling car sick every time we took the cruiser out and then she refused to ride in it at all. i don't know if it was suggestive or not but i began to feel a little car sick myself. luckily after an email to autozone they agreed to take the shocks back after 90 days and without the original packaging. i have now decided to trust my instincts and forget all these aftermarket shocks and i just ordered new toyota oem shocks and can't wait to have my ride back.
 
Wow! After reading nothing but good about the Bilsteins, I was lined up to buy four of them plus the Air Ride kit. Might wait and see who else is less than happy with them........
 
I ran bilsteins for a few months and didn't notice any of these problems. Feeling the cracks in the road would be more symptom of your [STRIKE]shocks[/STRIKE] Springs and tire pressure than your [STRIKE]struts[/STRIKE] Shocks. The [STRIKE]struts[/STRIKE] Shocks just control how quickly the springs compress and expand. The OME Nitrocharger shocks are much stiffer. You might also be comparing worn out OEM shocks with brand new Bilsteins, making the difference seem more pronounced.

The only reason I switched mine out was to run a taller lift.
 
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I wonder if the Billys are stiffer than the OME Nitro Sports. I blow through my travel way too fast with them
 
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LC doesn't have struts... if you meant the springs and tire psi have more affect of ride quality that the shocks then you are probably right. Shocks can have a pretty significant impact of ride quality tho.

liveoak, let us know the results of getting the OEM shocks back on
 
Bilstein are typically fairly conservative on valving rates, so its a bit surprising to hear that their HD shocks are causing the kind of problems liveoak describes. Please post back here when you get the new OEM shocks installed. It will be interesting to hear how the ride changes going from fresh Bilstein HDs to fresh OEMs.
 
Some trucks, for an as-yet- undetermined reason, must ride harsher than others. With OEM t-bars and shocks I can still feel all the cracks. With "D" load range Nitto TG's.

:meh:
 
i'll let you know when i get the stock shocks installed. my stockers were quite worn when i replaced with bilsteins. i tried to like them but i felt the land cruisers ride was compromised. like i said before, my tires are running at recommended psi and i have michelin stock size tires from costco. from what i've read on here i thought it was agreed the bilsteins were a bit stiffer than ome or iron man based on this https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/582645-shock-advice-100-lift.html. i don't want to deal with it any more especially since the toyota oem shocks were only around $120 for all four. i bought my cruiser with 60,000 miles and remember thinking it was the best riding truck i've every owned. it's got 120,000 on it now and instead of getting caught up in all this aftermarket stuff i'm going back to oem parts whenever it makes the most sense for me.
 
Thanks for the info, Liveoak. I'm due for new shocks, at 130K miles on the original shocks, stock height. I've pretty much narrowed it down to OEM or Bilstein, and have been wondering if Bilsteins are worth 3 times as much. Food for thought.
 
Bilstein are typically fairly conservative on valving rates, so its a bit surprising to hear that their HD shocks are causing the kind of problems liveoak describes.

i thought the same thing which is why i bought them. i was hoping they would break in and i even tried to speed up the break in process.

i also did not mention that i don't have any aftermarket bumpers or sliders adding to the weight of the vehicle which could soften the ride a bit i guess.

i may be getting older but i'm not ready for the buick or caddy just yet. i just want a nice comfortable ride. no way are the bilsteins worth almost three times as much as toyota oem. i didn't even consider oem at the time because i thought they would be too expensive as is usually the case.

anyone else out there that thinks thier bilsteins are a bit too harsh?
 
I yanked mine after about 2-weeks due to the shocks topping out. I consulted the engineers at Bilstein and they said that the valving specs may be incorrect, but didn't say anything about fixing the issue. FYI, my LC is lifted 1.25".
 
Chris, my Radflo's are a little stiffer than OEM, but not to the point of making me feel sick. I have not taken it off road yet, so that will be the test. I'm running 866 's and OME torsion bars which probably add to the stiffness more.

I guess what I am getting at is most after market shocks will be stiffer, but they should not cause the driver to have to visit the chiropractor every 100 miles driven!

You should drive my truck the next time we do a run so you can compare the different setups.
 
the bilsteins will be firmer than a stock shock. If you like the OEM ride, buy the OEM shocks.
 
My Bilistein's shocks have been great, no issues with my ride quality. In fact I wish they were just a little bit stiffer. Not sure if this is a factor but I have an after market front bumper (BIO) and OME torsion bars. Stock shocks were just way to soft for my liking.
 
I think most people, including myself, get aftermarket shocks when the get or after they have larger tires. The stiffer shock helps control the heavier tires. So the two cancel out somewhat resulting in an OEM ride with the billies and 33s.

Maybe stock tires with bilsteins or almost Any aftermarket shock ride stiffer.

The OEM ride was pretty cushy.
 
You should drive my truck the next time we do a run so you can compare the different setups.

thanks craig, it would be interesting to see what the ride is like with the radflos

I think most people, including myself, get aftermarket shocks when the get or after they have larger tires. The stiffer shock helps control the heavier tires. So the two cancel out somewhat resulting in an OEM ride with the billies and 33s.

Maybe stock tires with bilsteins or almost Any aftermarket shock ride stiffer.

The OEM ride was pretty cushy.

that could be it. bigger tires and heavy metal would make a difference. too bad my michelins are fairly new and lasting a long time due to not putting many miles on it these days. no new tires in the near future.

the bilsteins will be firmer than a stock shock. If you like the OEM ride, buy the OEM shocks.

i knew they would be firmer but it was just too much for me. i bought some tokico shocks for my 92 pickup and they felt great, stiffer than stock but not jarring.


i guess it just comes down to individual preference and what each of us uses our trucks for. i am definately not saying everyone should buy oem shocks, i just wanted to share my experience in case anyone was about to purchase bilsteins for their stock 100. thanks everyone
Chris
 
liveoak said:
thanks craig, it would be interesting to see what the ride is like with the radflos

i guess it just comes down to individual preference and what each of us uses our trucks for.

That is it exactly... I am pretty sure if you don't like the billies then you wouldn't be happy with the Radflo's.

Keep in mind other things could contribute to a harsh ride. Things like body mounts loose, wheel bearings needing repacked, etc.
 

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