Bilstein Touring Shocks

[90 GSX]

I have Bilstein HDs on all 4 corners of my trans am and I absolutely love them. Very well built. I was considering buying the touring shocks that they are now making for the Eclipse because IMO AGXs are crap and everything else is way too expensive to put on a 1g car that costs 2 or 3 times the price of the shocks and struts. Does anybody have the Bilsteins? What can you say about them?

If I did decide to get them, it would be on stock suspension including the springs. I want the car to look as stock as possible but I still want to get some performance and driveability at the same time.

 

[90 GSX]

I'm bringing this back because I'm ordering the shocks this week. Anybody have Bilstein touring shocks? It's either those or AGX's, which I am a little wary about buying. It seems like they have a good rep in the dsm world though.

 

[nightspeed87]

if you havent lowered your car either set up should be ok,
but for my case i dropped my car 2inches because I dont like the stock height
with the bigger tires I put on mines so I had to drop it and it handled so much
better lowered, but its hard as hell to find a right sized struts to match my 2in lowered
springs, and I was running around on stock struts with the 2in drop and
it started causeing the car to bottom out drastically and having a water bed affect
that was discusting so now im in the market for some myself.... I hear koni yellows
are a good choice but they seem to be a little pricey, even on ebay...
I dont know how much your looking to pay, Check it out though.

 

[90 GSX]

I think I might just try them. The only thing I'm afraid of is that they won't be aggressive enough but I'm probably overthinking it. I'm built my eclipse to be a sleeper, hence the stock rims and stock height. I have a bunch of mods for it waiting to go on now that I have fixed the issues with my car. All of them are made to make a quick streetable car. The A/C blows cold, the car is comfortable and easy to drive, especially in front wheel drive mode. I'm liking it a lot, it's like a little toy or something. There is always something you can tinker with but I swear this car has not let me down a single time after I dropped the new engine/trans in there. Good car.

Anyway, I like the fact that AGXs are adjustable, but I would probably keep them on the softest setting most of the time. Will they still ride comfortably with stock height springs? I may eventually get the H&R springs which are like what 0.8" or something like that. I want the car high so I can go over speed bumps and not have drive around potholes like frogger. I already do that in my trans am.

I can get the Bilsteins and the KYBs for the exact same price. What do you think is the better option considering what my goals are for the car.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

I can't say on your bilsteins but I've been doing a lot of research on suspension lately and my reccomendation to you is to use something proven.

Whats the price you're going to pay for these shocks?
I say get the Tokico Illumina's which are of much better quality than AGX's and are 5 way adjustable as well.
Don't run anything but shortened and possibley revalved Koni's with a drop such as 2inches though. Your rides will enevitabley suffer, even if not at first.

My suggestion is in this order:

1. Koni Sports + Ground Control Coilovers with spring rates ~ 400F/260R
2. Koni Sports + H&R OE Sports, Tanabe GF210, Prokits
3. Illumina's + H&R OE Sports (drop of 1" and rates that are 20-30% stiffer than stock)
4. Illumina's + Tanabe GF210 (drop of 30-40mm which is 1.1 - 1.5 inches with 20-30% stifffer spring rates again)
5. Illumina's + Prokits (drop of 1.25" and 20-30% stiffer springrates over stock)
6. AGX's + anything with a 1" or less drop.
7. AGX's and stock springs.
8. Blown stockers.

The illumina's can be had for $365 shipped and the Tanabe springs for $155 shipped.
Obviously this is just my opinion, and I'd be glad to discuss my choices further with anyone interested.
Check out the Suspension forum for even more info - those guys know their shit!

 

[T_K]

The Illuminas are 2G only so sad, I'd love to get some for my 1G.


For close to the price of the Konis + the GCs you can get complete TEIN SS coilovers. I'd go that way if I had that much money to spend on suspension.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

The Illuminas are 2G only so sad, I'd love to get some for my 1G.


For close to the price of the Konis + the GCs you can get complete TEIN SS coilovers. I'd go that way if I had that much money to spend on suspension.

Why so sure that the tein ss are a better setup?

EDIT: I totally did not realize that we were dealing with a 1g. My appolgies. I'm sure some of what I posted translates just fine, but obviously there will be differences.

To bottom line this whole thing. You should be paying less than $365 for AGX's and theres nothing wrong with those for a stock height/sring car. They offer adjustability and a better shock than stock. Don't go lower than 1" if you want them to last though.

 

[90 GSX]

They don't make illuminas for 1g tel's. It's either the bilsteins for like 330 or 340 shipped, the AGXs for 300-325 shipped, or the koni sports for like 600 shipped. I don't think I want to invest that much in shocks for this car, plus it is unlikely that I will ever lower it and if I do it will be an inch or less. Are the AGX going to ride well and last long running on stock springs. If not I'm getting the bilsteins... All the car has is front/rear strut bars and probably some poly bushings soon.

 

[90 GSX]

You answered my ? before i finished typing. I mean do 1g's really have any other options? Nope... I think agx it is. I wonder how those bilsteins would be though.

How rough will the agx ride?

 

[PieEyedPiper]

from what ive read they should ride much betetr than stock but this is at stock height, so like you say no plans on lowering and they should be perfect for you. But since you already have experience with the other product and you like it, maybe try something out of the norm and get your bilsteins?

 

[T_K]

I've heard that the AGX's are kinda harsh? I have the illuminas on my 2G and even on stiff settings they're not "harsh".

 

[nightspeed87]

what do yall think for my 2in drop, because at this drop rate the stock struts I had on there were completely useless and destroyed in about 3 or 4 months....
Is koni my only option for this ride height? I need something cheaper I dont want to
spend a fortune on struts, besides Im in the process of a 6bolt engine build up/ swap and am in college so funds are short, I dont car if it rides a little rough, I just need something that wont bottom out over everything, and will last under a 2in drop condition. (oh and since Im a 1g I havent seen too many options)

 

[nismo4life]

do you know if they exist for 2g's???