Why are bilstein shocks better

As important as the tires on your car or the engine, shock absorbers or shocks as people often call them are responsible for the safety and convenience of your vehicle. Most people think of the smoothness of their ride when they talk about shocks, but shocks do more than just absorbing impacts.

They also make sure your vehicle stays stable, especially when driving in poor road conditions or when going into sharp turns.

When comparing Bilstein vs. Rancho shocks, you can identify certain traits that are better with Bilstein shocks. This includes the high-pressure gas and the construction of the shocks, which makes them sturdier. When it comes to long-lasting, heavy-duty shocks, Bilstein shocks are better than Rancho. Bilstein shocks are definitely better than the stock shocks found on your vehicle.

This is especially the case when it comes to cars that experience heavy-duty use every day. You even get to have better off-road performance thanks to the shocks themselves. There are Bilstein shocks that are excellent for towing, and these are usually the s. These heavy-duty yellow and blue shocks are meant to be used with stock height trucks, and you can even do some light off-roading with them.

For reference, when driving on a well-paved road, shocks can move up and down anywhere from 1, to 1, times during every mile. Bilstein relies heavily on two types of shocks mono, and twin-tube. Monotube shocks can provide a stable damping force continuously since they have a larger oil capacity.

Twin-tube shocks have nothing that separates the two cylinders inside the shell, which means they can continue working even when the shell is damaged. Brands Expand menu Collapse menu. Categories Expand menu Collapse menu. Resources Expand menu Collapse menu. Support Expand menu Collapse menu. The Debate Continues. We've been running the Rancho RSXL shocks on our new Power Wagon for a few thousand miles now, we've got some first impressions and how they stack up against the factory Bilstein shocks that came on this beast.

What does it all mean? Bilstein and Rancho RSMT are very similar, both of these monotube shocks are going to ride nearly identical Rancho RSX is the newly improved RS, now a gas charged unit, while an upgrade over their previous product, doesn't match the consistent ride quality of a monotube shock. RSX active piston of 35mm is significantly smaller than the monotube counter parts, meaning response will be harsher, and offroad performance will result in shock fade during extensive use.

RSX painted surface is more prone to debris, but the twin tube body protects the active internal tube. Today, Bilstein continues to be the leader in monotube gas pressure shock absorber technology.

No other shock manufacturer has been able to equal the performance and enhanced ride characteristics of Bilstein. The Bilstein name graces not only monotube gas pressure shock absorbers, but also single and twin tube Macpherson strut style suspensions.

Ride, handling and control are what a shock absorber provides. Compromise in one area may create a problem in another. Bilstein's patented design reduces the need for compromise. The rising rate valving of the Bilstein shock absorber provides the necessary damping to react quicker to road conditions without sacrificing ride comfort. This combination of valving and high pressure nitrogen gas keeps the tires in constant contact with the road helping to ensure safety through enhanced control.

Conventional shocks slowly lose efficiency and eventually fail over a period of time, causing excessive tire and suspension component wear. Bilstein shocks continue to deliver optimum performance for life. Of all a vehicle's suspension components, nothing works harder than the shock absorbers, making it critical to pick the correct ones.

Bilstein Gas Pressurized Shock Absorbers are the least expensive, fastest way, to dramatically improve the ride, handling and control of a vehicle. Bilstein monotube struts also provide superior stability through exceptional resistance to lateral forces. Bilstein's twin tube strut assemblies are manufactured with the extreme attention to precision and detail that Bilstein is famous for.

They're designed to withstand maximum loads while providing high durability. In the conventional McPherson strut which is based on the use of the twin tube shock absorber the piston rod protrudes above the McPherson strut assembly and attaches to the sprung mass of the vehicle.

In this type of application the piston rod has to absorb not only compression and rebound forces but tremendous side loads. This combined with extremely high quality manufacturing and materials, means Bilsteins will last approximately four times as long as original replacement inserts.