I installed 5100's on rear and it straightened it right out, it no longer bounces up and down. I called Bilstein and they told me that the correct fronts will not come out until this fall 2011. I asked the engineer what everyone with a 5th is putting on the front then and he said they have been using shocks that fit 2003-2009 4R and although they will fit they do not use the correct rubber bushings and he did give me the new part number for the correct front shocks ! ORW confirmed this with me !!

What's the number?

Did you have the issue with the rears that others have mentioned? I think it had something to do with the bolts not lining up correctly.....

Did you do the fronts too? is it ok to use these fronts?

Did it raise the rear at all?

The correct part numbers from Bilstein are:
Fronts- 24-196-499 (not released yet)
Rear- 33-187-174

It raised the rear approx 1/2" to 3/4 but really not that noticeable.
Did not have any issues at all installing the rears, install was quick and simple.
First I jacked up the rear using floor jack and put two jackstands under axle tubes one on each side of diff housing. I then removed rear tires and removed
lower bolt from shock and then upper nut, you will need two wrenches to do this for the top to keep thaft from rotating. Then just tap lower shock off stud with mallet and lower old shock from vehicle.

To install new shock, install washer and rubber gromet and slip shock up through uppor mounting hole, then install second rubber gromet and steel washer and then thread new locknut on end of threaded shaft, you will have to work shock up through gromets to expose enough thread to start nut.

I tightened down using two wrenches, one on nut and the other on built in
hex on shock body. I tightened down until approx 1/2" of shaft protruded through nut and rubber washers were squashed down a bit.
Next I put a small amount of clear grease on lower mounting pin and used my
bench pressing skills to push up on shock from the bottom while laying on my back until hole of shock aligns with pin and quickly start shock into hole before shock extends itself under pressure again. Use a mallet or a block of wood and a hammer to tap shock the rest of the way onto pin.Then install
original lower bolt and tighten down. Install rear wheels and torque to 83 ft lbs, remove jack stands and lower vehicle and you are all done !! Push on rear of vehicle bumper and you will feel how much firmer it is and it actually rides and handles better than with softer factory gas Tokico shocks.

Interesting. You raised the rear on a vehicle that already had a factory rake. One of the reasons I put the 5100s on the front was to remove the rake.

I did this to keep rear from bouncing when I tow, I can handle a little rake
until the correct fronts are released from Bilstein.

Good information Bzizzi. Thanks!!!

I'm not quite sure how a pair of shocks could raise the height of the rear suspension. Did you measure- or eyeball it? Hmmmmmm.

I'm glad someone said this....rear shocks aren't really load bearing, you can compress them with your bare hands, they wouldn't have raised the rear.

Unless they measured them right off the rack before settling...

Measured height, Bilstein said i would not change rear height at all but I measured before and after, I got about 1/2" and that is almost nothing.
The factory gas shocks don't have the gas pressure of the 5100 so if you factor in the weight of the vehicle that the factory shocks compress when installed on the vehicle because of the weight of vehicle and then add the
5100 that have much more extension force and this is how it can pick up a little. I had a 93 T-100 and added Bilisteins and it did the exact same thing.

If 5100 don't have any pressure on them, then why are they shipped with a band around them to keep them from extending so they can fit them in a smaller box ???

so in theory the set of bilsteins would be the way to go. Match the front and rear in stiffness. If you set the fronts to 3rd notch of 1.75 and the rears raise .5 then would level nicely and have a tiny bit of rake. plus the rears would be stiffer - if you added passengers or loaded would not make front end higher.

everyone's thoughts? i'm debating on 3rd notch as opposed to 2nd notch. i want the front leveled. too low now.

So if I get you right I should wait until fall 2011 if I wan't 5100 in all 4 corners? Else I won't have the right bushing?