5100 Bilstein's Rough Ride

[TexBamBam]

I put the 5100 Bilsteins on the front and it's been riding real rough. Anyone else got his problem. Thinking about changing to Fox and letting the gas out... . or lower pressure.

 

[JCleary]

Pressure doesn't have the same effect on reservoir type shocks as with air/oil emulsion type shocks.



It's the valving that determines the ride, not nitrogen pressure. There's a piston that separates the nitrogen from the oil, so when you pressurize the shock, you're pressurizing the oil as well, but the only outward force is directed towards an area the size of the diameter of the shock shaft. Not enough to notice a difference in ride. You really need to get different valving to make the ride smooth.



The main reason for pressurizing is to keep the shock piston from cavitating while moving through it's stroke. If you lower the pressure, the piston will cavitate and blow through its travel quite quickly. You may also hear a popping sound from your shocks.



Higher pressures usually result in a smoother riding shock



One thing to note, too, is that the KORE springs are stiffer than stock. If you got the complete kit, it stiffens the front and softens the rear.

 

[TexBamBam]

OH... . shoot... . that blows the heck out of that... . idea. Any other sugguestions? I like the way it drives... but the ride is shaking my teath out. The roads out here are rough. .
JCleary, you like the way yours rides... I got my tires down to 30 PSI FT. and 26 PSI rear... still rough... too rough for the wife for sure... .

 

[JCleary]

I don't really like the ride of mine any more, but it's because I put my BFG's on again.



Tomorrow I'm putting the Toyo's on, and the ride will improve. But I *am* considering upgrading to the Fox setup. The Bilsteins did nothing to improve expansion joint bounce on my particular truck.



I had a conversation with Kent about it, and he said that most of the bounce comes from chassis flex. The only way he completely got rid of it was installing the roll cage before the Baja 1000. It stiffened the chassis enough to let the suspension do the work.



He did say he could improve the ride in the rear ride by re-valving the shocks, but they would have less control when loaded.



Also, when I ran my tires at super low pressures to try to improve the ride, it actually lowered ride quality. The tires were bouncing and slapping the pavement.



I've had better luck with 45-50 front, and 30-40 rear. Seeing as you have 37" Goodyears, your experience may be completely different.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

If you gents need some help keeping those Bilsteins from cluttering up the garage let me know. Always glad to hep out. :-laf

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

TBB,

I have been running different setups for months now. The one thing that is a constant is my tire pressure. 25 psi! I know it seems low but I have had the best response with that setup. Also running a 37 inch tire with the Pace (Recon) system is not advised. Fox shox are much better at taming down the ride with a huge tire.

JCleary is right on when he discussed cavitation. The bigger shock will make a klunk or a pop noise when not charged properly. How long have you had the Pace on your truck? It might just need a good romping in the bumps to loosen up the shocks and such. I usually suggest a high speed run through the rough for a break in on a new system. It is the only way to fly!!!



Greg DRC