OK, quick question on Bilstein 5100s rears...

orientation of rods and socks up or down?

 

The bodies go up.

 

Awesome... Thanks

 

x2. If you search the forums, you will see about half saying boot-up and half saying body-up. I called Bilstein and they said it doesn't really matter, but they suggest body-up.

I am not sure which ones you got, but the 5100's rattle my teeth when hitting a major bump (like a railroad track) going fast. Otherwise, they feel similar to stock.

 

I agree, it doesn't matter. I ran HD Bilstein's for year's with the cover's up and they worked fine.

 

it does not matter, they are gas charged. Seriously I have asked this question and read enough online with nitrogen charged shocks it does not matter....

 

It may not matter for the performance of the shock, but it matters for the protection of the shock. Why do you think most serious off road shocks are mounted body up? The body is far more fragile (relatively speaking) than the hardened steel rod. Tucking the body up helps protect it a little from being up further in the body of the truck and not right down on the road. Plus, it just looks a whole lot cooler!!!!

I'd argue that's not a generic rule either and manufacturer specific. Bilstein may say on these shocks that it really doesn't matter, but at the end of the day, they intended this shock to be mounted body up. Other manufacturers will tell you it certainly does make a difference.

 

They are bodies up in that case because they also have reservoirs. No choice, they have to be body up because of the lines to the reservoir.
Stock shocks come body down. No reason to do it differently with aftermarket.

 

All my stock shocks on my truck came body up, I think almost all shocks I've seen on most trucks have been body up. It helps protect the body. And reservoir shocks can be run body down, would I recommend it? No, supposedly it causes them to have greater shock fade.

 

I can guarantee the OE shocks on your 98 cam body down as the are the type that has a threaded post at the top rather than bolt through like the bottom. My 04 ups have all come body down on the rear. Front there was no other way to do it but body down.

 

You might be right, I bought the truck with 22k on it so I'm not sure what the factory shocks were, but when I pulled off whatever was on it when I got it they were body up. But judging by my googling the factory shocks on the rear are body down from stock photos of them. My fronts do go body up, they're threaded post at the top and then two little prongs on either side for two bolts to screw into the bottom of the control arm. However my main reason still remains for them being body up is to protect the body. It'd be a lot easier to damage the body than the shaft.

 

I have had damage to the body when it was down. Fortunately for me it was down and only lost all the oil. If it had been up, the shaft would have been bent and would have caused the shock not to move all the way when compressed. I think that would have been a lot worse than just losing all oil, not allowing the suspension to travel freely.