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DIY Bilstein Shock Replacement: Mopar Warranty & Your Labor

  • Writer: Muddy Ruttzz
    Muddy Ruttzz
  • 2 days ago
  • 6 min read

Updated: 15 hours ago

A routine oil change had my head under the front of my Gladiator Ecodiesel. I noticed the Bilstein shock had been leaking out of the banjo fitting. Felt worse than seeing a hole in a new pair of coveralls! $ signs flashed before my eyes! Luckily I could still invoke my Mopar Bilstein warranty.


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How My Gladiator Ended Up with Bilsteins: The Backstory


I chose this lift kit for our Jeep Gladiator for 2 main reasons:

  • It was specifically engineered for the extra weight of the Gladiators heavier Diesel Motor.

  • Parts in the kit was covered by the Mopar Bilstein 2 year warranty.

I purchased the kit from Quadratec the online Jeep Parts seller who had heavily discounted it. Probably something to do with Jeeps discontinuing Diesel motors. It arrived in this cool parts crate. (See Photos)



Silver Jeep Rubicon parked with a wooden crate labeled "Jeep" on the ground. Text reads "Parts Crate Containing Mopar/Bilstein 2" Lift Kit."
Cool Jeep Crate That Can Be Repurposed

I made a video unboxing and showing the parts in detail that were included in the Mopar Kit. You can see that video here: Mopar Bilstein 2" Lift Kit For Jeep Gladiator Ecodiesel/Wrangler


Garage with vehicle parts spread on a wooden table; tools and stickers on shelves; Jeep sign on wall; text reads "Kit Spread Out On Table."
Photo From My Old Garage - I Have Upgraded


Bilstein Shocks Are Quality Products: The Jeep Drives Perfectly On Road And Performs Awesome Off-Road


The leaky Banjo Fitting may have tried to rain on my parade, but it hasn’t soured me on Bilstein or Mopar Performance Parts! I was tickled pink with the quality of the kit! That brand new coil spring and shock in the photo are pretty, and perform as good as they look.


Car suspension with newly installed shocks and lift kit, featuring coil springs. Text reads "New Shock Installed with Lift Kit." Outdoor setting.
This is the shock that came with the lift kit that would eventually spring a leak from the banjo fitting.


An Oil-Covered Shock Is an Unpleasant Sight: Replacing Them Is Costly!



Close-up of a vehicle's suspension showing a shock absorber with oil leakage. Text states: "Noticed shock leaking oil from banjo fitting."



The Warranty Process With Quadratec And Mopar: Have Patience And Get The Right Person On The Phone


When I first contacted Quadratec, they gave me the phone number for the Bilstein representative. He was a nice guy, but when I asked for help with the warranty, he politely informed me that was Mopar's responsibility. I mean, who knew warranties were like a game of hot potato? I called Quadratec again and spoke with an amazing lady who seemed to know the ins and outs of the procedure better than my GPS knows the backroads. She instructed me to send photos of the oily shock to her ASAP so she could submit the request to Mopar. She also mentioned that it might take some time for them to respond—because who doesn’t love waiting for a response in the age of instant everything? Several weeks later, I decided to follow up with her, and a week after that, my new Bilstein was delivered via FedEx to me in New Mexico. I saved about $500.00 thanks to the warranty! Who knew a little patience could pay off in such a big way? Next time, I might just try to get a warranty on my patience!


Person holds a Bilstein box with a replacement shock on a workbench. Text reads "Took Almost 2 Months But I Finally Received The Replacement Shock From Mopar."
Getting a free replacement part is a good feeling. Still it is always a good idea to compare the new with the OEM.

Here's The DIY Part Of This Story - Finally!

Replacing the shock was the easiest part of this whole experience! (kind of) I'm going to lay it out here in a few steps with photos. Most guys can do this job but if your not sure get help.

  1. Find a level spot, chock the wheels, jack up the vehicle and put the appropriate jack stand under it. ( If you can't do this step take your rig to a mechanic so you don't get killed or maimed.)

  2. Loosen the lug nuts and remove the tire. Its much easier to get at the shock and reservoir without it in the way.

  3. Remove the defective shock and reverse the process to install the new one. (Taking lots of photos always help me.)

  4. The new shock comes with reservoir attached at factory.

  5. Mopar/Bilstein included a new bracket to mount the reservoir but I re-used the old one.

  6. With the new shock and reservoir mounted it is time to put the tire back on and set the Gladiator back on the ground.


Silver Jeep on a green jack stand in a garage, tools nearby. Text reads: "Chock the wheels, jack up the vehicle, remove tire."
Wheels Chocked, Jack stand in place.


Man using an impact gun to tighten nuts on a car tire in a garage. Text reads "Impact Gun Is A Real Time Saver." Rugged tire visible.
Break the lug nuts loose while the tire still has weight on it. Impact gun really helps this process.




Man with gloves removing a large tire in a garage. Wooden wall background. "Muddy Ruttzz" logo visible on the image corner. Brake Rotor visible.
Lift the vehicle, remove the tire. These Nittos are Heavy! Not hard to get off, hell to lift back on!

Shock absorber setup with old leaking and new non-leaking banjo fittings highlighted by arrows. Text notes improvements. Wood background.
It's easy to see where the oil was coming from. That Banjo fitting should never leak oil.


Gloved hand using tools to install a shock absorber on a vehicle. Text reads: "Shock is an easy install with basic tools." Brown floor.
A good set of metric sockets and wrenches make quick work of this shock replacement.

Bilstein shock absorber in a vehicle's suspension system, with branded logos visible. Text reads: "New Shock Comes Fully Assembled With Reservoir Connected".
I'm sure it take specialized tools to fill a shock with oil and attach the banjo fittings and properly torque them. I gave the the banjo fitting a extra turn none the less. I don't think it moved.


Vehicle suspension with a new shock bracket near a reservoir. Text reads, "Shock Included New Bracket For Reservoir But Reused The Existing One." Logo: "Muddy Ruttzzz."
I had to completely remove the reservoir bracket, there was no clearance to lift the reservoir out. Couple of zip ties hold the hose in place.

Done! The New Bilstein Shock Is In! Sweet, Time For New Tires!

Close-up of a vehicle suspension system featuring Bilstein shocks and springs. Dusty metal components fill the image, suggesting a workshop setting.

New Shock Absorber Allowed Me To Go Ahead And Replace The Nittos On The Gladiator: What Tire Did I Choose As Replacement? (See My New Tires Here)

I didn't want to install a new set of tires on the Gladiator with the faulty shock, as I was concerned it might lead to uneven tire wear. Once I got the new Bilstein installed, I went to the tire shop and bought a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/Ts. When I discovered the shock was bad, I was in the midst of moving from California to New Mexico and renovating. I really didn't need the added trouble of a Jeep repair. It all turned out fine, but I was worried about towing Uhaul trailers halfway across the country with a faulty shock. For a time, I considered buying it myself, but I'm glad I waited and got the new one for free!


Jeep off-roading on rocky terrain under blue sky, showcasing rugged tires and front bumpers. Badge reads: "Outdoor Adventure Muddy Rutzzz."

Merch Section


Support Muddy Ruttzz in Producing Quality Content. Use My Links. I will get a small commission when you do. (No extra cost to you.) Does not matter if you purchase the linked product I get credit for anything you purchase within 24 hours. Thanks!


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Smiling man sitting in car holding on to steering wheel. Car is yellow color and door is open. Grass is visible on the other side of the car. There is also add for ebay Motors.
Click Here To Find Parts On Ebay Motors!


✅ - Zarges Aluminum Cases - Best Made Overlanding Storage Cases. When you require the best protection for you gear. Bear Resitant available. (Zarges)


Stacked Zarges Aluminum Cases sitting next to a Jeep Gladiator.
Zarges Aluminum Cases

✅ - MERCH Availabe on Spreadshop - Awesome Original Design Shirts and Merch - Muddy Ruttzz Clothing.

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As a Amazon Affiliate and Ebay Partner I receive a commission if you use my links to make a qualifying purchase. It does not raise the price you pay.





Keywords: Steel wheels, steelies, off-road wheels, best off-road wheels, Jeep wheels, truck wheels, wheel setup, off-roading, wheel durability, wheel repair, steel vs aluminum wheels, DIY wheel setup.

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