Bilstein 5100 release date

CMillSilverado · August 3, 2020

On 7/31/2020 at 11:35 AM, BlancoSilverado said:

Please do so. i am receiving mine tonight and swapping tomorrow before a 80 mile drive north.

I will give first my initial review on monday.

**Just got them in, going to install tonight or tomorrow.**

So I haven't done any tow miles yet but the ride without towing is much harsher now but the 70's Cadillac front bounce is gone. We have some rough cement Interstate here in CO and the seems now make the bed bounce more, I may through the stockers on the rear to see if thats the right balance.

Grumpy Bear · August 3, 2020

26 minutes ago, CMillSilverado said:

So I haven't done any tow miles yet but the ride without towing is much harsher now but the 70's Cadillac front bounce is gone. We have some rough cement Interstate here in CO and the seems now make the bed bounce more, I may through the stockers on the rear to see if thats the right balance.

Bilstein 5100 and 6100 are digressive. HIGH dampening force on low velocity bumps. Some shocks are so high that the valve doesn't open. HARSH. So are the factory shocks. A Fox or a King is linear (most of them). The difference between a factory shock and a Bilstein is nearly any valve arrangement that can be drawn between the two. Different? Yes. Better? Hum....

I love my Kings. Bounce like a Caddy? Not my experience. They give when they should and land soft. Will they handle the washboard without stepping out. OH YEA. Pretty nice on expansion joints and RR tracks too.

Most irregularities in the road are low amplitude. Under 3". If the shock does not give that force is transmitted to the chassis in lift, bounce, step out. The faster you drive the worse it gets. Look at that blue line and note how force increases with the speed of the hit. Eventually it feels like a spring of infinite rate.

What a digressive shock does well is control roll axis movement. Just what a truck needs with high bed or tongue loads. Stability. The OEM believes it's either or but there are other ways to control stability. It's just the cheapest.

Digressive valves work GREAT on smooth racetracks and full payloads.

BlancoSilverado · August 3, 2020

So with roughly 120 miles. I can say just having the rears on it makes a difference. The front is still bouncy and might seem that it more bouncy but not in a bad way. The rear is way more predictable.

Now, was it worth the $180 to swap the rears. i want to say yes. But only if you have an actual problem witht he rear being out of control on turns with loose grounds. if you never had a problem, i would say keep it stock. just my .02.

Dunn · August 3, 2020

7 hours ago, CMillSilverado said:

So I haven't done any tow miles yet but the ride without towing is much harsher now but the 70's Cadillac front bounce is gone. We have some rough cement Interstate here in CO and the seems now make the bed bounce more, I may through the stockers on the rear to see if thats the right balance.

maybe give them a bit of time to break in......

Grumpy Bear · August 3, 2020

21 minutes ago, Dunn said:

maybe give them a bit of time to break in......

Break in....? That's when the piston seals start to leak enough you don't notice the shims don't move? They all do it.

Duramax3oh · August 4, 2020

What are the height settings for the front 5100's, for a 2020 Silverado 1500 4WD LT?

In pictures and I believe generally, there's been 4 different settings. I can't find the "lift" for each individual setting just the range (e.g. 0-2.5")

I downloaded the instructions from bilstein to see and there's 6 settings on that shee (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5)

BurnsMax · August 4, 2020

I have had the rears in for 500 miles and it makes a big difference. I don't feel I'm going to lose it on some of the bumps. Still waiting for my mechanic to get back from vacation to get the fronts in.

Ithan Henry · August 4, 2020

26 minutes ago, BurnsMax said:

I have had the rears in for 500 miles and it makes a big difference. I don't feel I'm going to lose it on some of the bumps.

Same here. They've been a great option to get the rear under control.

Dunn · August 4, 2020

4 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Break in....? That's when the piston seals start to leak enough you don't notice the shims don't move? They all do it.

those aluminum wafers thingys wont flex if there is no pressure?......say what, lol

CMillSilverado · August 4, 2020

21 hours ago, Dunn said:

maybe give them a bit of time to break in......

Ya you're probably right, I'm towing in the CO Mountains next week and will get a good feel for the difference.

On 8/3/2020 at 10:18 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

Bilstein 5100 and 6100 are digressive. HIGH dampening force on low velocity bumps. Some shocks are so high that the valve doesn't open. HARSH. So are the factory shocks. A Fox or a King is linear (most of them). The difference between a factory shock and a Bilstein is nearly any valve arrangement that can be drawn between the two. Different? Yes. Better? Hum....

I love my Kings. Bounce like a Caddy? Not my experience. They give when they should and land soft. Will they handle the washboard without stepping out. OH YEA. Pretty nice on expansion joints and RR tracks too.

Most irregularities in the road are low amplitude. Under 3". If the shock does not give that force is transmitted to the chassis in lift, bounce, step out. The faster you drive the worse it gets. Look at that blue line and note how force increases with the speed of the hit. Eventually it feels like a spring of infinite rate.

What a digressive shock does well is control roll axis movement. Just what a truck needs with high bed or tongue loads. Stability. The OEM believes it's either or but there are other ways to control stability. It's just the cheapest.

Digressive valves work GREAT on smooth racetracks and full payloads.

Not sure I get how King shocks are the same as stockers but ok.

lapoolboy · August 4, 2020

14 hours ago, CMillSilverado said:

Ya you're probably right, I'm towing in the CO Mountains next week and will get a good feel for the difference.

Not sure I get how King shocks are the same as stockers but ok.

I'm not sure where you are reading that Kings are the same as the stock Ranchos, but they are not. Kings are linear and the Ranchos are digressive.

Edited August 5, 2020 by lapoolboy

CMillSilverado · August 4, 2020

Just now, lapoolboy said:

I'm not sure where you are reading that Kings are the same as the stock Ranchos, but they are not. Kings are linear and the Ranchos are digressive. That said, I just took off the stock Ranchos at 13,000 miles and put on some Bilsteins (which are also digressive) and it's like a completely new truck. VERY pleased.

Right here from Grumpy Bear not you :"I love my Kings. Bounce like a Caddy? Not my experience."

I said my stock shocks that are not Rancho's bounce Like a Caddy and he responded with that.

lapoolboy · August 4, 2020

2 minutes ago, CMillSilverado said:

Right here from Grumpy Bear not you :"I love my Kings. Bounce like a Caddy? Not my experience."

I said my stock shocks that are not Rancho's bounce Like a Caddy and he responded with that.

What trim level is your truck?