Why Race on Bilstein Shocks?

1. Because the valvings are consistent, your set-ups will be more precise. You will know what is on your car.
2. Bilstein's larger piston and deflective disc valving develops control force when you need it, at the slightest movement of the suspension. You'll get weight transfer when you need it, better control under braking and your tires will stay on the track through the rough spots.
3. Bilsteins do not fade. Your chassis will handle as good at the end of the race as it did at the start.
4. Bilsteins are rugged. They last for years and are rebuildable and revalvable.
5. When the advantages of Bilstein gas pressure shocks are tallied up, you will have spent less money on shock absorbers and

How to Shock Tune Your Chassis

• Simply stated, shock absorbers convert the kinetic energy of the spring movements into heat. This heat is then dissipated into the air through the shock tube or body. In practical application, shock absorbers are necessary to maintain maximum tire patch contact to the track as the car corners and negotiates irregularities on the racing surface.
• Spring rates determine how far your chassis rolls, pitches or squats. Shock rates determine the length of time it takes for each of these movements to occur.
• Rebound damping controls the movement of that part of the car's sprung mass that is stored in a compressed spring. The rebound damping rate determines how long it takes for the compressed spring to return to static ride height. The larger the rebound figure, the more the shock resists the compressed spring's effort to rebound, and the longer it takes for the chassis to return to the static ride height.
• Compression damping controls only the oscillation of the car's unsprung weight. Therefore, it is normal to use less compression damping than rebound damping. The exception occurs when we choose to slow the downward movement on a particular corner of the car to mimic the effect of a stiffer spring.

• Compression rate in front
• Rebound rate in rear

When analyzing corner exit, or acceleration handling, realize that the chassis is affected by:

• Rebound rate in front
• Compression rate in rear

       Bilstein shocks are famous for their superior performance on very rough asphalt or rutted dirt tracks. You may need to choose a shock with more compression damping than found on our set-up sheets under extreme rough track conditions. We have included this section in our catalog to broaden your understanding of the function of shock absorbers and to show you the effect they have on handling.

         Keep in mind that there are many adjustments on your chassis other than shock absorbers. The oversteer/understeer balance may be affected by stagger, tire compound, wheel spacing, spring rates, sway bar, panhard and others. Shocks can be used to fine tune your chassis to gain that last few tenths of a second on the track.