Just got done installing the Bilsteins, and pretty much everything I've read here can be thrown out . For starters, everybody has said that the rears take about 10 minutes and the fronts are a PITA to install. The rears took forever because the bottom bushings the bolts go through would NOT fit in the shock mounts. Fronts went in in about 10 minutes however. With everything installed, the ride is way too bouncy. Going over a normal road, the cab is bouncing all over the place, and going over a speedbump you can really feel it in the front, but not at all in the rear. This is leading me to believe something is wrong with the front set. One thing I've noticed with the fronts, the very top rubber bushing is completely compressed down whereas the second top rubber bushing (under the frame) isn't compressed at all. Everything is installed in the order and direction it should be though. So is there a break in period, did I screw up something, or what? If it's this bad ON the road, I'd hate to see it OFF the road.

 

I've never heard of a break-in period. What is the shock number that you put on your truck?

 

Fronts: F4 BE5 6138 T5
Rears: F4 BE5 6093 H5

Another thing I think I've noticed, I swear my CV angles seem less extreme than before the shocks.

 

Should you be running a F4 BE5 6526 H6 in the front? Do you think your shocks are too short?

 

I ran a set of Bilstein 5100's that were too short and you could sure tell.You could feel when the shocks were fully extended and the piston inside them would hammer onto the end of the shock body.I think that if the top rubber bushing is squished, but the one under the frame is not compressed at all, your shocks might be too short.Both of these bushings should look the same, moderately, and equally swelled from the correct torque on the nut.
Fabtech shock specs are as follows: Front 21.1 inches extended to 15.6 compressed
Rear 29.1 extended to 16.8 compressed.
I found that when I ran the crappy Fabtech shocks, they were right on the extended length.Once I cranked up my t-bars abit, they were too short.If I was you, I'd check the extended/compressed lengths of the shocks you have now. If they are right around those specs from Fabtech, I'd say they are too short.Add some extra travel length to the Fabtech specs and find a shock that will put it's operational cycle more into the middle of the shocks travel.

 

I found the part numbers online and then called TopGunCustomz to confirm that those shocks were indeed the ones for a 97 - 03 truck lifted 6" (suspension only), so I hope they're not the wrong part numbers.

I'll look into seeing if these may be too short

edit: Just called Bilstein and you were right greencrew and sledman, I'm running front shocks for trucks lifted 4 - 5", the ones you listed are for 6"

edit 2: TopGunCustomz is saying the 6138 is what they've got listed for fitting my truck and they don't even carry the 6526

edit 3: Alright TopGunCustomz called me back aplogizing saying that the part number I gave them was correct, it was just on backorder and it was their mistake for selling the wrong shocks. They're going to have me UPS them the old ones on their dime and they should be shipping me out a set of the 6526 H6 shocks. The problem is the new shocks are on backorder till July, so I've got to wait a month.

 

Good to hear you are on the right track, but it sux to have to wait.

 

97-03


4” lift front BE5-6138-H0 and rear BE5-2490-H0


6” lift front BE5-6526-H5 and rears BE5-6093-H5


looks like the wrong shocks

 

Alright I just got what I'm assuming to be the replacement front shocks. The part numbers on these are

BE5-6526-H7

I called Bilstein and these are supposed to be the right shocks for my truck (these supersede the H5 and H6 of the same model number, or so they say). There's one issue though, I have no idea how these mount. The Bilsteins on the truck now have the shaft that turns into a threaded end so you can thread a nut over the top of a bushing which goes over the frame of the truck. These look like this at the top:

 

Disregard this last post, I can't read, I was shipped the wrong shocks AGAIN

I was sent BE5 6256 H7 which are a rear set for a Jeep Cherokee lifted 3"

There's no way in hell those will fit the front of an F150 lifted 6"

 

so did you ever get the right shocks?

how do they ride?

I need new shocks very bad and I was planning on getting the bilstines.

 

Haha yeah it took them a few tries, but I got the right shocks for the truck. They ride absolutely incredible, especially coming from those shorter shocks for a few weeks where you could feel every crack in the road. Definitely worth the money.

 

nice. thanks for the update

 

Glad everything worked out man.

 

i know now this is old but I just bought a 99 f150 with 4wd and what I believe to be a 6" lift and solid axle swap and I have the same exact shocks as you and it rides like ****. What was the new shocks you put in it. And I looked up the rear shocks and it says that they are only for a 3" lift how can this be right