Bilstein shocks drop

Jimbo

Creeper
Jul 15, 2009
263
0
0
San Jose
Came up on a set of used but in good condition bilstein height adjustable shocks and I was wondering how much of a drop will they give the car when installed with stock springs? Anybody with pics?
 

NashMan

WTF did he just wright ?
Aug 5, 2005
4,940
17
38
43
Victoria BC
I have a set i think it's like 1 inc if remember right

it's pretty easy to figure out there 3 groves and there a thing called a measuring tape
 

Jimbo

Creeper
Jul 15, 2009
263
0
0
San Jose
NashMan;1843331 said:
it's pretty easy to figure out there 3 groves and there a thing called a measuring tape

So are you telling me Mercury and Pluto travel the same distance around the sun?
 

peste noire

New Member
Jan 11, 2012
266
0
0
los angeles,CA
i guess it also depends on the rim size or tire size. just think of it this way, total drop on the bilsteins is like a inch( if i remember right) so pretend that your putting lowering springs that lower one inch. i would say thats like putting eibach lowering spring(1.5 in the front and 1.0 in the rear) so id say the lowest drop would be better since you dont have lowering spring.
 

Jimbo

Creeper
Jul 15, 2009
263
0
0
San Jose
What I'm saying is an orbiting object travels a longer distance the further it is from the center. So if the shock moves a certain amount, the wheel "should" move a longer distance.
 

suprafredde

New Member
Apr 21, 2005
160
0
0
48
South of sweden
wtf *2 and LOL.

Can you do an MS paint explenation on that theory?

If the spring seat is 1 inch lower than on the stock shock, car is lowerd by that, 1 inch.
IF shocks is the only thing changed.

suprafredde
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
16,757
0
0
43
Fort Worth, TX
It's a lever, so yes, the drop may be more than an inch, but it tends to be that.

(guess I'm the only one that gets the question...)
 

Canuckrz

New Member
Jan 13, 2009
852
0
0
Calgary, Alberta
What he means is the point where the strut attatches to the suspension is closer to the fulcrum of the suspension arm than the wheel, therefore the wheel moves up and down further than the strut does at any given time.

Also just because he can measure the difference between where the perches are at on the strut doesnt nessessarily mean that one knows which position if any is the same as stock. Cliffnotes, don't be a dick Nash.
 

destrux

Active Member
May 19, 2010
1,183
10
38
PA
It's called Motion Ratio; the ratio of wheel movement to shock shaft movement. On a MKIV it's (according to a post on SF) .60 front and .72 rear. I have no idea what it is on a MKIII, but it's probably very similar.

Either way, I wouldn't lower it like that on stock springs, it might look cool but handling will suck. Lowering springs are about 30% stiffer than stock to prevent you from constantly bottoming out when you are lowered. Even with that extra 30% they still tend to bottom out when you exit a bumpy corner on the gas (which is the worst time for them to bottom, since it can make you spin out).
 

sleepyMKIII

New Member
Nov 17, 2011
13
0
0
lafayette, La
This has TROLL all over it!! LOL!! but seriously I have the Bilstein height adjustable shocks on my supra. On stock rims/tires, my front bumper was an "iphone" height from the ground (lowest setting) but theres still a noticeable rake in the stance of the car. This was on stock springs, now i have 2' H&R springs. I'd recommend these springs to anyone with a mkIII looking to get a lower stance without using coilovers. *remember on the mkIII's, the lower your car sits-the more neg. camber there is* so if your worried about rubbing on your fenders, dont fret. My set up is the Bilstein height adjustable shocks(lowest setting), 2' H&R drop springs, with 18' Rota Grid's
 

airhead04

New Member
Aug 21, 2009
1,489
1
0
Lima, Ohio, United States
sleepyMKIII;1843583 said:
*remember on the mkIII's, the lower your car sits-the more neg. camber there is* so if your worried about rubbing on your fenders, dont fret.

Umm, I have a tire that will prove you wrong that the negative camber it adds will allow it to clear. You have to remember, not EVERYONE has the same tire/wheel set up. I have 275/40/18s in the rear with a +25 offset. It rubbed horribly,at just slightly lower than an inch drop from stock height. On coilovers.
 

NashMan

WTF did he just wright ?
Aug 5, 2005
4,940
17
38
43
Victoria BC
It's about an inc then use term us a tape to figure it out

the groove are spaced about 1 inc I do not recommend the lowest setting the perload of has been mucked wiht and just feels light assed and tend to bounce a bit

some of my last post never made it grr

so you half inc turns to an inc roughly

but again every car is different IE weight and over all sag
 
Last edited:

hvyman

Dang Dude! No Way Man.
Staff member
Apr 17, 2007
12,568
1
0
Fullerton,CA
When I had them on my car the rears were at there lowest and the fronts were at the highest. Was maybe a tad lower than what eibachs drop is and I had eibachs. There not a substitute for lowering springs. But they are good shocks.
 

Jimbo

Creeper
Jul 15, 2009
263
0
0
San Jose
suprafredde;1843559 said:
wtf *2 and LOL.

Can you do an MS paint explenation on that theory?

If the spring seat is 1 inch lower than on the stock shock, car is lowerd by that, 1 inch.
IF shocks is the only thing changed.

suprafredde

MS Paint explanation? Wtf and LOL +2.
Like Poodles said, just think of a lever, or a shifter: the bottom section moves less than the knob.
 

ryansmith

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
541
0
0
New Zealand
sleepyMKIII;1843583 said:
This has TROLL all over it!! LOL!! but seriously I have the Bilstein height adjustable shocks on my supra. On stock rims/tires, my front bumper was an "iphone" height from the ground (lowest setting) but theres still a noticeable rake in the stance of the car. This was on stock springs, now i have 2' H&R springs. I'd recommend these springs to anyone with a mkIII looking to get a lower stance without using coilovers. *remember on the mkIII's, the lower your car sits-the more neg. camber there is* so if your worried about rubbing on your fenders, dont fret. My set up is the Bilstein height adjustable shocks(lowest setting), 2' H&R drop springs, with 18' Rota Grid's

I have Bilsteins on the way from Germany, my springs are being made up now, 50mm lower than original springs so thats petty much the same setup as you. I will be keeping my springs on the centre setting though. How high is your car off the ground? (ground to chassis rail) Thanks.