Bil's 5100 and rattle/noise/rough ride

I have used my Harbor Freight flexible camera to look for the washer directly under the nut with mixed success. The only way I was able to confirm that I put the washer in the wrong place was to completely disassemble the struts. When I took them apart, I replaced the spring upper mounts with parts from O'Reilly since I was paranoid about wearing out the holes and having squeaks.

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No news as of now.... When I dropped it off monday morning he told me wednesday (today) was the latest he'd have a chance to check it out.

I will update as soon as I have some info.


I was able to use a small shaving mirror to check the drivers side and I could see the washer so right there is proof they were installed incorrectly. The shop's answer to that was "I assembled it the same way it came a part." I think he meant the same way the OEM shocks were assembled.

Also to note I asked a head of time if he had experience with Bil's and he said yes. Then after taking the truck back in for the 2nd time (this episode is the 3rd time) he said he installed my bil's the same way he has installed many others. I don't know if I trust that he has any experience installing Bil's or he actually has installed many others wrong?

I just want my F'n truck back...

This is literally the only reason I do my own mechanic work. Cant trust anyone to do something right.

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Paradeedle said:

You guys have me paranoid on how I installed mine now. I can't remember where I put the washer because it has been 4-5 months since I did the install. Is there an easy way to tell where the washer is without disassembling everything? The only noise I have is a small knock when I hit a bump when turning left.

I have taken my suspension apart at least 4 times on each side at this point replacing upper control arms that I am scared I am going to crack the knuckle from being banged on so much. I need to invest in a ball join separator...

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I'm not aware of an "easy" way. I want to believe that had you installed the washer in the wrong position you would know about it by now. One of the crummy things, at least in my neck of the woods, is that the nut and threads gets pretty rusty in a short amount of time. So if a guy needs to dis-assemble them after any given time it can be tricky to do so.

Updated...
The shop called and said that they replaced the strut mount just on the side that failed. He said they didn't do anything to the drivers side..
So I asked him the order of assembly of the strut and he tells me the exact wrong way to do it. Then he said he added a couple washers somewhere in the mix to strenthen things up... WTF

So I go through the correct steps of assembly and he tell him to pull it all a part and do it the correct way, also explaining why the supplied washer placement is important and mentioning that common knowledge says washer then nut but that's not correct in this situation. He agreed to tear both sides a part again and do it right at no charge.

I'm pissed but relieved he actually seems to understand at this point....

Pulling my hair out here

Really appreciate all the help from you guys. It really saved me future headaches because if I wouldn't have been able to explain the correct way to do it I'd have more issues down the road.

Took long enough for it to sink in!!! You have a crazy amount of patience man, I applaud that.


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Well that is good news! I'd still be paranoid that he would think I was an idiot and would just tell me they ripped them apart and did them the correct way.

Fingers crossed for positive outcomes and a noise free smooth ride!

2k9ram said:

Well that is good news! I'd still be paranoid that he would think I was an idiot and would just tell me they ripped them apart and did them the correct way.



Fingers crossed for positive outcomes and a noise free smooth ride!

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I'm still worried and won't be able to fully relax until I pick it up. Fingers crossed everything is as it should be.


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Props to you BigRed4x4 !
I've been bow hunting whitetail deer for 35 yrs (so I am patient ) but you Sir have me beat in that dept .
To bad you couldn't actually be there during the assembly , or speak to the tech in private about the sequence of the install of the components ...ie the washer .

Did you ever find out what the hell he ment by

" installing a couple washers somewhere in the mix to strengthen things up "

Lol I would've blown a gasket right then !

Anyway good luck Sir , and I've gotta say I love this Ramforum.com community , as we help each other out day in & day out !


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R.L.K. said:

Props to you BigRed4x4 !
I've been bow hunting whitetail deer for 35 yrs (so I am patient ) but you Sir have me beat in that dept .
To bad you couldn't actually be there during the assembly , or speak to the tech in private about the sequence of the install of the components ...ie the washer .

Did you ever find out what the hell he ment by

" installing a couple washers somewhere in the mix to strengthen things up "

Lol I would've blown a gasket right then !

Anyway good luck Sir , and I've gotta say I love this Ramforum.com community , as we help each other out day in & day out !


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I have been dealing with the owner of the shop. He said he's been doing the work but he does have a couple other employees, so it's any ones guess to who actually did the work. I don't really believe anything he says at this point. He called a couple hours ago and said everything is done and the truck is ready to be picked up so I'll get it after work tonight. I asked if he redid both sides and he said yes but when I dropped it off monday I told him i wanted not only the damaged side repaired but the other side too. Then when he called yesterday he said he only redid the damaged side.

I'm totally fed up with this guy so I just hope it rides good when I pick it up. I have to have my lower ball joints replaced soon and I may just for peace of mind have the new shop double check the Bil's even if it cost's me. I just can't trust this guy and want to just cut my loses and move on.

As far as having patience...It's a small shop, not like a dealership where I could file a complaint or contact RamCares or something. I'm at the end of my rope but I kind of felt like in this situation with him having my truck if I pissed him off enough he'd just tell me to come pick it up and to F off. I wanted him to make it right on his dime not mine. And I know the last conversation where I explained the order of assembly could have went south real quick and I had no faith that he'd do the right thing.

Hopefully he did an alignment again after all that

Could one of you guys take a picture looking down on top of your strut mount so the top nut is visible? Here is a picture of mine and I can't tell if that's a F'n washer or if that's correct. The supplied washer is no longer visible. Someone help.


But, the rattle and noise are gone and the truck feels a lot tighter than it did previously. It seems to have a stiffer ride than before but not to the point of worrisome.

I'm not satisfied, simply for the fact that I don't trust this guy. There was no charge and no alignment. The alignment is the least of my concern's.

You will definitely need an alignment, i wouldnt skimp on that because it'll come back to bite ya later on.

That appears to be a washer underneath that top nut. When you said he threw extra washers, maybe that's what he meant. Throw some under, some on top, and maybe some in the glove box just for giggles. I'm not sure how this would affect the components, but it does not seem to be spec.

As far as the ride goes, it will absolutely be a stiffer ride. I was surprised at how much I felt the bumps in the road, takes some getting used to for sure. And if, like me, you like the ride of a stiffer tire and higher PSI you will rattle your brain. I have 10ply tires and used to air up to 55 front and 50 rear but have since dropped 5 front and back

dan1911 said:

You will definitely need an alignment, i wouldnt skimp on that because it'll come back to bite ya later on.

That appears to be a washer underneath that top nut. When you said he threw extra washers, maybe that's what he meant. Throw some under, some on top, and maybe some in the glove box just for giggles. I'm not sure how this would affect the components, but it does not seem to be spec.

As far as the ride goes, it will absolutely be a stiffer ride. I was surprised at how much I felt the bumps in the road, takes some getting used to for sure. And if, like me, you like the ride of a stiffer tire and higher PSI you will rattle your brain. I have 10ply tires and used to air up to 55 front and 50 rear but have since dropped 5 front and back

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Oh yeah, I'm going to get an alignment but the strut is my main concern at the moment. I am almost beside myself that here after having my truck in his shop 3 times I'm dealing with a jerry rigged shock.

BigRed4x4 said:

Oh yeah, I'm going to get an alignment but the strut is my main concern at the moment. I am almost beside myself that here after having my truck in his shop 3 times I'm dealing with a jerry rigged shock.

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Well that sucks! Not sure if I would lose any sleep over it or not. I'm sure I would since I know it's not "right".

Reviving this old thread. I had Bilstein 5100's installed at a dealership a few weeks back as they actually turned out to be cheaper than some other shops ( I supplied the Bilstein's). Everything felt and looked good for the first week, but I mainly stayed on city streets and highways. Then I started hearing some front end clunk noises immediately after coming off speed bumps and pulling into my driveway. I started wondering if the technician had installed the washer in the right location. I kicked myself for not bringing this potential issue up to the service advisor before the install and making sure the tech followed the included instructions.

Someone else had previously asked if there was a way to tell if the washer was incorrectly installed directly beneath the nut on the top mount? I haven't yet been able to get a small enough mirror in that space to look at it. To me, it looks like the nut is not flush with the top mount. It appears to be slightly raised. Could that be an indication there is a washer that is below that nut? I would like to go back to the dealership with some conclusive evidence before I start questioning their installation.

Use your cell phone camera if you can’t find a mirror.


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SevenPointSupp said:

Reviving this old thread. I had Bilstein 5100's installed at a dealership a few weeks back as they actually turned out to be cheaper than some other shops ( I supplied the Bilstein's). Everything felt and looked good for the first week, but I mainly stayed on city streets and highways. Then I started hearing some front end clunk noises immediately after coming off speed bumps and pulling into my driveway. I started wondering if the technician had installed the washer in the right location. I kicked myself for not bringing this potential issue up to the service advisor before the install and making sure the tech followed the included instructions.

Someone else had previously asked if there was a way to tell if the washer was incorrectly installed directed beneath the nut on the top mount? I haven't yet been able to get a small enough mirror in that space to look at it. To me, it looks like the nut is not flush with the top mount. It appears to be slightly raised. Could that be an indication there is a washer that is below that nut? I would like to go back to the dealership with some conclusive evidence before I start questioning their installation.

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Use your cell phone camera


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Will give it a try. Thanks.

What am I missing? In this pic it looks like the washer goes under the nut.