Bilstein Twin Tube Shocks/Struts

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I'm in the process of gathering parts to rebuild the front end on my Focus. I wanted to go with Bilstein struts/shocks, but I see that the OE replacements for my Focus are twin tube.

Has anyone tried these? Is it worth the extra money for long term reliability or should I go with something else?
 
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Just put the Bilstein Monotube on my Montero and they seem pretty good. Don't know about he twin tubes but most anything they make is top notch and mine have a lifetime warranty to back it up.
 
I went looking for monotubes that were a stock replacement, but their monotubes are for lowered suspensions, which I won't be doing, so I'm stuck with twin tubes.
 
I'm sure they are great shocks, but with how long these things last these days I don't see the benefit of paying more for OE/twin tube design. What is the price difference?

I put Monroe "Sensa-Trac" quickstruts on the front of our 2001 Aurora after breaking a coil spring on the original 150k mile units. They ride great, but it seems I am one of a large number who have creaking/noise issues with the strut mounts.
 
There are indeed monotube HD front struts available for your Focus.

Part numbers
35-051404 right
35-051398 left

These monotubes are for stock replacement, not lowered.

The rear shocks part number is 24-066655, although they're not listed on the US site. However the fronts are.
 
The twin tube are designed to give excellent handling with a comfortable ride. You could use the monotube without a problem but your ride quality will decrease a bit, but I'm not sure how much that might be.
 
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My Monotubes were OEM size not lowered or lifted but it was an SUV. I put Monroe Sensatrac on my Grand Marquis and they were fine for about 10,000 miles and now they have softened up and feel worn out. I don't have 10,000 miles on the Bilstein's yet maybe 1,000 but so far I am happier with them and wish I had put them on my Grand Marquis too.
 
Originally Posted By: spk2000
My Monotubes were OEM size not lowered or lifted but it was an SUV. I put Monroe Sensatrac on my Grand Marquis and they were fine for about 10,000 miles and now they have softened up and feel worn out. I don't have 10,000 miles on the Bilstein's yet maybe 1,000 but so far I am happier with them and wish I had put them on my Grand Marquis too.


I used Monroe Sensatrac years ago and my experience was the exact same as yours.
 
Well, I've been running the sensatrack quickstruts for about 15k miles on the Olds. Not an SUV but it is a good sized sedan and they are holding up well and ride just as good as new. But like I said, squeaky strut mounts.
 
I installed a set of the Bilstein Twin Tubes onto a 2008 528i last month. They ride decently firm (7/10 - 10 being the firmest), were well-made, and the response time is very good.

I would highly recommend these over the KYB or Monroe alternatives if they are available for your application.
 
IMHO Bilstein's are a fairly bad shock unless specifically designed for your application. KYB offers excellent shocks that are half the price and last twice as long. You also don't have to put up with any change in ride height like you get with Bilstein. The Bilstein replacement shocks work well for cars that originally came with them, like some Porsches, Mercedes, and special edition Mazda Miatas. Other than that, I would stay away from them.
 
Please describe what is fairly bad about Bilsteins that are not OE? My Bilstein experience has been with OE pieces, and led me to believe that they would be superlative in most applications.
 
The first Volvo 240s ate front cartridges, Bilstein and Koni made the only replacements which lasted. Their attempt at a sport sedan, the 242GT came with them.
 
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Originally Posted By: carock
IMHO Bilstein's are a fairly bad shock unless specifically designed for your application. KYB offers excellent shocks that are half the price and last twice as long. You also don't have to put up with any change in ride height like you get with Bilstein. The Bilstein replacement shocks work well for cars that originally came with them, like some Porsches, Mercedes, and special edition Mazda Miatas. Other than that, I would stay away from them.


Bilstein shocks are the best! I use them on every car they're available for, unless money is really tight. Also, don't forget about the trucks with OE Bilsteins.

Why would they change the ride height? Shocks don't affect ride height; springs do. The HD is for stock height; the Sport is for lowered; and the 5100 series is for lifted trucks.

I'm surprised that Bilsteins keep failing on you! What kind of cars did you install them on, and what model of Bilstein shock?
 
My goal is to build my own quick struts using Bilstein struts as the foundation. That way once I pull the old struts off, I can swap them out quickly. I'll be using Moog springs, but for the other components, I'll probably be using either OEM or Raybestos professional grade.
 
Twintube will never have the handling characteristics of a monotube. OE's use twintube for a variety of reasons, but the big 2 are cost, and mot cars running twintube shocks are targeting ride frequencies low enough that there's very little chance they will overheat and aerate the damper oil on an all stock vehicle.

Bilsteins are setup as B4 Tourings (stock replacement, twintube), B6 HD (monotube, performance, fine for stock rideheight), B8 Sport (usually same valving as HD's for most applications, but shortened for use with lowering springs).

For a stock rideheight vehicle, you WILL see an improvement in handling with HD's. Can't always guarantee the ride quality will be as good, but it'll be more fun. Plus as others mentioned - lifetime warranty. And Bilstein will also custom valve them for you upon request if they're getting rebuilt, for an additional charge of course, and their guys are top notch at getting EXACTLY what you want.
 
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