I do mostly blacktop driving with my 04 5.4 4x4 lariat. Stock suspension with original BF tires. I am wondering for those who have the Blisteins how they ride on the road. I like the smoothness of the truck and do not want to loose that. I do like the fact that I could raise the front up in order to level it. Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

 

I put a set of Bilsteins on my 07 back in Jan 10 and I must say, they are a great shock, nice and firm....too firm for my taste, I live on a back Maine road...LOL. anyway, long story short, I changed them all out for a set of Rancho's 9000XL with the ride selector ****. With it set in the middle I got a smoother, controlled ride from them. Very happy with them so far. Also I have a small 1" level kit installed also

 

SAM10947 Were your Blisteins the adjustable model 5100's which are adjustable??? I am trying to stay away from spacers as a way to lift the front to make the truck level, that is why I really liked the adjustable blisteins, no spacers needed and adjustable from 0 to 2". I guess I'll have to decide what is more important for me. Thanks for input.

 

My Bilsteins were adjustable only 0 or 2" selection. I was using the O" position.. For my tired old butt I would rather use a spacer than the the shock...why? Think about this..if you shorten up the coil spring, you are going to have a harsher ride than if you use a conservative spacer on top of the coil. Just my .02 and preference...I only put about 2500 mi on those Bilsteins....LOL

 

I too have the Bilsteins and I can say that the ride is firm but very harsh. The main reason I went with the Bilsteins was my factory shocks were shot, also I wanted to level it out anyway. So I killed two birds with one stone. But if your wanting a smooth, soft ride then the Bilsteins are not what you need. Now there are some on here that swear the Bilsteins made their ride much better, but not mine. But I don't regret buying them, kinda get use to them after awhile.

 

I have been running the Bilsteins for over a year, at the 2" setting and I am very happy with them. I don't feel there's much difference from the factory ride - maybe slightly stiffer...

 

I have the 6" bilsteins but the reason for that is tire control, other shocks may be smoother, but they dont have self adjusting valving nor the ability to handle larger tires or even stock tires while off the pavement. So if you do ONLY drive on black top, then maybe go with a smoother shock.

 

I had Rancho 9000s on my last truck, and Bilstein 5100s on this truck. The Bilsteins are like running the Rancho 9000XL shocks cranked up to the 8 or 9 setting. Both shocks are great, and improve the overall ride by reducing roll when cornering, and rear hop over bumps. There were times when I cranked up my Rancho's and enjoyed the sporty ride, but I know that the stiff sporty ride is not the best when you have passengers in the back seat, especially with no lift and stock tires.

 

Great inputs from all. I surely appreciate it. I will probably stay with the smooth ride since I do have passengers with me most of the time.

 

I have bilsteins in the back and they have helped my ride so far. I have a 2wd and I used the 4wd valved shocks (likely the same valving, but were longer) and they run great. I used them because I have lift blocks in the back and my stockers were too short.

If you are unsure of how stiff of a ride you want, just go with the rancho shocks. You DO have the ability to lift the front with them. I believe (check the website www.gorancho.com) that their "quicklift" shocks are adjustable both in ride and height, as they mention that they recommend the 9000's in the rear to match the front...

Just a suggestion, I haven't researched them as much, because I knew I was looking at the bilsteins...

Good Luck...