New member here. recently bought a 2005 base c6 with F55. Didnt know it when I bought it but all of the f55 shocks are worn out/leaking.

In reading this forum I have learned that the failure is likely due to the previous owner lowering the car on the bolts and that bilstein shocks seem to be highly recomended to people not wanting to fork over the money for replacement f55 shocks.

So I had a place order me some Bilstein HD shocks. The shocks came in and when i went to drop off the car, they showed me the shocks. They were black. All of the bilstein pictures i have seen on the web show a yellow and blue shock. does anyone know if they also offer black or is somebody trying to pass off something that is not actually a bilstein HD?

Please help.

 

I would suggest that you contact Bilstein directly and talk to them so you can get a positive ID on what you have. If a retailer is trying to pull a fast one on you, Bilstein would most likely want to know about it also.

 

Exactly my thoughts too, but im not having much luck to getting to talk to anyone who can help. Keep getting sent to someones VM. Car is at the shop now so I was trying to find out something ASAP. was hoping maybe somebody on here may sell a bunch of these or something and know weather theyve ever seen them in black.

I guess ill just have to leave a message and wait for a call back.

 

Odd for sure. Every Bilstien I've ever seen was yellow. Definitely suggest doing some PI work.

 

From what I have seen, some of the cheaper bilsteins like oe replacements for some cars are black.

I thought the HDs were yellow though...

 

Call Bilstein California and ask for Clarence in the Technical Service Dept. Give him the numbers off the shocks and he will crossreference them for you. Sometimes all he can tell you is if they're an OEM shock because he doesn't have a list of OEM numbers.

As far as black Bilsteins: don't LG G2 coilovers have black Bilsteins?

GP

 

Thanks for the replies.

I did get in touch with Bilstein and they advised they do not manufacture a black shock for corvettes.

I called the shop and asked whats up with this and they advised that they are AC delco shock that are produced for GM by bilstein?

They are telling me that these ACdelco shocks are the exact same shocks as the Bilstein HD they are just a different color because they are made for GM by Bilstein. I did not really buy this explanation so i called Bilstein again and asked them if what he is saying is true and they said while they do make OE shocks for corvettes, that the One shock and the Bilstein shocks are NOT the same shock. That they are built to different specs etc, that there is more of a difference than just color.

They had already installed them at the shop by the time I was able to talk to Bilstein. I have not picked the car up yet. what would yall do in this situation?

 

Sachs makes the OE shocks.

 

get the part numbers for the right parts just in case you need them, and then address them about the issue. it sounds like they are going to bs you.

 

I'd call the shop and tell them to return the car to stock. They were not being honest with you. Buy real bilsteins and have them installed elsewhere.

 

+1

somethin' ain't right.

 

Seems there was a lack of communication between the shop and myself. Somehow they were in the belief that I was ok with the delco shocks, although I am really not sure why as I never said a word about something other than the specific shock that i asked for (Bilstein HD) as acceptable. Seems they are stuck on insisting that these shocks whatever the heck they are (delco, sachs, ?) are actaully Bilstein HD with black paint instead of yellow.

They guys at the shop seem really nice and are trying to be helpful so I ended up accepting the shocks they had already installed and not insisting on them replacing them. Hopefully they will be alright and if not ill just have to eat it and buy real yellow bilstein HD shoks elsewhere.

This is not a good sart with this car

I still just really dont understand what went wrong. I go to a shop, ask specifically for Bilstein HD shocks and end up with something other than what i asked for. The acdelco shocks it seems i ended up with are more expensive than the HD bilstein shocks are. My FIL can even get a big discount on AC-delco parts and the shop is giving me a better price on them than even he can. thats what blows my mind. Where is the motivation to not just order the specific damn shocks i asked for? It dosn't appear that im getting hosed price wise. I dont see how they could possibly make anymore money by selling me the ACdelco shocks over the bilsteins. I must be missing something here

 

It's possible the shocks they put in were from another build/order that didn't go thru. Instead of them just eating it, they figured they could pawn them off on someone else (you). Happens all the time. I don't believe you will have any issues with those shocks but if you're not happy with their work, speak up and insist they give you the shocks you ordered. I'm all for being nice and not making a big deal over small things, but you are the customer. Only you can decide how much this bothers you. Explain to them that if they install the right shocks for you, it'll pay for itself because you'll return to them for future work. If they give you a hard time, well tell them they just lost your business and the business of all your friends, family, club members, etc. It's your call. If I was capable of doing all the work on my vehicles myself I would. I hate using shops.

 

Hope you negotiated a good price at least. Sounds to me like they were trying to get away with something. Did you do some price comparisons between the shocks they put on and the bilstein HD's?

 

Well so far i havent been able to contact them again. I stopped by ther after work yesterday to discuss what was going on with the cnfusion of why they would have ordered something besides bilstein HD when thats clearly what i asked for. He made it sound like they were equally as good of shocks he inists that they are the base OE shocks made by Bilstein for GM/acdelco and thats the reason for the non yellow paint). Im pying right around 360 for these shocks (just the socks labor not included). So i check with my father in law who can get great deals on delco parts as he sells alotof them and the best he could get them for me was 98 each. So at that point I was dissapointed that I was not receiving what I had asked for but seemed like i wasnt getting ripped off price wise so i pretty much said screw it, Ill play nice and roll with it.

Now when i get home from all of that i check the forum and someone has suggested AC-delco isnt even the manufacturer of the OE shocks that it is Sach. So now Im not sure if im getting the Sach OE replacement shocks, Or AC delco shocks or what. I have not been able to reach them to fid out any urther info on what was actually installed.

What spcifically do I need to loo at on te shock to figure out what in the hell kind of shocks thse really are? Is there a part number or something that should be sampe somewhere on them, and if i get the # how do i look thatup to see who the manufacturer is etc?

Ive only seen them before they were on the car and he just pulled them about halfway out of the box and i just took his word that they were Bilstein HD shocks. Obviously I know now that was the point I should have stopped the whole thing until i figured out the reason why they werent yellow.

 

So it looks like Ill end up paying 360 for whatever these shocks are and i could have just ordered the damn real Bilstein h shocks myself off of allshocks.om for 342 delivered

 

I'm not the most assertive person on the planet, but I'm fairly certain I'd not let this pass.

I've been following this thread and it appears to me that you wanted Bilstein HDs, you ordered Bilstein HDs, and you got something else. If you're okay with the substitution, then go for it. But if it doesn't say Bilstein on the shocks you really don't know what you're getting. So. Either they install the shocks they want to, or they install the Bilstein HD shocks. It's your decision no matter what they say to you.

All the best,
GP

 

Yeah im about to the same point now. They were supposed to be doing a tune on it too and they are suppoed to be the best people around to take it to (not a whole lot of options in my area), so I didnt want to get real sideways over something as simple as the color of shocks, but the more i dig into it and think about it i feel that I have been totaly led to believe someting that is just not factual.

To make matters worse they were supposed o be done with my car last night. When i stopped bythere after work they had already put the shock on and he was about to do the tune (he was walking to my car with the aptop in his hands). He was suppsed to call me whenhe was finished with the tune and give me the option of going to get it last night or coming today to get it. Never heard anything last night, still havent heard anything back today. Ive called he shop and hiscell phone #, no answers and no returning my VM. My wife was going out of town so she was going to drop me off to get the car on h way out of town (shop is an hour away). Now its noon and i still havent heard anything back. She has already had to leave so now im eaither going to have to wait ti monday to get it or hassle one of my friends to give me a ride to go get it IF they ever even give me a call today! Im beyond pissed at the whole experience with them right now

 

If the car is still with them and you have not paid yet just go to GM parts house or one of the forum dealers and get a price on OEM shocks. See how the price compares and make sure you are not being overcharged. They can't argue with facts if they say they are OEM and have overcharged. If they do, have them install the right shocks that you requested. If they balk at this I would have them reinstall the original shocks and deduct the full install. Make a note on whatever they make you sign for an invoice and or receipt if they will not reimburse or agree. Finally, be sure to pay by credit card. The dispute process is your friend!

 

Well they called me as i hit submit in my previous post and my wife was just down the street so she was able to drop me off and everything as planned. They called just in the nick of time I was already set for war in my head and the phone rang.

I get there and he is just as nice as can be still sticking to his guns though that these shocks installed are infact manufacturedby bilstein for GM. He did give me the GM part # that he ordered so i will look it up later and do more digging o best price and who actually manufactures the shocks. He even gave me the name and phone # of the person he ordered them from who advised that these shocks are manufactured by bilstein for GM. I will post another reply after ive had time to find more info on thse particular shocks. I do believe now tough tht the guy sincerely believes that these hocks are what he says they are. Im not the kind of person to call someone a liar straight up untill I know without a shodow of a doubt that they are infact wrong/lying. I do believe that he is not trying to swindle me and if these shocks are not what he says they are it is because te wool was pulled over his eyes by who he ordered from.

The good news is the ride is great! It is a world of difference better than the worn out f55 shocks (though im sure ANYTHING would beat that.)

He did the tune and definetly improved it. I didnt bother with getting a copy of the dyno stuff as I had accidentally put regula gas in it and he told me he would tune/dyno it again when i get premium gas in it. H said the tune is for lifetime that anytime i do any upgrades/changes other than something like ading a supercharger he would tune/dyno it again at no charge.

Seems like a good guy and a nice shop, we just got off on the wrong foot with not being on the same page about the shocks I wanted.