Do I need to change the front shocks if I install a leveling kit?

[R.Taylor]

Hi Everybody,

I have an 06 2500 that I installed the yellow Bilstein's on... Now I am ready to put a leveling kit up front and am wondering if I need to change them to the silver ones. Bilstein says the yellow's are for stock ride height and the silvers are for leveled or raised applications. I'd just hate to buy a set of silvers as the yellow are 7 months old. Any words of wisdom are highly appreciated.



Thanks!



R. Taylor

 

[Regcabguy]

Yes. You run the risk of topping out your yellow Bilsteins with the added height.

 

[TimothyLong]

Most definitely! if you want to stay with Bilstein's go with the 5100's. They are going to be stiffer than the the yellow OEM replacements you currently have, but they are designed for lifted trucks. The yellow ones are not.

 

[nick05]

no you don't need to if you don't venture off road alot. i did a level kit w/ my stockers and they were fine. you will just lose the travel of the suspension & risk damaging the shocks. my were stock so i didn't care. now i have dual 5100's up front & 5150's in back with 3" wedge blocks.

if mainly road driving, keep your money & just get the level kit.

 

[TimothyLong]

no you don't need to if you don't venture off road alot. i did a level kit w/ my stockers and they were fine. you will just lose the travel of the suspension & risk damaging the shocks. my were stock so i didn't care. now i have dual 5100's up front & 5150's in back with 3" wedge blocks.

if mainly road driving, keep your money & just get the level kit.

When I added my 2" leveling kit, I totally forgot about taking the shocks into consideration. Within four weeks of just traveling back and forth to work (28 miles one way of good, paved road / highway) my front shocks let me know what I had forgotten. #@$%! There was a very loud thunk out of the front end and that was it. Hitting even the most minor bump made the tires bounce like basketballs, not to mention made the truck near uncontrollable. Put a whole new dimension into "death wobble". I had Edelbrock IAS Performers at the time that were not designed for lifted trucks. I was surprised they lasted as long as they did. Needless to say, my trips to and from work were "exciting" for a few days till I got my 5100's. Considering what I experienced, I wouldn't take the chance on NOT replacing the front shocks if they weren't designed for lifted trucks. BTW, I really like the 5100's too! They complement the leveling kit very well.

 

[nick05]

come to think of it, i did replace the stockers w/ some BDS shocks when i got the level kit. wrong choice. those lasted maybe 6 months. the shocks were hydraulic not gas powered. felt like my front end was going to fall out over every little bump. i took those out and used the stockers for awhile, but then went with 5100's because i knew i wasn't going to get traction in the winters being northern wisconsin.

 

[DennyDay]

There is somebody out there that would be happy to "Use up" those Yellow Billstines, put them on the TDR "Pay It Forward" site, and ask the prospective new owner to order a one time Pick up order and prepay the UPS shipping with a credit card. (1-800-ship-ups) As far as boxing up, put the old shocks in the boxes the new ones come in



Denny