Bilstein 2.8 actual lift?

SeventyGTX · Jan 12, 2016

Can someone give me the real world lift you got setting your 5100's to 2.8? Did you get over 2 inches? I currently have 2" spacers in the front of my 09 Laramie 4x4 and with a 1" spacer in the rear and am actually a 1/2" low in the front with this setup.

I am really hoping to level it and keep the spacers in the rear. I do not want to put Bilsteins on, only to find out they aren't as high as the spacers were. Basically, I am just trying to get another 1/2" in the front and hope the Bil's do it. Any help is appreciated.

AustinB · Jan 12, 2016

Hope this helps.... I did mine at 2.8 with a 3/4 rear spacer and I'm level. I don't go out and take measurements, I use my eyeballs. Someone else's truck may not end up level with the same... On average there is 3" of factory rake. Bils at 2.8 will most likely settle closer to 2.5 (maybe more, maybe less) that leaves anywhere from 3/4"-1/2" rake. If you keep the 1" in the rear... You most likely wont be level with anything that's safe.

Edit: either way, perfectly level or not, Bilstiens are 100xs better than spacers!

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SeventyGTX · Jan 12, 2016

Thanks for the reply. I have had no problems with spacers in 2 different trucks, a 12 and now this 09. But I do not put a lot of miles on them either. Mainly looking to firm up the ride and get rid of the marshmellow effect of the stock shocks. I will be putting Air Lift bags in the rear also to help with carrying capacity without sag. I had them on my 12 and they were great. Although they will raise the back a little even at 30lbs, which will obviously add to the rake.

tdramman · Jan 15, 2016

Is there a ride difference from the Bils being at 2.1 and 2.8? Has anyone actually tried it both settings and decided on one over the other?

R.L.K. · Jan 15, 2016

I installed my bilsteins @2.8 " aprox 6500 miles ago , I got 2.75" of lift with mine ( perfect level for my truck ! )
I use my truck as a Truck 4x4 off road regularly, hauling and pulling .
My bils haven't settled at all .

Hope this helps !

AustinB · Jan 15, 2016

R.L.K. said:
I installed my bilsteins @2.8 " aprox 6500 miles ago , I got 2.75" of lift with mine ( perfect level for my truck ! )
I use my truck as a Truck 4x4 off road regularly, hauling and pulling .
My bils haven't settled at all .

Hope this helps !

I believe he is asking if there is a difference that you "feel" in the ride quality between the different settings. I think the answer here is no.

Edit: depending on who you were talking to. Lol

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R.L.K. · Jan 15, 2016

AustinB said:
I believe he is asking if there is a difference that you "feel" in the ride quality between the different settings. I think the answer here is no.

Edit: depending on who you were talking to. Lol

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I was answering the OP

CherryRed · Jan 16, 2016

tdramman said:
Is there a ride difference from the Bils being at 2.1 and 2.8? Has anyone actually tried it both settings and decided on one over the other?

At a difference of ~ 1/2", I doubt the increased spring preload at the 2.8 setting would be too detrimental to ride quality.

zstampe · Jan 16, 2016

Bils at 2.8 and a .75" rear spacer. Rides great.

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Westco · Feb 19, 2016

I'm looking at installing my bils at 2.8 with a 1" cool spacer in the rear. That being said had any one experienced steering bump with the bils at 2.8?

R.L.K. · Feb 19, 2016

Westco said:
I'm looking at installing my bils at 2.8 with a 1" cool spacer in the rear. That being said had any one experienced steering bump with the bils at 2.8?

I've had my bils on @2.8 for about 7000 miles no bump , no issues at all and imo netter than stock ride .
Hope this helps !

××Edit ××
And for the OP I got 2.75 " out of mine, I haven't remeasured lately to see if they've settled , but by the eye I don't see any settling after about 7,500 miles.

tangowhsky · Feb 20, 2016

I just installed my bilsteins this morning and set them at 2.8. I seen too many posts where guys wished they would've done this the first time around. I also installed the 3/4' poly spacer in the rear. Monday i'll be getting my 275/65/20 duratracs installed then an alignment. But after the install this morning and a few miles around town it feels no different than stock...thus far!

Roughly 2.5", not bad eh

S0CAL · Feb 20, 2016

R.L.K. said:
I installed my bilsteins @2.8 " aprox 6500 miles ago , I got 2.75" of lift with mine ( perfect level for my truck ! )
I use my truck as a Truck 4x4 off road regularly, hauling and pulling .
My bils haven't settled at all .

Hope this helps !

Ditto!

Westco · Feb 21, 2016

I'm sitting at 37" in the front and 39 3/4" in the rear stock right now. So I guess it's going to be bils at 2.8 for me with no spacer in the rear and hope for the best. There are so many different forums about the bils at 2.8 in outdoorsman and the cv vibrations. I've also read others that have got the cv vibrations at 2.1 so I guess it's luck of the draw by the sounds of it. I only want to put on 33x12.5 rubber with 18x9 rims at a -12 and a 5 back spacing

AustinB · Feb 21, 2016

Just a couple things to consider. You will be nose high at 2.8, and 99% of the time... A 9" wide wheel with -12mm offset, will be 4.5" bsm.

IMO

Westco · Feb 23, 2016

Were you nose high at 2.8 before the lift? I've read that if I do have the different strut in my outdoorsman that when I remove it I lose that 1" and need 2.8 to get level again. But if I can achieve a nice clean level look with them at 2.1 with no spacer that would be perfect. I went under my truck and got all the serial numbers off my struts and coils but not sure how to find out which ones they are.

Front struts - 05154597AB Front coils - 05154617AA
1A15525-C 2A25386-3
1305130947 80556Q

Rear struts - 52853460AE Rear coils - (P)05154649AA
1A15489A
B1273

AustinB · Feb 23, 2016

I will do some digging tomorrow, unless someone can answer your question before then. I'm 99% sure that this has came up before, and the results were the same with an outdoorsman as any other 1500.

Edit 1: I'm 1 minute into the search for your answer and came across this on another forum:

hey all i have a 2013 quad cab outdoorsman, i have been wanting to get a leveling kit and possibly something to maybe lift the rear about an inch. it seems though every kit i look at online states not for trx model, maybe im looking at this wrong but is the outdoorsman considered a trx model? any help would be appreciated on what kits work great and if anyone else has a 2013 outdoorsman i would love to see pictures of your truck. thanks, jamie
brandonjansen
09-08-2014, 05:25 PM
The TRX (Outdoorsman) models used to come higher in the front than the rest of the trim levels. I don't believe this is the case anymore; they all seem to be at the same height based off of measurements I've seen. So it's not something you really need to worry about anymore. The best option for leveling is Bilstein 5100 adjustable struts. When you replace the struts it would take any issues regarding TRX models out of the equation anyway since the OEM ones are removed.

Edit 2: not sure of the rules for posting links to other forums.. But for the sake of knowledge, I'll take the hit if it is..
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343262#/forumsite/20511/topics/343262?page=1

Everything so far is pointing to what I originally said. Replace your struts with 5100s and at 2.8, you will be just as nose high as any other 4th gen 1500.

IMO

sbarron · Feb 23, 2016

If I'm not mistaken, and i very well may be, I believe the rumor was that only the Outdoorsman had option "XZNP Raised Ride Height", mine does... but I believe in reality, most 4x4 1500's have this option, so leveling is the same across the board.

AustinB · Feb 23, 2016

Only with bils, not spacers.

IMO

Bilstein 2.8 actual lift?

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