Bilstein shocks thread

[Mileguru]

12 minutes ago, pronstar said:

It’s absolutely possible to get a smooth ride. It’s just not cheap.

If you’re ever in DFW and would like to ride in a smooth pickup, I’d be happy to take you for a spin.

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, Snowcamo said:

Actually I'll take you up on that offer... I live in North ft Worth. I'll be out and about in Dallas then Lewisville today.
 

Yet another match made on GM-Trucks.com. How romantic. JK 

[Snowcamo]

 

 

I live in Duncanville, work in Carrollton [emoji106]

 

 

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Hey I just moved from Carrollton 4 months ago lol. Real estate has gotten a bit pricey over there. Good time to sell... Let me know. I'm usually available afternoons on weekends if I'm not doing HVAC.

 

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[Snowcamo]

Yet another match made on GM-Trucks.com. How romantic. JK [emoji3]

Lol

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[pronstar]

Yet another match made on GM-Trucks.com. How romantic. JK [emoji3]

2 guys, 1 truck [emoji50]


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[pronstar]

Hey I just moved from Carrollton 4 months ago lol. Real estate has gotten a bit pricey over there. Good time to sell... Let me know. I'm usually available afternoons on weekends if I'm not doing HVAC. 
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Check your pm’s [emoji106]


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[Snowcamo]

Check your pm’s [emoji106]


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10-4

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[TXGREEK]

My personal experience on ride quality, bought my new 18 6.2,CC, Standard bed, was shocked at how smooth it drove, being a z71, 4x4 it really drove very much like a Cadillac, drove over bumps like I was riding on air suspension.

 

Leveled with a 2.25” up front and added 1” on the rear and that’s when I immediately noticed a rougher ride, only adding to the rougher ride I added the E KO2’s and that was it, rode very much like something just wasn’t right, you felt every crack and crevice almost like my 16 DMax did. Btw, I’ve got Bilstein 5100’s all the way around too

 

A buddy of mine has a lifted truck and actually rode more on the plush side. Apparently, the more you spend (get what you pay for) the better the ride quality. He’s running custom tuned Fox shocks with adjustable resi’s with custom coils as well as the rear but most of all he’s saying your track width has a lot to do with it too. I know for sure my level is messing with down front travel etc and After being introduced to the CST lift kit from a few guys on the forum, I’m proud to say I’m having the 4.5” CST installed within the next few days, so close to getting the 6” but then no way to get it into my garage as well as parking garages which I often visit. All in all Pronstar is one of the many that are correct in this forum, achieving a much “smoother” ride is work in progress but doable

 

 

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[Yondu]

13 hours ago, TXGREEK said:

My personal experience on ride quality, bought my new 18 6.2,CC, Standard bed, was shocked at how smooth it drove, being a z71, 4x4 it really drove very much like a Cadillac, drove over bumps like I was riding on air suspension.

 

Leveled with a 2.25” up front and added 1” on the rear and that’s when I immediately noticed a rougher ride, only adding to the rougher ride I added the E KO2’s and that was it, rode very much like something just wasn’t right, you felt every crack and crevice almost like my 16 DMax did. Btw, I’ve got Bilstein 5100’s all the way around too

 

A buddy of mine has a lifted truck and actually rode more on the plush side. Apparently, the more you spend (get what you pay for) the better the ride quality. He’s running custom tuned Fox shocks with adjustable resi’s with custom coils as well as the rear but most of all he’s saying your track width has a lot to do with it too. I know for sure my level is messing with down front travel etc and After being introduced to the CST lift kit from a few guys on the forum, I’m proud to say I’m having the 4.5” CST installed within the next few days, so close to getting the 6” but then no way to get it into my garage as well as parking garages which I often visit. All in all Pronstar is one of the many that are correct in this forum, achieving a much “smoother” ride is work in progress but doable

 

 

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Sounds like you're using spacers and 5100's at stock height?

 

By track width, does he mean lower offset wheels would ride better, due to changing the leverage on the suspension?

 

Good information to know TX. Seems like there would be a market for a plush riding small lift.  Makes me wonder, I know the 19 Silverado is all new so I assume the struts are not compatible...?  GM is offering a 2" lift strut on those.

[TXGREEK]

Sounds like you're using spacers and 5100's at stock height?
 
By track width, does he mean lower offset wheels would ride better, due to changing the leverage on the suspension?
 
Good information to know TX. Seems like there would be a market for a plush riding small lift.  Makes me wonder, I know the 19 Silverado is all new so I assume the struts are not compatible...?  GM is offering a 2" lift strut on those.

Correct, a pc on top and one on the bottom of the front strut Bilsteins also added 1” on top of the rear. A knuckle lift is what pops your front wheels out approximately 1.75” needing a rear wheel spacer afterwards in order to balance out the look. I like the +1 offset I have now with all wheels flush with fender and tires popping out on the sides about 1.5”’s. I DO NOT like my track width to come out at all, not my thing, and especially DO NOT and WILL NOT EVER run wheel spacers.

As far as the 19’s, GM has changed out the suspension on the 19’s. Incorporated a 2” lift standard either on (I believe) Trail Boss as well as an add on option for ordering. I’m not very familiar with the 19’s, they sorta remind me of my 2001 truck I had, sharing same front end similarities.



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[Zasker1]

I can't even begin to describe how frustrated and embarrass I am at this moment.
When I originally had my 5100's set-up installed 3 years ago, I bought the parts directly from Summit about a week after they were made available, however after having them installed it simply never even occurred to me to actually check the part numbers since I Supplied the installer with the parts. ( Top rated 4 x 4 shop in Phoenix Arizona).

Last night while installing my powerstop z36 brake kit I started really staring at the part stickers on my shocks and after a bit of research realized that the parts that I paid for we're not the parts that were installed and I have been driving around for 3 years with the wrong parts.

Certainly a brave keyboard Warrior will likely flame me stating that I should have figured this out sooner however I had them on their highest setting for quite a while and figured that the miserable ride was due to me having the front adjustable shocks at their maximum setting, thus I have simply tolerated it until recently when I had them moved to the next lower snap ring setting and the harsh ride continues.

I have studied the part numbers for hours on end on a plethora of websites and there is really no good detail to help correlate what the differences are beyond the fact that the rear shocks are a bit shorter by about an inch.

I guess I will have to call Billstein during their normal business hours, to figure out how big of a problem this really is or if the differences are actually inconsequential.



Current Front: 24-186940 ( pre 05 - 2013 trucks)

Current Rear: 24-186742 ( For GM 900 )


Correct parts for our 2014:

Proper Front: 24-238304 (Adjustable)

Proper Rear: 33-238319


Could one of my Texas brothers please come over and just shoot me in the head... LOL.

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[TXGREEK]

I can't even begin to describe how frustrated and embarrass I am at this moment.
When I originally had my 5100's set-up installed 3 years ago, I bought the parts directly from Summit about a week after they were made available, however after having them installed it simply never even occurred to me to actually check the part numbers since I Supplied the installer with the parts. ( Top rated 4 x 4 shop in Phoenix Arizona).

Last night while installing my powerstop z36 brake kit I started really staring at the part stickers on my shocks and after a bit of research realized that the parts that I paid for we're not the parts that were installed and I have been driving around for 3 years with the wrong parts.

Certainly a brave keyboard Warrior will likely flame me stating that I should have figured this out sooner however I had them on their highest setting for quite a while and figured that the miserable ride was due to me having the front adjustable shocks at their maximum setting, thus I have simply tolerated it until recently when I had them moved to the next lower snap ring setting and the harsh ride continues.

I have studied the part numbers for hours on end on a plethora of websites and there is really no good detail to help correlate what the differences are beyond the fact that the rear shocks are a bit shorter by about an inch.

I guess I will have to call Billstein during their normal business hours, to figure out how big of a problem this really is or if the differences are actually inconsequential.



Current Front: 24-186940 ( pre 05 - 2013 trucks)

Current Rear: 24-186742 ( For GM 900 )


Correct parts for our 2014:

Proper Front: 24-238304 (Adjustable)

Proper Rear: 33-238319


Could one of my Texas brothers please come over and just shoot me in the head... LOL.

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Oh My God! Summit Racing is exactly where I bought mine from and has been rough riding since they were installed on my leveled truck. Looks as if Summit Racing sells knockoffs! I’m having a lift done tomorrow anyway.


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[Zasker1]

No no this is not an issue with Summit they sold me the correct parts I am simply saying the installer which was a retail location in Phoenix, apparently installed the wrong parts or someone else is parts but not what I had brought with my vehicle

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[TXGREEK]

No no this is not an issue with Summit they sold me the correct parts I am simply saying the installer which was a retail location in Phoenix, apparently installed the wrong parts or someone else is parts but not what I had brought with my vehicle

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Ok, looks like they swapped you out.


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[Zasker1]

Just as a quick update I had an opportunity to talk to Bilstein today and indeed the valving is significantly different between the GM 900 parts and the correct parts 4 the K2 trucks.
Below is a brief summary of the differences

Front: 24-186940 vs. 24-238304
1. Rebound: -1000n (-225lbf)
2. Damping: -100n (-25lbf)
3. Shock body is .5 shorter
4. Snap ring locations are higher on the body

Rear: 24-186742 vs. 33-238319
1. Rebound: -200n (44.9lbf)
2. Damping: -200n (-44.9lbf)
3. Shock is .75 shorter, thus overextended

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[Yondu]

You buying the correct shocks and struts to swap them out?  Glad to here there is a reason why your ride was so bad.