Bilstein 7100 rear install - am I f**ked?

Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego
I have a bit of a unique set up on my D2.. see here about the hydro bump stops: https://discoweb.org/index.php?threads/hydraulic-bump-stops-on-a-d2.98002/page-4#post-1109562

Terrafirma's were tore up pretty good due to those blue dish things I put in with the hydro stops, and my heart sank when I saw that the shaft was on top (skinny tube) rather than the bottom, which means it's tough to determine how much clearance I need with the Bilsteins. I was under the impression going in that the TF shock was way fatter than the bilstein, so I'd be ok with bilstein

I grinded about 1.5" off the top lip of the spring seat (blue part) which gives me a fair bit more clearance.

Other than pulling the springs and cycling the suspension I see no way to make sure Im ok other than going riding. But honestly I can't be bothered to pull the springs, the $200 tradeoff to blow a shock is not worth my time

The point of this post is to get a rough idea if anyone thinks there's no way I'll clear it on compression? Or is it droop I'm concerned about? I tried to figure it out and my brain is no good

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Off topic.. I had a bear encounter today...

 
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K-rover

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
2,163
62
Raleigh, NC
Well if it comes down to it, you could cut off the factory lower shock mounts and weld in a set from Ballistic fab that kick the shock out further from the axle tube.
I ended up ripping one of my factory shock mounts off while wheeling. Replaced it with a shorter mount so that its almost even with the tube so it doesn't hang so low anymore.

Just a thought if you cant make it work as is...
 

WaltNYC

Well-known member
Mar 3, 2010
707
135
NYC
Ahhhh....that bear video looked pretty dicey. Obviously you made it out, which is great, but I am curious about how that ended?
 

Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego
Ahhhh....that bear video looked pretty dicey. Obviously you made it out, which is great, but I am curious about how that ended?
I don't know! I didn't look back! Haha. Nah, it was fine, I went back inside and the bear left. I've experienced black bears plenty in the wild, mostly in Whistler, but I definitely had a double-take when it looked like it wanted a piece of me

So bilsteins,
Install went fine, just shaved some metal, and took it on a trail here in Tahoe. No contact with the blue dish, good, and the o-ring shows about "5 of travel. but the shocks clank like crazy! I can give the shocks a shake by hand and it has plenty of play, both at the sides of the bushings where it meets the mount, as well as the bushing steel insert w/ the bolt. I was not told anything about this from Bill @ GBR who supplied the shocks and bushings. Anyone have a clue here? Obviously I have the wrong bushings? Screen Shot 2020-08-30 at 9.08.00 PM.pngScreen Shot 2020-08-30 at 9.02.48 PM.png
 

Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego
What the fuck is that bushing Mount? Did they not have heims? Or did you swap for those?
Bill @ GBR sells dopshiped bilsteins sans heims and ships one-piece poly separately. I went with 440/140. Research here on the forum also suggested using poly over heims. Honestly I'm pretty fed up with poly, mostly due to installation is a PITA, never seem to last long, and WTF I'm sent 'plug and play' shocks that require hours of squeezing in poly bushes that don't event fit the factory mount and bolt? What now??

I swear I often feel like the guinea pig dealing with local (USA) rover suppliers when I can't possibly be the first person to experience these problems.

Reaming the factory bolt hole and fitting larger bolt seems like a bad move, especially considering the nut is welded into the frame mount
 

K-rover

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
2,163
62
Raleigh, NC
Reaming the factory bolt hole and fitting larger bolt seems like a bad move, especially considering the nut is welded into the frame mount
that's what I did with my Fox shocks before replacing the factory mount. I drilled out the lower hole and nut and put in a 1/2" grade 8 bolt and nyloc nut. Im running bushings on the top instead of heims. Bottom still has heims, but use metal spacers to center the shock on the mount.
 
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Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego

Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego
No reply from Bill... common theme with US vendors...

I ordered those split bushes myself and will try them.

How does one do the 7100 SB's on the front? I see there is like a cross-fork adapter or you can get an RTE lower mount? What about the top? Will the shocks fit with the Terrafirma skeleton towers? Any valving recommendation?
 

Jeff Blake

Well-known member
May 6, 2016
429
16
Pacific Beach, San Diego
Get replacement heims back in there and use misalignment spacers
Very tempting, poly bushes in general have been a major headache for me

I received the split bushes and put them in. Much better. Clank gone. Obviously as 12mm tube for a 12mm bolt is going to work a lot better than a 13mm tube for a 12mm bolt.

The split bush makes installation a snap, however I think Bill's bushes would allow for more flex... but being 13mm and takes a couple of hours per shock to install (no press)... I'll never use those again. If these fail I'll go to heims. Bill GBR asked me why I was using 12mm bolts... "well, because they are the stock bolts, Bill, and you didn't tell me I'd need to chop up my factory mounts..."

Got the johhny arms in too, the extra castor reduced the clearance again for the blue dish + shock, so I cut out a little pocket.

Drives much better and returns to center, but chasing a vibration. While putting in the x-brake I noticed that the NUT on the t-case rear output flange was LOOSE. No wonder I hated the drum brake, it was filled with oil. I'm a sucker and will jump at a chance to 'upgrade' a part to hopefully solve my problem and not deal with it... I should stop doing that...
Anywho fit a new nut and felt washer but still getting a vibration somewhere... hoping that rear output bearing is still good... :(

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