As an avid motorist, I greatly value my vehicle’s agility, responsiveness, and control. Since I was young, I have had a “love affair” with shock absorbers, springs, rack and pinion steering, improved bushes, and brakes to achieve the responsive and stable ride quality that I consider essential. When the suspension is sloppy and wet, the vehicle lacks responsiveness, causing a significant turnoff. My love of high-performance cars began when I was a teenager, when General Motors produced the iconic Australian car, the 48/215 or FJ model, from 1948 to 1953. It culminated in the mid-1970s when I installed Bilstein Monotube Gas Pressure Shock Absorbers into a Peugeot 504 Injection model for car club events. When you find a great one, you’re “hooked for life,” as the cliché goes. So far, it’s been around 35 years!
The Saga of My 48/215 or FJ Holden. It was one of the first mass-produced vehicles in Australia, and it was in high demand. A 132.5 cubic inch / 2.17-liter engine producing 60 Brake Horsepower, skinny cross-ply tires, drum brakes, a soft ride, and horrible lever arm dampers that faded to being useless after a few miles of enthusiastic driving; they were in reality only just OK in their original form. The Holden is comparable in size to a compact Chevrolet from the late 1940s, which is ” handled like a bucket of soup ” in local parlance.
Not much I could do about my car’s handling problems because I was out in the country. Still, I eventually found a local spring works run by an ex-racing mechanic named Keith, who had some tricks up his sleeve, including adding an extra leaf to the rear springs through a process known as tempering. This significantly stiffened the suspension and improved its load-carrying capacity. However, it made only a minor difference in the handling; the lever above arm dampers still let it down, allowing it to roll around and not respond to my commands and failing a bounce test. Keith rescued me when he told me about an Armstrong firm specializing in upgrading and changing dampers. They sell conversion kits for early models like mine that allow you to install heavy-duty telescopic shock absorbers in the back, and they also offer modified lever arm units for the front. The Armstrong 500 Miles Endurance Race was held on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia, and was sponsored by Armstrong. Eventually, the race went to the Mount Panorama circuit in
Bathurst, New South Wales, where it became the Bathurst 1000, Australia’s most prestigious race. At least I was making progress, and tearing around in the reliable old 48/215 was great fun. After noticing that most of my “revhead” friends had upgraded from the original skinny cross-ply tires to the “New from Europe” Pirelli and Michelin radial ply tires, I did the same. The result was a car that was both reliable and responsive. Should I have spent the money? You can be sure of it.
What Gains can you anticipate from Replacing Your Old Shocks? First and foremost, let me describe the service they provide for your vehicle. They help your tires maintain contact with the road, which improves your vehicle’s steering control, ride, handling, braking, and safety. When the vehicle’s shock absorbers are broken or worn out, the wheels bounce wildly out of control, leaving the hapless driver with little input and feedback. Most cars can be made to handle much better by installing high-quality shocks, like my personal favorite brand, Bilstein. A significant benefit of such a modification is that your tires will last longer unless you feel the enhanced handling is the reason for some “revhead” fun while driving.
Shock Absorber Varieties Lever arm dampers have already been discussed in my Holden tale. Until the 1950s, they were a typical feature in most automobiles, but their poor performance and propensity to fade when driven hard made their eventual replacement with tubular models all the more welcome. The typical hydraulic twin tube shock absorber or McPherson strut insert projects outward from the assembly and is attached to the car’s sprung mass, where it must withstand rebound and compression pressures and substantial side loads.
Innovation! In 1873, August Bilstein launched his company in Westphalia, Germany, and quickly became known for producing high-quality goods. In 1928, his son Hans took over the business and branched out into the automotive industry, manufacturing a wide range of car parts. By 1954, BILSTEIN, Mercedes Benz, and a French scientist studying vibrations named Professor Bourcier de Carbon had collaborated on creating and patenting a revolutionary new monotube high-pressure gas shock absorber. Since 1954, nearly every Mercedes Benz vehicle has included this feature.
Manufacturing the units with the rod pointing down into the strut tube is fundamental to the Bilstein design philosophy. It allows the shock absorber’s more robust body to withstand the side loads. The Bilstein Gas Pressure Monotube unit outperforms the standard twin-tube shock absorber or strut/insert due in large part to the pressure tube’s larger diameter and surface area.
A bunch of plagiarists! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Therefore, it’s no surprise that excellent ideas are often plagiarized. Even though other suspension manufacturers have “borrowed” Bilstein’s groundbreaking approach to design and used it in their products, I’m sticking with Bilstein because I know I’m getting a superior product—not that I’m biased after 35 years! The ever-evolving motorsport business has significantly impacted their Gas Pressure Monotube models, with countless racing and rally victories attesting to the quality and performance of the BILSTEIN brand, which offers benefits beyond only stiffness and strength. Plus, it improves stability, handling, braking, reaction to inputs, steering precision, and, most importantly, safety.
Conclusion.
You may increase the SAFETY of your car by looking into a premium shock absorber upgrade, which may save your life as it has for thousands of other drivers.
You may learn more about the significance of shock absorbers and how they can improve the performance of any vehicle by visiting [http://www.bilsteinusa.org/].
In this section, you will learn why quality shocks are so crucial and where to find the best prices.
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