My 73 is fighting me

chope97

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A few weeks ago I decided I could not take how horrible my car was riding over bumps it felt like the car was going to fall apart. I pulled the left front strut off and pull the insert out and it was completely dead . It was an old non gas KYB. My problem is I ordered a Bilstein off Ebay that listed the 73 Bavaria as a fit. The insert I got was too long there is no room to screw that nut into the housing it is model 34000243. I am I missing something? I did not try to put the nut on because the clearance was so tight. My 71 has KYB Gas Adjust struts all around they are a little too stiff for me. What other options do I have for struts? Choices seem to be limited. Back in the 80's when I had my first Bavaria we used to put Bilstein HD upfront and regular in the rear so the car would not ride too stiff. My 71 can get a little bouncy sometimes even on smooth roads. Why don't these Bilsteins fit?
 

bavbob

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Clarence, do a search here, maybe under E9, I believe someone had the same issue. The Bavaria HD and sports shocks are the same in the rear, numbers are different for fronts but stiffness is the same, the sports are for lowered cars.

Call Bilstein tech support. Their is a guy named Junior there who is relentless at getting the answers to your questions.
 

HB Chris

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That’s the B6, formerly HD but now called Performance. The Sport or B8 is now called Performance Plus or something. The coupe used the 50mm gland nut, later cars the 48mm gland nut. Do you have the correct nut? Cleaned out bottom of strut?
 

dang

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So when you lay the old KYB next to the new cartridge what's the difference in length?
 

dang

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Murray used to say KYB stood for “kick your butt”
I know I'm getting old when I take my 2800 for it's first drive in 25 years, with the shocks that were already on it, and I like the ride. LOL. "Hey this thing rides nice!".
 

bavbob

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Recall the Saturday Night Live skit where they did a circumcision in the back of a Lincoln to show how smooth it rode.
 

chope97

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A few weeks ago I decided I could not take how horrible my car was riding over bumps it felt like the car was going to fall apart. I pulled the left front strut off and pull the insert out and it was completely dead . It was an old non gas KYB. My problem is I ordered a Bilstein off Ebay that listed the 73 Bavaria as a fit. The insert I got was too long there is no room to screw that nut into the housing it is model 34000243. I am I missing something? I did not try to put the nut on because the clearance was so tight. My 71 has KYB Gas Adjust struts all around they are a little too stiff for me. What other options do I have for struts? Choices seem to be limited. Back in the 80's when I had my first Bavaria we used to put Bilstein HD upfront and regular in the rear so the car would not ride too stiff. My 71 can get a little bouncy sometimes even on smooth roads. Why don't these Bilsteins fit?
Ok there is a scene in the movie Naked Gun where Sgt Frank Drebin is on front of an exploding Fireworks factory telling people to "please disperse nothing to see here" he looked like a fool, well I feel like a fool even though it looked like it would not fit the nut did fit, so user error, thank you all for your responses, I can now proceed with my strut replacement, must be the Covid19 effect, yes that's it
 
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