Bilstein 5100 installed and had a lot of set backs!!!

[Bctexascrazy1]

Installed the 5100 on my 21 ram 1500 with orp, should of went simple and easy, truck only has 850 miles on it and I installed them before on my 15’ ram, but nothing went my way today. First I get all my stuff out and organized and together and go to jack my truck up and my jack hydraulic went out was loosing pressure, so I grabbed my other jack and it doesn’t jack the truck up high enough to put on my jack stands so I fix my other jack and proceed to install. So I get all the strut assembly’s out on both sides and made my markings to keep everything in line. So I compress the spring together get the struts out and go in with the 5100s and noticed one of the threads was gawed up looked like damage from shipping or something so I put in my vice and re-tap the threads on it and clean them up!!! Ok so now i go and put the struts in the spring and had the springs completely compressed and the locking nut that bilstein supplies sucks and would only thread on maybe 2 turns and stop. I didn’t feel comfortable with only 2 threads holding it on so I reused the factory locking Teflon nut, only have 850 miles on truck and the nut was in good shape even though they say your not suppose to reuse the factory nuts , but I torqued it down and it threaded all the way down on the strut shaft (see in pics below). So after fighting with that for hrs I get the front end back together and the RL control arms installed and all torqued down , so I go to grease my control arms and ball joints and my grease gun quit pumping lol.. by this time my blood is boiling so I go borrow my neighbors and get them greased and got the wheels on and truck on the ground, drovff we the truck around a few blocks to let everything settle and now I need to bring the rear up more at least another 1”. I’ve got the 5100s for the rear but haven’t installed them yet because I didn’t think I’d need a spacer for the rear but I’m wanting one now.. so if I got the orp springs already, which is 1” of lift and if I get a spacer for the rear 1” would the 5100s support it still considering it’s a total of 2” of lift, cause the 5100s claim only 1” lift total. On a good note I got a total of 2” lift in front with the clips set on #5 and my factory orp springs, did stiffen it up a bit, but in a good way, just need to install the spacer in the rear and figure out if I need to just go ahead and put the 5100s on the rear or send them back and get the 5160s?

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

Here’s the after! And the pics of the top strut nut

 

[JbVt]

I just installed 5100s and readylift uca. 5100 and 1” rear spacer on my org. The rear 5100s will accommodate 1” with org trucks or 2” with non-org trucks. You’ll be fine using them and a 1” spacer. First pic is new shocks and factory tires. Last pic is with 34”x11” Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Measurements with tires is 40 1/4” front and 42” rear.

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

I just installed 5100s and readylift uca. 5100 and 1” rear spacer on my org. The rear 5100s will accommodate 1” with org trucks or 2” with non-org trucks. You’ll be fine using them and a 1” spacer. First pic is new shocks and factory tires. Last pic is with 34”x11” Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Measurements with tires is 40 1/4” front and 42” rear.

Did you have problems with the bilstein nut they supplied for the strut stem?

 

[JbVt]

Did you have problems with the bilstein nut they supplied for the strut stem?

Yes I had to use my factory ones. I reached out to Bilstein lifts and they wanted the number of the hardware bag but I had already tossed them.

 

[sep1006]

I put................. wait sat in the shop's customer area and watched them put the 5100's on the front and motofab 1.5" spacers on the back. Took just under 2 hours and man it looks good. Will post pics when I clean it up.

To the OP, Kudo's to you for doing it yourself. I used to do everything myself as well but now I don't fool with it.

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

Yes I had to use my factory ones. I reached out to Bilstein lifts and they wanted the number of the hardware bag but I had already tossed them.

I’m glad I’m not the only one, cost me a lot of time cause I Didn’t know what to do, but if you look at the nuts the had an almost oval shape to them like they were wrapped, they threaded the same way on my stock struts too!

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

I put................. wait sat in the shop's customer area and watched them put the 5100's on the front and motofab 1.5" spacers on the back. Took just under 2 hours and man it looks good. Will post pics when I clean it up.

To the OP, Kudo's to you for doing it yourself. I used to do everything myself as well but now I don't fool with it.

If I knew I was gonna have that headache and take me that long over a simple nut I would have paid someone, but I’ve got all the tools and enjoy doing it so what the hell.

 

[Americancatfarmer]

Yes I had to use my factory ones. I reached out to Bilstein lifts and they wanted the number of the hardware bag but I had already tossed them.

I had to reuse my factory strut nuts because I couldn’t thread using the ones included with the 5100’s

 

[Bighorned]

Yes I had to use my factory ones. I reached out to Bilstein lifts and they wanted the number of the hardware bag but I had already tossed them.

I did too. Same issue. Used the stock ones

 

[Craig777]

I had the same issue

 

[JbVt]

Sounds like in their manufacturing frenzy to push these things out they made an error with the incorrect nuts being packaged. I reached out to Bilsteinlifts( supplier I ordered from, not manufacturer) and they asked what the number was on the bag of hardware. I had already tossed mine so I couldn’t report back to them. They said they would reach out to bilstein.

 

[brian42]

I just installed 5100s and readylift uca. 5100 and 1” rear spacer on my org. The rear 5100s will accommodate 1” with org trucks or 2” with non-org trucks. You’ll be fine using them and a 1” spacer. First pic is new shocks and factory tires. Last pic is with 34”x11” Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Measurements with tires is 40 1/4” front and 42” rear.

Looks great. What setting did you use in the front?

 

[JbVt]

Looks great. What setting did you use in the front?

Clip #5. Bilstein states 2” for my org truck. I got just under the 2” mark.

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

Sounds like in their manufacturing frenzy to push these things out they made an error with the incorrect nuts being packaged. I reached out to Bilsteinlifts( supplier I ordered from, not manufacturer) and they asked what the number was on the bag of hardware. I had already tossed mine so I couldn’t report back to them. They said they would reach out to bilstein.

I found my package the hardware came in, I even included a pic of it not even threading on the factory strut. When I took my bilstein strut out to my shop and put it up on my vise to run my tap n die set on it to clean the threads up the strut shaft was a 1/2npt20 and the nut was a 7/16” npt 20.

 

[Waterfowler41]

I’d stick with the 5100’s for the rears. 5160’s have been sold old for months now.

Good on you for muscling through the project. I’ve had a few of these where nothing went my way. It’s sucks!

 

[JbVt]

I found my package the hardware came in, I even included a pic of it not even threading on the factory strut. When I took my bilstein strut out to my shop and put it up on my vise to run my tap n die set on it to clean the threads up the strut shaft was a 1/2npt20 and the nut was a 7/16” npt 20.

Thanks. I’ll see what I can find out.

 

[Morenar]

I looked at the 5100's I have sitting in the garage yet to be installed. I bought these through bilsteinlifts at the same time. Each nut threads differently and the part number on the bag is the same. The only number that is different is the one next to the toll free BilsteinUS number. the one that threads easily is 20287 and the other is 21041. You can see the difference in color and also one is oval shape. I assume the one that threads easily is the correct nut?

Did everyone else buy theirs through bilsteinlifts and have had any luck with their Customer service's thoughts?

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

Yes I had ordered my 5100 front struts through bilsteinlifts and I got my rear 5100s through summit racing cause they were the only ones who had them in stock! But yes on the safe side I’d just go to your dealer and just order 2 new nuts with the Teflon just for safe insurance, but looks like you got some that work!

 

[Morenar]

Yes I had ordered my 5100 front struts through bilsteinlifts and I got my rear 5100s through summit racing cause they were the only ones who had them in stock! But yes on the safe side I’d just go to your dealer and just order 2 new nuts with the Teflon just for safe insurance, but looks like you got some that work!

Actually I only have one that works. lol The one on the left is the only one that threads all the way down. Should it thread all the way down very easily?