[200q20v] Bilstein Sports rear shock <clunk>

[Derek Pulvino]

Steve,

Here's my guess on your situatuion.  The Sport shock in liu of the HD is
more than likely not your problem.  I believe the sport shock has a slightly
shorter shock rod length to compensate for the decreased travel seen with
lowering springs.  As such, the stock springs will be under even *more*
tension with the sports as opposed to the hd's, thereby being even less
likely (read will not) to move around between the perch and hat.  This all
goes with the first assumption that sports are shorter, and I'll take that
bet.

Here's my guess on the problem.  Go back to the side that you are getting
the noise from, remove the shock/spring combo, and I bet you'll see that the
top of the rear strut is making contact with the black, metal cap on the car
body where it comes through the hat.  You'll probably see some scratching of
the paint and such on the car body side.  If this is the case, what you
likely did was put one of the washers that goes on the top of the shock
shaft, adjacent to the top mount/spring hat (whatever we want to call it) on
the incorrect side.  Clearances are that tight.

If I had a picture, I could point to what I'm talking about.  I venture this
guess as I did the same thing with the same result when I replaced my rear
shocks.  Had to remove both sides, and inspect/compare my reassembly to
figure out what was going on.  Moved the washer to the opposite side of
whatever surface it was abutted against, and voila!  Squeak/clunk gone.

I don't believe the bump stop, bushing, or other theorys are your most
likely cases as none of these components had been making noise in the past,
and changing the shock is to me is affecting a seperate variable.  Also, I
believe these cars (or any car) rarely bottoms out, so that theory will
probably not lead you to the noisy culprit either.

hth

Derek Pulvino

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jagernauth, Stephen, BMSLS" <sjagernauth at ems.att.com>
To: "AUDI 20V List" <200q20v at audifans.com>
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2001 10:53 AM
Subject: [200q20v] Bilstein Sports rear shock <clunk>


>Similar to the bad rear shock thread, I just installed new Bilstein Sports
>B46-2066 on rear and
>have a similar clunk on the slightest bump.  Noted the Bilsteins are 1"
>shorter
>than the old stock Boge, called back vendor and he saw a note from
Bilstein
>that
>shorter springs recommended for this application.
>
>Is this really necessary? Is anyone else using Bilstein with stock
>springs?   Does the large rubber bump stop need to be removed?
>Another option would be cutting the bump-stop in half, any other ideas?
>
>I seem to be bottoming out early on the bump stop due to reduced travel.
I
>know from other Bilstein installs (on a 911) that
>the bump stop is removed due to internal bump stop but that is a different
>application,
>(Bilstein upside-down design for front strut). The
>car rides wonderfully but the <clunk> is really unnerving and I would like
>to fix it asap.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Steve Jagernauth sjagernauth at att.com <mailto:sjagernauth at att.com>
>'91 200tq20v Black on gray


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