Just installed two new front Bilsteins today and had a nightmare getting one on. I broke one of the bolts installing the shock to the control arm on the driver's side. This was one of the NEW bolts that came with the shock. I was using a torque wrench to torque it to 33# as specified in the Haynes manual when it simply broke before reaching that torque. I couldn't believe it. Is Bilstein packaging some cruddy bolts with their shocks these days, or what?
Well, luckily I had an EZ-Out on hand that fit the bolt, and got it out without too much trouble. Then I reused one of the old bolts and torqued them all to 25# instead without further trouble. But this turned a simple job into a pain in the ass.
One of the shocks also did not come with a new nut for mounting the shock shaft at the top, so I had to reuse the original pair that I took off.
Is all this a sign of declining quality at Bilstein, or am I over-reacting?
