To: dakota@csclub0.cs.fredonia.edu@INTERNET; James.McBride@GDEsystems.
COM@INTERNET
From: Clement_D on Tue, Jun 18, 1996 7:55 AM
Subject: RE: Shocking Shock Facts
From: James.McBride@GDEsystems.COM@INTERNET on Mon, Jun 17, 1996 10:29 PM
>Get real shocks! I'm really happy with my Bilsteins, even if they're not
>the non-existant Dakota 4x4 application. The Chevy Suburban rear shocks
>are probably way more shock than I need, the front ones intended for the
>Ford F250, about right.
>The Germans draw-forge the shock body from a single steel pill to make sure
>they never leak and can hold the gas pressure. This also means the piston
>is moving in a seamless cylinder - no piston seal failure - as opposed to
>the welded tubing used by every other manufacturer (including the Japs).
There are a couple of disadvantages to the Bilsteins design;
. One is that they are a single wall shock (the piston does not ride on
welded tubing you refer to in other brands) and if they happen to get a ding
the shock is junk. I do not know what the likely hood of this happening is
but I have a small ding in the drivers side front shock on my 4x4 Dakota.
With the reputation Bilstein has I am sure they are aware of this and design
a stronger body but it is something to think about if you do much
off-roading.
. The Bilstein shock is a high pressure gas shock that relys on the
gas/fluid emulsion for the damping characteristics. Even a small leak around
the seal and the shock will lose it's characteristics very fast. Most low
pressure gas shocks have a bladder that seperates the gas and fluid. The
damping characteristics are determined by the fluid. This design is much
more tolerant of a leak.
Do not take me wrong, Bilstein makes a top shelf shock but with any design
there are compromises and the list may like to have this info before
deciding to pop the extra bucks for them.
Dave Clement
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