Is there any where that does custom tune Bilsteins? Found an 11” travel remote resi shock that would fit stock mounts pretty well. If it could be custom tuned it could be a great option.
Is there anywhere that does custom tuned Bilstein shocks?
- Thread starter Gollywomper
- Start date
7100’s are rebuildable, and Bilstein offers several established valving options for them, but in my extensive attempts to find any information on actually tuning them (i.e. custom flutter stacks) I have come up completely short. It seems like Fox’s are the most "tune" friendly and Fox provides lots of helpful information and it’s easy to get valve shims.
I recently learned that Bilstein has their own valve stacks and their own tools and nomenclature surrounding their shocks. Fox, King, Radflo have a lot of commonality and overlap making it easier for a tuner to learn and work on those instead.
Its a shame because Bilstein offers short body remote resi shocks (similar to your shortened front 12" fox's) off the shelf that would be quite easier to package in a tj for any given travel length.
OP
I also suspect that piston design plays a role in why shock tuners shy away from Bilstein. Bilstein's 46mm linear piston achieves free bleed using a "bypass plate" (smaller diameter, thinner shim) at the bottom of each valve stack which produces a tiny amount of clearance between the base valve shim and the piston face to allow oil flow before the valving is activated. This would either complicate or totally prevent a tuner from experimenting with flutter stack tuning. You could eliminate that bypass plate but then you will have zero free bleed.
OP
It’s a shame as they have several short body shocks that could really open the door for direct bolt in shocks.
OP
What do you want the 5160 to do, that it doesn't?
The remote reservoir offers improved heat dissipation, and additional volume for gas compression. The extra volume offers a little linear-like high speed damping compared to the 5100, while maintaining great low speed damping out-of-the-box. However, like the 5100, the 5160 has digressive valving.
For a price, thyssenkrupp (Bilstein of America) can retrofit with a schrader valve, swap to a linear working piston, and re-valve to match your targeted profile, which you would provide. Most likely additional damping adjustments would be needed after rebuild also.
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OP
Like any Bilsteins I have rode on. They aren’t terrible once you get past the first couple inches of travel. That initial harshness is what steers most people away from them. Maybe it’s just in the design?
That is the nature of digressive valving.
I rode with 10.5" 5160s up front for a long time. Their strong point was/is slow speed (anti-sway) damping. I removed the stock front sway bar and cornering wasn't scary.
It does have to do with digressive valving like k-huevo said but that only applies to some Bilsteins. Pretty much all non rebuildable Bilsteins including the 5160's and 5100 come with digressive valving. The 7100's, 9100's, and a few others (all the rebuildable and revalvable ones) however come with linear valving.
The bypass plate I mentioned is simply to provide needed free bleed for super low velocity movement. Other shock manufacturers like Fox create free bleed by having separate small diameter open ports outside of the valve stack.
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OP
I didn’t see any 7100 that were sized accordingly. And the cost and difficulty to have them rebuilt leaves other rebuildable shocks as better options.
There's nothing special about Bilstein's piston or valving. Fox performance series also use a bleed in leiu of drilled holes. Bleed holes require a thicker different design piston.
The reason why they are so short, like other inexpensive shocks, is a very thin low flow piston, and welded top eye and lower cap. Anything that's designed to come apart will have to have room for threads, seals, etc.
I've been meaning to work on a new top cap so we can use a pin style on the factory series 2.0 Fox. Fox used to use it but I haven't been able to find a part number, not that I've looked really hard. Ha
The reason why they are so short, like other inexpensive shocks, is a very thin low flow piston, and welded top eye and lower cap. Anything that's designed to come apart will have to have room for threads, seals, etc.
I've been meaning to work on a new top cap so we can use a pin style on the factory series 2.0 Fox. Fox used to use it but I haven't been able to find a part number, not that I've looked really hard. Ha
OP
The search continues.....while outboarding the rear and correcting spring perch angles makes sense. If we could find an 11” shock that fit factory mount for the front it would fantastic. Something around 15” collapsed. Any way to accomplish that with modifications to a fox?
Why not just outboard the traditional way and use the Fox shocks most of us use? In other words, why try and reinvent the wheel?
I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing it your own way, mostly I am just curious as to why you wouldn’t do what has already been done so many times.
If it’s all for the sake of using the stock mounts, I would simply ask why?
I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing it your own way, mostly I am just curious as to why you wouldn’t do what has already been done so many times.
If it’s all for the sake of using the stock mounts, I would simply ask why?
OP
Why not? If you could bolt in an 11” tuned shock into the front would you fab new mount to have a 12”?
I am talking about the front. Outboarding the rear makes sense.
I am talking about the front. Outboarding the rear makes sense.