KYB vs. Bilstein

[Dan Barlow]

Just wondering what most people that have tried them like better . My Vette came with the bilsteins from the factory . Just wondering if the are worth double the price .

[tardis454]

Bilsteins all the way. They're definitely worth the money.
I've had them on my XJ for 10 years, they're still going strong.
If/when I finish the V8 S10 it's getting Bilstiens at all 4 corners.
KYB is crap, don't waste your time with them...

[yellomalibu]

Bilsteins all the way. They're definitely worth the money.
I've had them on my XJ for 10 years, they're still going strong.
If/when I finish the V8 S10 it's getting Bilstiens at all 4 corners.
KYB is crap, don't waste your time with them...

Stop waffling on the subject and tell us what you think about it.

:D

[tardis454]

Stop waffling on the subject and tell us what you think about it.

:D

I'm the eternal skeptic, especially when it comes to spending money.
I've used KYB and Bilstien.
KYB's lasted all of 2yrs in my S10 4x4 and went flat.
The Bilstien's in my XJ are still working 10yrs later.
I spent twice as much on Bilstiens, and they've held up 5 times longer.
My friend Jim's 94 C4 Vette still has it's original Bilstiens. 22yrs later it still rides great..
I can honestly say I'm thoroughly impressed with the performance and durability of Bilstien products.

And that is what I really think about it lol!

[Monster]

"You get what you pay for" .... and that cliche runs true for this one too.

[Dan Barlow]

I had a good friend that had KYB on his opel manta and they were great but he didn't own it past 2 yrs. My vette when I got it didn't have them any longer so I really had nothing to judge by . Now we had them on our bravada and I think they are on our trail blazer and I like them their but have no idea how old they were as we bought those trucks used . If I were going KYB I'd buy 4 at once . The Bilsteins will be the back ones first then the fronts .

[tardis454]

Google KYB vs Bilstien. The answers are all the same..

[Huskinhano]

I bought KYB's for my 66. I took them off after about 100 miles and replaced them with $13 Monroe Matics that worked much better. KYB are a joke. They're too stiff, not from a comfort standpoint put they bound up the suspension. Every little pot hole, expansion strip or crack in the road, the tires would loose contact with the road and the car would be in a different tract. I'm talking about low speed local driving too.

I took the plunge and bought the Sport version for my 66. I was thinking of buying the street version and in a knee jerk, if some is good more is better moment, bought the Sport. I could not be happier! Phenomenal shocks, worth every penny! I could not be happier. They're firm but not hash.

Yes, they are worth twice the price!

[Dan Barlow]

Thanks everyone for the info and especially the real life and back to back experiences .

[Huskinhano]

If you bought the KYB's they wouldn't have been half the price of the Bilsteins. They would have been 50% more then the Bilsteins because you would have hated them so much, you'd gone out to buy the Bilsteins to replace the KYB's.

[fast Ed]

Bilstein or Koni is usually the correct answer if you want shocks that actually work well. I've always used Koni Sports in the past, but my current 07 Mustang has Bilsteins that were put in by my friend, the previous owner. Decent but firm ride on the street, very well controlled on track.


cheers
Ed

[Huskinhano]

Bilstein or Koni is usually the correct answer if you want shocks that actually work well. I've always used Koni Sports in the past, but my current 07 Mustang has Bilsteins that were put in by my friend, the previous owner. Decent but firm ride on the street, very well controlled on track.


cheers
Ed

Yes, that is the right answer. I was recommending Bilstein because the choice was between the two.

It truly amazing the difference a good set of shocks make!

[Scott Liggett]

I had KYB Gas-a-Justs on my Impala for 15 years. They worked fine for that car for the price. Decent ride, not mushy or harsh. Not sure if they would be any good on a newer Vette. The Caprice had cheap store Monroe gas shocks. They sucked from day one. Completely worthless. My friend gave his old Edelbrock IAS shocks off of his 66 Chevelle. They rode like a cement truck in that car, but ride real nice in my tank.

I now have Koni' adjustables in the Impala. Ride fantastic and can keep the nose diving on heavy braking.

[antmnte]

What else is out there for a good shock that is say a little better than a regular parts store shock? I remeber using Gabriels years ago and even Yellow Monroes were good but in todays corporate take over world they probably are not anymore.

[tardis454]

What else is out there for a good shock that is say a little better than a regular parts store shock? I remeber using Gabriels years ago and even Yellow Monroes were good but in todays corporate take over world they probably are not anymore.

I put a set of Gabriel Red Riders on the wife's TJ. They work fine for a daily driver.
I used Blue Monroe's on my 2wd S-10, same deal, decent ride for daily driver.