I truly hope Bilstein steps up and covers this. It definitely could have been a defect in the attachment point for the droplink. I will most definitely be checking mine for any signs of stress or cracks. Hope you get it resolved soon.

 

I wonder if the aftermarket sturdy drop-links would make a car more susceptible to the problem that you encountered. Hmmm....

 

I think the answer is yes. I was considering replacing the droplinks earlier this year because I had heard that the Bilstein OEM droplinks were fairly weak. My installer talked me out of it because he told me that part of the droplink design was to "fail" under extreme loads, ie full turns out of a driveway with uneven loads. He also told me that he had either heard of or had warranty claims denied (can't remember what he actually said) because of non Bilstein droplinks. At the time I didn't really understand what he was saying but he talked me out of spending money so it was all good. My droplink didn't fail, it ripped the entire attachment off of the coilover. So I think these beefier droplinks will indeed put more stress on where the droplink attaches to the coilover. The new droplinks actually have a bend in them that are supposed to "give".

quick update. dropped of my car to the installer (who is really great BTW). he said that he's seen this a couple of times which can occur coming out of the driveway as was in my case. he didn't think that it would be a problem to get this fixed under warranty from bilstein. he was going to call them today to get a new coilover sent to him. i'm crossing my fingers and hope that there aren't any hiccups

 

Good news! Hope your up an running soon.

 

Why don't you call them ?

In my opinion -- each car ,installer, usage, or event description is going to be case specific . It's a shame that your car is in the shop and it must be frustrating to go through days without an answer.

I have the Bilstein on both of my cars and I have been pleased with their customer service .

Good luck !!!

 

Shouldn't Bilstein send you 2 coilovers? I replaced a Bilstein strut for my golf a while back because one was faulty, and after install my ride height was slightly different on the old strut vs. new strut.

 

i dont know about you guys. I have had PSS9's on my car for about 6 years now with 100,000KM Plus of All Weather Driving... Early this Summer my car was in the shop getting ready for Summer, shop called and said my Drop Link Boots Torn and its Dried up... So I personally called Bilstein in CA with the Part Number. 3 Days Later New Drop Links showed up at my Shop. They were Easy to Deal with and i dint pay for anything. All i had to do was Provide the Part Number. So i think they will look after you as they looked after me. Reason why i bought Bilstein in the first place because i heard nothing but Good things about their Customer Service and Handling Warranty Claims. I Must say i have never been dissapointed with them

 

at this time, I haven't personally had a problem with Bilstein. However, others have see link below.
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...bilsteins.html

although this was eventually resolved favorably for drkbrent, I think that it was with some difficulty on his part so I'm hoping that I will have a better experience. In any case, I'll let you guys know the result. With regards to whether or not they should send 2 CO's, I think it's not really necessary. My installer is pretty experienced so I'm going to let him deal with this.

 

Great Idea

 

[QUOTE=dk10438;3396611]unfortunately it is not as simple as replacing the droplinks. the part that the droplinks attaches to on the coilover side has been torn off of the coilover body.

I understood that from your photos. My thinking was once the coilover was replaced by the manufacturer or installer, the updated drop links might eliminate future issues.

In any event, hope you can get things resolved at someone elses expense.

 

The height delta may be due to the new strut being bolted in while the suspension bushings are in full droop. If you don't release the preload they will eventually settle on their own. I think this is what happens when people say their new springs settled/lowered a week or two after installation.

 

i really question Bilstein's commit to their customers or service. My car has been at the installer for over a week and Bilstein has done nothing! I finally spoke to someone at Bilstein today and was told that coilovers "don't break" and that they did not think that this would be covered under warranty. However, I could purchase another one if one was in stock. Guess what, not in stock. They did have 10 sets of coilovers but refused to break the set. Therefore I have to wait???? That is total BS. Furthermore, they are closing on Thursday until the end of the year which means more delays.

Can anyone help??

 

You could try calling Bilstein Canada and seeing if they have the one you are looking for, and then pursue them after you get your car going.

(604) 944-0494

 

Not surprised by Bilstein's lack of action...they did the exact same thing to me...they delay for a week and waste everyones time, then they say they wont cover it...then they say they cant break up a new set...you kiddin me?...a company the size of Bilstein who wont cover their own products and then they wont break up a set even when youre willing to pay?...this defines their character!

I had a problem where the PASM wire was cut, out of a brand new box and they wouldnt cover it after a 1-2 week delay of placing blame on everyone but themselves...my vendor had no choice but to pay Bilstein 700.00 and buy a single coilover from them as I was going to take legal action not for the money, but to prove a point.

I wouldnt put a Bilstein product on my car now if someone gave it to me for free seriously....have never seen a company that wont support its customers like Bilstein.

Many installers wont deal with Bilstein anymore due to their poor customer service.

Many have documented drop link issues and now the clamp point on the shock tears off?

OP should just buy another coil on his own dime and be done with it and pray nothing else goes wrong.

 

Total BS
now they say that aftermarket sway bar voided the warranty!

Bilsteins customer service is so poor its laughable. I have to beg Bilstein to sell me a shock and tell them to pity me 'cuz it's Christmas?? Bilstein will send me out a CO at 920.00 no discounts or anything. I talk to my installer and he thinks that that is too much, so he is willing to buy a set of 4 and break it for me and sell me the 1 for 650 or so. However, that is going to take time and at this point I just want my car back. So an installer can get a single coilover and sell it to me cheaper than going directly to the manufacturer??? There's something wrong here....

Other companies will just replace the part in good faith or at least give you a discount. I really don't think that that is unreasonable and should be expected.

I think one of the morals here is that Bilstein will not warrant their suspension if it has different droplinks or sway bars. This is a confirmed fact as I spoke with Bilstein several times this morning. They may not even warrant the suspension if it is aligned outside of factory specs! They asked me that on the phone and said that their equipment is only warranted with the car set at factory specs and factory equipment. So basically they don't have to cover anyone's car???