[s-cars] RE: [200q20v] Need advice: Koni or Bilstein

[Jim]

At 12:35 PM 7/27/01, Chris Covington wrote:
>I had Konis in my old CQ and they were great.  Never wore out, and they're
>rebuildable unlike the Bilstein (plus the adjustable factor is nice).
>IMO, if you want gas shocks save $$$ and get the Boge Turbo Gas.  The
>only advantage Bilstein has over those is the warranty, neither one is
>rebuildable.  Right now I have Turbo Gases in my 200q20v (stock
>springs) and they're more than adequate.


I used to run the Boge's in my GTI and had Koni's previously in an old X19 
(please, no laughing out loud). The Boge definitely have a shorter shelf 
life than the Koni's and the Bilstein's.

Personally I will replace the struts with Bilsteins on the S6 when the time 
comes (which is shortly) for my everyday driver and street use. The Boge's 
are OK if you feel that you will not keep the car for too long or need to 
save money. But the overall satisfaction from this list regarding 
Bilstein's seems unquestionable. I want to do the job once and have it last 
as long as possible with the best long term performance. Face it, strut 
replacement is a pain-in-the-ass job.

I always found the Koni's to be a bit stiff for street use. In fact, they 
started to crack the strut mounts in the X19 from the rough streets in NY. 
But that long ago and previous to the adjustable version now in use.


Best Regards,

Jim Sofranko
'95 S6
'88 80Q