BlackSheepRebel
Senior Member
A while back I threw Bilstein 5100s at max height and Rough Country UCAs on my 2021 Rebel. The purchase was based on a few forum posts and YouTube installs I watched. Since the offroading I do is light (logging trails, forest roads), I figured it would be good enough and save money. When researching that, I actually called Bilstein and they advised against 5100's on a Rebel, but I wrote it off as trying to sell the 6112s.
After a couple years with the 5100's, I was not satisfied on of off road. Hard to explain, but the front felt too "floaty" for my taste, especially at speed. Bumps at more than a crawl were jarring, though I wrote most of that off to the 10-ply BFG KO2s (I've aired them down significantly based on chalk testing, but don't want to go too low due to "spirited driving" habits).
I finally bit the bullet and got the 6112/5160 combo with JBA UCAs. Still have to find time to get the 5160's installed, but it was nice enough to work with the garage open today so took the time to do the front. To help everything settle I drove around quite a bit and hit some light trails and bumps that were annoying before. I need more time with the truck to rule out "I paid more" placebo effect, but all I can say is it feels more... composed. Night and day difference over bumpy terrain, taking larger bumps and cornering at speed. No more floating feeling. As for the UCAs, it doesn't need said again but they are a work of art. Everything from the build quality to the u-joint boot were light years ahead of what was replaced. Bushing were a tight fit, but got them in with the provided lube and a bit of coaxing. Greased everything up with the JBA recommended Mobilgrease XHP 222.
For anyone considering saving a few bucks, do yourself a favor... wait and save a bit more to get the beefier setup with quality UCAs the first time. I'm pretty picky, and I've gone from being annoyed every time I drive the truck to looking forward to it again. Still need more miles to form a strong opinion and convince myself it's not wishful thinking, but it drives exactly how I wanted it to the first time. I really think these heavier trucks are just too much for the 5100's. YMMV.
Sorry, no new news here... just confirming what so many have said about this combo, and hopefully convincing anyone thinking of going the slightly cheaper route to just wait and do it right the first time.
After a couple years with the 5100's, I was not satisfied on of off road. Hard to explain, but the front felt too "floaty" for my taste, especially at speed. Bumps at more than a crawl were jarring, though I wrote most of that off to the 10-ply BFG KO2s (I've aired them down significantly based on chalk testing, but don't want to go too low due to "spirited driving" habits).
I finally bit the bullet and got the 6112/5160 combo with JBA UCAs. Still have to find time to get the 5160's installed, but it was nice enough to work with the garage open today so took the time to do the front. To help everything settle I drove around quite a bit and hit some light trails and bumps that were annoying before. I need more time with the truck to rule out "I paid more" placebo effect, but all I can say is it feels more... composed. Night and day difference over bumpy terrain, taking larger bumps and cornering at speed. No more floating feeling. As for the UCAs, it doesn't need said again but they are a work of art. Everything from the build quality to the u-joint boot were light years ahead of what was replaced. Bushing were a tight fit, but got them in with the provided lube and a bit of coaxing. Greased everything up with the JBA recommended Mobilgrease XHP 222.
For anyone considering saving a few bucks, do yourself a favor... wait and save a bit more to get the beefier setup with quality UCAs the first time. I'm pretty picky, and I've gone from being annoyed every time I drive the truck to looking forward to it again. Still need more miles to form a strong opinion and convince myself it's not wishful thinking, but it drives exactly how I wanted it to the first time. I really think these heavier trucks are just too much for the 5100's. YMMV.
Sorry, no new news here... just confirming what so many have said about this combo, and hopefully convincing anyone thinking of going the slightly cheaper route to just wait and do it right the first time.
