You can change the style the forum displays by selecting your preferred style at the bottom left of the site.
We have made an enhancement so that old threads should now link from search results to the correct thread. This is not yet in place for single post links
I know the man at bilstien who could rebuild it....
AKA "THE THREAD KILLER"
99 A6 V8 saloon
85 UR Quattro
01 Sharan v6 4motion
91 Golf gti cabrio sportline
95 Audi 80 DS2 saloon. project "SWEEP"
95 Audi 80 quattro v6.(but i have a 3b engine sat on the floor)protect "SUE"
You can have it rebuilt for sure, there is a UK service center and they charge about £100 all in.
I popped one too once after a fully loaded long journey.
Your knocking Bilstein sounds familiar. Especially the parts about "full of folk and gear" & "front got worse and worse". Perhaps you have heard of the possible preventative measures around "Frozen Strut Syndrome"?
For those who haven't, it's basically about some (and certainly not all!) of the things one should know and do, when putting any yellow Bilstein inside any (just Audi?) MacPherson strut. This is information not contained in the install instructions. The Bilstein doesn't have to freeze (temperature wise) to begin suffering this malady. However if you haven't noticed it happening prior to it freezing, as the problem expands quickly when it does freeze, you will certainly notice it, if it does.
Likewise, you could unknowingly begin to have this problem, and not run into it until you are; fully laden. A properly matched Bilstein damper and spring of sufficient length mounted to an Audi strut, should not behave as if the damper has bottomed out; and then ruptured.
Further, it doesn't have to involve lowering type main springs. In can occur regardless of spring length. I believe it should also be suspect if one cannot compress your dampers fully by hand, or even if one feels that Bilstein B6's or B8's are too stiff for street driving. Any liquid trapped in the Bilstein damper base and/or the Audi strut base sufficient to shorten the height of the required empty working room necessary for the damper to achieve full travel in compression, could be a problem.
It has happened to many, some who may not even realize they have had it happen. After the damper "pukes its' guts" there may be little evidence remaining of any cause. The syndrome effects both small and large diameter dampers, both bottom vented and those I think are not (although perhaps slightly differently), in B3's, B4's & even the larger UrS type models, in fact it may have been first documented on that model.
Key I think is to be aware of the symptoms, possible causes and that no one fix guarantees a cure.
Please see the complete thread and links going back (note points about prevention and early intervention) here:
Hello Lago Blue,
Interesting, and I can see how it could "freeze".
I am fairly sure my damper was faulty from day one. Always had a knock from it. Having fitted one of my UR its like a different car.
My car never goes out in the freezing temps. Tucked up in the garage all winter.
Rob..
94 RS2 Noggy,LHD,MTM map,18"cup 1s,245/35/18,Bilsteins,RS2 H&Rs,Cup splitter.
87 UR 20v ABY
97 S6 Avant
96 A6 C4 2.5 TDI quattro avant,Ming,Wietec/eibach,chipped
1967 Ford Mustang,Eleanor,460ci v8
Unfortunately, the choice of "Frozen" is a misnomer...
which may cause folks to think they are not vulnerable, not true. The water accumulates in the strut as liquid first. It can accumulate in there year round. That it freezes is actually secondary, nor is freezing required to have the resultant damper failure, but it can act as a final added clue as to what is going on. It also melts and even a small amount, gets the strut interior rusting eventually. Regardless, it's the inevitable hydraulic lock (if liquid), or mechanical stop (if frozen) that occurs when water gets into the bottom half of this type of Bilstein.
The syndrome simply "freezes" the damper's ability to compress, winter or summer. At it's worst, when both struts are full of water, you might notice the front (or B3 rear) suspension fully -extended- and putting your full weight on the bumper, there is -no- movement possible. The only suspension you now have is air in the tires, life in your top-mounts; and your seat-springs.
If you fix it right then before any rupture has occurred, you can likely save your Billie's. But this point is your absolute last chance to do that.
The otherwise and necessarily empty lower chamber of this up-side-down constructed damper must be kept empty; and allowed to breathe and drain. The stock Mac. strut does not allow either to take place. The eventual and even partial filling of the lower chamber, which blocks the damper's ability to compress normally and fully, risks rupturing the damper's oil seals, as the next good bump kills your Bilstein by forcing its damping fluid out.
That the culprit is just water, that it is hidden inside the damper; and that therefore often any trace of the problem, can perhaps vanish by the time dis-assembly takes place, or it's possible presence is either not understood, or is dismissed during the repair; might also lead to simply an unknown cause being ascribed for a diagnosis; and potentially an unnecessary repeat of the same failure; down the road.
One of meine autos goes away for the winter too, but it got the full set of subject counter-measures, just as a precaution.
Cheers.
Last edited by Lago Blue; 27 February 2020, 11:57.
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
Tweet
)
project "SWEEP"
Comment