Driving dynamics is our passion: realising the perfect driving behaviour, building the perfect shock absorber – that is the motivation that drives us. Every day. For around 70 years. That’s why we only know one claim: We shape the present and future of chassis construction.
Driving dynamics is our passion: realising the perfect driving behaviour, building the perfect shock absorber – that is the motivation that drives us. Every day. For around 70 years. That’s why we only know one claim: We shape the present and future of chassis construction.
BILSTEIN – Innovative Technologies “Made in Germany”
The core BILSTEIN brand can look back on a 140-year history. When the company was founded in Altenvoerde (now Ennepetal) in 1873, no one dreamed what a great influence products from BILSTEIN would have one day on the road safety and driving comfort of the automobile. It was initially window fittings which were to give the company founded by August Bilstein a reputation that stretched far beyond the local regions into neighbouring countries. A number of patented technical innovations formed a solid basis for the later successes of the still young company. To satisfy the high quality demands even in the preliminary phases of fittings manufacture, BILSTEIN set up its own strip iron rolling mill as far back as 1919. In the 1920s, Hans Bilstein, who had taken over the management of the company from his father, returned from the USA to his home in the Westphalia region with some new ideas for methods of nickel and chrome plating.
Entry into the world of the automobile: 1928 to 1954
Thanks to the technical inspirations gained in America, BILSTEIN managed to gain a foothold in the automobile industry in 1927 in cooperation with the Levator-Hebezeug-Fabrik from Berlin. BILSTEIN supplied the first chrome-plated bumper for series automobile production, began with the manufacture of jacks and produced the first functional side-car jack.
Innovative inventions
In the 1950s, the company which would later become the success story it is today recognized the possibilities that were to be found in the discovery of the Frenchman Bourcier de Carbon. The oscillation researcher had discovered that the gas contained in every oil at a proportion of up to ten percent is bonded under sustained pressure. This scientific finding was to revolutionize shock absorber technology. The BILSTEIN engineers in Ennepetal used the French discovery to develop a production process without which automotive technology would be unthinkable to this day: the manufacture of the monotube gas pressure shock absorber. The introduction of the first monotube gas pressure shock absorber to a Mercedes-Benz series vehicle in 1957 by BILSTEIN, the former “fittings and jack manufacturer”, is still regarded as a significant contribution to active driving safety to this day. Ever since, monotube gas pressure shock absorbers developed and tested by BILSTEIN have found their way in top BILSTEIN quality into virtually all leading, performance-orientated car marques, from the Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini Gallardo to the Porsche models 911, Boxster and Cayman. The list of the vehicles that benefit from BILSTEIN products in OE or series production or as replacement parts is long and is in no way complete after names such as Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru and Volkswagen have been mentioned.
Vehicle manufacturers place their trust in BILSTEIN products in all segments, because the suspension experts from Ennepetal know how to individually adjust the suspension requirements and driving dynamic qualities of every model. No matter whether series replacement or the sporty optimization of the handling is concerned, BILSTEIN applies its high-quality products to all vehicle classes specially customized to the intended purpose of each vehicle, from use in everyday situations to the race track and rough terrain. In some special applications in the premium segment, vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art shock absorbers, such as the BILSTEIN DampMatic and air spring systems to combine driving safety with the best possible comfort and plenty of sportiness in the ideal manner. The carmakers’ increasingly more complex specification sheets are the driving force behind product development and the ability to innovate at BILSTEIN. The close interlinking of our own development work with that of the customer is an important chapter in the BILSTEIN success story, because only through an intensive exchange of ideas and experiences on many different levels is it possible to actively incorporate the customer’s requirements into the further development of the products.
Join Date Oct 2007 Location Ft Lauderdale Posts 378 My Cars 07 530xiT, 05 CLK500 Cab
Billstein made where?
I must be out of the loop, I ordered some rear shock mounts. BILLSTEIN. fegi Germany, made in CHINA what?
02. 10. 2014, 07:21 # 2
Join Date Jan 2007 Location Charlotte NC Posts 754 My Cars 11 128i
Relevant thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum. lovakia-really
11 128i Space Gray slicktop
13 WK2 Deep Cherry
02. 10. 2014, 07:30 # 3
Join Date Oct 2007 Location Ft Lauderdale Posts 378 My Cars 07 530xiT, 05 CLK500 Cab
Původně odeslal spidertri 
Relevant thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum. lovakia-really
OK YURRUP, but CHINA. what’s next. food processed in CHINA, oh yeah, that may be coming. I read somewhere that «they» may be sending CHICKENS to CHINA to be «processed» (with once a year USDA inspections) then sent back to the US . Wings, nuggets, and the crap they sell as packaged, and fast food. YUCKY POO
02. 10. 2014, 07:48 # 4
Datum připojení duben 2011 Místo Příspěvky Redding Calif 4,131 1999 Moje auta 3 Z2.5 5L XNUMXsp
Původně odeslal daka
OK YURRUP, but CHINA. what’s next. food processed in CHINA , oh yeah, that may be coming. I read somewhere that «they» may be sending CHICKENS to CHINA to be «processed» (with once a year USDA inspections) then sent back to the US . Wings, nuggets, and the crap they sell as packaged, and fast food. YUCKY POO
The other irony: KYB, a Japanese brand: made in Germany
02. 10. 2014, 08:07 # 5
Join Date Jan 2010 Location Boynton Beach, FL Posts 1,633 My Cars 98 M Roadster
Původně odeslal daka
OK YURRUP, but CHINA. what’s next. food processed in CHINA, oh yeah, that may be coming. I read somewhere that «they» may be sending CHICKENS to CHINA to be «processed» (with once a year USDA inspections) then sent back to the US . Wings, nuggets, and the crap they sell as packaged, and fast food. YUCKY POO
Původně odeslal gmushial
The other irony: KYB, a Japanese brand: made in Germany
It’s true. Even the local Publix Supermarket house branded frozen vegetables say they are a product of China. Those went right back in to the freezer section. A lot of those vegetables couldn’t legally be grown in the USA, considering the conditions they are grown in. I watched a documentary about it, & let’s just say it was worse than the chemical run off from a junk yard rain supplying the nutrients to the growing fields. The growing conditions were unbelievable.
02. 10. 2014, 09:21 # 6
Join Date Oct 2009 Location Imperial, PA Posts 593 My Cars 1998 Z3, 2.8; 2000 328Ci
Původně odeslal daka
I must be out of the loop, I ordered some rear shock mounts. BILLSTEIN. fegi Germany, made in CHINA what?
You sure you have Billstein’s and not Bilstein’s. Please check, I wonder whether they are fake Bilstein’s.
02. 10. 2014, 11:23 # 7
Join Date Oct 2007 Location Ft Lauderdale Posts 378 My Cars 07 530xiT, 05 CLK500 Cab
TYPO. BILSTEIN. STRUT TOP MOUNTING. febi Germany, but box has a white label that says Made in China. #33 52 1 128 819 fur BMW. looks like the rubber center says. Germany. well, how bad, probably better than whats in there now.
I guess I’ll know when I install the KYB’s, I wonder what those boxes will say. (delivery on Wednesday)
02. 10. 2014, 11:28 # 8
Datum připojení duben 2011 Místo Příspěvky Redding Calif 4,131 1999 Moje auta 3 Z2.5 5L XNUMXsp
Původně odeslal daka
TYPO. BILSTEIN. STRUT TOP MOUNTING. febi Germany, but box has a white label that says Made in China. #33 52 1 128 819 fur BMW. looks like the rubber center says. Germany. well, how bad, probably better than whats in there now.
I guess I’ll know when I install the KYB’s, I wonder what those boxes will say. (delivery on Wednesday)
Will be interesting to see what the KYBs say — I was more than a little surprised to see Made in Germany stamped right on them. but that was coming up on three years ago.
02. 11. 2014, 07:53 #9
Join Date Oct 2011 Location Arkansas, USA Posts 1,281 My Cars 95 240SX|98 Z3M|05 Elise
KYB is a Japanese company but they have manufacturing facilities on multiple continents. Of course they claim the designs are replicated faithfully regardless of facility. So KYB shocks could be made in Japan, China, USA, Brazil, Germany, and there are probably other places as well.
02. 11. 2014, 03:21 # 10
Datum připojení říjen 2012 Místo Louisville, KY Příspěvky 4,503 1997 Moje auta 3 BMW Z1.9 5L XNUMXMT
Původně odeslal daka
I must be out of the loop, I ordered some rear shock mounts. BILLSTEIN. fegi Germany, made in CHINA what?
What does «fegi» mean?
I did not know Bilstein made rear shock mounts for the Z3, or any car. Where did you order them from?
Did you also buy shocks? What brand?
If you mean you bought Bilstein shocks made in China, I think the only company in China with that expertise is:
http://www.sensenshocks.com/en/index. id1=z0hnv4vea5
They say they have become » OEM supplier for more than 30 famous automobile companies».
BMW MOA 696, BMW CCA 1405
02. 11. 2014, 04:14 # 11
Join Date Oct 2007 Location Ft Lauderdale Posts 378 My Cars 07 530xiT, 05 CLK500 Cab
I ordered KYB rear shocks. the rear top mounts are Bilstein. China .
I was VERY unhappy with the SENSENS, very hard ride, (but some people would like that, for me I want boulevard ride)
Last edited by daka; 02-11-2014 at 04:16 PM .
02. 11. 2014, 04:30 # 12
Datum připojení listopad 2007 Umístění SE WA Státní příspěvky 414 Moje auta 2000 M kupé
China doesn’t necessarily equal «bad.» It depends on the oversight and QC imposed by the parent manufacturer. For example, Apple makes most of their stuff in China, and the products are regarded as equal or better quality than competing products made anywhere in the world. (Ignoring what individual opinions are of iOS, being locked in to Apple’s decisions, etc. We don’t need to turn this into an Apple thread.) For most things, a recognizable, «good» brand name seems to be a better indication of quality than the point of origin. But after having said all that, I’d still like to see stuff made in the U.S.
02. 11. 2014, 05:39 # 13
Datum připojení duben 2011 Místo Příspěvky Redding Calif 4,131 1999 Moje auta 3 Z2.5 5L XNUMXsp
Původně odeslal Kenn
China doesn’t necessarily equal «bad.» It depends on the oversight and QC imposed by the parent manufacturer. For example, Apple makes most of their stuff in China, and the products are regarded as equal or better quality than competing products made anywhere in the world. (Ignoring what individual opinions are of iOS, being locked in to Apple’s decisions, etc. We don’t need to turn this into an Apple thread.) For most things, a recognizable, «good» brand name seems to be a better indication of quality than the point of origin. But after having said all that, I’d still like to see stuff made in the U.S.
More than that: the Chinese are very good at building what one specifies — if the specs are incomplete, then they will cut corners; but if they are complete, they fill follow them to the letter of the law. So: the Sensens that one sees here, they are exactly what they were spec’d to be — they were spec’d to be on par with Billie sports, ie, stiff. We have our electronics built there, and after a couple false starts (where we were still learning how to play the game), they build excellent electronic and exactly to spec, ie, if you tell them to build garbage, they will; conversely, if you spec quality, they will. . most of the garbage Chinese products one sees here: were spec’d that way, eg, if you find Chinese junk in HD, it’s because HD wanted it that way. or wallymart, or HFT etc.
02. 11. 2014, 09:51 # 14
Datum připojení říjen 2012 Místo Louisville, KY Příspěvky 4,503 1997 Moje auta 3 BMW Z1.9 5L XNUMXMT
Původně odeslal daka
I ordered KYB rear shocks. the rear top mounts are Bilstein. China .
I bought KYB rear shocks, too. I think you will like them.
But again:
What does «fegi» mean in your post? Is it some typo for another word?
I do not think the «real» Bilstein makes upper shock mounts for Z3s or any cars. What mounts did you think you were buying, and who did you order them from?
Last edited by Vintage42; 02-11-2014 at 09:53 PM .
BMW MOA 696, BMW CCA 1405
02. 11. 2014, 09:56 # 15
Join Date Sep 2008 Location Havertown, PA Posts 4,106 My Cars 02 e367, 08 Acura TL-S
Původně odeslal gmushial
More than that: the Chinese are very good at building what one specifies — if the specs are incomplete, then they will cut corners; but if they are complete, they fill follow them to the letter of the law. So: the Sensens that one sees here, they are exactly what they were spec’d to be — they were spec’d to be on par with Billie sports, ie, stiff. We have our electronics built there, and after a couple false starts (where we were still learning how to play the game), they build excellent electronic and exactly to spec, ie, if you tell them to build garbage, they will; conversely, if you spec quality, they will. . most of the garbage Chinese products one sees here: were spec’d that way, eg, if you find Chinese junk in HD, it’s because HD wanted it that way. or wallymart, or HFT etc.
You’re on the right track, but there is a great deal of items produced in China that are simply stolen design/patents from factories «following the letter of the law» at which point corners are cut. A lot of this makes it to the major American retailers too.
EDIT: Did we really compare Sensens to Bilsteins? And how long has Bilstein make shock mounts?
Last edited by lokijibber; 02-11-2014 at 09:58 PM .
02. 11. 2014, 10:29 # 16
Datum připojení duben 2011 Místo Příspěvky Redding Calif 4,131 1999 Moje auta 3 Z2.5 5L XNUMXsp
Původně odeslal lokijibber
You’re on the right track, but there is a great deal of items produced in China that are simply stolen design/patents from factories «following the letter of the law» at which point corners are cut. A lot of this makes it to the major American retailers too .
EDIT: Did we really compare Sensens to Bilsteins? And how long has Bilstein make shock mounts?
I believe what I’ve come to understand is that the Chinese build little on spec — 99 times out of a hundred they want an order in hand before they commit time, effort, machinery etc. ie, if you see crapola for sale, somebody here ordered it. though that’s beginning to change as they start to produce for the home market and those channels vs for export mostly.
W/re stolen designs: really don’t see a lot of that — surely a lot lot less then the Limbaughs etc like to claim: basically they have been a production center for export — an order comes in, they produce it and export it; and wait for the next order. A lot of the clone designs were done by American importers, thinking they’d be safe having the clones produced overseas (hopefully bypassing/avoiding the patent lawyers here). but the Chinese not having sales channels never had an interest or motivation for such — it simply wasn’t in their interest.
Last edited by gmushial; 02-11-2014 at 10:37 PM .
02. 11. 2014, 10:43 # 17
Join Date Jan 2007 Location Charlotte NC Posts 754 My Cars 11 128i
Part of a global manufacturer, parts are made all over the world but major companies have strict quality control over parts with their name on them. The problem is that it is easy for other Chinese companies to get drawings/technical data and reproduce the same part at a lower quality/price, that is not Bilsteins fault, it is simply a result of outsourcing to China.
11 128i Space Gray slicktop
13 WK2 Deep Cherry
02. 11. 2014, 11:33 # 18
Join Date Nov 2012 Location SoCal Posts 350 My Cars G60
Původně odeslal gmushial
W/re stolen designs: really don’t see a lot of that — surely a lot lot less then the Limbaughs etc like to claim: basically they have been a production center for export — an order comes in, they produce it and export it; and wait for the next order. A lot of the clone designs were done by American importers, thinking they’d be safe having the clones produced overseas (hopefully bypassing/avoiding the patent lawyers here). but the Chinese not having sales channels never had an interest or motivation for such — it simply wasn’t in their interest.
I worked in an industry for 14 years and saw it implode because someone thought it would be a good idea to show the Chinese how to make a certain product. Once the manufacturing was established to spec by an american company at a particular factory in China they (the factory owner in China) opened another factory in the same area and copied the whole manufacturing process down to the machinery and it literally changed a whole industry overnight. What was once a primarily US and Canadian manufactured/made product turned to almost 90% Chinese manufactured within 2 years. It was sad to see some people and companies that were in business for 40 plus years try to hold out but even they after time either had to close up or shift there manufacturing to China to compete.
I am not of the belief that Chinese made products are junk or bad but I try to buy as little Chinese made products as possible.
I now work for a company that is federally mandated to supply and install American products. It’s funny though how corrupt some agencies that we work for are and how they bend the rules to save a buck.
