Bilstein shocks thread

JamesAT18 · September 9, 2019

Installed everything myself. These fronts were a b***h. Removed UCA, steering, sway bar, just to fit. Ball Joint was a pain to separate from the knuckle. But it's beautiful.

Discount Tire price match walmart for a good deal on 295 55 20

Rubs on full lock

5100s all around

Red_5 · September 9, 2019

2 hours ago, JamesAT18 said:

Installed everything myself. These fronts were a b***h. Removed UCA, steering, sway bar, just to fit. Ball Joint was a pain to separate from the knuckle. But it's beautiful.

Discount Tire price match walmart for a good deal on 295 55 20

Rubs on full lock

5100s all around

Your truck looks great.

When we removed the stock fronts and installed the 6112 on the highest setting on my '15 Sierra NHT, we only had to disconnect the swaybar on both sides. It was surprisingly easy. I wonder what the differences are?

Edited September 9, 2019 by Red_5

Snowcamo · September 9, 2019

On my 14 4x4 WT I only disconnected the sway bar and lifted the strut in place with a jack.

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Slash L86 · September 9, 2019

7 hours ago, JamesAT18 said:

Installed everything myself. These fronts were a b***h. Removed UCA, steering, sway bar, just to fit. Ball Joint was a pain to separate from the knuckle. But it's beautiful.

Discount Tire price match walmart for a good deal on 295 55 20

Rubs on full lock

5100s all around

Stock height or lifted?

Maybe get some wheel spacers either way to prevent the rubbin.

What part is it rubbing on, UCA or liner?

JamesAT18 · September 10, 2019

On 9/9/2019 at 6:39 PM, Slash L86 said:

Stock height or lifted?

Maybe get some wheel spacers either way to prevent the rubbin.

What part is it rubbing on, UCA or liner?

2018 GMC All Terrain

Bilstien 5100s all around (front at highest setting)

Stock blocks in back

Stock UCAs

295 55 20 Ridge Grapplers

No Spacers

Minimum Rubbing at FULL lock on UCA

No Trimming

Sorry, forgot to mention some of those specs.

I would like to stay away from spacers as much as possible.

Edited September 11, 2019 by JamesAT18

Arnj85 · September 11, 2019

Ive been reading a few pages of replies and questions. But I my question is I have a 15 Silverado crew cab midnight edt. 6.2 ltz z71. And I'm going for the lower sport truck look. I removed the blocks out of the rear and stock up front. Will the 5100 still accept the lower height in the rear or should I use a drop shock in the rear and regular 5100 up front??

Thanks

JamesAT18 · September 11, 2019

12 hours ago, Arnj85 said:

Ive been reading a few pages of replies and questions. But I my question is I have a 15 Silverado crew cab midnight edt. 6.2 ltz z71. And I'm going for the lower sport truck look. I removed the blocks out of the rear and stock up front. Will the 5100 still accept the lower height in the rear or should I use a drop shock in the rear and regular 5100 up front??

Thanks

Should accept the removed block fine. The rears don't provide any additional lift.

Arnj85 · September 11, 2019

I was more worried about bottoming the shocks out.

Yondu · September 14, 2019

On 9/8/2019 at 2:03 PM, Red_5 said:

I haven't done anything else to figure out my odd measurements but after doing more driving, I think the ride is getting even better. I noticed that my body subconsciously tenses up when it knows I'm about to drive over bumps that I hit everyday and the hits just don't seem as bad as they once did. I still have less than 200 miles on the 6112/5160 setup and I'm more pleased everyday.

I think I read somewhere that the 6112 springs were softer than the OEM springs and I believe it. The truck does seem to lean slightly more in turns but it isn't bad. The truck now rides like I think a 4x4 truck that had a nearly $60k MSRP should ride. Money well spent.

This is interesting to me. The 6112 uses a 750lb spring which, imo sounds pretty high. A lot of coilovers use 650-700. Someone posted before that own is 745.

I have the 5100s and don't love them, it's pretty firm. You say the 6112s feel softer than OEM? Do you have the NHT / max tow package?

Red_5 · September 14, 2019

14 minutes ago, Yondu said:

This is interesting to me. The 6112 uses a 750lb spring which, imo sounds pretty high. A lot of coilovers use 650-700. Someone posted before that own is 745.

I have the 5100s and don't love them, it's pretty firm. You say the 6112s feel softer than OEM? Do you have the NHT / max tow package?

I was talking to my friend about this after I posted the response you quoted and he pointed out that maybe the side to side roll that I think are softer front springs could be the result of higher ride height, I'm not sure. Another element that could be fooling me is that the spring and shock are matched better than OEM which achieves a better ride quality even if stiffer sprung. What I am sure of is that the ride is much better on our far from perfect roads, I've noticed that I drive a lot faster around town and now I need to be more conscious of it where before my truck would be uncomfortable and even unsafe in a few spots to drive even at the speed limit. I still only have a few hundred miles on it but the ride quality just seems to keep improving.

My truck does have the NHT package.

Yondu · September 14, 2019

It's also possible your trucks original springs are firmer than typical 1500 GM trucks, so maybe they are softer. I have a Z71 which has a firmer ride than regular but I don't believe as firm as a NHT truck. I know your front sway bar is thicker too.

I just switched from a 275/60r20 to a 285/70r17. It's supposed to be 32.8", but it's more like 32.3 and my 275/60r20 was about 32.8. With 2.5" more rubber (same model tire) it got ride of the harshness I had.

I was hoping for more change and at first it seemed very slight. After putting a couple hundred miles on it, I'm good with the ride for now. I went from a harsh riding truck to a firm riding truck.

If positive reviews keep coming in on the 6112, especially in comparison to the 5100s I may consider them next year. I just wish Bilstein went with a softer spring than 750lbs.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Yondu

papageoff · October 16, 2019

Well, my 5100s have arrived and I was planning to tackle the install this weekend with a buddy. He used to be an Infiniti tech so he's got access to a wall-mounted compressor. My plan is to remove the existing 2.25" level kit, set the 5100s on the highest setting and re-use the 3/8" spacer under the 5100 to get back to 2.2" of level.

I'm doing this because my truck's had a suspension-related rattle for some time now and has recently started rattling and creaking very badly when the suspension flexes. When we rock the truck side to side, we feel the vibrations from the creak in the shock/spring assembly much more than anywhere else. So, I am about 60% sure that the problem is in that assembly. We can also see the top of the shock move in the mount ever so slightly (a few mm, nothing more) when viewed from above. It's almost like a bushing is failing but I don't know if it's normal or not. I can't get a clear view of the other side.. The motion I'm talking about is in the center section of part 8 in the diagram. We'll check the ball joints as well just in case, but I thought 2.25" was supposed to be safe on those.

Should I hold off on the replacement until I can get new top mounts in? I'd hate to tear it all apart to have to wait a week for parts. I daily the truck, but I do have alternate vehicles I can use. If it is the ball joints, should I replace the UCAs with the RC ones or just change out the ball joints with OEM or MOOG units?

Slash L86 · October 16, 2019

40 minutes ago, papageoff said:

Well, my 5100s have arrived and I was planning to tackle the install this weekend with a buddy. He used to be an Infiniti tech so he's got access to a wall-mounted compressor. My plan is to remove the existing 2.25" level kit, set the 5100s on the highest setting and re-use the 3/8" spacer under the 5100 to get back to 2.2" of level.

I'm doing this because my truck's had a suspension-related rattle for some time now and has recently started rattling and creaking very badly when the suspension flexes. When we rock the truck side to side, we feel the vibrations from the creak in the shock/spring assembly much more than anywhere else. So, I am about 60% sure that the problem is in that assembly. We can also see the top of the shock move in the mount ever so slightly (a few mm, nothing more) when viewed from above. It's almost like a bushing is failing but I don't know if it's normal or not. I can't get a clear view of the other side.. The motion I'm talking about is in the center section of part 8 in the diagram. We'll check the ball joints as well just in case, but I thought 2.25" was supposed to be safe on those.

Should I hold off on the replacement until I can get new top mounts in? I'd hate to tear it all apart to have to wait a week for parts. I daily the truck, but I do have alternate vehicles I can use. If it is the ball joints, should I replace the UCAs with the RC ones or just change out the ball joints with OEM or MOOG units?

UCA replacement would come down to how bumpy the roads are you travel on. Your old ball joint could be messed up from the lift. Get an upgraded one with more travel or switch to uniball if you live where road salt and crap won't harm it.

I would personally leave out the 3/8 spacer. 5100 at max are as high as you should probably go w/o upgrading uca. Plus, it will effect the ride in a negative way.

Definitely get some new top hats(upper strut mounts) prior to assembly just in case. They're not that expensive and you could always return them if old ones are still good. Get oem ones.

Edited October 16, 2019 by Slash L86

papageoff · October 16, 2019

7 minutes ago, Slash L86 said:

UCA replacement would come down to how bumpy the roads are you travel on. Your old ball joint could be messed up from the lift. Get an upgraded one with more travel or switch to uniball if you live where road salt and crap won't harm it.

I would personally leave out the 3/8 spacer. 5100 at max are as high as you should probably go w/o upgrading uca. Plus, it will effect the ride in a negative way.

Well, I live on a dirt road, so yeah bumps are very common for me.

I thought I remembered reading that 2.25 was safe for the ball joints but I guess not. I wasn't aware of upgraded ball joints other than the UCAs that rough country offers. I don't think I need to go to a uniball. That seems a bit extreme, but what do I know.

Slash L86 · October 16, 2019

9 minutes ago, papageoff said:

Well, I live on a dirt road, so yeah bumps are very common for me.

I thought I remembered reading that 2.25 was safe for the ball joints but I guess not. I wasn't aware of upgraded ball joints other than the UCAs that rough country offers. I don't think I need to go to a uniball. That seems a bit extreme, but what do I know.

Yeah, upgrading uca would give you better ball joint than factory. Think they also make ball joint upgrades for stock uca that allow more movement.