Bilstein 5100s instead of a leveling kit?

Good Morning

Will the 5100s give me a little lift to help the sagging from the 300+lbs I have added to the front end?
These shocks are adjustable?

Thanks!

 

Yes, but 5100s use the factory coil spring, if I’m not mistaken. With that much weight on the front end, you’d probably be better off with something like this, that has a 700lb spring:

 

Thanks for the link. I will have to consult with the wallet.

 

YW. I mean, you can always crank the 5100s up to the highest setting. It'll ride rougher that way, but a 700lb spring will be stiffer, too. Personal preference.

 

They should work fine. They are adjustable but you probably want them on the top. If your stock shocks have a lot of miles, you might see if you can find some newer takeoffs for the springs. And you'll need compressors... and installing the fronts is kinda a pita. Not something you want to do over...

 

Thanks Dave

 

Thanks Rruff

 

The factory coil is already a 700 lb/in spring. Most aftermarket setups start with a 650 lb/in spring - with the exception of Old Man Emu (OME not OEM…) that is in the 735 lb/in ballpark if memory serves. They are for use with the OME nitro charger struts and don’t play nice with other struts. They offer three or four different coils but I think the only difference is coil length so you can have a 3” lift AND extra weight on the front if you so desire. You can also source an Eibach coil with a 750 lb/in rate.

A 5100 or like strut will let you raise the vehicle nose while retaining the factory spring rate. The additional weight will cause a little sag (3/8 to 1/2” assuming it’s two feet forward of the axle) but if you are starting out .75” higher via a 5100 on the 2nd groove, you are still above the factory height without weight.

5100’s aren’t a bad way to go. I’ve never ridden in a truck with the OME setup so I can’t comment on that route, but many say it is firmer, even with the added weight.