Bilstein Shock Question.

[a3ternus]

I ve recently rebuilt my two rear Bilstein shocks,
uprating the valves and making them oil-only.
One of them is now really hard.It crashes badly over curbs
and potholes.It doesnt leak as I took it out and inspected it.
I also changed both RSM so that s not the culprit.
The left one behaves as it should.
I guess something went wrong after 3 months only?
What could have happened?
I only thought that Bilsteins go bad when they go soft or leak.
N.

[a3ternus]

Well,I did manage to get the car on a shock absorber test machine.
Last year the results for the rear suspension (MOT Check) were better.
Today the test results were not only lower but had a 20% difference
between right and left.The left was measured at 64% and the right one
(the one which doesnt seem to work almost at all) gave a reading of 41%.

That s lower all around but I guess its because the rear shocks are
actually stiffer.The difference though is huge,dont you think?

I mean,COME ON,it s only 3 months since I had them revalved!
I know the numbers are a reference only but this cant be normal.
N.

[jlevie]

Obviously something has happened to the rear shocks to produce those results. My guess in this case would be that something went wrong in the revalving.

[a3ternus]

I guess so.Both were not done 100% correctly.The right one obviously so.
I ll get the car back to the shop to see what happens.
I ll ask for revalving both again.

Right about now I m thinking that I should have just changed those shocks instead of servicing them.

N.

Blitz_SE.X8

[a3ternus]

The right shock absorber was dead.
Liquid and gas mixed and it was stiff as hell.
The shop fixed it under warranty.

I just dont get how it happened.
I m the only one driving the car and I didnt abuse
the suspension in any way.

The whole revalving thing is questionable I guess.
No way this could happen to one of the original Bilsteins.
Thats why I run them on the same car for 40.000 miles
without the slightest problem.
N.