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Old April 29th 2010, 20:22
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Post VW Split Bus Front Shock Upgrade

by Adrian Pillow
Jan 21, 2003

This document will outline the process of changing the front shock absorbers on a '66 Microbus. The procedure is very straight forward, but this will be a good demonstration of the Bilstien shocks over the common cheapo shocks coming off. Some good shots of 944 brakes on a bus as well.

Here is a photo of the old shock absorber installed. The old shocks here are 4 years old Monroe units... I think they are a whopping $15 each at PepBoys discount auto parts stores. But the Monroe shocks are just as good as the other cheap solutions out there such as stock Boges or KYB GR-2s. My only complaint is that the paint is starting to come off the Monroe shocks which is disappointing.



Removal requires the lower 17mm nut to be removed; the bolt is part of the lower suspension arm. The top bolt has a 19mm head and 19mm nut. I used an air wrench on the top bolt, but a normal ratchet usually is fine for removal.



Here is a picture of the new Bilstien shocks and Porsche 15x7 Phone Dials going onto the bus. The Bilstiens are from www.shox.com and were $61 each, the best price I could find. Also they have an application guide on the site that will direct you to the correct shock model number that you need for your car. They also carry the Koni shocks, which a number of people here swear by.



Old and new comparison of the Bilstien and Monroe shocks sitting on top of the 15x6 Porsche Fuchs coming off the bus. Here is a completed photo of the shocks installed.



All in all a very very easy job that anybody can do at home without complicated tools. My one complaint is that the blue upper collar on the Bilstien shocks is thin plastic, struck me as cheapish for a premium shock. But then on the other hand I suppose it saves weight that is always a plus.
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