940 Estate Bilstein Shocks

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tony Stanley
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Tony Stanley

I've just splashed out and bought rear Bilstein Sport Shocks for my 95 940
SE Turbo Estate (standard live axle). At about £90 each fro Euro Car Parts
they weren't cheap. Also the guy seemed a bit confused when trying to
select them and wasn't sure if they would be the correct ones.

Anyway I've just fitted them and the ride height has changed, lowered by
about 1 inch. The shocks I removed say 'Boge High pressure', and are
obviously springy. They are not Nivomats and I don't have the adjustable
height suspension.

I wouldn't be so worried only some twat fitted the exhaust upside down to
get round an incorrect tow bar and the spring hits the exhaust bracket when
going hard, its now twice as worse with the lowered suspension, never mind
the fact that the nose points in the air now. I've removed the tow bar but
was waiting for
the exhaust to need replacing before fixing it.

Any one had this experience before, what it the correct way to go-
New springs? I notice the Koni web site mentions something about replacing
Nivomats needs new springs also.
Different shock?

Are the fronts likely to be high pressure? I would like to replace them
later too.
 
Tony said:
I've just splashed out and bought rear Bilstein Sport Shocks for my 95 940
SE Turbo Estate (standard live axle). At about £90 each fro Euro Car Parts
they weren't cheap. Also the guy seemed a bit confused when trying to
select them and wasn't sure if they would be the correct ones.

Anyway I've just fitted them and the ride height has changed, lowered by
about 1 inch. The shocks I removed say 'Boge High pressure', and are
obviously springy. They are not Nivomats and I don't have the adjustable
height suspension.

I wouldn't be so worried only some twat fitted the exhaust upside down to
get round an incorrect tow bar and the spring hits the exhaust bracket when
going hard, its now twice as worse with the lowered suspension, never mind
the fact that the nose points in the air now. I've removed the tow bar but
was waiting for
the exhaust to need replacing before fixing it.

Any one had this experience before, what it the correct way to go-
New springs? I notice the Koni web site mentions something about replacing
Nivomats needs new springs also.
Different shock?

Are the fronts likely to be high pressure? I would like to replace them
later too.
Click to expand...

I don't think that regular Boge gas shocks have the pressure warning
sticker, so it sounds like you had Nivomats. People often don't think
that Nivomats are anything special, because they just look like normal
shocks, seeing how the whole mechanism is totally self contained.
Nivomats are quite a bit heavier than normal shocks, and the chromed rod
comes out the bottom of the shock body, instead of the top as is
normal. For this reason they're often called "upside down" shocks.

The fact that your car sank about 1 inch confirms it. You just need
regular wagon springs to go with your new shocks. And you may be able
to sell your old Nivomats, since it seems that they were working fine.
 
Mike F said:
I don't think that regular Boge gas shocks have the pressure warning
sticker, so it sounds like you had Nivomats. People often don't think
that Nivomats are anything special, because they just look like normal
shocks, seeing how the whole mechanism is totally self contained.
Nivomats are quite a bit heavier than normal shocks, and the chromed rod
comes out the bottom of the shock body, instead of the top as is
normal. For this reason they're often called "upside down" shocks.

The fact that your car sank about 1 inch confirms it. You just need
regular wagon springs to go with your new shocks. And you may be able
to sell your old Nivomats, since it seems that they were working fine.
Click to expand...

Ah so they don't say Nivomats and are made by Boge. The guy who sold me the
car didn't mention it and I didn't think they were standard. I didn't know
any better, thanks for setting that straight.

They are as you describe, and very hard to compress, but rebound is quite
quick compared with a normal shock, I suppose thats because of the high
pressure gas. Definately quite bouncy compared with the Bilsteins, I
thought they were past their best (110K miles).

I guess I'd sell them as a kit with the springs, but they did look quite
shabby with rubbers split at the bottom, or maybe I'll keep them and refit
as a sales option if the Bilsteins are a bit hard with the new springs (I've
just ordered heavy duty Ventras).
 
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