I have an '02L lowered with Hotchkis (coils, swaybars). Put on QA1's because the Hotchkis/bilsteins were not available last year.

I find the QA1's a harsh ride, even at a 5/3 (f/r) setting. Anyone had both? Is the new Bilstein/Hotchkis better?

I am thinking about switching my QA1's out.....

 

Up your QA1's to like 7/5 (f/r). That seems way to low and the shocks may not be controlling the springs effectively to give it a good ride.

 

How do you know when QA1's need to be rebuilt? Is it when the the back or front starts bouncing higher? Sounds like a dumb question, but how can you tell if they need to be rebuilt?

AND, do you rebuild them by the pair, or one at a time? Does a suspension shop need special parts? Thanks.

 

When the shocks are shot, the ride gets jittery and jiggly.

I don't know of any way to test the shocks other than removing them. That's good opportunity to ride without shocks, though. Really helps give you a feel for what shocks are doing.

It would be dumb not to rebuild both shocks on an axle. I don't think that your local suspension shop will have the seals required to rebuild them.