Over 2000 lbs in bed leveled on bilstein 5100s...

[crushNchowda]

Putting together a big fire pit on my property using boulders/rocks...I loaded the bed by hand w/ a friend & have had 30x50 lb bags of crushed stone in it before & judging from loading/unloading it & the amount of sag I'd say these boulders were definitely over the 1500 lbs of crushed stone previous and probably more like 2200 lbs

 

 

Truck did not seem to notice much at all, acceleration still good, ride improved on highway, and even on some rough rocky roads near a dirt-bike pit it still soaked everything up just fine...lets put it this way, 20 miles w/ that in the bed 15 highway and 5 on backroads & not 1 rock shifted or banged against the body....very secure ride.

 

 

My truck has stock wheels/tires (plan to add bigger/taller tires in future), bilstein 5100's @ max height, and rear blocks adding either 1" or 1.25" over stock (can't recall). Without the added height from the block kit I'm guessing it would've been dragging a$$ a bit.

 

Figured member would be interested in A) what a fully loaded up truck looked like w/ the bilstein 5100s, B) that it handled the payload w/ ease, and C) that the Bilstein shocks really shined/performed well under the conditions. Very happy w/ them.

 

 

[hurlz07tahoe]

Awesome, thanks for the info. What rear block did you put in? Do you have the Bilstein 5100 ride height adjustable in the front and the 5100's in the rear, too?

 

I'm wanting to go this route, but I've been concerned about being nose high when I tow or load up the bed (I bought a pickup for a reason!)

 

Thanks again.

[conundrum]

Maybe the shocks can handle it, but isn't that quite a bit over the payload rating?

[tnchevy]

I would check your rear shocks after unloaded just to make sure you didn't bust them. I hauled about 2,800 pounds of gravel in my 2002 (never go to a rock query to get crushed stone, by from local dealer). It busted both shocks and cracked one leaf spring.

[Rkaroll953]

id think 2k is fine as long as he isint running the baja 500 with that weight in the bed

[KMGZ400]

I would check your rear shocks after unloaded just to make sure you didn't bust them. I hauled about 2,800 pounds of gravel in my 2002 (never go to a rock query to get crushed stone, by from local dealer). It busted both shocks and cracked one leaf spring.

 

did the same thing with my 01 that i had, went to a rock quarry, had 2900lbs in the bed luckily only had to drive 3 miles on dirt roads home! truck didnt like that at all

[tanner709]

Pardon the ignorance but, what do the billsteins have to do with the capacity the truck can handle for payload - is that not more the sole function of the leaf? The strut for the dampening motion.

 

The more I think of it, you have the bilsteins set at a height above stock, therefore they do take some load but again isn't this counter-productive and possibly damaging to the struts? The leaf should be doing this work, no?

[Oldbay]

Are the Blistein 5100s a rip and replace?

 

Looks good!

[Silvern Sentry]

Pardon the ignorance but, what do the billsteins have to do with the capacity the truck can handle for payload - is that not more the sole function of the leaf? The strut for the dampening motion.

 

The more I think of it, you have the bilsteins set at a height above stock, therefore they do take some load but again isn't this counter-productive and possibly damaging to the struts? The leaf should be doing this work, no?

 

 

It is more a matter of once you level the truck is loses payload capacity. Once you start to put a load in the front end will raise which you do not want. These are designed to hold a payload remember so its less a matter of the truck not be level as the rear suspension is totally relaxed with no load.

 

So what he is saying is she took it like a champ but you would not want to do this every day.

 

* I would say adding a couple hundred pounds of fiberglass canopy plus wooden bedframe over the wheel wells and matteress in my truck bed lowered the bed a good 1/4 inch or more once I load up BBQ cooler and what not for a weekend out and slightly 'reverse' levels it.

[tanner709]

 

 

It is more a matter of once you level the truck is loses payload capacity. Once you start to put a load in the front end will raise which you do not want. These are designed to hold a payload remember so its less a matter of the truck not be level as the rear suspension is totally relaxed with no load.

 

So what he is saying is she took it like a champ but you would not want to do this every day.

 

* I would say adding a couple hundred pounds of fiberglass canopy plus wooden bedframe over the wheel wells and matteress in my truck bed lowered the bed a good 1/4 inch or more once I load up BBQ cooler and what not for a weekend out and slightly 'reverse' levels it.

 

 

Ahhh yeah I understand some more now. I was thinking he had the bilsteins in the rear as well and was expressing how well they handled. My bad. Forget my post !

[crushNchowda]

 

 

Ahhh yeah I understand some more now. I was thinking he had the bilsteins in the rear as well and was expressing how well they handled. My bad. Forget my post !

I do have them in the rear as well, more showing what it looked like since I was @ or just over max payload and leveled w/ the bilstein shocks, Since I added taller rear blocks & also I imagine since the billies are stiffer than stock, my truck didn't experience the unwanted sagging rear end look & also rode fine. I wasn't driving far, long, or fast w/ this in the bed lol