2014 Ram 1500 Replacement of stock struts and shocks

[huntergreen]

Another vote for KYB.

 

[06 Dodge]

+1 Bilstein. They make great products and limited lifetime warranty.

Yes to Bilstein, I put a set of the 5100 my 2006 CTD 4x4 a big improvement over stock...

 

[Hattan]

After seeing my truck picture if I get the Bilstein struts and shocks will my truck remain even that way? and could you guys please provide a link to what I should order from your recommendation? Thank you.

 

[pacofortacos]

I personally didn't like the Bilsteins, they were pretty inferior in handling compared to my oem Outdoorsman struts.
Gave them away after being installed for about a month or so.

Are you sure your truck is stock? Ie. the front and rear gap between the tire and fender look about equal.
It sure looks leveled in that picture.

 

[huntergreen]

I personally didn't like the Bilsteins, they were pretty inferior in handling compared to my oem Outdoorsman struts.
Gave them away after being installed for about a month or so.

Are you sure your truck is stock? Ie. the front and rear gap between the tire and fender look about equal.
It sure looks leveled in that picture.

What did you replace the bilsteins with ? Thanks

 

[EdGs]

Lol, I'm honestly confused about what to order right now. Maybe if I share what I am looking for it’ll help with the recommendations. I am looking to have my truck ride comfortably especially on long drives since my drive to work is a long drive. I have zero ideas about suspension stuff or rake lol but ill attach a picture of my truck and you guys will hopefully know what I am needing and recommend me the right ones to order soon. to me, my truck looks level from the front and back and I like to keep it this way if possible. I've seen some struts and shocks mention 4WD or RWD my truck is a 2014 Ram 1500 SLT 5.7 Hemi 4WD.View attachment 504606

Nice truck. I am facing the same decision as you. My '15 SLT QC Ram seems a bit bouncy as of late, I do believe new shocks are in order. OE are pricey, but the truck did ride well, IMO.

Also, it has 153k on the OE shocks, so no complaints there. I've never had it aligned, either, and it still tracks straight with even tire wear. I have 63k on my Cooper Discoverer AT's.

As far as the rake goes, your truck does look level. Mine is a couple inches higher in the rear, and I like the way it sits, but to each his own. I love my Ram.

 

[pacofortacos]

What did you replace the bilsteins with ? Thanks

I was trying to lower the front a bit so I didn't replace them due to any problem - in fact the oem low mileage struts are in the garage.
I think I went with Maxtrac but can't remember for sure and can't find any receipt.

The bilstein strut rod was much thinner than my stock or the replacement - significantly thinner.

I wanted to lower the front a bit since I usually use the truck loaded or towing and almost exclusively for highway use and just wasn't thrilled with the 17 mpg @ 74 mph that I could get stock. That was the best I could get for mpg.

The number on my stock OEM strut is 05154597AB, not sure the of the number on the rear as they are still the OEM HD shocks.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Also, it has 153k on the OE shocks, so no complaints there. I've never had it aligned, either, and it still tracks straight with even tire wear. I have 63k on my Cooper Discoverer AT's.

Glad to hear that on the Coopers. I bought 3 sets of those this summer (for 3x vehicles)! LOL.

OP I'm sure if you go with the Bilsteins, ...the sun will come up tomorrow and set in the west at the end of the day. And they'll work fine for you. And if you put them on and they suddenly feel 'different' ...well they should. Yours might be all worn out (or partially worn). Installing a brand new shock of about any brand with slightly different valving than OEM will produce different results.

 

[huntergreen]

I was trying to lower the front a bit so I didn't replace them due to any problem - in fact the oem low mileage struts are in the garage.
I think I went with Maxtrac but can't remember for sure and can't find any receipt.

The bilstein strut rod was much thinner than my stock or the replacement - significantly thinner.

I wanted to lower the front a bit since I usually use the truck loaded or towing and almost exclusively for highway use and just wasn't thrilled with the 17 mpg @ 74 mph that I could get stock. That was the best I could get for mpg.

The number on my stock OEM strut is 05154597AB, not sure the of the number on the rear as they are still the OEM HD shocks.

Thanks paco !

 

[pacofortacos]

Thanks paco !

You're welcome, I wish I could find the receipt. I think I know when I bought them but paypal doesn't go back that far - 2019.
Unless I am missing the charge on my CC. I gave away the Bilsteins in Sept or so in 2019

 

[Hattan]

I personally didn't like the Bilsteins, they were pretty inferior in handling compared to my oem Outdoorsman struts.
Gave them away after being installed for about a month or so.

Are you sure your truck is stock? Ie. the front and rear gap between the tire and fender look about equal.
It sure looks leveled in that picture.

I think I might be wrong it might not be stock but it is black struts that look like the stock ones. Maybe the previous owner installed a leveling kit? if I get the bilsteins will I be able to put the leveling too if it has one on it now?

 

[Hattan]

Nice truck. I am facing the same decision as you. My '15 SLT QC Ram seems a bit bouncy as of late, I do believe new shocks are in order. OE are pricey, but the truck did ride well, IMO.

Also, it has 153k on the OE shocks, so no complaints there. I've never had it aligned, either, and it still tracks straight with even tire wear. I have 63k on my Cooper Discoverer AT's.

As far as the rake goes, your truck does look level. Mine is a couple inches higher in the rear, and I like the way it sits, but to each his own. I love my Ram.

Thank you, true to each his own. I love mine level lol I want to keep it that way. update me on the shocks and struts you choose to go with. I should go ahead and pick something this coming week but I'm just confused if I should go OEM or bilsteins.

 

[pacofortacos]

I think I might be wrong it might not be stock but it is black struts that look like the stock ones. Maybe the previous owner installed a leveling kit? if I get the bilsteins will I be able to put the leveling too if it has one on it now?

You should be able to do it with the bilsteins, but depending on how they did it (spacer, strut, etc.) you may need/want to change something.
For ex. if they used a spacer, then you could remove the spacer and just use the settings on the Bilstein 5100 struts.
Or just keep it as is and make sure that you choose the right height setting on the bilsteins when you install them - ie. the spring seat to tip of the rod are the same distance as your old struts.

Hard to say if you need/want to change anything until you see exactly what you have.

Also, you may want to replace the top of the strut parts since you will have it all apart anyways. Might not need them but it is easier to do it all at one time than to tear it back apart again.

LASTLY, have you ever done a spring loaded strut before? They can be dangerous if you haven't so be careful and get the right tools. If you take it somewhere to change them springs over, make sure that they put the washer on the rod and set your height setting to where it needs to be.

 

[Jeepwalker]

This is why I hesitate to offer advice on shocks. Most guys believe what they bought is the best (with a few exceptions). The only way to really tell much between shocks would be to have 100% identical vehicles side by side outfitted with different shocks, the same springs and same tires etc ...and toggle back and fourth on various surfaces. There might be some youtube video you can watch like this that 'might' offer some comparisons.

Someone saying, "these brand new Bilsteins I bought are better than my [years-old] old shocks" isn't a fair comparison. And most aftermarket shock companies seem to tune their shocks to be slightly stiffer than OEM anyway (from what I've seen), because if they are looser than the OEM's, the customer is going to think their vehicle is 'floaty', and want their money back. Companies don't want to give money back ..that's expensive. And do the new shocks have the same spec springs that are in your truck? There are several different spring rates Ram uses. There's a tag on your springs that ID's your spring. So the shock company picks something that fits 'most' trucks. On Rock Auto Bilstein lists ONE rear spring for all applications, 2dr/4d, etc. Is it the same as yours? Who knows? If they claim it's OEM ..OEM for what level ram truck? Maybe just buy new shocks and reuse your springs? BTW, lifting your front end is going to add wear to your CV's too (and might prematurely screw up the front diff stub shafts the CVs attach to). Ever read those posts about wobbly front diff stub-shafts? Anyway, not picking on Bilstein.

If you want a slightly different ride (slightly is the key word), most likely a little stiffer, then go with the Bilsteins or another reputable OEM. Bilstein makes a great product as do many other shock companies. I've got bilsteins on one vehicle. They ride nice ..but it was the OEM shock for that vehicle too. Of course any shock will most likely ride different than the years-old shocks currently on your truck.

And hey ...a slightly stiffer ride isn't necessarily a bad thing. It can contribute to more responsive handling 'feel', and better off-road performance.

 

[A_mod_too_far]

I just put bilstein 4600s on mine and I love them, the handling and ride is amazing, but I like it being a little stiffer and more of a truck experience. However for a maximum plush ride I'd stick with mopar stock, they're definately better than any after market and you cant go wrong with them.

 

[Hattan]

I really appreciate all of your opinions and knowledge about suspensions and honestly, I've learned a lot just on this post more than me researching about it. it is great to see everyone's perspective. I really want a smooth and comfortable ride so I think I would be going with the stock Mopar shocks and also the strut mount as Pacofortacos made a good point about it being convenient to do so as a preventative step. As much as I would love to get the bilsteins I should pick comfort first lol. @Jeepwalker you've been commenting on most of my posts I learned a lot from you and I really appreciate it.

 

[Jeepwalker]

No Prob. Good luck on whatever you decide. Let us know how the job goes and how the final product drives/handles. You're not committing your life forever ..either way. You can always go another direction at some point in the future if you decide (and just sell the shocks on fb).

Cheers!