Date:         Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:45:36 -0700
Reply-To:     Joel VanderKwaak <joelvanderkwaak@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel VanderKwaak <joelvanderkwaak@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      2wd Bilstein shocks, do they wear out?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hey all,

I just returned from a longish drive to/from the SF Bay area to my
hometown, Terrace, BC.

On the way back I passed through Columbia River country, where the
wind blows strong, and I found the front end of the van difficult to
control at highway speeds.

I have a set of HD Bilstein shocks on the front, installed in 2005,
and was wondering if it was time to replace them (they have about 40K
miles on them). They pass the standard bounce test, and have no leaks,
yet something doesn't seem stable. For the record, I installed a set
of GoWesty springs last year when I rebuilt the front end (ball
joints, etc), and am running a set of syncro OME shocks on the rear.
Could be something isn't balanced well...

Any words of wisdom? I'll be heading to VolksCafe in the morning for
some other parts, so responding sooner than later would be
appreciated.

Thanks,

Joel