Bilstein vs KYB

[bajajoaquin]

It's time to do brakes and shocks on my 2003 F350 with 115K miles. I went and got a quote. $1700! Ouch.

But I kind of expected it, since I am looking to replace all four rotors. The shop, Truline in San Diego, came recommended, but he's a KYB dealer. I had intended to go with Bilsteins. He claims that KYB is a better choice because of a lifetime warranty. They also seem to be about $30 each more than if I buy 'Steins myself.

What's the opinion of KYB? I haven't had any since my lowered bug in the 80s.

 

[4x4junkie]

I've run the KYBs as well as Bilstein. KYBs are good shocks, though they seem a bit more harsh compared to Bilsteins. My experience has always been the other way around (Bilstein more $ than KYB) I still prefer Bilstein.

 

[DoMiNiC1]

I thought the KYB were oem spec replacements. What is the model of the shock? (agx?, etc..)

 

[Revco]

I put KYB Monomax shocks on my old '97 Dodge 2wd dually. I bought them to replace the worn out KYB Gas-A-Just shocks that were on it when I bought the truck, based on a recommendation from a Dodge Diesel forum. The KYB Monomax were a great upgrade over the previous shocks, but the fronts lasted about 15k before they felt worn out. I pulled them out and they came out in 2 pieces, oil gushing out, a real mess. I pulled the rears and twhen compressed by hand, it took atleast a minute before they extended on their own. This truck was only driven on the highway and local paved roads, never offroad, and maybe 5 miles worth of gravel during those 15k miles. The KYB's were supposed to have a lifetime warranty, but I had trouble with the parts store in honoring that claim so I went online to buy my next set of shocks. I replaced them with Bilsteins Heavy Duty shocks and the ride was much smoother, it was like driving a new truck altogether. I pulled them out to inspect them at 15k and they felt as good as the day I installed them so they stayed in for another 20k until I sold the truck. The Bilsteins were around $10 more each than the KYB Monomax shocks, but worth it.

Ever since then, it's been Bilsteins on everything I own.

 

[Saiyan66]

Bilstein 100%.

 

[bajajoaquin]

Yeah, that's one of the things I was worrying about: lifetime warranty is good, but how easy is it to tie in? And isn't it better to not need it in a year?

I'm leaning towards doing the labor myself, so I'll start another thread about complexity of that job.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ExpoMike]

OMG!!! Having used a few KYB's over the years and MANY Bilstein's over the years, they are not even in the same category. BTW, Bilstein's have a lift time warranty. Heck I am even putting Bilstein's on my '65 C10 Panel truck.

BTW, they can't be much harder to install then on my Ram. If you need, we can setup a time and I can give you a hand. I am "well equipped" in tooling.

 

[Buliwyf]

I'm going to suggest spending $1700 and doing it yourself.

When I do my own brakes, I still end up spending $400 on the front axle alone. But that's because I use far superior parts than a brake shop.

KYB is rubbish. Rancho RSX is closer to stock. In some cases, it is the stock shock. BDS has a nice shock with really good valving for larger tires and offroad use.

You have to do your homework with Bilstein. If you order the wrong shock, they will ride terrible. The Billsteins often are progressive. If your shock is too long, then you're well into it's progressive range and it'll be stiffer than the normal range it's designed to be in at ride height.

IMO, this is why some people love Bill, and some hate them. Those that had a bad experience likely had the wrong shock.

Since I'm the destroyer of shocks, I'll stick with cheaper BDS shocks and replace them more often. I'd hate to smash up a nice set of Bills. Allthough I did get a set of Max Motorsport valved Bills for my Mustang, and they are very nice. But MM put alot of effort and research into getting the right ones. I don't know where to start with my truck.