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Buying used Bilsteins for BH


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I'm a DIY/tinkerer at heart, but a bit of noob when it comes to DIY'ing cars (limited to replacing head units/speakers and swapping in a nicer steering wheel and some bigger rims).  My daily driver/run-around/dog car is a 98 BH legacy which I picked up dirt cheap. Has some oil leaks and trans lag which I'm going to get Subirex to sort at some stage, but am starting to think about mods I can do myself.

 

The car is about as stock as it gets as it's a Brighton.  Was wondering if there any issues picking up a set of second hand bilsteins from a BH/BE legacy and dropping them in? e.g. this set with pinks from Strong for Subaru

 

https://www.subaruspeed.co.nz/collections/struts-and-hubs/products/suspension-strut-set-legacy-98-02-2

 

I guess second hand parts from a BH/BE are getting pretty old now, do shocks age well/can they be serviced? Anything to look out for?

 

 

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From what Ive been told the Bilsteins can be rebuild (maybe even re-valved). I had a set in my car that were on 185k and they were still going strong. It would definitely be a good upgrade especially after being rebuilt ( I can't remember how much it was but it wasn't as bad as I thought)

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On a quick google a few people do rebuilds in Auckland (e.g. http://www.autolign.co.nz/racelign.html)

 

Also, Strong for Subaru guarantee non-subaru parts for 30 days...my main concern was buying something 2nd hand, putting them in and finding out they are bung, so that is mitigated to some extent as long as I don't muck around getting them in the car and testing.

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I would feel pretty comfortable purchasing those Bilsteins from Strongs, if they aren't any good when you get them in then I'm sure they'd refund you/resolve the issue.  

 

Even if they wouldn't, at $295 I'd chance my arm.  Double check the spring rate for the rears though, otherwise you could end up with a saggy rear end.  Just my 2 cents.

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1 hour ago, JGM said:

Double check the spring rate for the rears though, otherwise you could end up with a saggy rear end.  Just my 2 cents.

 

That's a spec on the springs right? My assumption had been since these are OEM parts (though STI springs aren't stock obviously) there would be no issues.

 

Is the issue that the pinks may be meant for a legacy sedan and therefore have a spring rate that's inappropriate for a wagon which will have more weight in the rear?

 

Sorry for the noob questions!

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There's no part numbers/ratings on the springs. The only way to identify STI pinks is by two coloured marks on one of the coils (i.e white and blue etc) though I struggled to find much info for BE/BH in when I owned one. 

 

2 options really:

1) to know for sure what car they came off and how it looked (might've been on a wagon but had a saggy butt meaning someone chucked sedan struts in there)

2) test fit and see what it looks like.

 

Strongs are good but sometime their descriptions are a bit off. 

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If your located in Northland/Auckland I have a set of Bilsteins you can have for the change in your pocket, cbb shipping though... they currently have Cobra lows on them but also have the OEM springs to go with. no leaks but have had a decent life 190,000 km on them, no holding back on all the corrigated gravel roads..

 

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Thanks, might drop them a line and see if they have a record of whether they came off a sedan or a wagon.  The fact that they are described as "B4" Bilsteins suggests a sedan right? Or am I wrong that B4 was a label only applied to sedans?

 

This conversation is leaning me towards just finding some stock Bilsteins off a wagon....

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