Bilstein install ? - Type 44, rear

[Roa, Greg]

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Ahh, sorry Dave, my fault.  I was assuming the cars were similar.  I've got=
 zero experience with type 44's ; )
My noise is coming from a rear strut.  Rattling sound, that makes you think=
 the back wheel is going to fall off when you go over rough roads.  I've ru=
led out everything except for a loose strut cap.  I would think that it nee=
ded a spacer as well, but it's only happening on one strut, which also happ=
ens to be one that I had to cut the factory strut cap off of.  I didn't cle=
an up the threads on the housing, despite the fact that they were damaged a=
 little when I did the replacement (doh!).
Later this week I should be able to find out if my theory is correct, when =
I do a reinstallation.

Later,

Greg Roa
Cincinnati, OH
86' 4kcsq
93' 90 CS
83' 944

-----Original Message-----
From: David Conner [mailto:conner at cfm.Ohio-State.edu]
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 10:14 AM
To: Roa, Greg
Cc: quattro at audifans.com
Subject: RE: Bilstein install ? - Type 44, rear


Greg,
The rear Bilstein >shocks< do not fit inside a strut housing the way the fr=
ont struts do, so this wouldn't help with my situation.

Could you elaborate a bit on your problem? What does it sound like and unde=
r what conditions do you get the noise? Is it coming from the front of your=
 car?

Some struts are smaller diameter than the housing they fit into, and these =
are supposed to be installed with a spacer to secure them from flopping aro=
und inside the strut housing. I think I recall my front Bilstein's came wit=
h these spacers, but I'm not sure cause it's been awhile since I put them i=
n=2E

I bought a car once that had KYB struts installed without the required spac=
ers and it drove me nuts til I found it. I didn't have the factory spacers,=
 but made some by hammering several L shaped shims out of the proper size s=
heet metal and jamming these into the space.

The sound I experienced with the missing spacers was a loud clunk that a de=
af person could feel, and it mainly occured when steering/maneuvering the c=
ar at low speed, like into a driveway or parking space.

HTH,
Dave C.