The road to Chaco Canyon Vs. Bilstien 5100's

mooring product wrote:
If i recall the 5100s are for lifted trucks. Are you sure you have the proper shock on the truck?

I ran 5100 for 8 years with no issue.

Yes, the 5100s are for lifted trucks, the 4600s for unlifted trucks.

If i recall the 5100s are for lifted trucks. Are you sure you have the proper shock on the truck?

I ran 5100 for 8 years with no issue.

jimh425 wrote:
Wasn't there a thread recently that said you needed 4600s for TCS? I guess that prooves it. ;)

That's interesting , can you post that thread ? I have the 4600's and have driven a considerable amount of washboard road and not had a problem , about 30k on the shocks .

OP , is your truck lifted that you need the 5100's ? They may not be operating in the proper distance range on a non-lifted truck . What was the ambient temp ?

I drove the entire Denali Highway in Alaska with my F350 and TC last summer. Lots of washboard and potholes for 130+ miles and with Rancho RS9000's. No problems, and still going strong!
I will keep an eye on my 5100's that are on my Excursion. No problems yet, but I'll be watching!

Garry in AK

Wow! That is really surprising. I drove over some serious washboard stretches on the Burr Trail back in May and didn't suffer any damage to my Bilsteins 4600s. I wonder if the 5100s are more prone to this type of damage or if its related to 4x4 trucks. Things that make you go hmmmmm!

It's very interesting to me to see those pictures and hear your story as I almost thought one of my workmates was making up stories when he described doing virtually the same thing to his brand new 2013 Dodge half ton last weekend on a washboard road in the moab area. He claimed he wasn't doing anything extreme, yet blew three shocks just driving on normal dirt roads, not towing or carrying anything.

Your pictures speak volumes

Show the pics to Bilstein they are right there in San Diego, see how good there lifetime warranty is. Inquiring minds would like to know

pronstar wrote:
Slow-speed, heavy cycling of a shock is a lot to ask.
Short of a shock with a large external reservoir, things get hot in a hurry.

Usually, they just fade (like the other three shocks on your truck likely did).

I've cooked the seals on King racing shocks.

It was the 2 front shocks that cooked. The left front (the one that is smoking in the picture) saw the heavier washboard section of the road than the right. The rears seem to be OK but I need to remove them to test. The way Bilstein describes the 5100 series shocks for my F350 seems they would be a good match for a TC carrying truck.

RZAR66 wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
Wasn't there a thread recently that said you needed 4600s for TCS? I guess that prooves it. ;)

TCS? Truck Camper shocks?

Truck campers, but truck camper shocks works!

Slow-speed, heavy cycling of a shock is a lot to ask.
Short of a shock with a large external reservoir, things get hot in a hurry.

Usually, they just fade (like the other three shocks on your truck likely did).

I've cooked the seals on King racing shocks.