Bilstein 5100 Ride Quality

[bhaubold]

I'm considering installing 5100's on my 09 ext cab 2wd. Still concerned about the ride quality. Don't want to be driving a truck with too stiff of a suspension.

 

Can anyone with the 5100's comment on the ride quality?

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Bob

[bossier62guy]

Could be a little firmer than stock.....I like em but I'm driving a 4wd too.

[CKNSLS]

I am wondering how their HD shocks ride. I have heard that the 5100s are pretty stiff. I know it's a truck, etc.,etc., but I don't want to firm up the ride to any great degree.

[Chris]

The HD's are somewhat stiff. I went from the base Z83 shocks to the HDs. My friend went from Z85 shocks to the HDs. we both love them

[kstruckcountry]

I would compare the 5100's stiffness to Z71 shocks. However, the 5100's keep the truck from bouncing up and down after stopping, coming over tracks, a hump in the road, etc. Overall a much better and more controlled ride.

[bhaubold]

I went ahead and ordered the 5100's. Hope to have them installed within two weeks. I let you know how the ride is. Thanks for all your comments.

 

Bob

[scz71864]

just put mine in, they are stiffer yes, but in a good way.

[bhaubold]

Looks like any report on these shocks will have to wait awhile. The shocks are on backorder and won't be shipped until 8-31. No problem, I'll just carry on,.

[bhaubold]

I had these shocks on for a couple of months now. I set them at the 1 1/4" height. Didn't want the truck to look too much higher than stock. The ride is excellent, and it gave me the stance I was looking for. I highly recommend them for anyone looking to raise their truck and change to a much better shock than stock.

[Battou62]

Thanks for the report.

[Spurshot]

When I bought my Z-85 Vmax in 2008, the first thing I noticed was that it was nearly unsafe to drive on the L.A. freeway system due to the lack of control from bouncing around. The freeways here are really irregular, not rough so much as these ramp like bumps on the overpasses, etc.. My crewcab would bounce a couple oscilations after going over these. Some would top and bottom the suspension out or nearly so. It was a wild ride, IMO. I had been driving a GMT800 99 2500 ext cab 4x4 for years on the same routes without any issues of control at the same speeds. Granted, my 99 had Bilsteins in it. But it took the route in stride. It was so bad in the 2008 truck that I actually checked the shocks to see if they were leaking fluid.

 

Within the first couple months of getting the truck I purchased and installed 5100 shocks all the way around. Great improvement! It should have been damped this way from the factory. It is not overly damped like some of the old Rancho shocks from the 80's that made a truck ride like a tank.

[Mossyoakglock]

Bring back an old thread as I don't see a reason to start a new one.

 

How would you rank the stiffness of the stock shocks, Bilstein 5100's and Bilstein HD's? I want a better shock but don't want anything more firm that what I have now. If the 5100s are as firm or a little bit more firm but will give better road manners, I can handle something a litte stiff but I don't want the truck to ride like a tank.

 

I was reading around on the differences between the two (other non GM forums) and they said that with both shocks/struts, they actually gave them about a 1/2" in lift because they are longer than the stock shocks. Is that true for the GM ones? I currently have a RC level kit up front and want to keep that but run the 5100 up front but at stock height. If I were to go with the 5100 and keep at 0, will it be stock height or will I actually get alitte lift out of it. Is that the same for the HD?

 

I'm wanting to put the 5100's all around but if the HD's are better way to go, I might consider those. I've been reading that the HD's are about in the middle between stock and the 5100s. .

[Badass69]

I have the 5100's on my one truck and they are pretty stiff. I don't have struts so there is no raising or levelling done by them, they are just shocks. When I bought them I went with them over the HD's because for what I could tell they have the same internals but get the zinc and more corrosion resistant finish than the painted HD's. The price difference between the two for my truck was pretty negligible further re-enforcing to me it's more or less the same shock.

 

I have KYB Monomaxes on my other truck and they are just as good of a shock as the Bilsteins. They were quite stiff but settled out after a couple thousand miles and ride quite nicely. The 5100's on my one truck are still very much new and I expect the same thing with some mileage.