Bilstein 5100 shocks

kabniel

New member
Is this the way they are supposed to look? They seem a bit long to me. Will it hurt anything to run them like this or should they be exchanged for a shorter set? I do plan on changing over to 4" lift springs some day, I am just not sure when.
 

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They look a bit long to me as well. They would be fine with the 4" springlift. If I recall when you ordered I think we decided to go with the longer shock because of your future plans. If you would like to send these back for a shorter pair feel free to. All I ask is to cover shipping costs.
 
Will it hurt anything to run them this way? I don't really do any really rough climbing or anything but I do hit some trails where the wheels get a little bit stuffed.
I do plan on getting 4" springs sometime, just not sure when. I do have a set of rancho 4" springs but I wasn't sure I really wanted to use them, they have always seemed pretty rough to me.
 
I keep looking at this thread and I have decided I have to reply.

Looking at the picture, it looks to me like the shock will bottom out if the vehicle hits a small pothole or enters a driveway too fast.

Shocks that "bottom out" (or "top out") will be damaged sooner or later (or maybe the suspension will be damaged).

If these shocks can bottom out; then, I think these shock absorbers should be removed and set aside until you do the 4" lift. Put the old shocks back on or get a new set that "matches" your current suspension travel.

Shock absorbers are "matched" to the suspension that the shock absorber is used on -- for stock vehicles, "everybody" knows the correct lengths.

The shock should "ride" / "work" in the middle of its "travel range" ("middle" of fully compressed to fully extended) with 1 - 2 inches (I do not know the exact figure.) of "left over travel" at either end of the travel.

Fully compressed, shock should measure 1 - 2" less ("eye" to "eye") than the the measurement of your suspension fully compressed (top shock mount to lower shock mount). Same for "fully extended".

Jeff will have more knowledge than I on the shock lengths versus the different lifts / suspension modifications -- and why he asked "how" the shocks were going to be "used" in the first place.
 
Oops,

after rereading my previous post, I think I should clarify "same for fully extended" to prevent any confusion.

The length of the extended shock should be 1 - 2" more than the distance between shock mounts with the suspension fuilly extended.
 
The way we decide which length of shock to use is to measure from eye to eye at ride height. From there we see how much up travel is available and down travel. From those measurements we find the shock that fits our measurements the best.
 
Thanks, Jeff

I need to bring my t/a up to your shop some time and have you look at the front shock mounts. At some point, I need to have some new mounts (stock-like (eye / eye)) made.

Both mounts have loosened at the rivets over time and the "repair" (re-weld) is not "optimum".
 
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