Hey guys I have two questions for ya:

1. My Bilstein 5100 (4) just came in and I want to get them installed. I read a million different post on here about the rears. Does the boot go up or down? I have heard both sides of the story with the water & dirt and see that some shops installed them one way while others installed a different way.

2. I want to install the shocks myself. I know that the backs are easy enough. I have a question about the fronts though. Have heard a lot of problems with compressing the coil, so I am going to take that to the dealer. Can I just follow the AS write up and then simple remove the coil to install shock and then follow them to finish it back up?

Thanks guys,
Ryan

 

I think its w/e with the rears. I installed mine with the boot up, but i notice the boot keeps shimmying upwards. Next time I get bored I might re-install them boot-downwards.

As for un-install, i'm not too sure I had my dealer do mine and align it.

 

You should be fine using the AS writeup to R&I the shocks...I think having someone else compress the springs is probably a wise idea, I have heard that is no fun.

 

According to someone here that contacted Bilstein the body is up top and piston is facing downward. Just a like a dirtbike's suspention, this is for the rears.

 

Perfect!

 

My fabtech 6" was installed with the shock boots up....but don't see why it would matter either way.

 

the rear shocks are very easy to do. took about a half an hour. boot goes down, otherwise bilstein would have put their logo at the other end. plus i really don't think they would put their logo upside down.

 

It doesn't matter which way you install them. The will work great either way.

 

All the road crap seems to have a way of kicking up on the shock body from the tires, especially on the winter roads here. I have the boot down, and I would recommend doing it that way. The boots have drainage holes as well. By keeping the boot down, those drainage holes will do their job properly if anything gets in there.
Also, like others have mentioned, the Bilstein logo would be upside down with the boot up.

 

Yep, Im the guy who contacted Bilstein...

According to them. They are designed for the rears to be boot down, body up. But they said they didnt see any side affects of a reverse mount.. But thats their design.

I know both sides will chime in on how they installed them...
- Steve

 

Thats weird I called them twice myself when I did mine, both people said that you should be able to read the stickers without standing on your head, mine are boot up.

 

I think Last5oh_302 explained it pretty good. I just placed an order for a set of these and I will be installing them in the rear with boot down. It just makes more sense.

 

According to the Bilstein site either way is OK, but boot down would be their choice.

 

You should always mount your struts/shocks with the boot or plastic cup on the top and the body on the bottom, regardless of what the manufacturer says.

Otherwise, expect to get dirt, mud, and other contaminants trapped in there.

 

i think i would listen to the manufacturer for installing them the correct way. fox shocks are to be mounted body up, bilstein suggests body up. i would mount them the way they are suppose to be.