Bilstein 5100 Adjustable Leveling Shock Kit

Racket

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Well, got them installed, after they arrived after work. 4.5 hours. and i have a good supply of tools and 30 yrs wrenching. Yes you can clock the springs after they are installed, at least on the stock setting.

As Porpoise was saying, the rebound damping on the FX strut was vituruly non existtant. I compressed the Bilsteins, and rebound damping was nice and slow, The FX shocks/struts just basically flew back open.

I'm optimistic.

(I feel so bad about the FX shocks, i won't even sell them. They have a date with the dump.)


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When I get the fronts, I'll get a local shop to put mine in and align everything.

For a driveway mechanic, the rears should be pretty straightforward right?
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landiscarrier

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I'm sorry, i did not. Ride height is same as it was stock though, i measured that before.



I think if i had to use a ratchet i would of been driving to the tire store. I tried to turn them further with a ratchet after they were compressed with the drill, and don't see how you could compress the spring further by hand. I was just able to get the spring compressed enough for the lowest setting, which is fine, because that's what i wanted, softest ride. you>> :muscle:
haha! My son and I took turns compressing them and he’s a A Tech at a Chevy dealer and he kept telling me “this is so stupid doing it this way” hahah!

glad you’re liking the ride! It’s a huge improvement!
 

Rickfar

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I remember having Bilstein shocks on my Frontier. Had a base model without them before hand and can say there is a nice difference. A good option for those who dont want to lift but want better ride quality.
ok new to owning trucks but love my ranger .I want to get better shocks for the rear to start do not want to raise lower at all just want better rear shocks confused as the shocks all seem to want to say raise 0-3 inches just want better shocks to help with wheel hop as I have the ford tune and at times it seems to break traction ,thinking better shocks might help. thinking about eibachs or blisteins. i need part number for them as im totally confused. I do not forsee going offroad . thanks in advance I hope im not hijacking thread.
 

Frenchy

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ok new to owning trucks but love my ranger .I want to get better shocks for the rear to start do not want to raise lower at all just want better rear shocks confused as the shocks all seem to want to say raise 0-3 inches just want better shocks to help with wheel hop as I have the ford tune and at times it seems to break traction ,thinking better shocks might help. thinking about eibachs or blisteins. i need part number for them as im totally confused. I do not forsee going offroad . thanks in advance I hope im not hijacking thread.
If that's the case I would get either the bilstein's or the eibach kit. Even though you're not planning to go Offroad either one will do you well and you don't necessarily have to lift the truck that all to do it. I want to say the bilstein's will slightly raise the front but not enough to make you freak out.
 

Rickfar

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If that's the case I would get either the bilstein's or the eibach kit. Even though you're not planning to go Offroad either one will do you well and you don't necessarily have to lift the truck that all to do it. I want to say the bilstein's will slightly raise the front but not enough to make you freak out.
So are the 5100 the ones I want for the rear?
 


aeroshots

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ok new to owning trucks but love my ranger .I want to get better shocks for the rear to start do not want to raise lower at all just want better rear shocks confused as the shocks all seem to want to say raise 0-3 inches just want better shocks to help with wheel hop as I have the ford tune and at times it seems to break traction ,thinking better shocks might help. thinking about eibachs or blisteins. i need part number for them as im totally confused. I do not forsee going offroad . thanks in advance I hope im not hijacking thread.
Just to add my 2 cents. Wheel spin and wheel hop aren't the same thing. Your tires are still going to spin when you get on it, especially with a tune. But do get either brand shocks. Great upgrade.
 

Rickfar

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The 5100 will do both front and rear
Just to add my 2 cents. Wheel spin and wheel hop aren't the same thing. Your tires are still going to spin when you get on it, especially with a tune. But do get either brand shocks. Great upgrade.
I get wheel hop . I know that you're going to end up getting some of that with a pick up truck cause you don't Have any weight in the bed but I just think better shocks will help keep the wheels in contact a little better with the road.
 

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@Rickfar
It is a little confusing but what the 0"-3" means is the shock is capable of stock height up to 3" of lift. Swapping the rear shocks wont lift it, if thats what you are worried about. But if you wanted to, the new shock could handle up to three inch of lift.
Hope that helps.

Edit: Since I was looking today, its only handles up to an inch of rear lift, not three.
 
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BowWow

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What geophb said ^^^. The Bilstein is a bit longer than stock, with a bit more travel, so it will accommodate a stock rear suspension, up to a rear suspension that's been lifted up to 3". The Bilstein and Eibach shocks have much better internal valving than the stock shocks, which gives a far better ride.

Lifting the rear consists of installing specially designed blocks between the springs and the rear axle. No blocks = no lift. I'll be lifting the back of my truck 1" using 1" blocks, and will install the same Bilstein 5100's that you will on your non-lifted truck.
 

Frenchy

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What geophb said ^^^. The Bilstein is a bit longer than stock, with a bit more travel, so it will accommodate a stock rear suspension, up to a rear suspension that's been lifted up to 3". The Bilstein and Eibach shocks have much better internal valving than the stock shocks, which gives a far better ride.

Lifting the rear consists of installing specially designed blocks between the springs and the rear axle. No blocks = no lift. I'll be lifting the back of my truck 1" using 1" blocks, and will install the same Bilstein 5100's that you will on your non-lifted truck.
If you're planning to stay on the street blocks are a great idea. If you're planning to go Offroad I would suggest the old man emu leaf springs in the rear. They raise the rear by 1.6 in and help smooth the right out since it is quote-unquote a softer spring since it has a higher travel.
 

Porpoise Hork

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What geophb said ^^^. The Bilstein is a bit longer than stock, with a bit more travel, so it will accommodate a stock rear suspension, up to a rear suspension that's been lifted up to 3". The Bilstein and Eibach shocks have much better internal valving than the stock shocks, which gives a far better ride.

Lifting the rear consists of installing specially designed blocks between the springs and the rear axle. No blocks = no lift. I'll be lifting the back of my truck 1" using 1" blocks, and will install the same Bilstein 5100's that you will on your non-lifted truck.
Agreed. Just replacing dampers will not change the ride height at all. You have to install additional spacers, brackets or other hardware as well. In the case of the Bilstein or Eibach's, the front struts can increase the ride height provided the spring perch is mounted higher than the OEM location. This will raise it the the front suspension up depending on where you mount the spring perch at.
 
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2.7EcoBoost

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Anybody install with before and after measurements? My kit arrived today from Stage3 (Very fast!!) and I'm thinking perch #3 for a 1.2" advertised (generic) lift, but wanted to see if anyone actually can confirm lift on the Ranger since Bilstein gives a generic "average" estimate.
 

RangerDangerStranger

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Yes! And by raising the perch you are effectively starting with a longer strut to increase height and not a higher spring rate like previously stated. It may be slightly higher the closer you get to perch setting #5 ( or the highest one) when you get close to full extension, but it's negligible at best and pretty much factory on the lower perch settings. Adding a spacer on top of a quality adjustable set up like the Eibach or Bilstein is counter intuitive IMHO.
Yeah, that's doesn't seem accurate, since the overall strut stays the same length, the lift is achieved by preloading the spring? i mean it would be right, except the top hat of the strut has not moved.
 

ryyck

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Which is better for easy off road driving...Eibach or Bilstein?
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