Tel: 012 661 0110 • Email: info@imcomex.co.za • Web: www.imcomex.co.zaJUNE 2016

Our first issue of Bump ‘n’ Reboundreceived a positive response and we intend keeping it punchy andrelevant for all readers – whetheryou’re a store owner, BILSTEIN userof just a suspension connoisseur!Keep us on our toes by letting us

know what you think, and tell uswhether we deserve Brickbats orBouquets. We want to know whatwe’re doing right and wrong!We were lucky enough to have

Martin Hyar, BILSTEIN Germany’s

sales manager for our region hererecently, and he pronounced himselfimpressed with our proactiveapproach to communicating with themarketplace. He also told us that there’s plenty of

exciting stuff coming from BILSTEIN, so watch this space!

Yours sincerely,

The Marketing Team, Bilstein South Africa

Bilstein South Africa

Contact BILSTEIN South Africa on 012 661 0110, or Goldwagen on 012 748 3800, and keep abreast ofwhat is going on in the BILSTEIN world via our Facebook pages: BILSTEIN South Africa, and Goldwagen.

The marketplace has reportedinstances of dashboard errormessages appearing after replacingAirmatic assemblies on theMercedes-Benz W220 andW221-series S-class. This has resulted in some potential

warranty issues, with techniciansassuming that the new unit has adefective solenoid valve. In fact, in these isolated instances

we’ve found that the cause of the errormessage was no more than a poorelectrical connection between the car’swiring loom and the new assembly.When reconnecting the harness afterinstalling the Airmatic unit, care needsto be taken to ensure that the electricaljoint is free of dirt, and that it ‘clicks’firmly together to ensure a properconnection.

The good news is that when there’s anerror like this the suspension defaults tothe firmest setting, so safe and securehandling is ensured. In all cases, theoriginal routing should be adhered to so that the wiring is not subjected totension in any combination of steeringangle or suspension travel.

A technical tip worth highlighting:when replacing front shock absorberson the Nissan Navara or Pathfinder,the sequence of fitting the partsneeds to be strictly adhered to. Whereas the original unit has a

protective sleeve with an integral topwasher, the Bilstein replacement comeswith a loose washer (see picture). Therefore, care needs to be taken to fit

this washer over the piston rod beforesecuring the piston rod into thesuspension top mounting and securing itfrom above. Failure to do this will result in the piston rod pushing up through the mounting with a dramatic loss ofdamping, as well as a potential knockingnoise.

Spare a minute or five

If you shop at the Gift Acres centreon Lynnwood Road we’re keen togive you a shocking experience.BILSTEIN South Africa’s MobileShock Tester (MST) is one of only ahandful in the world and will beset up at the popular Pretoriacentre early in August and we’ll beinviting the public to use it. TheMST can, within minutes, assessthe overall condition of shockabsorbers and suspension partsand also enable a skilled operatorto identify issues and make arecommendation in terms ofcorrective action.Watch our Facebook page for

details.

Did you know?

Jaki Scheckter won the SupercarShootout division of the JaguarSimola Hillclimb last month,piloting a Nissan GT-R R35 fittedwith the standard BILSTEINdampers. In the process he sawoff the likes of a McLarenMP4-12C, Ferrari 458 Italia and aLamborghini Aventador…

Tech-talk

The vehicle shown here is a current,2016 Hilux which has been raised byapproximately 40mm in front. We’veused a combination of Bilstein’s B8 andB6 off-road dampers (front and rearrespectively) to achieve this appealingstance, with the added benefits ofincreased ride comfort and control. Similar damper combinations are

available for the previous-generationToyota bakkie, sometimes referred to asthe Vigo-generation Hilux, sold from2005 to 2015.

This is what happens when a shockabsorber is old or worn: the oil, whichis separated by a stack of washers andnormally passes through metered holesin these washers as the car rises andfalls with changes in road surface,escapes around the sides of the tube. This makes the shock absorber

progressively weaker in resistance to

bump and rebound forces. The number,size, thickness and the configuration ofthe holes in these washers is whatdetermines the damping characteristics.Shock absorbers that are poorly made –either in terms of dimensional accuracyand/or materials – will become ‘soft’sooner; compromising ride,roadholding, and handling properties.

Product updateOur high-riding Hilux story in the previous issue of B ‘n’ Relicited enthusiastic response and here’s the low-down(no pun intended) on it.

Three+B14 = sheerdriving pleasure

Sheer Driving Pleasure is what youget from a BMW but you canenhance the experience furtherstill. BILSTEIN South Africa hasstock of the B14 suspension kit forthe current 3-series, which lowersthe sporty compact by as much as40 mm. These kits also allowseach corner of the car to beindividually adjusted to suitdriving style and intended use. The kit comprises a set of four

high quality sports springs and gaspressure monotube dampers.

Did you know?

BILSTEIN shock absorbers haveonce again conquered one of theworld’s toughest motor races,assisting a Mercedes-Benz GTSroadster entered by the BlackFalcon team to overall victory inthe Nurburgring 24-hour race atthe end of May. The team’s secondcar (in full blue and yellowBILSTEIN livery), finished fourth. It was a great way for the brand

to celebrate a 10-year partnershipwith Black Falcon.