Bilstein 46 mm Universal Rally Shocks

I just got inserts re-built for Tall Pines for my existing 40mm setup, I couldn't wait any longer for these. I still don't see anything new in the O-Neil announcment, and I doubt they are really available, maybe they'll actually start taking you money now and making promises. Tim told me that inserts were available "now" back in Sept at Defi, until I tried to order some, then things went real quiet...

Unless I bend the 4 front inserts I have now at Tall Pines, I should be good until next summer, these 50's should actually (really) be available by then... of course maybe I'll have got sick of the whole gong show by then and quit rally.

-Martin.

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phlat65
Tim O'Neil responded on FB, $550 retail. Not bad really.

He have any idea on when they would be shipping to customers? The price isn't bad at all. Assuming I can avoid bending them each rally like I do now... LOL

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John Reed
John Reed Racing
www.johnreedracing.com
johnreedracing@gmail.com

They are not available. Maybe in two weeks. Maybe. And at that time only kits will be available. Finished struts will take more time.

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Jason McDaniel

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modernbeat
They are not available. Maybe in two weeks. Maybe. And at that time only kits will be available. Finished struts will take more time.

Kits?

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Grant Hughes

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NoCoast

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modernbeat
They are not available. Maybe in two weeks. Maybe. And at that time only kits will be available. Finished struts will take more time.

Kits?

Kits. As in some assembly required.

The top pins have to be machined and the bodys have no ears. So mounts must be fabricated and welded to the bodies. Plus any other tabs for brake lines or ABS/Speed sensors.

$550 gets you one kit.

FWIW, I don't have a lot of faith in Team O'Neal as a dealer for these parts. I plan on working with Doug at Streetwise, the other kit dealer, to source the parts I need for our roadracing cars. We'll be doing all our own machine work in-house.

http://streetwiseparts.com/

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Jason McDaniel

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modernbeat
Kits. As in some assembly required.
The top pins have to be machined and the bodys have no ears. So mounts must be fabricated and welded to the bodies. Plus any other tabs for brake lines or ABS/Speed sensors.
$550 gets you one kit.

FWIW, I don't have a lot of faith in Team O'Neal as a dealer for these parts. I plan on working with Doug at Streetwise, the other kit dealer, to source the parts I need for our roadracing cars. We'll be doing all our own machine work in-house.

So 5.8 - 8.8" travel. Good to know Streetwise is the other dealer. Not sure why Bilstein would give the middle finger to the company that has actually made custom Bilstein rally suspension and give it instead to the rally company that is building Fiesta's with Reigers...

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Grant Hughes

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NoCoast

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modernbeat
Kits. As in some assembly required.
The top pins have to be machined and the bodys have no ears. So mounts must be fabricated and welded to the bodies. Plus any other tabs for brake lines or ABS/Speed sensors.
$550 gets you one kit.

FWIW, I don't have a lot of faith in Team O'Neal as a dealer for these parts. I plan on working with Doug at Streetwise, the other kit dealer, to source the parts I need for our roadracing cars. We'll be doing all our own machine work in-house.

So 5.8 - 8.8" travel. Good to know Streetwise is the other dealer. Not sure why Bilstein would give the middle finger to the company that has actually made custom Bilstein rally suspension and give it instead to the rally company that is building Fiesta's with Reigers...

The guy out east probably had free rally schools for a bunch of Bilstein execs (or bought a bunch of "entertainment" at SEMA), and the guy who actually built stuff was responsible for $137,000 in 800-line long-distance charges to their sales and technical force. *SMOOOOOOOCH*

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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fiasco

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NoCoast

Quote
modernbeat
Kits. As in some assembly required.
The top pins have to be machined and the bodys have no ears. So mounts must be fabricated and welded to the bodies. Plus any other tabs for brake lines or ABS/Speed sensors.
$550 gets you one kit.

FWIW, I don't have a lot of faith in Team O'Neal as a dealer for these parts. I plan on working with Doug at Streetwise, the other kit dealer, to source the parts I need for our roadracing cars. We'll be doing all our own machine work in-house.

So 5.8 - 8.8" travel. Good to know Streetwise is the other dealer. Not sure why Bilstein would give the middle finger to the company that has actually made custom Bilstein rally suspension and give it instead to the rally company that is building Fiesta's with Reigers...

The guy out east probably had free rally schools for a bunch of Bilstein execs (or bought a bunch of "entertainment" at SEMA), and the guy who actually built stuff was responsible for $137,000 in 800-line long-distance charges to their sales and technical force. *SMOOOOOOOCH*

Remember, they called me first on the 50s.
There's some huge buy-in deal and although I my have had earlier this year over $20,000 in backorders, and more since, the buy in for this, on paper, is even more than this.

The way they have decided to structure their sales---monster buy in, no direct sales, means I buy via a huge circle track place that is kind enough to listen, and order stuff ---mostly---correct as I order tailor made things...This means that to Bilstein Sales Dept, I don't even exist.
Sucks big time that in one of the guys words in the Competition Dept "the far and away biggest US customer for these" got a completely bored, "go away son ya bother me" totally un-interested, un curious brush off from "Sales"
But you guys probably know how much I lurv sales guys

The current sales set up looks bad, and the last word I got was "Sales decided to do it this way and see how it goes for a while ( a year).

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

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john vanlandingham

The current sales set up looks bad, and the last word I got was "Sales decided to do it this way and see how it goes for a while ( a year).

So, in other words, buy what you need soon because the whole thing could go swirling down the toilet in a year when they don't sell enough because they chose the wrong people to be the exclusive dealers.

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Doivi Clarkinen

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john vanlandingham

The current sales set up looks bad, and the last word I got was "Sales decided to do it this way and see how it goes for a while ( a year).

So, in other words, buy what you need soon because the whole thing could go swirling down the toilet in a year when they don't sell enough because they chose the wrong people to be the exclusive dealers.

There's alway the original Plan B: make 50mm inserts myself which is already in process (parts and materials on hand just waiting till I finished the backlog of prior orders--first things first, ya know) and then there's Plan Z which is develop a product with a more willing partner --as in people who make things rather than marketing heroes who are well marketing heroes. Which rhymes with zeros. Just need to make sure I can get the valving done to the numbering system I am accustomed to for the last 37 years--hate guessing, won't do it, and won't just trust some voice on the phone.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

http://www.xyz-racing.com/coilover4.php

http://www.ahtoja.com/product/242/gravel-rally--soralumi-ralli

http://www.bigem.fi/products/
These are more expensive, more like 4k Euro...

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Grant Hughes

Just Got an E-mail for Ed @ team o'neil:

Brian
We have recieved our shipment of Bilsteins and woundering if still interested in them
Thanks
Ed


Team O'Neil Rally School
178 Miller Road
Dalton, NH 03598
603.444.4488 Phone
603.444.1091 Fax
http://www.teamoneil.com
info@teamoneil.com

I know I am bringing this thread out from the dead but given the amount of time that has passed i figured I would check in.

Has anyone actually gotten these Bilsteins and how do they like them?

Are these more of a product for the AWD (heavier) vehicles or have there been 2WD stage cars with them?

Has anyone compared these to the JVL product?

JVL - Could you provide some info on how these are different from the 50mm product you produce? I am not trying to cause a stir here.....just looking for the information.

As for myself, I am running one of those loved/hated VW Mk2 Golfs and am looking to spend more of the budget on proper or at least good suspension vs. getting dumb stuff that probably wouldnt make a difference to a brand new driver like me. I have a well running vehicle that is mechanically very sound and more importantly (from what I keep reading in here and other places) I have a decent gearbox with a 3.9 FD and a KAAZ diff. Currently shopping for a cage builder...I know that I should have a better FD and have already secured through a buddy who is travelling to Germany a package pick up from MTS. I believe there was another thread on VW gears that was a great reference for this and so something in the 4.25 to 4.75 range is on its way....

Anyway, if you have a moment guys, I could use your input and experience using the Bilstein product and the differences with the JVAB product.

Thanks in advance!

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ReluctantGolf
I know I am bringing this thread out from the dead but given the amount of time that has passed i figured I would check in.

Has anyone actually gotten these Bilsteins and how do they like them?

Are these more of a product for the AWD (heavier) vehicles or have there been 2WD stage cars with them?

Has anyone compared these to the JVL product?

JVL - Could you provide some info on how these are different from the 50mm product you produce? I am not trying to cause a stir here.....just looking for the information.

As for myself, I am running one of those loved/hated VW Mk2 Golfs and am looking to spend more of the budget on proper or at least good suspension vs. getting dumb stuff that probably wouldnt make a difference to a brand new driver like me. I have a well running vehicle that is mechanically very sound and more importantly (from what I keep reading in here and other places) I have a decent gearbox with a 3.9 FD and a KAAZ diff. Currently shopping for a cage builder...I know that I should have a better FD and have already secured through a buddy who is travelling to Germany a package pick up from MTS. I believe there was another thread on VW gears that was a great reference for this and so something in the 4.25 to 4.75 range is on its way....

Anyway, if you have a moment guys, I could use your input and experience using the Bilstein product and the differences with the JVAB product.

Thanks in advance!

No difference, this is what I am selling, just yesterday got 6 more 50 units in and 6 are on order and allegedly scheduled for mid Nov delivery..
I've done around 36 of these, 20 of my versions and 54 of these before Bilstein took 5 years to decide to market them in USA...
There are detail differences in how they make the spring seats upper and lower and they seem to intend you to use a 2.5" barrell spring...so so far i supply my own spring seats upper and lower since mine are done with privateers in mind. I know that smaller diameter springs mean there is a large chance that the springs will bang up the threads just above the lower seat---and that'll make adjustment and removal of the seats past the damaged threads a huge pain in the drain.

Delievery from Bilstein has been extremely spotty and they have said that they don't have enough sales data for sales to develop and order and inventory history....and that answer is too ironic for me to say much on...sales being sales what do I know---just sold between 88 and 92% of all the inverted 40mm inserts they recieved in recent years but that's means nothing.

Cage builder. I have heard nothing but good about Cagethis guy down South of Boston. That should solve that.

As for final drive------learn from others..
There's a nice guy out in Duh-luuf, Minnesote, Carl Siedel and he contacted me about final drives since thwere was a pile of Golves and Jetters out there and they were all running around with 3,9 and it sucked...
So I axed him to contact the other guys and see how many---I got them all but one guy 4.47 finaldrive and everybody was thrilled ....That's only 14.5% shorter but they were all on 14s and I guess it worked---the one other guy got 4.2--
-and first event said "Dang, mang I wish I had gotten the 4.47"

Tires gear up up and down and I personally would want shorter still than just 14.55 shorter because the tires alonme may gear ya UP by 6-7% meaning you spend all this dough and end up just 8-9% shorter...
Nope I'd look for at least 4.67. Make the change worth it...

Can you read Germanski?

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

John - Thanks for the response. Yes, I have also heard about the Cagethis builder. I am sure I will have a conversation with him shortly.

Couple of questions:

1. Are all those 50mm product spoken for or is there a set available for sale? Do you sell them with springs and top mounts ready to go as well? So that way all I have to do is cut the nipple/volcano top thing off and drill some holes and done?

2. As far as final drives, I hear what you are saying. I'll take your suggesiton and bump up into a 4.47 or better. Does that mean you have a good 4.47 or 4.67 for sale?

Lastly, unfortunately I dont speak German but my buddy is native from there so he could serve as a go between but I think his main job will be as a mule to carry these parts over back to the U.S. from his homeland.......that is of course if you dont already have a fresh one laying around...