Do I need to shorten my bilstein sports if I lower the car

[AbsorbantNut]

Hey guys, I also ordered a pair of shorter front coil springs. I was wondering if I'm going to need to shorten my Bilstein Sports as well when I ship them in to get rebuilt. Or will the sports be able to function fine without being shortened? I'd rather not spend a ton of money if I don't have to:p Thanks!

-Jay

[AndrewBird]

Sports are already shorter then stock, so no need to shorten. Unless You are talking about stock iS shocks, in which case those are normal length.

[mbonanni]

Sports are stock length I am pretty sure, the ix bilstein hd fronts are shorter, right?

You will not need to shorten them unless you plan to section your housings.

[AndrewBird]

HD's are stock length, sports are shorter. Both are valved the same.

[LJ851]

HDs and Sports have full height bodies and fit in stock E30 strut housings. The Sport damper has a shorter rod to position the piston in a more favorable place in the stroke for lowered cars.

IX Bilsteins have a shorter body and would need the strut housing shortened to use on a standard E30 BUT you would gain the amount shortened in upward suspension travel which is a good thing on a lowered car.

[mbonanni]

I meant ix Bilstein HD struts are shorter, anywho.

I still think you are wrong.. The bilstein sports and the Bilstein HD's are the exact same length, and they also valved the same.

What is different is the internal lengths, or the pistons and the bump stops to be more exact. The HD's have longer bump stops, so when you lower a car on HD's you end up sitting on the bump stops the whole time, rather than Bilstein sports which have shorter bump stops.

If the bilstein sports were shorter then you would have to shorten your housings, which you don't.

Either way, you do NOT have to shorten anything.

EDIT: He beat me to it. I took too long to type my response.

[AbsorbantNut]

Well thank you all for the help, that was very informative & looks like I'm back on the right track again!

[jeffnhiscars]

I meant ix Bilstein HD struts are shorter, anywho.

I still think you are wrong.. The bilstein sports and the Bilstein HD's are the exact same length, and they also valved the same.

What is different is the internal lengths, or the pistons and the bump stops to be more exact. The HD's have longer bump stops, so when you lower a car on HD's you end up sitting on the bump stops the whole time, rather than Bilstein sports which have shorter bump stops.

It sounds like you are saying that the ONLY difference between the HD and Sport is the length of the bump stop ?

Since they are easy to cut down this makes no sense.

[mbonanni]

I meant ix Bilstein HD struts are shorter, anywho.

I still think you are wrong.. The bilstein sports and the Bilstein HD's are the exact same length, and they also valved the same.

What is different is the internal lengths, or the pistons and the bump stops to be more exact. The HD's have longer bump stops, so when you lower a car on HD's you end up sitting on the bump stops the whole time, rather than Bilstein sports which have shorter bump stops.

If the bilstein sports were shorter then you would have to shorten your housings, which you don't.

Either way, you do NOT have to shorten anything.

EDIT: He beat me to it. I took too long to type my response.

It sounds like you are saying that the ONLY difference between the HD and Sport is the length of the bump stop ?

Since they are easy to cut down this makes no sense.

No the internal piston length or rod, I don't remember fully right now, is different as well. I just chose to talk about bump stops for whatever reason I do not know. lol

Give bilstein a call, ask for Juan, and he can explain everything and make sense out of it.

[AndrewBird]

I was speaking about travel, not overall outside dimensions.

[JGood]

From what I've read from Ground Control, Sports and HD's are the same length compressed, and use the same valving, but the HD's allow for one inch more droop.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=175749

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=248680