Rear Bilstein for G5 Camaro fits the G8

[JonRobbinSS]

I am one of the guys that went insane and ordered Bilstein shocks from Australia and installed them on my G8.. I have always loved their products and the feel of a well sorted monotube shock - so there.

Here was my original install on the rear..



18 months later, luckily while the car was up on jack stands for a brake job this happens..



Bummer - two weeks of driving to BilsteinUS and emails to Bilstein Australia and Germany I discover a few things -

1. There is no warranty from Australia - the supplier wanted to send me one for $400 then the importer did eventually agree to send me 2 for $400 thanks to what I think was pressure from Germany to make me quit sending emails..
2. BilsteinUS will not warranty them but they are pretty good to talk to - Unless it is break, lunch, inventory, or furniture moving time - which happened about the entire time I needed their help
3. Germany while concerned can't seem to do a whole lot about it

I then started to look into a local procured replacements and found these for the G5 Camaro 24-222976 - they are a pretty new offering by BilsteinUS. Here it is compared to the broken one from Australia.



Stronger looking with a beefier shaft and bushing ring... Hmmm, The shaft is about 3/4 inch shorter (the shaft is the same but there is a 3/4 spacer built into the Commodore piston) - but with my King HD springs I don't need much stroke/droop so the extra spring preload doesn't hurt and many people with lowering springs might like it since it will put the piston in the sweet spot a bit better. For me - I have 2.75 inches between full droop and where it sits with the weight sitting on it and out at the wheels that is almost 4-5 inches of downward suspension movement, I have not felt it hit the end of that travel even coming out of some pretty nice dips found around SoCal.

But here again note that since the G8 is not an "approved Bilstein application" - No Warranty.. but at only $120 a shock with local availability they were a much better deal..

Valving - the Camaro shocks have a higher compression and a little lower rebound than the Commodore shocks and I thought that might be a problem but turns out that on the road it feels pretty darn good. At the autocross track - I am still undecided, it still feels good but I am not sure if the change will ultimately result in faster times around the turns.

I have a few pictures of the FE3, BilsteinAUS and BilsteinUS offering all mounted to the top plate with the KingHD springs both off and on the car but they are on another camera and I will need to upload them later...

[matts88yj]

I saw where Bilstein was developing an adjustable coil over kit for the 5th gen Camaro's. I inquired about them developing a kit for the G8 and they said they aren't going to at this time. I then referenced that the rear setup between the G8 and Camaro are nearly identical and any work to be done for adjustments for at least the rears would be minimal. No comment from Bilstein.

[JonRobbinSS]

I also pointed these things out to them in person.. They said the best thing we can do is to do a parts search for our cars on the web site.. You will get no results but they track what people are looking for.. So I searched for the 2009 G8, 2011 Caprice PPV and 2014 SS

http://cart.bilsteinus.com/

[matts88yj]

Then I shall search for a 2012 CTS-V

[JonRobbinSS]

Then I shall search for a 2012 CTS-V

Does that platform use the same front strut?

[BuildItYourSelf]

Do you have the specs from that shock?
I'm coming up with my own true coilover set up using koni race series. And I'm in a stump on the rears.
Fronts inserts were easy.
Edit. I'll look it up. I didn't see the part number at first.

[JonRobbinSS]

Here are a few pictures of the FE3, BilsteinAUS and BilsteinUS offering all mounted to the top plate with the KingHD springs both off and on the car.

Stock FE3



AUS Bilstein for Commodore




US Bilstein for Camaro

[JonRobbinSS]

Do you have the specs from that shock?
I'm coming up with my own true coilover set up using koni race series. And I'm in a stump on the rears.
Fronts inserts were easy.
Edit. I'll look it up. I didn't see the part number at first.

I don't have too much on the specs, but can measure what I can reach if it helps you out.
The lower spring perch is sitting on a split ring sitting in a grove on the shock body - It is one of the things I was looking at as a way to adjust the preload/lower the ride height. I could always get another grove machined into the shock body.

[BuildItYourSelf]

A coilover sleeve will slid over that ring. And then you sit the spring on the adjustable color.
If it's a 2" body have a set I'm not going to use. Just measure from the ring to the bottom of the shock and I'll machine them for ya if your interested.

[matts88yj]

Does that platform use the same front strut?

I don't think they do but if the G8 doesn't stay that's what it's going to be replaced with.