Bilstein replacement or refurbishment

[AndrewGP]

A quick question that's been rattling round in my head for a while now....my car has just over 30k miles on it and I've been wondering if the standard Superlight Bilstein shocks need replacing or refurbishment.

 

To my mind the car handles fine, it breaks traction quite predictably and cornering grip seems good. But being my first Seven I've not much else to go on!

 

I've no idea how much track vs road time it's done previously but would I be worrying unnecessarily at that mileage? What's the 'life' of the shocks in normal usage?

 

Any advice much appreciated

[Baz Hemsley]

Mine have done 58000 miles.

[apjenkins]

Just as a matter of infomation.

I spoke to Bilstein at tthe Autoshow.

They are quite happy to overhaul shockers, the price is about £80 each. but that does NOT include repainting etc. That can be done at (unspecified) extra cost.

They will not supply NEW Caterham 7 shockers direct to customers as C.C. have exclusive supply rights.

E&EO

@ndrew

[Rob Walker]

I had my billys refurbed by bilstein and thought the service was both expensive and a poor result. Advise u. save up for some better dampers

Rob

[Mankee]

Quoting Rob Walker: 

I had my billys refurbed by bilstein and thought the service was both expensive and a poor result. Advise u. save up for some better dampers

Rob

Hmmm... that's a shame to hear that their service isn't great. My Bilsteins have been rebuilt and repainted at some point in the past before I got the car. I'd rather keep them, have them rebuilt and valved/checked to suit my springs, but might try somewhere else instead.

[Hanns Per]

I had my CSR Bilstein at Bilstein in Germany tested after 6 years and some 60.000 km because I thought they got weak.

Testing alone of all 4 dampers costed 261,-- Euros. Thought this is kind of very much for testing only.

They where OK.

Hanns Per

[Roger Ford]

I had my billys refurbed by bilstein and thought the service was both expensive and a poor result.

Can you expand on "poor result"? Did your handling deteriorate, or was it the cosmetics you didn't like? Or something else entirely?

 

I've been wondering about getting mine refurbed. I can't use other dampers, so it's that or new Billies (or stick with them as they are).

 

Edited by - Roger Ford on 21 Feb 2012 17:38:15

[Rob Walker]

Cosmetically you could see were the swaged tops of the damper tubes had been forced open, no attempt had been made to touch up the paint or fit new top caps. They returned the dampers with a dyno printout graph showing all 4 to be performing the same but I could feel by compressing by hand that the units were all different. Put them back on the car and one of the rears started leaking again after six months.

 

If yours are not leaking I would just leave um alone and put the money aside for replacements, refurb of THIS type of damper in my experience is false economy.

 

Rob

[AndrewGP]

Thanks for the advice chaps, seems a refurb is definitely off the cards then!

 

I am most likely worrying unnecessarily so I'll leave things as they are and look into replacements when the feel of the car starts to get a bit loose and sloppy