Bilstein 5100 leveling shocks verus Coil Spacer Reviewed Ram 1500

[dan0]

Thanks, I will call them directly in the morning.

 

[R.L.K.]

Thanks, I will call them directly in the morning.

Good call Sir !

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[dan0]

I went to 4wheel parts this morning to check on installing the bilsteins
on my 2016 1500 ram 4x4. They told me due to all the problems with ball joints popping out they will not install them unless they change the UC"s also. Sorry I am not paying 900 dollars for a level.... jeez.

 

[69GWC]

Yeah thats alot when there is what $400 worth of parts.

 

[BRT-Longhorn]

Question- 2011 Ram 1500 CC - I am getting 5100's installed next week alone with Tuftruck 1211 rear coils. Thinking will go with level or near level shock setting, will I need headlights adjusted?
Thank

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[dan1911]

Question- 2011 Ram 1500 CC - I am getting 5100's installed next week alone with Tuftruck 1211 rear coils. Thinking will go with level or near level shock setting, will I need headlights adjusted?
Thank

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Yes absolutely.
I am up in Fairbanks and dont really have much dark during the summer and kinda spaced. As we near winter, it gets dark early. Didnt realize I needed to until a neighbor had to shield his eyes as he drove past me and I could actually see him shielding himself... whoooooppps

So yes, make sure your properly adjust them after!

 

[BRT-Longhorn]

Yes absolutely.
I am up in Fairbanks and dont really have much dark during the summer and kinda spaced. As we near winter, it gets dark early. Didnt realize I needed to until a neighbor had to shield his eyes as he drove past me and I could actually see him shielding himself... whoooooppps

So yes, make sure your properly adjust them after!

Thank you!

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[R.L.K.]

So the question I have been asking myself was, am I wasting my money just changing from one level to the other, or am I even going to make it worse and have to go back to the coil spacer? So today I got my answer, and thankfully it was no. In fact the Bilstein 5100's maybe be the best upgrade I have ever done on any of my past 4x4's, and I have done total shock upgrades 4 previous times.

So the ride was similar between the ranch bumper and stock bumper with stock shocks. However, the ride became very harsh when I leveled it. I spent over an hour driving around in every condition I could, and Burla is breathing a big ol sigh of relief today my fella's.

I have ran Bilstiens before and hated them. They were the heavy duty Bil's and I had a 4 front shock setup. So bottom line the shocks had no give. These 5100's not only have proper give, but it seats that damn truck right into the road like I've never had before. Also, the coil spacer binded me up on country roads and turning. The immediate thing I felt driving away from the shop was how good it handles and feels.

So if you notice the top pick, the coil spacer puts the factory spring into the 10 inch compressed position, when you get the 5100's it immediately releases it back to the stock relaxed position of 12 inches. If you have a good eye, you can see that in the top pic each spring is less then and inch, and with the Bil's it goes up to about a perfect inch. Prior to making the changed I manually tried rocking the truck back and forth, and with the spacer it was very hard to rock back in forth. The first thing when I got my truck was do the same thing, and the truck easily rocked back and forth.

But there is more at play then just that. The spacer also puts the shock into a position where you will bottom out with any needed travel. Furthermore, if you use a coil spacer with the factory shock, then you are also using the factory shock which is nowhere near as good as just about any upgraded shock.

I am in the top position on the 5100, and it erased any rake in the truck. I knew there would be a risk of vibration, but I opted for it anyhow after talking to the shop who does these all of the time. So, my truck when it is in 4x4 and you gun it, has a little shimmy. Honestly it is so minor I fell it isn't worth mentioning, especially with the way the truck is running, but it does exist. I tried everything I could to get the shimmy in 2wd, and could not at all zero nada zelch. And like I said, only when the truck is gunned in 4x4 and only early in the power band.

If I have any recommendation in leveling a truck, it will be with out any doubt to use the leveling shocks. Yes, coil spacers work and many guys don't have problems, but ask yourself if it is the best thing for your truck when you can have this option for just a little more money, and as a bonus you are getting rid of that junky factory shock.

I really wasn't happy that I had to spend all this money to level the truck a second time, but I am absolutely ecstatic at the results. Thanks Ram Forum for the great information regarding the shocks, I literally fell in love with my truck again. There is a short cut to my home but I never take it in any of my vehicles previously, it is just a gut busting road. Well, no joke I went down this road three times today testing my shocks, and I have never seen anything like this in any truck I ever had. I will take the short cut every time now. It is not just the level, but it is the rebound and over all quality of this particular Bilstiens even when compared to their yellow shocks.

The 5100 is the proper way to level a truck, the coil spacer is not IMO.

I've read a lot of opinions on how great the Bilstine 5100s are for a level and I've written some myself as I also installed mine in the top notch @ +2.8" and love the ride .
BUT this one written by Burla says it all !

Great write up on the comparison between spacers and the Bilstine 5100 Sir !

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Anyone having trouble deciding between bills or spacers should read this , especially if you have an aftermarket hevier front bumper [emoji1303]

 

[rocket]

been 8 years.......lifetime means lifetime to bilstein.........no issue's.

 

[Burla]

Yup, I have had a real nice front end with that monster bumper still 5-6 years, no complaints. However, when I get 35's I will be going back to top setting and I will update.

 

[rocket]

thats right where I went with my 35's......been 7 years with them, lol....30,000 miles still have life in the thread goodyear duratracs....I highly recommend them.

 

[RLJ10X]

An, I wish I had found this thread a week ago. I wouldn't have had to ask a bunch of annoying questions.

Now, I REALLY can't wait to get the 5100s put in.

Thank you to everyone on this forum.

 

[rocket]

An, I wish I had found this thread a week ago. I wouldn't have had to ask a bunch of annoying questions.

Now, I REALLY can't wait to get the 5100s put in.

Thank you to everyone on this forum.

8 years ago when I got mine there was a shortage....you couldn't even get them if you were in Germany,lol.

 

[DustanT]

Have a 2011 quad cab big horn with a 2" spacer up front and 1" spacer on back, want to move to the 5100's, can I get 2.5" lift for my truck on 2nd clip down? Current fender measurements are 38 1/4 front and 40 1/2 back. Stock tire size and wheels. Want to keep a 1" rake.

 

[rocket]

Have a 2011 quad cab big horn with a 2" spacer up front and 1" spacer on back, want to move to the 5100's, can I get 2.5" lift for my truck on 2nd clip down? Current fender measurements are 38 1/4 front and 40 1/2 back. Stock tire size and wheels. Want to keep a 1" rake.

they are adjustable in 1/4 inch lengths , the max lift levels the truck . so if you go max lift with the bilsteins, then the 1 inch spacers in the rear should get you where you want to be.

 

[DustanT]

they are adjustable in 1/4 inch lengths , the max lift levels the truck . so if you go max lift with the bilsteins, then the 1 inch spacers in the rear should get you where you want to be.

Thanks, just installed and now sitting at 38 7/8 and 40 1/4. It rides great!

6 7/8 tire to fender front and 7 7/8 rear fender to tire

Never go back to a spacer lift

 

[Kevin Thurber]

i wish i had seen this thread like a week ago. I just installed 2.5" spacers in the front and 2" in the rear. I dont do any offroading or anything like that, guess ill grab the billstiens when my original struts blow out or if i end up hating these spacers.

 

[rocket]

your sho

i wish i had seen this thread like a week ago. I just installed 2.5" spacers in the front and 2" in the rear. I dont do any offroading or anything like that, guess ill grab the billstiens when my original struts blow out or if i end up hating these spacers.

your shocks will fail before either of them happen, the real appeal,(imho) is the lifetime warrantee on the shock,strut.......

 

[Kevin Thurber]

im not too worried about the rear shocks, those are cheap and easy to replace. with the rear billstiens being an inch longer, and with the 2" spacer, will i end up blowing those out prematurely as well? my reasoning for the 2" spacer is to keep as much of the factory rake as possible, my bass boat squats my rear down quite a bit, when that thing is on my truck looked almost perfectly level.

 

[rocket]

seems about right.....the whole idea of a rake is to ''level'' the truck under load and not blind people with the headlamps......but I went with the level, heaviest thing I haul is my ass.......