Shock and strut sources?

That's actually cheaper than Bilsteins...

you can get Boges for cheap, but you'll be replacing them again shortly.

nate

According to most of the places I've looked at, the OEMs are Sachs. I'm pretty satisfied with the way the original set performed and lasted, so I wouldn't mind going with them again.

autopartswarehouse.com has Sachs rears for $70.64, fronts for $98.43.

Same place has Bilstein "touring class" rears for $62.60, fronts for $76.84.

Prices are comparable at any of the other online places, so let me ask it this way:

Are there particular brands that are especially favored? Especially to be avoided?

Are there sellers that are especially good, or especially bad?

I have had Bilstein HD on my 1994 Jetta for about 10 years and they are starting to feel worn out. Time to get that life time replacement before the A3 goes to A3 heaven. :-)

Bilstein are the best shock in the world. The come stock on very expensive cars like Porsche, I believe.

I put the Turbo Gas on an '84 GTI as well, they were done after 6 months of commuting in the Cleveland area. "Done" as in bouncing up and down and clunking badly.

nate

Jim Behn> I had some Boges on my 84 GTI. I think they were turbogas. I do not

snip

F&S, Boge, Bilstein should all be good and of course Koni. Just install them correctly! Now I have heard that some motor oil should be used when installing the strut cartridges inside of it's housing. Some people use coolant. This helps to dissipate heat away from the cartridge.

KYB, Tokico, Monroe, Gabriel to name some that I have had problems with in chicago. I would love to have the first set of shocks/struts last a lifetime and not have to change the shocks/struts once a year for my lifetime!

I try to buy locally. ;-)

are you sure? I seem to remember reading this many years ago and it made sense to me! of course I will not be able to pull up that article. lol

Well put the oil in the housing for anti-rust purposes!!!!

I think it does both. "by the book" you are supposed to use coolant but I have always used motor oil because I fear the rust monster.

nate

Now this sounds like a real discussion! ;-) I have seen instructions on pouring in some oil/antifreeze either in the repair manuals or with the strut cartridge instructions.

Where is it written that the oil is used to stop the cartridge from rusting inside of the housing???? 8^) If that is the case the use of Anti-Seize should be in the repair manual more often for use on a lot of nuts and bolts. I hear mixed instructions on the use of Anti-Seize on Spark Plugs and don't remember reading about the use of it on Type 1 plugs. What about Anti-Seize on the Strut Cartridge Nut? Then there is the use of a drop or two of oil in the center of the distributors of Rabbits, Dasher and Type 1,2,3,and 4s. Not sure if all repair manuals tell you that either. lol

I am a firm believer that things should make sense! The following quote makes sense to me.

"Air has a very low rate of heat transfer compared to water oroil. Here's an example: If you put your hand into an oven heated to450 degrees you can hold your hand inside for several seconds beforethe heat builds up to the point where you have to remove your hand.If you put your hand into a pot of water a mere 212 degrees you willget burned in a second. Why? Because water transfers heat much moreeffectively than air. My Bentley manual doesn't even show how to remove a strutcartridge but the instructions on every Koni shock I've bought said tobe sure there is oil in the strut. Also, when I removed the originalcartridges there was oil in there from the factory." another discussion about it here I wonder if the brakes, tires and engine are causing the outer strut housing to heat up at a different rate than it's installed cartridge. hmmm

later, dave One out of many daves

"Air has a very low rate of heat transfer compared to water or> oil. Here's an example: If you put your hand into an oven heated to> 450 degrees you can hold your hand inside for several seconds before> the heat builds up to the point where you have to remove your hand.> If you put your hand into a pot of water a mere 212 degrees you will> get burned in a second. Why? Because water transfers heat much more> effectively than air.> My Bentley manual doesn't even show how to remove a strut> cartridge but the instructions on every Koni shock I've bought said to> be sure there is oil in the strut. Also, when I removed the original> cartridges there was oil in there from the factory.">