Nick's POS thread.

[RAT]

[COLOR="darkred"]You gotta remember we had been working on the Willys all day before we started tinkering with the YJ. So some WWII technology may have snuck in there. [/COLOR]

I would agree with you except there wasn't any bailing wire within a mile of your Jeep...

[aw12345]

So the threads were stripped off of the shaft?? Unbelievable. And then it happened again after it was welded/repaired? Think about it: the only plausible way for that to happen would be for the suspension to be overextending the shock with considerable force. That could not happen if 1) it's the right length shock for your vehicle, and 2) your suspension is set up properly. What you have is a suspension problem that's trying to rip your shock apart. Blaming that on the shock is like blaming someone for falling down after you crown them with a baseball bat. I would be surprised if the shock isn't damaged internally as well. Now let's see, hmm...your front end is currently being held together with a chain--and it's a big improvement.

I broke a seal in a rear once, but as I mentioned earlier, the shock was not at fault. I have flat hauled ass through cobbly washes and roads, whoops, and ruts faster than that little Willy's could go on asphalt, and once I've ripped a shock mount off the rear axle, but I've never once done broken an end off.

BTW, those Bilsteins should have a lifetime warranty. I'd like to hear what the folks at Bilstein have to say about this. I've talked to their tech support. They were very available and helpful.

I have seen several Bilstein shock shafts break, seen the shock rod pulled out of the piston. No Bilsteins for me, My old Rancho's are beat to hell and still work just fine after tons of abuse

[FishPOET]

I have seen several Bilstein shock shafts break

I am having this exact problem with Bilsteins right now

[aw12345]

I am having this exact problem with Bilsteins right now

Coilovers Doug and you'll be rockin with the rest of us at the Hammers :-)
Ranchos seem to have a thicker shock rod, other than that some good flexin to find any interference might be in order

[inVERt'D]

You sure know how to suck the fun out of a thread dude...

[COLOR="darkred"]Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!
...
...
...

:cocktail::beer::cocktail::beer::cocktail::beer::c ocktail::beer: all around!!![/COLOR]

For the love of God, whose bright idea was it to put Marines through sensitivity training, anyway? Frikin Care Bears Stormin Da Beach! Was I typing in all caps or something? I guess I should have put some huggie smilies in there, but by 2am, I'm just trying to put a coherent thought down. I'm not ruffled at anyone or anything but what I see as nonsense.

I have seen several Bilstein shock shafts break, seen the shock rod pulled out of the piston. No Bilsteins for me, My old Rancho's are beat to hell and still work just fine after tons of abuse

When did that shock pull out of the piston? Within the shock's designed range of motion? Or was the shock working as a suspension limiter? What were the circumstances of the shafts breaking?

[aw12345]

Most Jeeps do not use limit straps, so no none of that. You ought to look at the cheapo Rancho's in the back of my Yellow Jeep, there are very few none dented areas on them yet they work pretty much as good as the day in January 2008 when I bought them. Trust me there have been a few trails in between then and now and those poor things have been hammered. In between and betwixed of those trails I have seen said bilsteins fail where the gool ole Rancho's that cost a hell of a lot less just kept doing what they where designed to do.
That answer your Question David? By the way how is the rednecked TJ built doing?

[inVERt'D]

Art, thanks for your input, but I'm afraid it doesn't answer my questions. I'd like to know how these shocks are breaking and where? Are the shafts breaking? From what? Rocks? I have no doubt that any shock can be broken. If it has been made, some jackass has probably broken it. Right now, some genius is probably complaining that his shocks are too long and causing his driveshaft u-joints keep busting.

if the shocks (or driveline for that matter) are limiting suspension travel up or down rather than sway bars, linkages, or spring, limit straps should be run, or something else changed. What's limiting the travel on your Lil' Yeller?

Bilstein 5100s and HDs have lasted me for years whilst performing much better for me on the same vehicles I have run other supposed "premium" shocks.

Rednecked Jeep build is coming along pretty good, thanks for asking. Keep running out of argon. Buying a bigger cylinder manana. 55cf sucks for TIG.

[RAT]

For the love of God, whose bright idea was it to put Marines through sensitivity training, anyway? Frikin Care Bears Stormin Da Beach! Was I typing in all caps or something? I guess I should have put some huggie smilies in there, but by 2am, I'm just trying to put a coherent thought down. I'm not ruffled at anyone or anything but what I see as nonsense.




When did that shock pull out of the piston? Within the shock's designed range of motion? Or was the shock working as a suspension limiter? What were the circumstances of the shafts breaking?

Do you work for Bilstein? Just curious...

[FishPOET]

I ran 5100s for five years on the SAME EXACT SUSPENSION that I am running now with zero problems.

I switched to 5150s and I have broken the top stud on the same shock twice now with less than 100 miles on each shock and both times without ever having the Jeep on a black diamond trail.



I have bump stops and limit straps.

[USMC 0369]

[COLOR="darkred"]These are the same shocks I am running. Mine broke the tops off first (or stripped them off is more like it). And as stated earlier, it was just running down a washboard road. Not at a high speed either. But my suspension probably contributed to the problem.[/COLOR]

[inVERt'D]

Do you work for Bilstein? Just curious...

No such luck. Not a vendor, either.

I ran 5100s for five years on the SAME EXACT SUSPENSION that I am running now with zero problems.

I switched to 5150s and I have broken the top stud on the same shock twice now with less than 100 miles on each shock and both times without ever having the Jeep on a black diamond trail.



I have bump stops and limit straps.

Doug, it sounds like you should be raising hell with Bilstein. Except for looking shorter than I think it should be, I wouldn't know from the pic that it's broken. Such a clean break makes me think it must be quite brittle. Who knows, maybe a problem with their heat treatment, or maybe some crap material from China that snuck in. That stuff is getting ubiquitous. They may be the first country to win a war by sending bolts instead of bullets. Whatever, Bilstein should fix it and have a some kind of explanation and assurance that they're on top of the problem.

[COLOR="darkred"]These are the same shocks I am running. Mine broke the tops off first (or stripped them off is more like it). And as stated earlier, it was just running down a washboard road. Not at a high speed either. But my suspension probably contributed to the problem.[/COLOR]

Yeah that blows my mind. You know when I blew out that seal a few years back I never did make a warranty claim, because I knew my suspension flexed a little more than what was proper. I didn't fix it because I had other priorities--my bad. In your case I can't say. Either an extreme amount of stress is being put on that stud when it wouldn't be expected, or the stud is crap. We know there problems with your rig, but I think in your case, I'd still talk to Bilstein directly. Like I said earlier, they're not ProComp. Bilstein has earned an international reputation, and I don't think it's their intention to make turn their products into crap for the sake of dimes.

[USMC 0369]

Doug, it sounds like you should be raising hell with Bilstein. Except for looking shorter than I think it should be, I wouldn't know from the pic that it's broken. Such a clean break makes me think it must be quite brittle. Who knows, maybe a problem with their heat treatment, or maybe some crap material from China that snuck in. That stuff is getting ubiquitous. They may be the first country to win a war by sending bolts instead of bullets. Whatever, Bilstein should fix it and have a some kind of explanation and assurance that they're on top of the problem.

[COLOR="darkred"]Actually, I think that is the full length of the stud that the top eye threads into. That's exactly what mine looked like when it pulled the threads out, same length and copper-ish color on the threads.[/COLOR]

[inVERt'D]

[COLOR="darkred"]Actually, I think that is the full length of the stud that the top eye threads into. That's exactly what mine looked like when it pulled the threads out, same length and copper-ish color on the threads.[/COLOR]

Well that explains it. I was scratching my head for about 1/2 hour looking at that and back pics of the shock with the eye on it. Obviously the thread problem isn't jumping out at me either. There looks to be quite a bit of thread there. What's up with the copper? A normal amount for a "triple chrome" finish? Is the thread gone in the eyelets?

[USMC 0369]

Well that explains it. I was scratching my head for about 1/2 hour looking at that and back pics of the shock with the eye on it. Obviously the thread problem isn't jumping out at me either. There looks to be quite a bit of thread there. What's up with the copper? A normal amount for a "triple chrome" finish? Is the thread gone in the eyelets?

[COLOR="darkred"]I can't speak for Doug, but the threading in my eyelets was stripped out. The metal in the eyelet ends seems to be much weaker than the threading on the shock itself.[/COLOR]

[inVERt'D]

Well, if one or the other was to fail, I'd rather it was the eyelet. Those at least can be replaced or if nothing else, some kind of upgrade fabricated.

Seems to me the bottom line is that if those eyelets (or anything else) are failing within the shock's range of motion, then it's Bilstein's bad--a little too light of a fuse? I have no idea what RAT's repair looked like, but the fact that it hasn't held makes me wonder. Obviously you need to get your other suspension problems fixed regardless. I would consider putting on a generic white shock until they are ironed out. I saw some in a surplus catalog recently for like $3 or $4 each, different sizes, IIRC. If you break one of those, who cares?