Bilstein 5100 vs 6112

[mpwolf]

Hey Folks- I'm building up a hunting rig. 2010 1500 bought it with a steel flat deck and a heavy homemade front bumper. It's got some lift in it already, as came with 35's on 20" wheels, but I can't tell what is what up front. It does have air- lift air bags in the rear, but they're not currently holding air. Ride is ok on pavement, but the front end bottoms out and hits pretty hard on moderate bumps in the road. I'm thinking that whatever is up front is just tired and should be replaced. My initial thought is to put Bilstein 6112's at around 2.4" up front, and B8 5100's in the rear. I'm not looking for a bunch of lift. I'm much more interested in levelling it, and having some durability, so I'm thinking the 6112's are probably going to be longer lived, if a bit harsher than 5100's. I'm also moving back to 17" wheels, and 265's for now. Will probably move to something taller, but I'd rather have less wheel and more sidewall, and the 20's that it came with are in sad shape. Would love to hear what you think. Pics to come- once the current blizzard quits.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

I purchased fully loaded 6112s for my Laramie up front and went with 5100s in the rear.

I didn't go crazy and only set the 6112s up an inch in the front as I like an approximate 1 inch rake between front and rear. So if loaded or towing it generally is level. I have air bags in the rear so I can keep it level.

My laramie rides fantastic and handles great. I'm still on 20s but with 34 inch tall tires.

I would not hesitate to put 6112s in the front and 5100s in the rear.

I choose the 6112s as I didn't want to disassemble the front struts and go through the hassle of that work to do 5100s. In my opinion it was a great choice. More expensive but a great choice.

Others have more experience than I and could have a different opinion

 

[DILLIGAF]

do 6112s up front and 5165 Reservoir Rear

5100 are for pavement princesses

 

[KYPOTLICKER]

Could not be happier with the 6112 up front
Went Fox in the back, not as impressed as I thought I would be

 

[KYPOTLICKER]

do 6112s up front and 5165 Reservoir Rear

5165 worth the money ?

 

[DILLIGAF]

5165 worth the money ?

They are great paired with my Airlift 5000, Jeep Gladiator 6.5" lift springs and they look cool.

Not sure what Model is for Stock applications, 4" lift but they have them

 

[CanuckRam1313]

do 6112s up front and 5165 Reservoir Rear

5100 are for pavement princesses

I don't disagree!
My pavement princess has 5100's front and rear with the fronts set to 2.1" raised.

If' you're going more so off-road, then heed the advice above and set your rig up for success!

 

[mpwolf]

can anyone id this lift?

 

[olyelr]

can anyone id this lift?

cant help ya with the kit…but it looks like you have a nail in your tire.

 

[mpwolf]

cant help ya with the kit…but it looks like you have a nail in your tire.

yup- can't argue the facts!

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Hard to tell from those pics. 6112's are a great option. I also would recommend the Eibach pro kit.

I would also recommend pairing up some UCA's with the lift. Anything over 2" of lift it is recommended to install angle correcting UCA's to correct the front end geometry and got those CV's level again.

Message me if you would like a quote on anything. We offer most suspension brands including Bilstein and Eibach plus others like Fox, Icon, etc....

 

[mpwolf]

Have an appointment next week to go over what's currently installed, and what's needed. The truck is going to be used on gravel roads transporting hunting clients. No heavy wheeling- but the roads aren't great by any stretch. Modest clearance and solid dependability, with reasonable comfort are the main requirements. My thought is to set 6112s at 2" or so, and see how they do. Going with 285/70/17's because I found somebody who just had to have 35's on their Jeep!

 

[Quick_Shifter]

This is the easiest way to compare. The added bonus to the larger 6112’s is the coil spring they come with is a huge upgrade over reusing the stock coil spring

 

[olyelr]

View attachment 541148This is the easiest way to compare. The added bonus to the larger 6112’s is the coil spring they come with is a huge upgrade over reusing the stock coil spring

Wowza. What a difference haaaa

 

[KYPOTLICKER]

Another vote for the 6112

 

[DILLIGAF]

I forgot how tinny the 5100s are... lol..

 

[JamesCrowe]

Well I know what I'm doing when I kill my 5100s.
My truck is near GVWR most of the time. Just put on my 285/75R17s and with those and our ****** roads, I don't see more than 2 winters before they are cooked

 

[mrack]

I have the 5100s and wish I’d got the 6112s all the time. The 5100s are great for what they are and I’d recommend them for most people, but just not quite enough shock for what I use this truck for. At the time I had just spend $1500 on icon coilovers which turned out to be a disastrous fail and was looking for the most tried and true strut possible.