BILSTEIN B8 5160 Reservoir Shock Absorbers Instruction Manual
- June 13, 2024
- BILSTEIN
Table of Contents
B8 5160 Reservoir Shock Absorbers
Instruction Manual
IMPORTANT! READ THIS FIRST!
Installation of shock absorbers or other suspension components requires
special tools and expert knowledge. Accordingly, installation of all BILSTEIN
products must be performed by a professional automotive suspension technician.
When replacing other brands, BILSTEIN shock absorbers or other suspension
components should always be installed as a set. All BILSTEIN products must
only be used for the specific, intended application as indicated in the
application guide. Any use of any BILSTEIN product other than for its intended
use may result in serious bodily injury or death.
Always use a chassis hoist for the installation of BILSTEIN products and make
certain that the raised vehicle is securely attached to the hoist and/or
supported to prevent the vehicle from slipping, falling, or moving during the
installation process.
If you install any BILSTEIN product without the necessary special tools,
expertise, and chassis hoist, you may subject yourself to the risk of serious
bodily injury or death. BILSTEIN shock absorbers are gas-filled and are highly
pressurized.
- Never place any BILSTEIN shock absorbers in a vise or use a clamp on any BILSTEIN shock absorber.
- Never apply heat near any BILSTEIN shock absorber.
- Never attempt to open or repair any BILSTEIN product, in order to prevent serious bodily injury or death.
Any attempt to misuse, misapply, modify, or tamper with any BILSTEIN suspension product voids any warranty and may result in serious bodily injury or death. While installing any BILSTEIN product:
- Do not use impact tools for loosening or tightening fasteners, because this may destroy the screw threads.
- Self-locking fasteners must only be used once!
- Reuse original equipment components only if they are in good condition, otherwise replace them with new components.
- Never remove the slight film of oil on the shock absorber piston rod and seal.
- All mounting fasteners for shock absorbers and other suspension components must be securely tightened before tension is placed on the suspension system, unless otherwise specified in the manufacturer’s service manual or in this instruction.
After installing any BILSTEIN product:
- The suspension caster and camber must be checked and/or adjusted to comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications.
- The (load dependent) brake compensator and the anti-lock brake system must be checked and/or reset to comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications.
- The headlight aim must be checked and adjusted.
CAUTION for COILOVER TYPE SUSPENSIONS!!!
If disassembling a coilover type suspension, refer to the vehicle
manufacturer’s service manual for proper procedures. The coil spring is
preloaded and must be compressed with a spring compressor to release load
before the upper mount is disassembled. Failure to follow the vehicle
manufacturer’s procedures may cause serious injury or death, and may damage
the vehicle.
IMPORTANT!!!
This BILSTEIN product may or may not be compatible with non-BILSTEIN
aftermarket products and/or vehicle modifications. It is the responsibility of
the professional automotive suspension technician performing the installation
to identify any non-OEM components and/or modifications on the vehicle that
may interact with the suspension system. These must be evaluated for any
potential physical static or dynamic interference with and/or effect on the
function of this BILSTEIN product.
MOUNTING INSTRUCTION
BILSTEIN B8 5160 Reservoir Shock Absorbers are designed to fit your vehicle’s
original shock mounts with no modifications. With the exception of the
reservoir placement, the B8 5160 shocks are installed in the same manner as a
standard replacement shock.
Rear Shock Installation Procedure:
A. Remove the existing rear shocks from the vehicle following all procedures
in the vehicle manufacturer’s service manual.
B. Before installing the shock/reservoir assemblies on the vehicle, use the
supplied billet aluminum “piggyback” reservoir bracket to mount each reservoir
to its shock body. Position the reservoir for the left (driver) side as
depicted in Figure 1. Position the reservoir for the right (passenger) side as
depicted in Figure 2. Ensure the hose is not rubbing against the shock tube in
the static position. The hose fittings are designed to swivel and will allow
the reservoir and hose to be easily moved.
Note: Before mounting the reservoir with the reservoir bracket, apply non-
permanent thread locker on the 2 socket head cap screws.
C. The reservoir and reservoir bracket should be placed as shown in the
locations pictured in Figures 1 and 2.
D. Tighten the socket head cap screws into the reservoir bracket sufficiently
to prevent the reservoir from slipping, but loose enough to allow for small
subsequent adjustments of position. The socket head cap screws will be
tightened further once the shock/reservoir assembly is installed on the
vehicle and the proper reservoir position has been confirmed. 
E. Install the upper and lower ends of the shock absorbers
on the vehicle. All original fasteners can be reused. Temporarily hand-tighten
the fasteners.
F. Orient the shock/reservoir assemblies as depicted in Figures 1-2.
G. Be sure to lower the vehicle such that its full weight is on the suspension
prior to fully tightening the fasteners.
H. Tighten the upper and lower fasteners to the vehicle manufacturer’s service
manual torque specifications.
I. Carefully check for any possible dynamic interference between the
reservoirs and any other components on the vehicle and then make any necessary
adjustments to the reservoir positions. The reservoir mounting locations
depicted herein are appropriate for this application; however, some
aftermarket components such as tires and/or lift kit combinations may create
interference problems. It is the responsibility of the installer to determine
if the reservoir is mounted appropriately and if there is any potential for
interference.
J. If no potential interference is found, tighten the reservoir bracket’s
socket head cap screws to approximately 6 ± 1 ft-lb (8 ± 1 Nm). This completes
the installation.
created: 02.22.22
E4-WM5-Y737A00_0 page 3 of 3
latest revision:
Documents / Resources
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BILSTEIN B8 5160 Reservoir Shock
Absorbers
[pdf] Instruction Manual
B8 5160 Reservoir Shock Absorbers, B8 5160, Reservoir Shock Absorbers, Shock
Absorbers
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