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The clip is on the bottom, followed by the dust boot, washer, bushing, frame, bushing, washer, and the nut on top. When the nut is tightened it pushes all that together. If that clip breaks there is nothing on the bottom of the stack to hold everything together and the shaft would extend upward.
Originally Posted by victorf
I replaced Sports with DRM last month, clips are Bilstein as with the bump stop and retaining steel washer. Clip, steel washer, bump stop and dust boot, as a whole, is a simple mean, sufficiently to serve a designed function.
***As Randy said: "I looked at the other thread also. That washer that was removed above the bump stop was there for a reason. It isolates the bump stop from the rest of the mount." ***
The important thing with these clip, is not to over expand it during R&R. Just like clips used on the CompCam Trunions upgrade. They are tool spring steel, gotta treat it with kid's gloves - over extend them, might look OK, but microscopic fissures already formed. The end results might not be pretty and when you are least expected.
Hope these clear up a few thing.
Those two posts seem to disagree as to the order for "stacking" the parts.
Victors post and pictures are 100 percent correct!!! Sorry I didn't get back to this thread, so far this week has been Tomorrow AM I will post pictures of exactly how the rest of the stack up goes.
Those two posts seem to disagree as to the order for "stacking" the parts.
They're the same. I just didn't include what's under the clip. I think they come shipped with the bump stop and washer installed under the clip so all you have to do is stack up the rest.
Victors post and pictures are 100 percent correct!!! Sorry I didn't get back to this thread, so far this week has been Tomorrow AM I will post pictures of exactly how the rest of the stack up goes.
Randy
That would be great!
Then, I can take the pics into the dealer and say "Did you do it this way?"
Hopefully, the answer will be "Yes".
Somehow my 7am turned into 7pm again today. This week has been
This bump stop-washer-(c)clip is important because it keeps the bump stop isolated from the upper mount.
Only use the Bilstein dust boot because it has a steel insert that holds the (c)clip from expanding and going over the groove.
After this you can make some changes like putting in the factory bushings or our upgraded bushings. Please note the washers concave pointing up.
Please note the bushing male is pointing up.
The card board is where the chassis or the foot ball shaped rear bracket would be. Please note the washers concave are pointing in towards the bushings.
This last picture is of our upgraded bushing kits that we sell with our re-valved bilstein shocks. For future reference
Edit: the picture descriptions are on the bottom side of each picture.
I hope this helps now and into the future,
Randy Rippie
336-350-8256 www.dougrippie.com
Although I had driven the new Bilstein HDs for 100 miles with no problem, that's not a guarantee. Looking through the dealer's bill for installing them, I see that the only GM parts the tech used were some nuts and bolts (I like to use new fasteners). Good.
I printed out Randy's and Victor's pictures and showed them to the tech with the "did you do it this way?" question. The answer is "yes", he reminded me that the Bilsteins came out of the box with the various parts which are hidden under the dust boot, already installed and the dust boot held on the shaft with a simple rubber band wrapped around the threads at the top. So although the stacking sequence is complicated and confusing and not explained in the instructions, one shouldn't need to mess with it. It sounds like maybe ls1121's shocks had been monkeyed with before he got them.
My shocks came sealed in the box and nothing was assembled. Washers and bushings were in a plastic bag with no C clip???
I installed my shocks with all of the GM parts exactly the way they came apart with the exception that I bought new GM bushings. I did not use the bilstein dust boot or bump stop because they were by far inferior. So I am not understanding.......are you guys saying that the groove that is cut into the bilstein shock is different than the groove cut into the GM shock? because I did not see anything inside the bilstein shock boot nor the GM shock boot that would hold the C clamp in place on the shock shaft. My only problem so far is that one of the C clips had broken.
Every other shock I have ever seen just has a "bump" on the shaft why on earth does GM have to make the simplest thing soooooooo complicated. I'm really thinking that if this clip breaks again to just have my machinist weld a small flat washer in place on the shaft.
I have attached a picture of what I would call a simple normal shock so that you can see what I mean, the difference between corvette shocks and the rest of the world.
My shocks came, as mentioned, with everything installed on the shaft up to and including the dust boot. The dust boot was prevented from falling off the shaft by a common rubber band twisted lightly around the top threads.
The big steel washers and rubber bushings above the boot were not installed at the factory, apparently because some installations call for the cupped edge of the top two steel washers to be reversed. Those washers, rubber bushings, and the top nut; were in a plastic bag, in the box with the shocks.
Although some of the Bilstein parts look a little cheap, we had Bilstein Sports on our 2001 Z51 for 50k+ miles, using the Bilstein parts, and everything was still good when we traded the car. Randy's post #45, under the second picture, says to use only the Bilstein boot because it's steel insert keeps the clip secured in the groove. Perhaps the GM design is similar, but slightly different dimensions that prevent them from being successfully swapped.
Good luck with yours...
Last edited by Gearhead Jim; Dec 6, 2014 at 12:10 PM.
My shocks came sealed in the box and nothing was assembled. Washers and bushings were in a plastic bag with no C clip???
So was with my two previous sets of Bilsteins. No C clip in my bags because C clip was already installed on new shock shaft.
I installed my shocks with all of the GM parts exactly the way they came apart with the exception that I bought new GM bushings. I did not use the bilstein dust boot or bump stop because they were by far inferior. So I am not understanding.......are you guys saying that the groove that is cut into the bilstein shock is different than the groove cut into the GM shock? because I did not see anything inside the bilstein shock boot nor the GM shock boot that would hold the C clamp in place on the shock shaft. My only problem so far is that one of the C clips had broken.
As far as quality with dust boot or bump stop, you are entitle to your opinion. I used/use what Bilstein supplied.
As far as dimension for C clip groove, I did not measure against GM with replacement Bilstein. I don't think most people will. There was no reason to dimension check them. Just visual checked C clips were installed on Bilstein was enough for me.
If I found one of my shock did not come with C clip, I would have put the installation on hold - until I have the new replacement. Often times, it takes a tender hand to remove/reinstall C clip, it is not bullet proof, it has limitations, over extend it, problem will be sure to surface and it will come when you are least expected.
C clips used on Bilstein need nothing further for captivation. It is made of harden spring steel, once installed, retains itself within the machined groove - it is a standard machining practice within spec applications.
Broken C clip - I understand it was the one you reused from the GM shock?
Every other shock I have ever seen just has a "bump" on the shaft why on earth does GM have to make the simplest thing soooooooo complicated. I'm really thinking that if this clip breaks again to just have my machinist weld a small flat washer in place on the shaft.
Well, using C clip is a simple solution and time tested for both GM and Bilstein. C clip is a ingenious yet simple solution to provide a base, along with larger top/bottom washers to spread/separate shock loads from the bottom and providing a positive stop for the top mount location.
In the event you choose to have your machinist to - "weld a small flat washer in place" - that washer will better be having the correct strength to handle the load. Where the weld is located, better not to interfere with supporting components. Good luck on this endeavor.
I have attached a picture of what I would call a simple normal shock so that you can see what I mean, the difference between corvette shocks and the rest of the world.
So all in all, your last statement indicated you are not happy with Corvette shocks - Is it for both GM or just Bilstein's application for Corvette?
I hope with the components from Randy, will take care of your problem.
Tomorrow AM I will post pictures of exactly how the rest of the stack up goes.
