L300 Shocks Options

PA,

That is how my rear Monroe's work. Couple of things. The schrader valve is plastic. If you have a compressor fitting that screws on, it is easy to cross thread the plastic. My new inflator came with a brass screw-on fitting, and I added one of the slide-over-press-the-lever-down type of fittings. Also, the system fills up stupid crazy fast. There appears to be very little volume in there. As a funny, on my first fill, I added a bunch of air, and used a cheapie gas station plastic air gauge. Blew the end of it out, and almost impaled myself. Must have had a crazy amount of air in the system.....

Craig
 
Hey gang, looking to go with the Billstein front / Monroe Air rear combo when I replace in the not too distant future. Great info here, and thx. My simple question, is adjusting the air in the Monroes as simple as using the same valve fitting on the compressor as I use for my tires. Do not mind some maintenance around checking/adjusting pressure regularly, just want to make sure I do not need adaptor, etc.
It's a Shrader valve, so the same as your tires. I actually use a bike pump with a built in pressure gauge to adjust the Monroes. Very small volume to fill, you just want the valve for the shocks fairly accessible with enough space around it to accommodate the head of your compressor or pump.
 
I think I read this 8 pages of thread but did anyone ever posted dimensions in term of compressed / extended / travel for Stock L300 4x4 (P35w)

I'm wasting a lot of time looking at Bilstein B8's and seems there may be some options that are close to the KYB dimensions I was able to find. For KYB KG5458 & KG5494 (Front & Rear)
 
I found these Rear Max Air by MONROE/EXPERT SERIES - MA708 on Partsavatar, nearly half-off. I paid $150 inc tax and shipping with the 50% off plus 10% first timer.

Rear Max Air by MONROE/EXPERT SERIES - MA708

I'm hoping they're just a better version of the MA708s and will fit with the same steps as the ones in Growlerbeans' write up. From the pictures it looks like these are using a metal valve rather than the plastic, but hard to tell.
 
I found these Rear Max Air by MONROE/EXPERT SERIES - MA708 on Partsavatar, nearly half-off. I paid $150 inc tax and shipping with the 50% off plus 10% first timer.

Rear Max Air by MONROE/EXPERT SERIES - MA708

I'm hoping they're just a better version of the MA708s and will fit with the same steps as the ones in Growlerbeans' write up. From the pictures it looks like these are using a metal valve rather than the plastic, but hard to tell.
Looks the same to me. Let us know
 
Good bad or otherwise I took a lot of what I read here and decided to try the Bilstein B8 5125 Series.

I have a stock 1993 L300 4D56 4x4, and it still had the original shocks.

What I was looking for in this thread that I couldn't find was stock dimensions.
I'm measuring by tape measure & eye, not caliper.
Front 8 1/2" Compressed 13" Extended Approx. 4.5" travel (Base of stem to center eyelet)
Rear 11" Compressed 17 7/8" Extended Approx. 6 7/8" travel

What I installed:
B8 5100 Series pn 33-230306 (with 250BARBIN) 9.4" Comp. 13.9" Ext. 4.5" Travel
B8 5100 Series pn 24-185684 (Too long, but I fitted it anyway) 12.83" Comp. x 20.45" Ext/ 7.62" Travel
A Closer fit might have been the 33-186504 11.77"comp. x 18.42" Ext. 6.65" Travel.

On the front, I had to press in the Bilstein Part number "250BARPIN" to convert the eyelet to Barpin. This ended up being perfect bolt pattern. It wasn't fun but a little piece of pipe and a vise I was able to squeeze them in. There is probably a 10 or 15 degree rotation on the pin you'll want to set before installing. Or match the removed shock. On mine the lower forward barpin bolt had sheared it's head on the Right hand side and left hand side was about to. I was lucky I still had a little nub to grab with some vise grips and some heat to the control arm allowed the broken bolt to come out without much fuss.

Fitting them I had to fully compress the fronts and used some bailing wire to hold them until fitted. It was a bitch because I was having trouble keeping them compressed to tie them. Also almost punctured an axle boot with the end of the bailing wire when rotating it into place.

For the front I had to re-use the top bushings as the newer bushings were simply a lot thicker and not enough stem length to get both on. I figured the lower bushing was more important. The top bushing is easy to get to, if it "settles" I may be able to get the new bushing on later.

The rear went in really easy, as you might expect, even though I used a model that was quite a bit too tall.

First impressions were very smooth on the road, more stable feel and turning, obviously a bit more firm at the small bumps and dips. I think was was riding purely on leaf's and torsion bars before this. Sits a little taller now. I'm 6'2" and could just about slide into the seat, I now have to step up into it.

I don't carry much load, yet, but if the rears end up being a problem, I'll switch to the next shorter model.

I spent just under $500(usd) taxed & shipped and really please so far, but I've only put about 60 miles on them since.
I used https://performancelifts.com/ as they also had the Barpin in stock.

Shockwarehouse.com also had a fair price, but no Barpin. However they have a nice chart of dimensions:
 
Good bad or otherwise I took a lot of what I read here and decided to try the Bilstein B8 5125 Series.

I have a stock 1993 L300 4D56 4x4, and it still had the original shocks.

What I was looking for in this thread that I couldn't find was stock dimensions.
I'm measuring by tape measure & eye, not caliper.
Front 8 1/2" Compressed 13" Extended Approx. 4.5" travel (Base of stem to center eyelet)
Rear 11" Compressed 17 7/8" Extended Approx. 6 7/8" travel

What I installed:
B8 5100 Series pn 33-230306 (with 250BARBIN) 9.4" Comp. 13.9" Ext. 4.5" Travel
B8 5100 Series pn 24-185684 (Too long, but I fitted it anyway) 12.83" Comp. x 20.45" Ext/ 7.62" Travel
A Closer fit might have been the 33-186504 11.77"comp. x 18.42" Ext. 6.65" Travel.

On the front, I had to press in the Bilstein Part number "250BARPIN" to convert the eyelet to Barpin. This ended up being perfect bolt pattern. It wasn't fun but a little piece of pipe and a vise I was able to squeeze them in. There is probably a 10 or 15 degree rotation on the pin you'll want to set before installing. Or match the removed shock. On mine the lower forward barpin bolt had sheared it's head on the Right hand side and left hand side was about to. I was lucky I still had a little nub to grab with some vise grips and some heat to the control arm allowed the broken bolt to come out without much fuss.

Fitting them I had to fully compress the fronts and used some bailing wire to hold them until fitted. It was a bitch because I was having trouble keeping them compressed to tie them. Also almost punctured an axle boot with the end of the bailing wire when rotating it into place.

For the front I had to re-use the top bushings as the newer bushings were simply a lot thicker and not enough stem length to get both on. I figured the lower bushing was more important. The top bushing is easy to get to, if it "settles" I may be able to get the new bushing on later.

The rear went in really easy, as you might expect, even though I used a model that was quite a bit too tall.

First impressions were very smooth on the road, more stable feel and turning, obviously a bit more firm at the small bumps and dips. I think was was riding purely on leaf's and torsion bars before this. Sits a little taller now. I'm 6'2" and could just about slide into the seat, I now have to step up into it.

I don't carry much load, yet, but if the rears end up being a problem, I'll switch to the next shorter model.

I spent just under $500(usd) taxed & shipped and really please so far, but I've only put about 60 miles on them since.
I used https://performancelifts.com/ as they also had the Barpin in stock.

Shockwarehouse.com also had a fair price, but no Barpin. However they have a nice chart of dimensions:
Hows it going with the rears?
 
Hows it going with the rears?
I've bottomed them out a couple times with casual driving and not much weight inside. I would definitely get the alternate model I mentioned (shorter) unless you are doing leafs and/or lift. Probably perfect with 2" lift. I may just get the shackles or maybe the short shock. I really like how it sits right now, but I have new torsion bars going in soon, so the front will come up a bit, and I'll like the rear to come up as well.
 
I've bottomed them out a couple times with casual driving and not much weight inside. I would definitely get the alternate model I mentioned (shorter) unless you are doing leafs and/or lift. Probably perfect with 2" lift. I may just get the shackles or maybe the short shock. I really like how it sits right now, but I have new torsion bars going in soon, so the front will come up a bit, and I'll like the rear to come up as well.
I have extended shackles and BJ spacers, do you think if I installed the shocks you mentioned, I'm guessing in order of front and rear?
B8 5100 Series pn 33-230306 (with 250BARBIN) 9.4" Comp. 13.9" Ext. 4.5" Travel
B8 5100 Series pn 24-185684 (Too long, but I fitted it anyway) 12.83" Comp. x 20.45" Ext/ 7.62" Travel
 
Yes. I had to re-use some of the stock bushing in the front because the new Bilstein bushings on the top post would have spaced the shock down another 1/2" and I could barely get them in there as it was. Also the post is like the exact diameter of the hole it mounts in, so you almost have to get them perfectly inline to slide them in. I need to replace some wheel bearing now and thinking of use the Ball Joint Spacers since I'll be taking the front end apart, I hope not to do it again. I was also looking at some low profile bump stops from another thread/post/blog.

I'm waiting to see how it sits after I do the front end before I decide to do shackles or replace with shorter shocks.

I'm not carrying any weight, but if you are or plan to, I would factor that in.
 
Hi not sure how helpful this is anymore on this thread but through an ordering mishap I ended up with both a Bilstein 24-013321 (on the left and shorter) and a Bilstein 24-013369 (on the right). Here is a photo of them side by side. Looks like people have been able to install either without any problems on the front but the -69 seem about 1in longer uncompressed. Not sure if that really matters in the scheme of things.

Shocks2.jpegShocks1.jpegShocks4.jpegShocks3.jpeg
 
Fox seems to have some that will work after talking on the phone with them. I will report back with part numbers after some clarification here. There are measurements of compressed and extended mess floating around here but it is unclear wether there are for lifted models or not.


1) What is the shock compressed and extended measurement for the front (non-lifted)?
2) What is the shock compressed and extended measurement for the rear (non-lifted)?
 
Fox seems to have some that will work after talking on the phone with them. I will report back with part numbers after some clarification here. There are measurements of compressed and extended mess floating around here but it is unclear wether there are for lifted models or not.


1) What is the shock compressed and extended measurement for the front (non-lifted)?
2) What is the shock compressed and extended measurement for the rear (non-lifted)?
There's a bit of messing around with Fox to make them work. For stock, there might be a fitment. For a lift, you cannot just be using a ball joint spacer kit. Compressed, the shocks are too long to fit between the shock mount and the lower control arm. You need to do the full body lift to open up that gap. And then obviously there are several lift kits available now with different heights. Shock length needs to be factored accordingly.
 
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I recently went through this same search.

24-014670 are no longer made by Bilstein (but are confirmed fitters https://delicaforum.com/index.php?t...exceed-for-sale-lowered-price.1840/post-13956), so you'd need to find somewhere that warehoused old stock/surplus.

I contacted multiple Bilstein sellers and Bilstein itself to find an alternative, and they were all dead ends.

Bilstein 24-022156 (and other similar models) is a possibility, but I could not find specs (length, weight limit, etc) to compare the two models. You need a model with an eye at the top (blue sleeve is the upper part) and a pin at the bottom.

I ended up going with KYB KG5494 which was a confirmed fitter by a couple people on this forum. They work fine.
I'm purchasing a pair of the Bilstein 24-022156 identified by Sputnik 4 years ago. The numbers look good (477/311 extended/compressed); I measured my stock van at 470 full droop and 395 sitting on the wheels. I guesstimate about 60 to the bump stop including some crush on the rubber. So my best guess for the stock van is 470/335. The confirmed KYB KG 5494 is listed at 485/300. So the Bilstein definitely looks to be in the ballpark, albeit with a shorter stroke. Also, the eye will need to be drilled out from 12.3 to 5/8". They are available for $99 each on Jegs, Rock auto, or Amazon. As far as weight/rate goes, I'm just taking a flyer; but it's direct replacement for Ranger Rover, '96-2000 (approx) and that thing weighs 2,200 kg. I think my Delica comes in around 1,800; maybe a little less when I vacuum out the dog fur. I will report back in a week or two whether it's a winner or not.
 
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I'm purchasing a pair of the Bilstein 24-022156 identified by Sputnik 4 years ago. The numbers look good (477/311 extended/compressed); I measured my stock van at 470 full droop and 395 sitting on the wheels. I guesstimate about 60 to the bump stop including some crush on the rubber. So my best guess for the stock van is 470/335. The confirmed KYB KG 5494 is listed at 485/300. So the Bilstein definitely looks to be in the ballpark, albeit with a shorter stroke. Also, the eye will need to be drilled out from 12.3 to 5/8". They are available for $99 each on Jegs or Amazon. As far as weight/rate goes, I'm just taking a flyer; but it's direct replacement for Ranger Rover, '96-2000 (approx) and that thing weighs 2,200 kg. I think my Delica comes in around 1,800; maybe a little less when I vacuum out the dog fur. I will report back in a week or two whether it's a winner or not.

Screenshot 2024-04-23 at 9.51.32 PM.png
 
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