Bilstein Failure

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:55 pm

Driving to the pharmacy this morning, I hear a CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK every time I hit any bump in the road. Get home and take a look underneath. Front left shock shaft has failed. These shocks are only about a year old. The shaft broke rigt at the stress concentration point where the shaft changes in diameter from small to large. 4 Wheel Parts will have me a new replacement shock on Monday morning. But I really did not want to tear it all down. Darn it!

What it looked like installed...

Fail!

bunkermonkeycw · **Posted:** Sat Jun 04, 2011 7:56 pm

So it is true bout those biltsteins... sorry man.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:07 pm

True? Please elaborate... Is this a known issue?

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

I really like mine. They do have a lifetime warranty though.

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:13 am

Wow...that's not good at all

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:44 am

That brand is having QC issues lately; perhaps they'll get on top of it.

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

I towed cross country with mine, nothing but good to say about them.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:57 am

LTT - you're hard on shocks - didn't you kill a Rancho too?

This one looks like it's at the base of the threads - if you look at the break - you probably have an initial nick from the machining.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:15 am

The break was not at the base of the threads. It was at the shoulder point where the shaft steps from .390" to .550" diameter. By design, a shoulder point like that is a stress concentration point, especially when there is little to no radius in the corner of the step. The Rancois that I blew out were well used. They were a few years old from another LOST member. Then I ran them on worn out stock springs with Daystar spacers for about a year before one spring a oil leak.

bunkermonkeycw · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 6:47 pm

Darn, cant find where I read it. But I know I did, I dont make stuff up but the source could have been biased. (or is as hard on shocks as you allegedly are :goink:

)

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:26 pm

What ever you do do not let Bilstien now it's on a lifted vehicle otherwise kiss the warranty good bye.

The OE style shocks from them are not very good,the custom made stuff is very good as that stuff is hand made to customers specs.

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:40 pm

I have a Matching set just like that LTT, I broke mine on a dirt road lol. They where on for maybe 16 hours at the time, Bilstien did not cover mine under warranty. I'm going to agree with TJKJ too There custom stuff is nice I'm putting a set of piggyback 14" travel shocks on the back of the Libby.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 3:28 pm

A friend of mine recently bought a fully built TJ on 37s from a dude in Grand Junction. On his first trip out, one of the custom Bilsteins shat the bed (on a dirt road) and boy howdy it was 'spensive for him to replace.

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 3:33 pm

this is making me think twice about buying bilstein in sept.
i only need the front struts. my skyjacker hydro 7000 rear shocks are holding up good *note* i rarely bash on my KJ.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Tue Jun 07, 2011 11:35 am

Well, I replaced the broken one yesterday. Hope to never have that failure again. 4 Wheel Parts said they send all failures to Bilstein. They have been told that they examine every failure to see if it is a design flaw. They were very surprised that they failed. They said they very rarely have Bilsteins fail. They said it is common for Rancho and ProComp, but not for Bilstein, regardless of the model of the Bilstein shock (yellow or silver).

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:08 pm

Yeah but they would say that.... I'd say that if I sold them to you as well.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:19 pm

I was surprised that they said Pro-Comps fail. I figured they would tout their store brand above and beyond anyone on the market. Even though we all know in general that Pro-Comp is not the greatest quality stuff.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:21 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

A friend of mine recently bought a fully built TJ on 37s from a dude in Grand Junction. On his first trip out, one of the custom Bilsteins shat the bed (on a dirt road) and boy howdy it was 'spensive for him to replace.

His 1st mistake.

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

No telling what the hell he did to them. I'd only buy a modded vehicle from a well known member on here or JKJ, someone I know and trust.

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:48 pm

Pretty much never buy anything that's already built unless you like guessing what they did wrong lol

Bilstein Failure

Who is online