Bilstein 46 mm Universal Rally Shocks

Are the threaded sleeves steel?

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

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Rallymech
Are the threaded sleeves steel?

Yes. From memory they said they were a steel alloy and the top 2/3 were going to be zink coated with an olive green color.

Ok...so this is cool.

But...who does Bilstien really believe will purchase these?

Joe Rallyist doesn't have the ability to machine that top pin, let alone know the dimensions, etc. He also doesn't know the proper patterns for the "ears".

Is Bilstein planning on just selling these as DIY? type kits? and marketing them to people like JVAB? or other Rally prep shops which have the tools and know how to properly set them up?

Or will Bilstein be putting together "bolt on" kits, for popular applications like Subaru Impreza, Evo, etc? Bilstein could easily take the dimensions from their Subaru stuff that exists and buzz on some ears and machine the top pin.

Kinda looks to me that they just brought in a 50mm insert from Europe, and made a CAD Model, and then made a 1 page hand out.

Still cool....but couldn't they just bring in a pile of those part numbers, and parts so that JVAB could have access to them?

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Bret Norgaard
Retail is $549 per kit and the spring seat/hat are a separate kit. Customers will need to use a barrel spring (2.5 ID to 4" OD) from a manufacturer of their choice such as Swift or Eibach. More detailed information will be available fairly soon on our website.

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aj_johnson

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Bret Norgaard
Retail is $549 per kit and the spring seat/hat are a separate kit. Customers will need to use a barrel spring (2.5 ID to 4" OD) from a manufacturer of their choice such as Swift or Eibach. More detailed information will be available fairly soon on our website.

And what is that you posted?

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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.

I bet a certain guy out west could build and market a comparable set up with threaded tops and maybe ears for a better price far before bilstein could launch its product. just saying.

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john vanlandingham

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aj_johnson

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Bret Norgaard
Retail is $549 per kit and the spring seat/hat are a separate kit. Customers will need to use a barrel spring (2.5 ID to 4" OD) from a manufacturer of their choice such as Swift or Eibach. More detailed information will be available fairly soon on our website.

And what is that you posted?

Was the info sent to me, not the setup I want/can use with ease. But I was curious and fired off a question. That little gem of a quote carries all the info I have, other than a PDF of the above pasted advert.

Think these will ever actually be available???

Saw this on another forum posted by AllWheelsDriven:
"We've been steadily increasing our distribution and production of them over the last several seasons. Bilstein refers their custom rally build applications to us directly, regardless of make/model. They are a purpose built, proven, gravel rally strut. Built to suit your application, and go hit the gravel. Knobs, bits and multiple adjusters will just add to the cost of your services, especially if you're not diligent about taking care of them between events. That's if they don't break or fail between events.. it's very common. 20 clicks don't do a thing when the adjuster is broken. If you want adjustable external reservoirs, we can do it.. but the majority of our client base doesn't want to pony up another $1300-1500 for the option.
We're building 40s now, but will have 50s available once the parts are readily available in the US. The price will increase with the 50s, but that's tbd based on what parts will cost. The ears/gussets we use now will adapt to the 50s."

I've also heard that Team O'Neil will be exclusive on east coast and rumors that there would be an exclusive dealer on west coast also.

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Grant Hughes

2 exclusive dealers.. very exclusive... I don't see why more dealers would be a bad thing (as long as they don't put out complete junk)

So would it be possible to take an 8" and limit the travel a tiny bit (to hit 7.5) for the fronts? and take a 9" and limit the travel quite a bit more (down to 210 mm)

maybe with a metal bump stop? or even a bit more rubber bump stop (it only compresses so far right?)

exciting times!

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A1337STI
I don't see why more dealers would be a bad thing

Particularly with a limited market, more dealers means that each dealer does less business and the economy of volume may not work.

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

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john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

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A1337STI
2 exclusive dealers.. very exclusive... I don't see why more dealers would be a bad thing (as long as they don't put out complete junk)

So would it be possible to take an 8" and limit the travel a tiny bit (to hit 7.5) for the fronts? and take a 9" and limit the travel quite a bit more (down to 210 mm)

maybe with a metal bump stop? or even a bit more rubber bump stop (it only compresses so far right?)

exciting times!

Well of course we can limit travel with say a nylon disc between the rubber bumper and the body but that doesn't change the overall length.. Thing that's worrisome with the decisions being made by marketing is that they probably don't understand how much we want an installed length and travel and insert to overlap.
We want the overlap as wider spaced bushes are more stable for bending than closer spaced, we want travel to whatever is known safe for OEM CV joints and we need to keep the cars low enough to go around corners since we're not making Baw-Jaw trucks..

Somebody who wants to be nameless was saying that "they heard from somebody who had spent hours calling every high end (Reiger, Proflex, RSSPSSPRSS etc) and this guys said" the decision has already been made on the West Coast, and it was alleged its going to someplace with zero previous rally experience and with clientele who spend vastly huger sums of money than 98% of the North American entries, and defiantly in the "way up there' range.

It doesn't bode well for anybody here, especially the announced decision to only supply complete insert/lower tube units and no individual inserts, a very puzzling decsion when I know piles of guys who would like to replace their 4-5 year old, already been straightened a couple of times 50s, including the ones from that other company which "have never had seen manufacturing failure in use ever".

There is obviously rampant politics and smearing going on behind the scenes and I am not the only person baffled as to what the intentions are.

More sales is more sales and there are always ways to get stuff done, the question is as always, at what price...

Anyway I have to go swap out a sheared gear in the band saw, it died just as i was beginning to saw up blanks for those 20 50mm tubes I have had done for years...And I guess i better get started on the 50s for AJs beast of an Audi....

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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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Morison

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A1337STI
I don't see why more dealers would be a bad thing

Particularly with a limited market, more dealers means that each dealer does less business and the economy of volume may not work.

That's why the decision to select places who will be doing this kind of work as a sideline in addition to already existing shops/businesses seems odd.
I've done scores and scores of cars, probably a couple of hundred since 03 and its nowhere near enough volume to soley do suspension. Even for me doing 2 or 4 strut tops at one time is a losing proposition when costs of what a CNC lather should be making per hour are considered.
Expect high costs and long delays.

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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

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Morison

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A1337STI
I don't see why more dealers would be a bad thing

Particularly with a limited market, more dealers means that each dealer does less business and the economy of volume may not work.

That's why the decision to select places who will be doing this kind of work as a sideline in addition to already existing shops/businesses seems odd.
I've done scores and scores of cars, probably a couple of hundred since 03 and its nowhere near enough volume to soley do suspension. Even for me doing 2 or 4 strut tops at one time is a losing proposition when costs of what a CNC lather should be making per hour are considered.
Expect high costs and long delays.

'

John--

You need to write some PRESS RELEASES and IMMEDIATELY RELEASE the EXXXXXXTREME details of the JVAB SOOOPER BITCHIN' line of products and how they're going to TAKE OVER THE WORLD with their MONSTEROUS RED BULL ROCKSTAR ENERGY!!!!! Did your marketing department suffer from Polio in its youth? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) Get with the PROGRAM, man, get AGGRESSIVE, ULTRA-VIOLENCE!!!!!!!

Or something like that. Basic 40-50mm Bilsteins without eleventy billion adjustments that barely change anything would solve the suspension issues for 90% of the people out there who want to cone squish, track day, or rally. My black XR4 street car can go scary fast on gravel on street tires with the 41mm Ford things and prototype JVAB rears, and they're not even installed right yet.

Being able to get the Bilstein 46/50mm inserts in bulk would be GREAT for everybody who needs more than the Keeps You Bouncin' option (which for cheap money, I can't complain), can't stand the wikkkked hahhhd Konis, and doesn't want to spend $5-8k for the RSSPSPSPSPSPSSSSP for gravel or Moron....errr Moton things for track/really ridiculous cone squishing (I'm still trying to figure out why the hell you need remote reservoirs on a cone squishing car...do the shocks even get warmed up in a 58 second run?).

Enh, I don't know. Seems like Bilstein has the potential to get a great product out there that would bridge the gap between rice garbage and one-percenter suspension, but limiting yourself to two "exclusive" dealers would stifle development and distribution, IMHPBRIO (In My Humble Pabst Blue Ribbon Influenced Opinion).

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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fiasco


Did your marketing department suffer from Polio in its youth? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

You owe me a keyboard. Now I'm going to go get some coffee that doesn't have spit in it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2012 09:10AM by aj_johnson.

spoke with Tim Oneil back at NEFR, it appears the wait is almost over:

Hello Brian,
We will have a date on price and availability on the struts soon, we will be doing training next week and product will follow, thank you. Tim