I had a business trip to Chicago, flying from Mexico last week so I decided to buy a set of bilstein B6 struits from ebay, to finish my project.
Little did I know TSA in the airport did not allow me to do that.

My set of bilsteins was taken out of the bag at security screening in the airport and shown to me on the boarding gate asking me if the content was mine…

I was given 5 days to collect them on the front airline counter, MY SUSPENSION!!!!

I have a couple of friends who I think will get them for me carry them, to terminal 1, and have them shipped to down to Mexico, then carry on with their own trip back.
But if it fails, I ran out of options!
Any suggestions?
(Airline Picture)
I know,
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Hey Chris, you're in the Chicago area aren't you? @Chris H.

You cant carry on any metal item that large. You shoud be able to check them in baggage. I was not able to board with a pair of tube bending plyers as they were more than 8" long.

TSA in Oakland removed a set of Bilsteins from my checked luggage last year.

They left the standard pre-printed card in my bag, but no explanation at all about why or even where the shocks were.

I was not happy, but did finally find them at the airline check-in gate after hours on the phone trying to track them down. Of course I was no longer in Oakland, so I had someone else pick it up.

Supposedly, the problem was that they could explode when the pressure changes from altitude. I'll have to be more aware of that danger when I drive over the Sierras or the Rockies. (yeah right)

Yes same thing here, the claim is that no pressure filled metal and no gas Can board the Plane, I tried to explain there is no gas inside, its oil, and that is why I sent it as luggage As I was not able to carry liquid with me, but it was already removed.

A (now) very good friend will recover the struits today and will carry them to the other terminal to the UPS store in the airport, maybe we will be able to ship them ups ground… I will let you know later

I ship them no problem. TSA won’t let anything pass that looks like a pipe bomb.

I was just in Chicago yesterday. Totally missed this. For all to know, if you want to move odd parts on an airplane, check them. You can take a gun on an airplane, as long as you declare it and check it. Of course you will not have access to it, but it's the only way to make sure it travels as TSA gets creative on what you can and can't take through. I once took a set of bumpers to a customer in LA, funny thing was they made me run them through the xray machine.

Did you try shipping them air freight through the airlines? You have to bring them to the air freight terminal.

To ship airline airfreight you will have to be a known shipper. So check out paperwork requirements

It has been a few years since I have done it personally, now that you mention it I was likely a known shipper.

Since moving to consulting the only logistics I have worry about anymore is, where is lunch?

A friend was still in Chicago and will travel out today, she went to pick them and she is now on her way yo t1 to UPS express, hopefully she will be able to ship the tubes…
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She is now my very very “favorite” person

You will be able to see the 914 rubber top mount accessories already in place…

TSA is understandably cautious about what they will allow onto a plane.

That said I once put a new (empty!) Husqavarna chainsaw into my checked luggage and they didn’t even open the box.

You also can't take that on the aircraft if it has had the oil put in it. No oil/ fluids in it (new), it's ok. I have no idea why We run into this all the time in Alaska

Following up on my “telenovela”, on Saturday My friend collected the tubes, carry them to terminal 1, hurting herself in the process, to the UPS store by the Hilton, the store was closed!!!, she left them to the Hilton guard, god bless you “Mike”, today I spoke to Sophie the clerk at the UPS Store, she collected the shocks and shipped them to Mexico which is what I should have done in the first place, direct from ebay… and they will arrive hopefully next week in my house in Mexico… let’s have our fingers crossed. I almost loose my suspension for the third time now… as you can tell my sleep has not been very good on the last couple of days, I owe now at least a bottle of whine or flowers to my friend Alejandra, who collected the tubes and next time in Chicago I will kiss Sophie and Mike in the mouth!

Oh I love my car! Hehehehhee

Sorry for your inconvenience but it makes perfect sense
to limit flammable fluids on a passenger plane.

Totally, I just was not thinking!

There is indeed pressure inside those. Bilstein charges their shocks and struts with about 100psi of nitrogen as they fill them. That is how the oil is kept from cavitating.

While TSA is about as dumb as a bag of rocks, those shocks are a pressurized cylinder, which is typically not allowed to be shipped by air freight.

Glad they're on the way.

Last time I flew back east, as a native californian I wore my best flip flops. I almost missed my flight because the TSA decided the old guy in the wheel chair wearing flip flops must be a terrorist. Last minute my flip flops and I got on our flight. First class comes with all sorts of perks, I slept peacefully knowing my flip flops were not going to blow up while I slept. Good thing they didn't think you were an underwear bomber.

Finally home, what a nightmare.



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