I'm thinking of upgrading my strut to Bilstein HD. I would like to here from anybody who has done the upgrade the pros and the cons? What's the ride like? Harshness? Effect on other component ex. spring seats?

TIA

Johnny 96'855 T5 Sportwagon

Bilstein HD's are going to be stiffer than stock shocks. If you're looking for the same ride as OEM but just slightly sportier then you can opt for Bilstein Touring. The difference between the two is HD's are of the mono-tube design while the Touring is of the twin-tube design. Technologically, the mono-tube design is more advanced as it is supposed to dissipate heat more efficiently. You should also look into Sachs-Boge or Koni. Boge replacement shocks will give you the OEM ride. The nice thing with Koni's is that they are adjustable so as the shocks wear you can compensate. I don't think you can go wrong with choosing either Bilstein, Boge or Koni. The more important question is what kind of ride are you looking for.

I replaced the front struts and rear shocks with the Bilstein HD and like the improvement in control. The ride was stiff (some call it harsh) before and the Bilsteins don't soften it any, but they do maintain precise damping control over any road surface I have encountered. As Punxatawney Phil noted in his response, I like the firm ride, so much so that I did it on both my 94 850 wagon and my 95 850 sedan. By the way, I also replaced the sring seats, strut mounts and sway bar links at the same time.

Good luck.

I "upgraded" (well, I had a leaking strut, the HD Bilsteins don't cost much more than the OEM replacement) about 6-8 months ago. I like them although it does make the car ride harshly. I replaced the spring seats at the same time.

Con? I LIKE the firm ride.

-Punxsutawney Phil

'98 V70T5M, 137k mi., iPd stabilizer bars, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, Bilstein HD struts and shocks, Valentine-1, Mobil-1 always, e-code headlight lenses, Michelin Arctic Alpins