Bilstein 5100s are a HUGE upgrade!

[Fast325it]

On 9/16/2020 at 12:43 PM, 69gto96z said:

Side shots showing rake

This looks great! I have a High Country with 6.2 and plan to set the fronts at max which is 1.5”. What are the stock specs on your truck, 5.3? I’m trying to determine if I’ll need a 1” rear block to maintain the stock rake. I use my truck primarily for towing and hate the squat when my trailers are connected.

[69gto96z]

1 hour ago, Fast325it said:

This looks great! I have a High Country with 6.2 and plan to set the fronts at max which is 1.5”. What are the stock specs on your truck, 5.3? I’m trying to determine if I’ll need a 1” rear block to maintain the stock rake. I use my truck primarily for towing and hate the squat when my trailers are connected.

It’s a 5.3 SLT. I did have to add a 1.0” rear block to get the rake. Ebay special

[mandrewbot3k]

On 11/18/2020 at 7:28 PM, Duramax3oh said:

This may sound like I dumb question but I fully believe in “getting it out there”

 

Regular Silverado Z71 with no rear block at all. But if I were to (1) add a 2” rear block or (2) add a 1” block and get another 1” from add-a-leaf... would that mean the 5100’s for the Trailboss would be the best to go with? Get the extra length? 

Did you end up doing this? Did you get bump stop extensions?

 

I think it would be:

Front:   Adjustable B8 5100: SKU 24-293297

Rear:    24-309516 For trail boss 0-1"

Rear block (2-3"): Rough Country  2" Universal Block SKU6592 + u-bolts

 

Anyone have any experience towing between stock and these? I've got a 7100lb (uvw) travel trailer on order and wondering if it these will be better or worse under load.

[Graytidefan]

On 12/20/2020 at 8:24 PM, beauso79 said:

Somewhere in this thread it was indicated that the Bilstein 5100's for the TB have 3 settings: Stock, 0.5", and 1.1"......Couldn't you set the front Bilsteins at the 0.5" setting and then keep your

leveling kit (I assume it's 1.5" spacer) which would give you 0.5" less rake than you have now?  What about adding the spacer to the Bilstein at the 1.1" setting?   I was going to add the 2" GM Suspension lift to my 2020 3.0L Duramax 1500 and then keep the leveling kit to give me more clearance for the 295/60R20 tires and 20x9(+0) Hostile wheels I plan on adding.  Although, if get the Bilsteins I could set the fronts at 1.1" and then keep the spacer which should give me at least 3.6" in the front. Not sure if going that high would cause me any other issues..  I'd imagine I'd have to raise the back with a block to keep a little rake though.  Do you think your TB would clear 295/60R20's with the just the stock shocks and leveling kit?

Interested in this as well. I have the 1.5” motofab. 

[Duramax3oh]

On 2/15/2021 at 3:14 PM, mandrewbot3k said:

Did you end up doing this? Did you get bump stop extensions?

 

I think it would be:

Front:   Adjustable B8 5100: SKU 24-293297

Rear:    24-309516 For trail boss 0-1"

Rear block (2-3"): Rough Country  2" Universal Block SKU6592 + u-bolts

 

Anyone have any experience towing between stock and these? I've got a 7100lb (uvw) travel trailer on order and wondering if it these will be better or worse under load.

I did. I don’t have the #’s in front of me but I ended up going with the 6112’s up front for normal Silverado, and the 5160’s in the rear sized for Trailboss. Very very pleased with the ride difference. I went with 2” Zone off-road rear block and did the GM bump stop extensions. Pleased with how everything turned out. 
 

Have not towed with this set up yet. 

[Wormydog1724]

Ordering the 5100 front and back set for my 2021 AT4 3.0L diesel.

 

Wanting to level the truck (as much as I can) so I assume set the front to the max 1.1"?

 

I don't haul anything hardly ever, just want a better ride and control off-roading when I'm hunting coyotes and mulies.

 

Also I'll be keeping the stock 18" wheels and stock Duratrac tires until they wear out then I'll likely go to the BFG KO2, always had good luck with those in the past. I'm not sure what size I'll be able to fit under there but I guess I have time to figure that out.

 

 

[Wormydog1724]

On 3/1/2021 at 4:01 PM, Wormydog1724 said:

Ordering the 5100 front and back set for my 2021 AT4 3.0L diesel.

 

Wanting to level the truck (as much as I can) so I assume set the front to the max 1.1"?

 

I don't haul anything hardly ever, just want a better ride and control off-roading when I'm hunting coyotes and mulies.

 

Also I'll be keeping the stock 18" wheels and stock Duratrac tires until they wear out then I'll likely go to the BFG KO2, always had good luck with those in the past. I'm not sure what size I'll be able to fit under there but I guess I have time to figure that out.

 

 

 

I guess I decided to go a little bit further. I ordered the Cognito Upper Control Arms with their top 1" strut spacer.

My thinking is with the Bilstein 5100 set in the middle position .55" in addition to the Cognito 1", that should get me the stance and 'almost-level' that I'm looking for. And with the upgraded UCA's I should solve that angle issue at the same time. If the middle setting and the 1" top spacer aren't enough,  then I'll go to the top 1.1" setting on the Bilstein. 

 

Sounds like CV angle will be my only concern now... maybe?   
 

EDIT: Cognito said no-go with running the Bilstein 5100 front with their 1” top spacer. They said it would be good to go with their UCA only. FYI. 

Also the blocky Cognito UCA's will not work with stock wheels and tires according to them, they rub. But the tubular ones are supposed to be ok so that's what I went with.

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Wormydog1724

[Wormydog1724]

2021 Sierra 1500 AT4 3.0L duramax with Bilstein 5100 set to highest level 1.1”, Cognito UCA, stock Duratrac 275/70r18 tires, stock wheels. 
 

Just wanting to show the clearance of the Cognito UCA with the stock wheel/tire setup and the CV angle 

 

[1454]

I traded in a 2019 ZR2 for a 2019 High Country.  The ZR2 was hands down the best handling truck I have ever owned.  The High Country was the worst by far.  I have replaced  the 22s wheels with 18s.  That alone was a huge improvement.  Each corner lost 18# of pure unsprung weight.  Now I have ordered a set of Bilstein rear shocks.  Hopefully I can get this thing more reasonable.  I can hardly believe this truck was released from the same engineering department.  The S2000 is my backup autocross car.  
 
>>>>
Note that I define good handling in a truck as it tracks just fine wile cornering when hitting bumps, potholes a large dips.  The rear suspension should never move side to side or shudder when hitting impacts like pot holes. This is the highspeed damping in the shock designer world. Wheel weight has a huge affect in this.  The more weight that has to get over the pot hole edge must be all controlled by the shock. The rear axle weight hurts these trucks.  The entire chassis should never give a floaty feed when hitting large dips at higher speeds.  This is defined as low speed damping to the shock engineers.  The ZR2 was simply amazing with all of this stuff.  $4000 shocks sure help.

Holy crap. 18 lbs of weight per corner? I may dump the 22s if that's the case. I always assumed the rear bounce on my truck was due to the solid rear axle. It's the only reason I partially wish I had gone with the Tahoe.

[bearded_warrior]

Hello, newly upgraded to the 5100's, ride quality is an incredible improvement from the Z71 rancho's. 

Question, I noticed that the mechanic didn't cut the dust boot as described in the install instructions for the front, is this anything to worry about? I could probably reach in w/ scissors and give it a rough cut. They seem fairly soft so I wouldn't expect any issues if they did occasionally get compressed a little. 

 

I scanned through the posts and searched the forum, apologies if this has been asked before. 

 

I'm on the #4 .90 in level for the 6.2 L. 

[Mack Mason]

41 minutes ago, bearded_warrior said:

Hello, newly upgraded to the 5100's, ride quality is an incredible improvement from the Z71 rancho's. 

Question, I noticed that the mechanic didn't cut the dust boot as described in the install instructions for the front, is this anything to worry about? I could probably reach in w/ scissors and give it a rough cut. They seem fairly soft so I wouldn't expect any issues if they did occasionally get compressed a little. 

 

I scanned through the posts and searched the forum, apologies if this has been asked before. 

 

I'm on the #4 .90 in level for the 6.2 L. 

I have a 6.2, and set my 5100s at the #4 slot also. I cut the boots as instructed, and once together, absolutely can not see why I did. As much as I look at them, it seems entirely unnecessary.  If I had it to do all over again, I would not have cut them.

For whatever that’s worth .

[ms6040]

17 hours ago, bearded_warrior said:

Hello, newly upgraded to the 5100's, ride quality is an incredible improvement from the Z71 rancho's. 

Question, I noticed that the mechanic didn't cut the dust boot as described in the install instructions for the front, is this anything to worry about? I could probably reach in w/ scissors and give it a rough cut. They seem fairly soft so I wouldn't expect any issues if they did occasionally get compressed a little. 

 

I scanned through the posts and searched the forum, apologies if this has been asked before. 

 

I'm on the #4 .90 in level for the 6.2 L. 

My front 5100's are getting installed later this week. I'm looking for about a 1.5" front lift. It sounds like you went with the #4 and that gives almost an inch of lift, correct?

[bearded_warrior]

5 minutes ago, ms6040 said:

My front 5100's are getting installed later this week. I'm looking for about a 1.5" front lift. It sounds like you went with the #4 and that gives almost an inch of lift, correct?

#4 got me ~.9" yes. It was what I needed to level out the 6.2L. #6 is ~ 1.5"

[ms6040]

39 minutes ago, bearded_warrior said:

#4 got me ~.9" yes. It was what I needed to level out the 6.2L. #6 is ~ 1.5"

 

39 minutes ago, bearded_warrior said:

#4 got me ~.9" yes. It was what I needed to level out the 6.2L. #6 is ~ 1.5"

Thanks for the clarification. How hard are they to change the setting once installed if I want to go up or down a notch?

[SquireSCA]

Just now, ms6040 said:

 

Thanks for the clarification. How hard are they to change the setting once installed if I want to go up or down a notch?

You have to remove them from the strut, change the setting, and reinstall it.  It's a pain, so set it at the right height the first time, if you can.