BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Jill Spierre on June 02, 2019, 06:51:52 PM
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I have a 2008 Beaver Contessa, with tag axle. The owners manual says it should have Bilstein shocks; However when I checked, my coach was built in June 2007, it actually has Monroe Magnum gas shocks instead. What brand and model number should I replace them with? Any thoughts?
Thanks
Art Spierre
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Art,
My 2007 also has Monroe so guess that was the OEM shock for our coaches. If you liked the Monroe ride, replace them with another set. Bilsteins are a very good shock and give a great ride for the price. Koni is considered top of the line but are expensive. Do a search on "shocks" on the Forum and see what others think.
Steve
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I agree with Steve.
I was getting porpoising on large dips but otherwise was happy with ride so I went the Bilsteins in front only for now. I like the ride. Porpoising is gone but the ride is pretty much the same.
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Ours came with Monroes too. The ride was okay except right off the bat on our first trip in ‘06 I was disappointed when “bottoming out” a couple of times on unanticipated bumps. Of course I was just learning this new rig that had a much different chassis from our ‘84 Pace Arrow, and I subsequently modified my driving behavior.
Like others, I struggled with if and when and which regarding my shocks. I can’t speak to Bilstein’s except the trust I put in Henderson’s opinion resulted in my going with Koni’s when they upgraded our chassis in 2015. For me, owning a quality coach implied it would have better shocks than simply Monroe’s. Not that Monroe’s have a bad reputation, but I just associate them with simpler vehicles and older technology. Spending more for Koni’s seemed to mesh with our having spent more for a quality coach, and the price wasn’t outlandish.
Are they better than Bilsteins, I can’t say, and defer to those that have had both on the same rig. But I have confidence in the Koni’s I have and so far they, together with Safe-T-Plus and Motion Control units, have made a big difference in how the coach reacts to whatever the road offers up.
Joel