- Lifetime warranty - Solid design - Handles great

- More expensive than others - Installation, but that was my car's fault, not the shocks

With the OEM AC Delco "DeCarbon" shocks needing to be replaced, I was looking for a decent set that wouldn't break the bank but at the same time was high quality. Many fellow F-Body owners buy take-off shocks as cheap replacements but aren't really performance but are the same exact shocks. After reading reviews and talking to others, I decided on Bilsteins and luckily found a site that offered front & rear shocks for $300 which included shipping. These shocks ROCK! The car feels great and very solid. Totally changed the way the car handles now. I'm upset I waited so long to uprade!

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OEM AC Delco

handling, ride, control, off road capabilties.

no shock cover.

after 10000 miles my stock shocks were toast. i decided to go with a quality replacement. the bilsteins were so much better than i had expected. the tires hug the ground and it takes all of the ruts and bumps like a champ. i had taken them over speed bumos at 45mph and it went straight as a string. great shocks i highly recommend buying them.

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stock chevy trash

Durability-without my terrible abuse should last very long. 8-10 years. Handling-minimal roll, minimal pitch, better stopping, easy corner control, Ride-a good compromise between soft-stock and harsh-modified.

Price. But durability pays for itself over time.

Tough and durable--these shocks seem to work forever. It took five years, the very harsh spring and bush setting on my lowered car, and the rally-like roads of this city (driven every single day at nearly full tilt) before I broke one (at the rear). These a testament to its durability. Perfect for enthusiastic driving. Im on my second set. My springs are a less harsh and now I reap the benefits of a firm yet smooth ride even through the same bad roads. (Imagine two-miles with asphalt patches and potholes all the way!) Also, has good application range. Made for many cars, early or late models.

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KYB BLUE (JAPAN)Killed that in a year and a half.

None that i know of...

All of them... ive almost died from breaking...

I installed 4 Bilstein gas shocks ( dont know the model, but they were all black, sorry), on my VW Polo Coupe GT. 5 months and 5000km (all on paved roads and highways) later, none of the wheels had more than 40% road adherency. Almost crashed because when i brake, the car turns right, and above 60 mph the car is very difficult to control due to wind...

Best shocks ever produce by man/machine.

Yes, you will be weak and may experience nausea if you buy something other than Bilsteins and over-spent.

Put Bilstein HD shocks all around on 1994 Explorer XLT 4WD three months after purchase new. Drove all around New York city traffic for 4 years and then moved to So-Cal. Rides the same as though the shocks were new from day 1, now 2002

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Factory Ford -- Suck Big Time Monroes -- Suck Small Time

Ride is extremely firm, I drove over a big speed bump at the mall without slowing down very much and the Bilsteins absorbed the bump without bouncing up and down afterwards. I have found my handling improve quite abit because of the shocks firmness.

If you compare prices between Bilsteins and other brands like Monroe, dealer parts, the Bilsteins are more expensive. The guys at Unlimited Performance told me that they know guys who have Bilsteins on their 4x4s for 15 years without any need for replacement, plus they are used in 4x4 situations. So overall, the price maybe expensive in the short run, in the long run they will pay for themselves.

I did alot of research into the Bilsteins and read up on as many automotive forums (this one included) as possible to see what each person had to say about the Bilsteins. It was good news to me that almost everyone gave the Bilsteins 2 thumbs up. These shocks are extremely firm. Before I had the Bilsteins put in, I noticed my bed "squeak" whenever I would go over a bump, now unless I drive over a humungous pothole, my bed hardly "squeaks". My old stock shocks would bob up and down if I drove over a speed bump, these Bilsteins don''t. With my old shocks I would drive around as many bumps as possible, with these Bilsteins, it doesn''t matter to me whether I drive over the bumps or not, I know these shocks can take the abuse and then some. I have also noticed my handling improve because of the firmness. On my old shocks going around corners you could feel the truck sway, but with these Bilsteins the swaying has been reduced (a good set of anti-sway bars should help reduce the sway even more !). I really don''t have anything negative to say about Bilsteins, except that they are more expensive if you compare them to any other type of shocks. Oh yeah, price I paid for the shocks is 440.00 CDN (including shipping from the US).

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Stock Mopars, very spongy and soft. Truck would bob up and down when going over a bump.

Very comfortable yet firm ride over any road conditions , truck barley moves when cruising. Improved sway around corners nandles and drives better than a car.

none really

almost passed out trying to compress these shocks by hand, installation is a breeze, had a problem with the front left side had to compress the shock a little to get it in there dont know why. Great shocks and worth every penny considering their longevity and performance.

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Still had the original delcos in the rear so a huge improvement from those, and replaced monroe shocks in the front.

durability and quality of build. The adjustable height spring perches.

ride quality when Brand New (during break in)

I installed these when my car had 2thousand miles on it(about a month and a half after i bought it), and i just hit 50 K last week. I bought and installed them along with new progressive rate springs, very large diameter sway bars, new bushings in the front end and some brake modifications. The car also got some heavy engine mods about a month later.
Initially, for about the first 2,000 miles the ride was VERY harsh (i was afraid i made a mistake). Then it smoothed out and became moderately compliant for most driving, yet still as stiff (sport oriented) as expected.
with 48 thousand hard miles on it, including autocrossing, they still feel as good as ever, and show no signs of wearing out at all. Performance is spectacular, and the ride is decent (for a lowered car with an agressive suspension).

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Koni adjustables and Boge turbo gas models on a previous car (VW Scirocco with Autotech swaybars and Hoer Technology springs). I liked the ride much better than the Koni's, and i thought performance was about equal. Performance was much better than the Boge Turbo Gas's but with a firmer ride.

Quicker response-less roll, pitch, and yaw that you can really feel.
Much better than the factory ride, comfort level even remained very close, if not better than the original (personal preference). Lower center of gravity with Eibach springs. Did I mention the grrrr....ate!!! handling and cornering with confidence perks. Well, a car is nothing without good suspension to keep it goin'. Can lose w/ these babies- :)

Nothing I can tell yet.

Bavarian Autosport: 120 or so each for the front, 70 or so each of the rear pair. Not too bad, some places wanted into the 200 range for the front shocks... Just check around and you'll find a good deal on'em.
Hell yeah- I recommend these. I was skeptical in getting new suspension
for the car, but after the 6 hour install (unless u really know wats goin' on, have it installed professionally, especially on bimmers), i loved it.
Great combination w/ Eibach Pro-kit to make your car become more agressive looking w/ extremely better handling. When quality, durability, and craftsmanship is of the utmost importance, go w/ these- u can't go wrong.

Whether you want better handling, suspension you never have to replace, or merely to go autocross with your car- get this upgrade.
If you are afraid to sacrifice your factory ride comfort level, then do not upgrade your suspension just because after-market shocks tend to be a lot less forgiving. I noticed the ride to be smoother really, but u do feel the bumps- it just goes away quicker, therefore harsher than OEM shocks.
Good luck with your vehicle improvement!

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Boge Shocks (factory) - Bilstein just opens a few cans of whip@ss on these!

These shocks are astounding!!! They provide a VERY refined ride. Its very firm when cruising, its even firmer when you hit potholes and stuff, but it totally resists any sudden body/frame movements. If you hit a pothole, everything in your trunk slams against the decklid. My Vic no longer bobs like an old geezer's weekend cruiser. I feel every bump and dip in the road... I LIKE IT! They're expensive, but they're THE shock dampeners to get for the Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car.
I got the Heavy-Duty Bilsteins.

They're kind of expensive.
They need to be STIFFER. This is IMHO of course.

Anyone who has changed shocks has probably tried to compress it by hand.
I know I do that, but try that with the Heavy-Duty Bilsteins and you'll either get an aneurism or a heart attack because its impossible.

I threw all of my weight on one shock absorber and it took almost a minute to compress. What's even worse is when you're installing them. I needed another person to help compress the shock in order to install it in the axle frame. But basically, these shocks are THE shocks for the Ford Crown Vic. They should have been OEM parts.

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Gabriel LT's and stock OEM Motorcraft shocks.
OEM Motorcraft shocks are the worst shocks to get, and the LT's are an affordable compromise.