StirCrazy wrote:
specta wrote:
How much do they affect the ride when the truck is empty?
Do they harden the ride at all or more than regular Monroe gas-magnums?
I'm thinking with 170,000 miles on the factory shocks its time to replace them.
I put them on my 99 f250, I was very happy with them, ride seams smooth and took the harshness away, but really kept the truck from leaning when cornering. this time I am going with the Billstein 5100's as a few people I know have had them and said they liked them more than the reflex.
Steve
5100's are for lifted trucks. 4600's are for stock ride height. Same shock internally.
Although they are different brands and may appear to be very different from each other the Bilstein 5100 and Heavy Duty actually share many of the same components and ride characteristics.
The main difference between the Bilstein Heavy Duty vs Bilstein 5100s is that the Heavy Duty or 4600 series is designed for stock height trucks and the 5100 Series is built for lifted trucks. The other major difference between the Heavy Duty and 5100 is that the Bilstein 5100 Series shocks have a zinc coating with a brushed metal shock body and a black boot while the Heavy Duty uses a painted yellow body with a blue dust boot.
The Similarities: The 5100 series and the Heavy Duty shocks use the same technology internally. Both use the same internal valving and at stock height will ride the same (shocks for lifted trucks may use different valving settings in order to accommodate the extra weight of larger tires). Both shocks are pressurized with 360 psi of nitrogen to prevent shock fade and foaming of the shock oil. The outer construction of both shocks is identical as well with an extruded metal body rather for maximum strength and top of the line seals. The 5100 series and Heavy Duty 4600 series are both covered under Bilstein's limited lifetime warranty that protects against any manufacturer defects for the life of the shock.
