Bilstein 5100

[troy rowe]

Currently have level kit in front on 2012 ram 1500-Planning on getting the bilstein 5100 ride height adjustable set to 2.1 or so and keep my current level kit on top of that.Anybody here done that yet?Thanks

 

[JB1]

Its not recommended to add a level spacer on top, however if you don't adjust the 5100's up to high and kept it all to around 3-3.5" overall lift you might be ok. The main concern will be your CV shaft, steering angles and probably the UCA as well.

 

[ThunderMug95]

If I remember correctly a few months ago a guy had that set up. The pic of it had everything cranked at pretty extreme angles. If it were me, Id just go 3” body lift and keep your level.

 

[Gary2]

I did 1.4 on the Bilstein's ( after trying every setting ) and a 3" BL . That was so the shock absorbers could still absorb and not pass on the shock to the truck which more noticeable with higher settings .

 

[troy rowe]

ok thanks-I'm going moderate setting on the bilsteins and keeping the spacer,will see how it goes-no time to do job yet

 

[ThunderMug95]

If your current level kit is a spacer on top of the stock coil assembly and you add Bils at 2.1 your net front height increase will be significant. Im at 2.1 and it leveled my truck with about 1/4” rake to the front. If you do your plan, your going to be 1.5-2” taller in the front compared to the back with your CV and ball joints at severe angles. So you may experience some vibration or catastrophic ball joint failure with bulldoggin it down the road.
Just beware....

 

[troy rowe]

I will put it 1 notch above factory setting and I think it will be ok-front end is all brand new-if I need i will get different upper control arms for ease of alignment-cv angles right now are ok with 3.5 spacer

 

[ThunderMug95]

Good deal...show it off when your done!

 

[troy rowe]

All done-works great with bil's set at 2.0 and 1.5 level kit on top of that-driveline angles/cv/ still beautiful.Front floor to fender lip is now 39.5 inches, rear is 41

 

[GIJoe2010]

Curious what the CV angles look like up front

 

[Triumphx]

Curious what the CV angles look like up front

Same here, got pics OP?

 

[troy rowe]

There ya go

 

[ram1500rsm]

You went a little low with this camera angle, try to snap the pic little above that.
Is this with a spacer on top of the strut, or a preload spacer + Billies at 2.1?

Aside from a better CV angle, the other interesting pictures will be your UCA angle at rest, and just for chit and giggles, lift the truck from the center front, and take a pic at the angles of your UCA with the struts at full droop...

 

[ram1500rsm]

I'll post my angles with my Rancho setup tonight for you to compare, i have the Zone UCA's, and my struts doesn't have any spacers, so i'm not overextending my struts at full droop.

 

[ram1500rsm]

So here you go, UCA at rest
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

CV angles at rest
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

Now lifted from the front, letting everything droop with tires off the ground
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

UCA's at full droop
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

CV angles at full droop
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr

Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr


Most important things for you will be to check how your UCA BJ's look like at rest and full droop, same for the CV angles, if you have a spacer on top of the strut, things might be bad for you stock parts depending on the size of that spacer, there seems to be some nice front room in this trucks though, i guess because of the factory air suspension can lift things 2" from the normal resting position, and FCA may have designed some wiggle room in our trucks geometry so we seem to have some more room to play compared to other applications that don't have such feature, but past 2" though might be a different ball game.

 

[GIJoe2010]

Droop looks good all around to me. Thanks for the pics.