Ram 3500 shocks

[Regan Bune]

I have a 2018 Ram 3500 dually with the Max tow package and replaced the rear shocks with
BIL-24-238533 SHOCK - REAR - BILSTEIN - 4600 (YELLOW/BLUE) ('13-'18, 3500, 2WD & 4WD) and the fronts with
BIL-24-251747 SHOCK - FRONT - BILSTEIN - 5100 (SILVER/BLACK) ('13-'23, 3500, 2" to 2.25" Lift, 4WD)
They are noticeably stiffer on the rear but I use this truck to tow my LQ horse trailer and really like the way they work. They get shorter and extend longer than the factory shocks so no problem there At the scales I have 5,800 lbs on the front axle 8,600 on the rear axle and 11,000 on the trailer axles. Probably wouldn't like the stiffness if I wasn't towing most of the time. Like most of us have discovered it is almost impossible to find a set of shocks that are listed for our trucks with the auto leveling rear air bags, but these worked great for my purpose.

 

[Cummins12V98]

IMHO the OE factory shocks on the Air ride rear are perfectly fine!!! I do have the Yellow Blue Bil's on the front but the reality is they felt the same but did control the after shock slightly better after hitting a bump. The OE's are US Made unlike the early 4th gen's that were Brazil and POS.

I am 5,780# front and 10,560# rear on the scales. Love how my truck rides loaded or unloaded. I do drop the rears to 30psi unloaded.

 

[johnmyster]

I replaced the 80k mile shocks on our 3500 SRW (2014) with Bilstein 4600, using the rear you listed BIL-24-238533 SHOCK - REAR.

The unloaded ride was improved, but the rears were far too compliant to manage towing with our 35' travel trailer. The pitching/rocking of the entire rig was excessive over the smallest of bumps. I put the stocks back on and the difference is night and day. The 4600s were returned but I may try them on the front again with a set of 9000XL (adjustable) rear.

We are roughly 5k front axle, 6k rear, and 19k total when towing.

 

[AH64ID]

I replaced the 80k mile shocks on our 3500 SRW (2014) with Bilstein 4600, using the rear you listed BIL-24-238533 SHOCK - REAR.

The unloaded ride was improved, but the rears were far too compliant to manage towing with our 35' travel trailer. The pitching/rocking of the entire rig was excessive over the smallest of bumps. I put the stocks back on and the difference is night and day. The 4600s were returned but I may try them on the front again with a set of 9000XL (adjustable) rear.

We are roughly 5k front axle, 6k rear, and 19k total when towing.

I would not try the 9000's since the 4600's have a much better reputation on these trucks.

Since you didn't like the 4600's I wonder if the 5100's would work well for you.

 

[johnmyster]

I would not try the 9000's since the 4600's have a much better reputation on these trucks.

Since you didn't like the 4600's I wonder if the 5100's would work well for you.

The price was right and I'll take a risk on being able to dial them up. All accounts are that the 4600 and 5100 are similar. Given that the 4600 weren't even in the right ballpark, I don't have much hope for 5100s unless the 4600s I got were defective.

After our most recent trip (back on stock shocks) I think I could stand more front dampening, so I may try the 4600's up front again. Stock shocks unloaded over a parking lot speed bump, the front takes about 2.5 cycles before rest. The rear...no cycles. My stock rear shocks are just that stiff...much to the detriment of unloaded ride but to the benefit of heavy TT towing.

Part of the issue is that our camper is long, heavy, and bumper pull. It has a pretty substantial pitch moment of inertia, much more so than a similarly weighted mini-excavator sitting in the middle of a flatbed, for instance. Thus, I'm counting on the trucks shocks to dampen suspension motion of the truck (and the load directly on those axles) as well as see-saw motion of the entire rig. As such I'm seeking an over-damped system and surprisingly, the stock shocks are more of a step in that direction than the aftermarket unit, even one intended for towing and DRW truck fitment.

 

[petersonj]

Part of the issue is that our camper is long, heavy, and bumper pull. It has a pretty substantial pitch moment of inertia...so I'm counting on the trucks shocks to dampen suspension motion of the truck as well as see-saw motion of the entire rig.

Just curious - have you weighed the front and rear axles of the truck independently, and the trailer axles as a group when you are hooked up? Have you put a scale under the tongue of the trailer? I assume that you are using a weight distribution hitch.

I only ask these questions because sometimes people try to fix an unbalanced weight distribution problem by changing / adding components instead of ensuring the weight is distributed properly over all of the axles. Not saying that this is your case, but if it is, I recommend tuning the axle weights and then giving the rig a test drive.

- John

 

[johnmyster]

Just curious - have you weighed the front and rear axles of the truck independently, and the trailer axles as a group when you are hooked up? Have you put a scale under the tongue of the trailer? I assume that you are using a weight distribution hitch.

I only ask these questions because sometimes people try to fix an unbalanced weight distribution problem by changing / adding components instead of ensuring the weight is distributed properly over all of the axles. Not saying that this is your case, but if it is, I recommend tuning the axle weights and then giving the rig a test drive.

- John

I've scaled a few times to arrive at the present WD setup. I recently add more WD tension and could probably stand to do more, but in the end, WD is another spring. I'm trying to dampen oscillation of a system that consists of several springs. The trailer also has shocks but let's face it, the axles are too close together to control pitching. It counts on the truck suspension to control pitch...springs and shocks. Surprisingly, a set of new heralded 4600s were less able to do so than the stock 80k mile units, despite better ride unloaded.

I'm getting ~70% weight return to the front axle which is above/within the recommended, depending on what manual you're looking at. The truck still has about 1/4" of rake in it when loaded...only about 1/4" of front axle rise vs ~3/4" without WD.

Respectfully, the word "proper" gets tossed around with abandon in towing discussions (from experienced RVers) that have lots of variables that come into play and yet not many guides on what an objective "proper" is vs a subjective one. Wheel base, axle overhangs, spring rates, weights, dampening, etc. It's a 1-ton truck and a ~10k "half ton" camper, so it isn't as if I didn't bring enough truck to the party.

 

[Ozymandias]

Why not just stay with the factory shocks when they do the job just fine?

 

[johnmyster]

Why not just stay with the factory shocks when they do the job just fine?

1) I'd like more oscillation control when towing.
2) Someday they really will be worn out and would be nice to have a suitable replacement path.
3) Better ride unloaded would also be nice.
4) "Do the job just fine" is only relative to me trying to update them and being worse off.

 

[AH64ID]

1) I'd like more oscillation control when towing.

It sounds like you need to add a little more tension to the WDH.

 

[Turbo Terry]

My factory shocks do just fine on my srw 3500 long box. Hauling 3000 lbs 8.9 truck camper . If I was replacing I would go back oe also . Ride empty is livable empty also with the tires aired down just my 2 cents

 

[Regcabguy]

I chucked my Bilstein 5100's in one week before I had to go in for back surgery.
The generic valving is super stiff.

 

[Turbo Terry]

I guess my question is how do I know when my shocks are bad. Hauling 3000 lbs about 3 k miles a year and empty the rest of the time how long should they last. On a normal truck no air suspension I would have probably have changed them by now. Factory shocks are known to be pretty cheap

 

[johnmyster]

I guess my question is how do I know when my shocks are bad. Hauling 3000 lbs about 3 k miles a year and empty the rest of the time how long should they last. On a normal truck no air suspension I would have probably have changed them by now. Factory shocks are known to be pretty cheap

After you hit a bump, do you feel like the front or rear axles bounce around aimlessly? Conversely, are the shocks too stiff in compression to allow the springs to compress and absorb the impact?

Parking lot speed bumps are a good test because you can feel how the front axle settles after a step input (being compressed as they catch the axle coming coming off the bump) and then the rear.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Speed bumps are a good indicator for sure

 

[Axel]

Not sure how hard they are to get, but Eibach makes a quality shock . Worth looking into.

 

[Ozymandias]

I guess my question is how do I know when my shocks are bad. Hauling 3000 lbs about 3 k miles a year and empty the rest of the time how long should they last. On a normal truck no air suspension I would have probably have changed them by now. Factory shocks are known to be pretty cheap

They are much better then they had been in the past. As a main matter for the road safety of the vehicle they simply can't cheap out on these anymore with being in the risk for an immensely expensive recall situation.

They are bad when you at the wheel have the impression that the truck isn't planted on the road anymore.

 

[crispyboy]

Interesting discussion. I’ve been quite happy with the bilstein 4600’s. I think Geno’s has a shock sale coming up in October.