Not thrilled with 5100s

[deanno33]

Had the Bilsteins installed a few weeks ago...love the look but the ride/handling are not great in my opinion. I have them set on #4 and it brought the front up quite a bit. I'd actually like to lower the front a little from this position. What other options are there to get about 1" front lift without sacrificing ride quality? Use stock shocks and 1" spacer? I looked around on-line and all I really see are 2+ inch.

Someone else mentioned an option of maybe keeping the setting at #4, adding ORP rear springs and that might bring the front down a bit? Would that also help some rear sag when hauling weight in the bed?

My truck handles fine without weight in the bed but when I had about 400 lbs in it the other day, I feel like the front was too high and just not well grounded/controlled. Thats the main reason I want to bring it back down a little. Again, love the look though.

 

[Brrryan]

Why not set them to #3?

 

[deanno33]

I am thinking of that too...biting bullet to pay to have it taken apart again, alignment, etc. Wish you could lower ring while installed but everything I read is that you can't. Since they would have to come apart again, that's why I'm wondering about other options too, Again...stock shocks with a spacer if ride quality would come back?

 

[Brrryan]

I hear ya man. I’m actually looking to accomplish the same, so I’m keeping an eye on your plans ahah. Unfortunately there’s no 1” spacer option for the front, unless you stacked two 1/2” spacers and got longer mounting bolts. I’ve looked into adding ORP springs to the stock shots, but it sounds like the ride will be compromised a bit.

 

[Ramtrx]

You can add some helper bags to the rear springs. They like $120 and do help a lot if you tow or load the bed.

 

[Finn5033]

If you put stock shocks back in with a spacer it’s going to cost you the same amount of money plus the cost of the spacer. Because you’ll still have to get the truck aligned again. If I were you I’d have them take the 5100’s back out and set them to the 2nd position wich I believe should give you about an 1-1/2” lift in the front. It should ride better and give you some room for sag in the back without being nose high.

 

[deanno33]

If you put stock shocks back in with a spacer it’s going to cost you the same amount of money plus the cost of the spacer. Because you’ll still have to get the truck aligned again. If I were you I’d have them take the 5100’s back out and set them to the 2nd position wich I believe should give you about an 1-1/2” lift in the front. It should ride better and give you some room for sag in the back without being nose high.

I do think this is where I'll end up actually. I like the bag idea too so will look into that. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

[Finn5033]

You can add some helper bags to the rear springs. They like $120 and do help a lot if you tow or load the bed.

This will help as well. I installed airlift 1000HD bags in mine for pulling my camper. Makes a huge difference. However I had to remove the coils to install these so if you don’t want to do it yourself that’s going to cost you as well. But the non HD ones I think you can install without removing them. I know you could on the 4th gens

 

[LaxDfns15]

If you're going to go the air spring route I highly suggest spending the money and getting Timber Groves. No drilling, not removing coils, took me about 1.5 hours to install in my garage. I've run both AirLift and now Timber Grove, and there's a reason these things cost more. I could immediately tell they are higher quality. Just used them combined with the AirLift Wireless One compressor for a yard of dirt and a yard of mulch on separate trips. It didn't even feel like I had anything in the bed.

 

[Dookie]

Had the Bilsteins installed a few weeks ago...love the look but the ride/handling are not great in my opinion. I have them set on #4 and it brought the front up quite a bit. I'd actually like to lower the front a little from this position. What other options are there to get about 1" front lift without sacrificing ride quality? Use stock shocks and 1" spacer? I looked around on-line and all I really see are 2+ inch.

Someone else mentioned an option of maybe keeping the setting at #4, adding ORP rear springs and that might bring the front down a bit? Would that also help some rear sag when hauling weight in the bed?

My truck handles fine without weight in the bed but when I had about 400 lbs in it the other day, I feel like the front was too high and just not well grounded/controlled. Thats the main reason I want to bring it back down a little. Again, love the look though.

Are you sure they are installed correctly? Everything i have read is the 5100's on level 5 is on point with stock ride comfort. Only one I saw that complained was a bad install and once installed correctly, he said ride quality was back to stock or better. Just a thought, may want to check things.

This will help as well. I installed airlift 1000HD bags in mine for pulling my camper. Makes a huge difference. However I had to remove the coils to install these so if you don’t want to do it yourself that’s going to cost you as well. But the non HD ones I think you can install without removing them. I know you could on the 4th gens

Not the case. I installed mine without removing the springs, took me about an hour to install. Deflate and fold them up like a taco then zip-tie them like that, jack the frame up and take the weight off the springs and feed them through the 2nd bottom coil. Search youtube for this method. Much easier than the Air Lift instructions.

 

[Jason-149]

It’s definitely a bit stiffer than stock on setting 5. I also added the rear Bilsteins. It makes sense though, the stock shocks can be almost be completely compressed by hand. It’s far from a stiff ride though. Load range E tires made more of a difference than the Bilsteins.

 

[deanno33]

I posted some pics on a diff thread and sent to Bilstein Lifts.com to verify. Everyone says installed correct. Definitely stiffer which is okay but with weight in back just doesn't feel as grounded in front.

 

[Ramtrx]

You put bilsteins on rear too? Factory shocks are garbage and soft

 

[deanno33]

You put bilsteins on rear too? Factory shocks are garbage and soft

I didn't, just the fronts.

No way to move the ring without total disassemble right? Looks like the $250 BonusDrive money will be going toward labor!

One more odd question. When the shop put the 5100's on, I picked the truck up and started driving. I immediately noticed that the brakes felt soft compared to when I brought the truck in (they were tight as truck is new). This was late on a Friday as I was heading out of town so brought the truck in Monday to have them look at everything. They said they never had to disassemble any brake components and that everything looks good. Any idea what may have possible made the brakes noticeably softer after install of struts?

 

[Jason-149]

I didn't, just the fronts.

No way to move the ring without total disassemble right? Looks like the $250 BonusDrive money will be going toward labor!

One more odd question. When the shop put the 5100's on, I picked the truck up and started driving. I immediately noticed that the brakes felt soft compared to when I brought the truck in (they were tight as truck is new). This was late on a Friday as I was heading out of town so brought the truck in Monday to have them look at everything. They said they never had to disassemble any brake components and that everything looks good. Any idea what may have possible made the brakes noticeably softer after install of struts?

I noticed this a bit also. Not sure if mine feels "softer", but it does take slightly more pressure on the pedal. I think it has something to do with the weight transfer. Now that the front end is up higher it doesn't transfer weight to the front end as quickly? I actually like it much better though, the front end not diving under braking. Not an engineer, but that is my uneducated guess.

 

[Finn5033]

Are you sure they are installed correctly? Everything i have read is the 5100's on level 5 is on point with stock ride comfort. Only one I saw that complained was a bad install and once installed correctly, he said ride quality was back to stock or better. Just a thought, may want to check things.


Not the case. I installed mine without removing the springs, took me about an hour to install. Deflate and fold them up like a taco then zip-tie them like that, jack the frame up and take the weight off the springs and feed them through the 2nd bottom coil. Search youtube for this method. Much easier than the Air Lift instructions.

Do you have the regular bags or the HD bags? The HD bags are much thicker and stiffer. The HD bags are black the regular ones are red. I put the regular ones in my 4th gen by folding them up and stuffing them in like you said. The HD ones I don’t see how you could put them in with out removing the coil.