Do shocks "wear"?

I'm doing a bit in improve the handling of my Impala ('66). Trying to make the "pig dance" if you will. My goal would be something like Dick Eytchison did with his 1965 Malibu.

The roads here are god awful. The paved equivalent of a logging road really. I'd like to take the car to an autocross (or like event) when I get back to the states and see if I couldn't raise an eyebrow or two.

My worry is: If I bought a set of Bilstein shocks now, would they still be "as good as new" if I drove them on these types of roads for three years before I could get the car to attend her first auto-x?

So would it be better to hold off until I got back to the good ol US-of-A, and closer to attending an event, to change the shocks out? (the stock shocks that are currently installed are pretty "weak")

I've seen shocks fresh out of the box, and I've seen shocks with no life in them whatsoever but what happens between is a big "question mark" for me. Is there a way to measure the wear the shock is experiencing in between new and dead?

Thanks -Bill

Yeah, they wear. I don't know the specifics, but if you're set in bilstiens and autox stardom once you're back across the pond, wait til you're here.

The car won't get better 'till the driver does.

Buy the shocks now to learn how to use them, then replace them once you've had the privilege of wearing them out.

Try a set of KYB Gas-a-just. Shouldn't be too expensive and they are monotubes. Get Bilstiens when you get home.

Truth be told, I don't really have a preference. Bilstien was the only manufacturer I could find who was crazy enough to make performance shocks for the wheeled equivalent of an aircraft carrier.

SVreX wrote: The car won't get better 'till the driver does. Buy the shocks now to learn how to use them, then replace them once you've had the privilege of wearing them out.

This! I like this idea.

Is there a way to measure "shock wear"?

Shock dyno. :) The short answer is: they do wear, and typically you see a decrease in low speed damping, and eventual seal failure.

That said, Bilsteins are very well made and tend to last a long, long time.

SVreX wrote: The car won't get better 'till the driver does. Buy the shocks now to learn how to use them, then replace them once you've had the privilege of wearing them out.

+1

Let's not forget the addition of 2 years of driving in a safer car.

Bilstiens are very durable, I wouldn't worry about ruining them by driving on bad roads. Just get a set, and when they are worn out get new ones, I don't think that will happen for a long time though. This guy uses bilstiens (which I believe were used when he got them) and last I heard they had lasted years already. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4jjukOrIyE.

^ That is awesome

Gearheadotaku wrote: Try a set of KYB Gas-a-just. Shouldn't be too expensive and they are monotubes. Get Bilstiens when you get home.

This is the path I would take. Get some good shocks on there for now, but save the Bilsteins for once you get back to the US. Assuming your Euro Impala is the same as the US model, KYB lists the parts as KG4515/KG5507 f/r.

Another thought is that I believe I was told Bilsteins are rebuildable, although I'm not sure what it costs.

I had no idea that the KYB's would be so danged cheap!

If its going to see rough use, I wouldn't bother with the kybs. They will wear out pretty quick. Bilsteins will outlast them by a huge margin. They will likely survive the three years and if not, get them rebuilt when you get home.

Hungary Bill wrote: I had no idea that the KYB's would be so danged cheap!

And they're darn fine shocks. Just be aware, in my experience, Gas-A-Just shocks are very stiff. The ride on the street on bad roads will not be joyful. But I do think that's a pretty good compromise solution. Can't disagree with the folks who say the Bilstiens will last a good long time too, though. They make good stuff and they can be rebuilt.

Bilsteins are rebuildable for $65 per shock. I've done it and they came back like new.

Pull the trigger now and enjoy!

KYBs probably have a lifetime warranty (or million mile, which is the same thing to most of us). Makes the rebuildability of Bilsteins moot unless you want to change the valving.

Keep in mind that brand alone is not an indicator of a good shock. A Bilstein (for example) may last a long time, but if it's poorly valved for the application it'll just be miserable for a long time. Or, if it's well valved, you'll be happy for a long time. It's a good idea to get some feedback who have tried your particular application if possible.

Ooooo. A Ciddy-Ci? Do dis, daw!

FWIW, shocks are not just for auto crossing. In fact, they are a pretty good idea from a safety perspective.

In reply to N Sperlo:

Wouldn't the locals just crap their pants if that thing three wheeled down the road? (yo!)

N Sperlo wrote: Ooooo. A Ciddy-Ci? Do dis, daw!

I would drive that every day

Companies that sell shocks can offer million mile/lifetime warranty on shocks in the U.S. because our roads are relatively good.

You won't see such a warranty on shocks sold in, say, Brazil. I suspect you'll find a similar situation in Hungary. I'd spend on fancy shocks after you get to the U.S. Buy something cheap for now.

Having had an Impala, I can tell you it will always wear shocks faster than a Miata. :D

Seriously, as heavy as they are, it's going to put a hurt on shocks especially on bad roads. On mine (1970) changing all four shocks was less than an hour job. I'd consider getting a cheapish, plushy set for daily driving and a set of Bils or KYBs just for tracking. Even if you put th on the weekend before and pulled them the week after it would seriously extend the life.

Keith- WHAT IS NOT COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY? The warranty does not apply to conditions caused by normal wear and tear nor to KYB products that have been (a) altered, modified, reworked, improperly applied or installed, (b) installed on vehicles used for commercial or racing purposes, and/or... Yadda yadda.

Leaking is wear and tear. I've rocked kybs and bils on my Evo, bils were way better. I've rocked koni yellows and bils on my zhp, again bils were way better on the street. Bils on the Evo are considered the Jesus setup, even among pure a/x cars, and when I went to them, I saw why. Soaked up every bump with pure smoothness, but handled on rails well into non-street speeds.

I'm no guru, and certainly don't have your experience, but I have had warranty kicked back for wear. My experience getting rebuilds by Bilstein West was super, and the results were great. They'll also custom valve as you mention. I'm sold on them for street cars.

Hell yes they wear, but I'll still recommend the Bilsteins. They'll last longer and when they do wear out, rebuilding them is worth it.

J308 - we don't sell KYBs anymore, but when we did I don't think we ever had a set denied warranty unless there were Vise-Grip marks on the shaft. Yes, people really do do that. That includes cars that were lowered and run on the track. Normal wear and tear did seem to be covered. But maybe they've changed things. Tokico will definitely cover normal wear and tear but they're not part of the options being discussed here.

I've driven Bilsteins that were less satisfactory than other options for the same application. Guess I just got lucky. To me, they're just another shock option.