Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby McDoof » Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:40 pm

PTFE wet lube did not fix mine.
But it seems my LCA bushes are worn, so could be that.
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby metalfx » Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:58 pm

Good to know, I've got the same noise (Front RH) looks like I should save from coilovers (secretly without the new wife finding out)
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Wed Mar 30, 2016 2:40 pm

Im suffering the same knocking on full lock right turns.

Strut bolts have been checked and tightened
Ball joints checked
Wheel bearing replaced
Spring seat readjusted as it appeared to have moved

What else could it be? :(
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Wed Mar 30, 2016 3:00 pm

lhuynh wrote:Im suffering the same knocking on full lock right turns.

Strut bolts have been checked and tightened
Ball joints checked
Wheel bearing replaced
Spring seat readjusted as it appeared to have moved

What else could it be? :(

So you've done the Lubricant onto the shocks to rule that out?
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Fri Apr 01, 2016 6:52 pm

Lubricant suppressed about 90% of the noise. Does that mean a blown/worn shock?
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:50 pm

lhuynh wrote:Lubricant suppressed about 90% of the noise. Does that mean a blown/worn shock?

Yes. *EDIT: The shock will almost always be perfectly fine, it just makes this noise. My mechanic told me not to worry about it, but the noise annoyed me, even though it's not a problem. If the source of the noise was somewhere else, then spraying the shocks would make no difference. If you want, wait a week to see if the noise comes back. Spraying my shocks lasted just over a week, then the noise came back. That's only a temporary fix.

I assume you own a SpecB (which has the yellow Bilstein shocks that are affected by this issue)? They can be overhauled by a Bilstein specialist (in eg Syd or Melb). That's cheaper than new ones.

Some people get aftermarket coilovers instead, but I like the ride of the stock suspension. Most aftermarket ones are too harsh. And rumour has it that Subaru used inferior lubricant in the slide bearing (not sure how, since this is a Bilstein shock, but maybe cost cutting pressure). So I went for the overhauled route, hoping they'd last longer without this issue than new ones from Subaru. I was quoted $280 per front shock at Quadrant Suspension Melb. In end I don't know who my local dealer used (a Syd company I think), but my knock has been gone ever since :).
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Fri Apr 01, 2016 10:25 pm

Thanks for the advice Tom.... Yes I have a spec B wagon. I'll look into having them rebuilt as the noise does bother me. Sprayed them tonight and went for a drive, huge improvement. Ill give it a week. Thanks
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Fri Apr 01, 2016 10:52 pm

No problem. I'm glad you traced the source of the noise to the shocks, and it wasn't the common centre diff clunk, which would've been $$$s.

I also have a SpecB wagon. The ride does feel better since the shock rebuild (mine had 170,000km). So definitely an improvement. They must've been a bit worn, even if the noise wasn't an issue apart from being annoying.

I was told by the dealer that only the fronts could be rebuilt (other people and other dealers have said the same). So at the time I left the rears as they were. But Quadrant Suspension said they could do the rears (quoted $186ea), so I'm sending them down at the moment. We'll see what they say once they have them. The rears are not the source of the noise and seem ok, but are just as old. And with shocks lasting a recommended 100,000km-150,000km, they're due anyway.
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Sat Apr 02, 2016 12:12 pm

Day 2: Bad news, after spraying the lube it appears to be louder now. :(
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Sat Apr 02, 2016 12:25 pm

Oh :?. What lube did you use (the Dry PTFE Lubricant)? And did you jack up each side to fully expose the shock strut to get the lubricant on it? Neither of those should be a major issue, but I don't know what effect they'd have vs how others and myself have done it.

The lubricant wears off pretty quickly, so even though the effect has been mixed for you, it should go back to how it was originally pretty soon.
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:31 pm

I used the wd40 Wet Lubricant.
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:53 pm

Ah ok, you will get different results than the WD40 Dry lubricant discussed in this thread. Bunnings link was posted here somewhere. Although it's still technicall wet, just dries dry and is called WD40 Dry PTFE.
You could buy it, but probably not worth it - it confirmed the noise source...
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby lhuynh » Sat Apr 02, 2016 6:22 pm

Ah.. i must have misread some posts. I though it was the wet lubricant that was meant to be used. Strange that it increased the noise on the second day though. I might try the dry to see if i can shut the shock up a week at a time at least.
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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby tom_kauf » Sat Apr 02, 2016 6:44 pm

I just checked my can again. Oh, my mistake sorry :shock: it is Wet PTFE.

I was getting mixed up with this one in the pic below that I also have (the Dry one is one I use for Locks etc).
So you read it right, the correct one is Wet PTFE. As long as it's not normal WD40 (non PTFE), you have the right stuff. Sorry for the confusion.
But the dry one is definitely worth a try, considering the Wet one made the noise worse for you.

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Re: Bilstein Knock?...I doubt it!

Postby jarrenowen » Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:26 pm

lhuynh wrote:Im suffering the same knocking on full lock right turns.

Strut bolts have been checked and tightened
Ball joints checked
Wheel bearing replaced
Spring seat readjusted as it appeared to have moved

What else could it be? :(


sometimes a knocking sound at full steering lock could be a worn CV joint, maybe check that out as well.
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