Anyone got an old Bilstein shock kicking about?

[genphreak]

Has anyone got an old Bilstein shock lying around? Sport/Std setting... makes no difference which...

Has anyone taken apart a rear bilstein shock before? Winfred perhaps? Is it hard? Maybe I should buy a new one; it came in a complete package I bought for the sway bars alone, but now I'm thinking I should fit these Billies up for a blast on the track one day. I have 3 good ones, the fourth is a little injured... no doubt the 540 wearing them must have pulled a fully-sic mega-drift complete with a paro-wide, low-side fakey into a granite gutter!!! Awww...

OK,OK, in reality it probably got hit slammed by some Chevy Nova in a parking lot. Either way it bent the rear shock housing (the big yellow tube) some, but the piston is fine.

Does anybody know if it is reasonably possible to disassemble the shock and swap to a different tube (casing)? (If I can find the part of course)

It is an e34 rear Bilstein sport shock, part #F4 B46-1486-H1

TIA, Nick

[632 Regal]

heres a front shock deal

http://www.bimmer.info/~regal632/Bumpstops.htm

[genphreak]

heres a front shock deal

http://www.bimmer.info/~regal632/Bumpstops.htm

On ya, Jeff, now i remember it was you that went through the 'Bilstein factor'. Pity it's a front! They are damn hard to find in Australia - still, it might be possible, I'll try a few wreckers.

I reckon Bilstein were keen taking you on over this.

Looking at the work you've done though, would I be right in saying that it is beyond a keen dude with a vice and a spanner to remove the whole piston the shock to change the housing? I don't suppose you had a look in the hole when you pulled out that damn gooey pink thing?

ROFL - Great write up btw, despite the html

Cheers Sir Jeff, bimmer.info Modextraordinaire....

Nick

[632 Regal]

the internals are a seperate unit that can slide right out of the housing...at least on a front shock like that.

Actually I dont think anyone that can start a lawn mower would have problems taking one of these apart, real simple which is why I documented it with photos.

If you can get yours apart with that big dent in the housing you should be able to see if the internal shock/piston assembly deal is dented too. If its not your good to go if it is you have to replace it...then again that is at the bottom of its travel and it may have never been compressed enough to ruin the piston or seals.

[genphreak]

the internals are a seperate unit that can slide right out of the housing...at least on a front shock like that. If you can get yours apart with that big dent in the housing you should be able to see if the internal shock/piston assembly deal is dented too. If its not your good to go if it is you have to replace it...then again that is at the bottom of its travel and it may have never been compressed enough to ruin the piston or seals.

That is my hope... but tragedy is more common in accidents I fear. Regardless, I'll give it a shot and let you know.

I never got to tell you btw, you have a great rear-end btw. That write-up some time back was the best read I'd had in some time... a hella job which one day many of us may face (No noise yet for me though), I'm simply doing springs, sways and allthe bushings front to rear next... if Kriss doesn;t mind helping me though, It's a hella job too... it needs quite a few beer stops Nick