OEM+ Shocks? (Adventure Content)

DrDubzz

DrDubzz

New member
I know this has been discussed more than a bit, but just want some specifics if you'll indulge me

Last year I drove from Texas to Alaska - 5500 miles in all with a full load. Between that and the last year on terrible Alaska roads and my shocks are pretty well worn out. If they weren't all the way dead enough, they are now after a drive to Prudhoe Bay, AK last weekend - never mind the shredded tire...

Trip Summary


Just north of the farthest north spruce, nothing but tundra to the north (left)


Said Tundra


Gas ($5.50/gal) and futile window cleaning


Proof of success shot


My brother finishing the tire change... thankfully the spare made it home
(Note: this was at about 1230 AM - the sun doesn't set, it just makes a semi-circle in the sky and starts over for a new day)





With all of this being said... I am planning on replacing the shocks in the next couple weeks with some Bilstein 4600s. I do not plan to lift this vehicle, I figure the 4600s are the best OEM+ option but if there is a cost equivalent alternative that would be better for a daily driver that occasionally goes on unpaved adventures, I'm all ears
 
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D D! Looking good bro! :bigok:

I thought your truck was sitting up higher but didn't read that you did a lift... Looks much better, wish I had the $$ to do a lift.. One of these tax refund years.
 
no lift, the last picture is jacked up for the spare change...

just curious on whether or not Bilstein HDs are the best OEM+ option
 
Shocks

Wow, looks like an incredible trip. More photos would be interesting.

Shocks - I would vote for 5100s instead, they don't cost much more, there is the option to set the front to 0.85 to get closer to level and they reduce the nose dive a bit. And they are silver, much better looking than the blue and yellow.
 
Danny, no doubt, maybe someday

Bob, yeah, I've considered those, I just don't know that the HDs won't meet my needs well enough. Still not sure. I guess if there isn't much difference in price, I might as well go for a slightly beefier shock
 
DrDubzz said:
.... I guess if there isn't much difference in price, I might as well go for a slightly beefier shock
Click to expand...

If indeed the 5100 IS beefier (personally, IDK) why on earth would you bother to upgrade shocks, and NOT put on the better product? For a few bucks, makes no sense. Especially the way you use your 4R.
 
A jeep magazine had an aftermarket ad for 5100's from stock height and up. Called bill stine and got transferred to engineering. The only difference to HD and 5100, he said after looking up build specs, was the outside and piston rod length. I tried the HD on the H3 and went back to the "inferior" factory shocks. Bill stine used to come from Germany. Others have mentioned to me also looking elsewhere for shocks. Same goes for batteries. Because optima was good it appears that the new owners took the manufacturing south. Thus the move to deka, Sears, and Olympic agm's.
 
Sorry for more errata. Must get on the pc and put this little phone down. The 5100 as explained by the engineer is for lifted vehicles only. And I believe the third battery is odyssey.
 
DrDubzz said:
I know this has been discussed more than a bit, but just want some specifics if you'll indulge me

Last year I drove from Texas to Alaska - 5500 miles in all with a full load. Between that and the last year on terrible Alaska roads and my shocks are pretty well worn out. If they weren't all the way dead enough, they are now after a drive to Prudhoe Bay, AK last weekend - never mind the shredded tire...



Proof of success shot


. . . .
Click to expand...

+1 on the beefier shock.

PS, pardon the departure but the General Store sign was in better shape when we were there in 2008. It looks a bit more rusty now. :nod: How did you like those 12' tall balloon tires on some of the oilfield transport equipment around the pads? Seriously lifted vehicles.

Aren't the Muskox really funky looking? We saw a bunch of them outside Prudhoe Bay.

We chose to stay in the best accommodations in town in Coldfoot Camp. Nobody reading this can image just how good and bad that is. It's all about location, location. BTW, great breakfast across the street.

Your pic of your back glass is right on. This 5th Gen is the worst about accumulating crap on the rear end. My 2003 was not as bad. Bad, but not AS bad.

How did your windshield hold up with the trucks and rocks?

Sorry, back to the shock topic, no hijack wanted or intended.
 

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I got one small windshield ding on the Dalton, and one giant almost windshield shattering gash on the parks highway just north of Denali National Park in a construction zone, go figure. Sadly, we didn't see any musk ox, that was the one thing lacking from the trip, but we saw foxes, caribou, moose, cool birds of prey, etc. -- the food in coldfoot was excellent, and the prices no greater than those here in Anchorage, same for the Yukon River camp.


So... what I've gathered is that the shocks will be essentially the same for my non-lifted runner, but the 5100s offer the ability to retain if I lift down the road.

Maybe a better question is - is there a better stock height shock than the 4600s? Is there a company I don't know or am ignoring due to brand-bias since Bilstein is such a well-known name? I'm looking at $430 or so for a set of 4 4600s, I'd spend another 40-50 bucks for a more beastly set up - between the weather, roads, and lack of roads, it ain't easy being vehicle suspension up here, so I want someone that is going to not just last but excel.
 
Thought I saw $59 per hd bill stine not too long ago. Had failure on a rear one on the jk others weak so I took off all four bill stines and bought kyb's. Lifted modified trucks debate King,Fox, and etc.
 
Just for your information, I opted for the 4600s on my 12 TE because I am not planning to lift it and my rig is already fairly level front to back due to the weight of my work equipment that I always carry.

Although they perform much better than the OEM shocks and did help a lot with the nose dive, I was extremely disappointed by the fact that they did NOT come with any of the customary mounting hardware such as new rubber bushings.

I called ShockWarehouse and was told that is the way Bilstein ships them.

I ended up having to order the front mounts elsewhere and just reusing the rear bushings.

I would advise checking with wherever you decide to order your shocks from and see if this policy has changed since I ordered mine a year or so ago. If not just get the 5100s, I have been told they DO come with mounting hardware.

It would be worth the extra few bucks not to have to deal with trying to find the hardware elsewhere.
 
vicpick58 said:
Just for your information, I opted for the 4600s on my 12 TE because I am not planning to lift it and my rig is already fairly level front to back due to the weight of my work equipment that I always carry.

Although they perform much better than the OEM shocks and did help a lot with the nose dive, I was extremely disappointed by the fact that they did NOT come with any of the customary mounting hardware such as new rubber bushings.

I called ShockWarehouse and was told that is the way Bilstein ships them.

I ended up having to order the front mounts elsewhere and just reusing the rear bushings.

I would advise checking with wherever you decide to order your shocks from and see if this policy has changed since I ordered mine a year or so ago. If not just get the 5100s, I have been told they DO come with mounting hardware.

It would be worth the extra few bucks not to have to deal with trying to find the hardware elsewhere.
Click to expand...


that is excellent to know, I will check on that. I need to get them ordered by this weekend.

Thanks!
 
Finally ordered a set of 5100s, I hope they arrive in the next week or so, I'll have the long labor day weekend to do the install. Been a long time coming for the runner
 
well, Bilsteins are on national back order and I can't find an alternative in stock anywhere. So I will have to wait an extra couple of weeks. Oh well, at least my labor day weekend is free now... maybe one last chance to go fishing
 
welp.... I had to cancel the shock order... they were back ordered and in the time it was taking the have them shipped, I may have accidentally traded "Brutus" the 2010 for a Barcelona Red 2014 SR5 Premium :D

So I guess I won't be needing any new parts for it any time soon
 
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