Derek -- I have some news to share with you . I had a long chat with some guys who know a lot more than I do about installation about your situation . I don;t want to name them because they have not seen your car nor do they read the forum .

I simply asked for general thoughts and opinion of what to think of a broken Bilsten . The first words out of the mouth was installation concerns and the second thing I was told is that Bilstein does inform them that if improper installation is done it will snap and he went on to describe the exact location of where the break woild be expected . It happens to be exactly where yours is snapped. He also speculated that Bilstein probably won't cover it because it was installation error .

 

I'm sure many would be interested in your findings. I'm no expert but visual inspection of the outside surface can be tricky due to use, oxidation, etc...and you are assuming your damptronics are "new" but the box may suggest otherwise. You mentioned the damptronics looked porous on the inside. Imho, cutting the stock and comparing the inside material would be the definitive experiment.

 

This is what I mentioned before: I know what the pros are thinking, they just can't be quoted because they don't want to be involved. I would think most people who have been following this thread would agree the evidences (popping noise from day 1, etc.) and pros' opinions are pointing more and more towards an installation problem. That said, I still think Bilstein could do better, starting with a warning in English.
BTW, I think there is a chance they could replace the coilover even though it's an installation problem -- just me speculating, based on my experience with them (a huge operation with truly OUTSTANDING customer service).

Regarding whether stock Bilstein (yes Bilstein makes the stock unit, which is of cheaper material and design) could be more durable than Damptronic Bilstein:
1. Could be true -- race components emphasize light weight; an iron wheel would be much more "durable" than aluminum. This doesn't mean that you could install an aluminum wheel with one bolt and when it falls off, blame problem on the lack of strength.
2. It could STILL be a defective material in the Bilstein, but as others have mentioned, not a good idea to judge strength by look! Maybe by pro's in that field, but most definitely not by us.

dkbrent, I think at this point, instead of discussing strength based on external look -- that argument is not going anywhere, it would be more helpful and interesting to put the emphasis on the installer also: What could he have done wrong with the installation and how could others prevent this? He may be denying responsibility, a natural self-protective reaction , but as I have mentioned from the very beginning: My vote is 10 to 1 it's an installation problem.

Regarding running strength test on another Bilstein: Why? Just look around this forum's cars with Bilstein on. They are passing your test right there. I feel for you but...Bilstein rep will not chime in to comment because someone on some internet forum is thinking one steel is stronger than another because it's more shiny. They don't have time or manpower to monitor every user's speculative (me guilty as well) comment around the world. And especially not when installation error could easily be the one and only problem here.

 

Well - at this point I do not think emotional reasoning will resolve anything. I feel that his priority ought to be to hedge the loss , get the car fixed, and maintain a positive outlook . After all he bought this car to have years of enjoyment .

1) Get the car back to stock to make it home safely.

2) I would not drive the car too far even stock without inspection. If the installer took the time to go to his house to help him it sounds like his heart is in the right place but a second opinion can't hurt.

3) Start over .

4) Even if he remains stock be confident with the car and if he modifies it be confident with those working on it.

The car is ok . He is ok . Whatever time, stress and financial loss can be recoved --that would be great .

Derek --you have meany years to enjoy the car . Take the time to fix it and heal.

 

I want to go back to this for a second. When you heat treat steel you can get a dull finish (from bright) as shown. I 'think' what you might be seeing is the difference between the heat treat finish and the bright finish of a part which has been polished by use.
Although having said that, I don't know that 'use' polishes the rod in the location shown.
If you want to know for sure get them tested for hardness, very cheap at any heat treat, tool & die or machine shop.

 

Assuming it is installer error, it still scares me that such a failure of steel could happen.

 

If it's an install error the shop should step up to the plate and replace the coilover.

 

The initial popping sound tells me there was some play in the shock installation, bilstein includes a spacer to be used on the shaft. If that wasn't installed the shaft would move, make noise and snap. This is a known potential install error in some applications. There is no way bilstein,or any manufacturer would ever used a cast shaft in any shock/strut. I feel for you, but given the description this is an install error. Perhaps bilstein would warranty it under good will, would be smart for them given the bad press this could generate in the age of the internet.
The condition of the box is a zebra here,these things come straight from Germany, the box is going to take a beating. Mine looked twice as bad.
GL
C

 

Hello,

I have been talking with Bilstein management as well as their engineering department regarding this thread and this failure. I've also been privy to information that was sent to other end users that have now become concerned thinking they made a bad choice on which aftermarket suspension they have gone with.

Let me state that we have been a direct dealer with Bilstein since 2001. Their products, customer service, and support have been outstanding. We are proud to be partnered with them. Simply put, they are a low maintenance product for us. Failures are something we just don't worry about.

We have also used many of their coilover kits on a variety of shop vehicles that see abuse. We stand behind them 100%.

So back to matter at hand.

Please take a look at this picture and pay close attention to the washer that is circled in the diagram. It's the 6th part from the top.




Bilstein's engineering department has informed us that failure to install this small tapered washer, that is an OEM piece, will put undue stress on the upper stem of the damper. Failure to install the washer can cause it to snap as in dkbrent's case and can also cause noises that some people hear if the front coilovers are not assembled correctly.

Now here is a diagram of how things would look if it was NOT installed correctly:

http://www.awe-tuning.com/media/misc...ingspacer2.pdf


Here are also some other tech notes that were passed to me to share with you.

- This design is Original Porsche.
- If you were not aware, Bilstein is the OE supplier for Porsche.
- Bilstein aftermarket parts are made in the same facility as the OE parts.

Some things that should be noted during install.

-With the use of a new upper strut bearing during install you may not see the spacer.
-If reusing the OE strut bearing, the spacer may sometimes stick to the OE strut therefore not being transferred the aftermarket strut.
- Air tools and over torquing can also lead to excessive stress.

Drkbrent and I have been emailing regularly. He has sent me his broken part back and I should have it within a day or so. It will be sent directly to Bilstein for evaluation.

I have also advised him to check the assembly of the side that has not broken to see if this washer is in place.

Thank you all for your patience and I will provide updates as I get them.

 

Mike, thanks for the excellent info as always, and wow what a great thread drkbrent has started.

So this part belongs to the original shock and should be removed from that and then install to the Damptronic? As much as I love what Bilstein has done for my car, I still think Bilstein is responsible for a clearer warning on this part and better instruction manual in English; don't you think so, Mike?

The big question is then: So what happens if I am to ask my installer to check and it's not there? How do I obtain this washer? Does Bilstein have it? TIA
(Mike, is this info from Keith from the Bilstein East Coast office?)

 

Thanks for the detailed post Mike. As you know, I have ordered a set of the damptronics from you and appreciate the tip regarding the washer. From reading the many well written posts, it does appear very likely that the issue was related to an installation error. Unfortunately, even a well trained person can sometimes make a simple mistake. I for one, am not worried about the quality of the product based on an isolated incident.

Regards

Zamir

 

Mike, awesome info...I'm passing this on to my Porsche tech as we speak...will keep you posted via email. Thanks.

 

Totally agree. If a simple washer like this can lead to a potentially catastrophic event and Bilstein seems to know about this, talk about liability issues, wow. Thanks AWE for informing the community.

 

Despite the fact that a simple washer could prove to be devastating, I haven't heard of many failures which means most techs must know what they are doing. Maybe this failure was compounded by some other mistake the tech made. Just speculating, but if the lack of a washer caused a broken shock, we would probably be seeing more failures.

 

^^All good points, and yes I was wondering and what it boils down to: Is this something that any reasonably prudent and competent tech would know?

Nevertheless, because it is so easy, a piece of paper in English with red warning, and assuming the washer is a part one has to retrieve from the stock OEM unit, Bilstein should do at least one of the following 2 things:

1. Include the washer with the new unit. And if not,
2. HUGE warning that washer needs to be removed from old unit.

My vote is against Bilstein, based on what I know so far and unless a pro installer PM's and tells me I am all wrong. Thanks again drkbrent, what a great thread. I can't wait to hear if you see this washer on the other side? Would you please look and let us know?