Bilstein Shock Options for your Light Truck or Jeep: 5100, 5160, 6112 

We appreciate your kind words so much. We definitely try to help people and have them select what they would need. Everyone is doing different things and deem comfort differently. We prefer that customer know what they're getting, how it may or may benefit them and etc.

thanks a lot with love ...

@@ShockSurplus Are they more comfortable then the stock suspension off-road ????

Fox 2.0 will give that comfort for daily and help you on the off-roading portion. However, note, a Pothole is something you cannot really alleviate as it's a hole in the ground.

Glad to help

awesome! thanks for your business, definitely send some pics

thank you for the feedback and business!

Our pleasure!

love to hear it, we may have an updated version too after much more experience

glad we could help, what vehicle do you have?

@@ShockSurplus TRD OFF Road, 2022.

We would still go with Bilstein 5100 as is geared more for towing and hauling.

We really appreciate it. We can allow a local pick up as long as we have everything here. Give us a call and we can help you out with it.

The 5160 will be softer overall compared to the 5100s, and on the trail that helps a lot with all that chatter and small rocks. www.shocksurplus.com/search?query=bilstein-5160

Definitley! They should be a very nice improvement.

Is the rear end sagging under load? Are you running front and/or rear sway bars? If you're not sagging, but dont want to increase ride height, then new lift springs in the back may not be the ideal move. If you want some ride height gain in the rear, then definitely, the b12 springs will give that added height and rate to help with body roll. A new beefier sway bar from Helliwig would address body roll as well. Reach out to us to dive into the details, would love to help - 213-433-3616

@@ShockSurplus this is very helpful sir! Thank you for this!!

Really the 5160 is not going to be noticeably better under a load than the 4600s, and if you are just daily driving and towing, you will never get your shocks hot enough to need a reservoir shock in the rear. I would save the money and go 4600s all around for sure.

Bilstein 6112 all come with a front spring in their kit but do not include a rear spring. The rear spring is an optional part that user can purchase. This also varies on the vehicle as well if there's rear springs available.

You wouldn't have issues with the travel or wear on the CV. Preload is subjective as everyone feels comfort differently. For us, we have not seen any massive change if ride quality from running higher setting or more preload.

Now my biggest concern is that I’m seeing many people having issues with the factory UCAs coming in contact with the coil springs when set to max height on the 5100 and 6112 on the 2018. What height would be best to avoid this issue and also avoid needing to upgrade the UCAs? I imagine it would be different for the 5100 than it would for the 6112 given the different adjustment capabilities?

The 5160s would definitely help out with that. A heavier vehicle like that would benefit from a 2.5 option like Fox 2.5 or King 2.5s, but we understand budget constraints. www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-b8-5160-w-remote-reservoir-shocks-set-for-2011-2019-chevrolet-silverado-3500-hd-4wd-rwd

For constant load like that we think a better option would be a full set of leaf springs like Icon RXTs. You do not want to rely on load leveling solutions like air bags all the time. If you are running a heavy front bumper as well it might be a good idea to step up to a 650 or 700 lb per inch spring.

Appreciate the response. I am going to go with a OME 112 full leaf springs and OME UCAs; I ll add the CBI rear bumper w/swing out tire carrier @@ShockSurplus

We do not suggest trying to compress the spring while it's on the vehicle. It's highly suggested to remove it and compress it on a suitable compressor.

Thanks for the details! The 5160 will feel softer than the 5100s, which helps on those torsion bars when turned up. www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-b8-5160-w-remote-reservoir-shocks-front-pair-for-2001-2010-chevrolet-silverado-2500-hd-4wd-rwd?variant=39901122232369

Feel free to shoot us some images to support@shocksurplus.com and we can help figure that out. On that truck, you can get 2.1" of lift out of the front using the Bilstein 5100 height adjustment. Or you can use the Bilstein at the factory height setting and continue to run the spacer. www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-b8-5100-monotube-gas-adjustable-shocks-set-for-2015-2019-ford-f150-4wd-w-0-2-1-lift

would love to help, email support@shocksurplus.com or go to oursite and live chat www.shocksurplus.com

Please contact our sales team directly for assistance via email or phone number. Both can be found on our website.

Did you ever call? I’m looking for the same info

We don't have the specs on had for factory springs for the 2005 Tundra but it should be somewhere around 500-600 lbs springs.

@@ShockSurplus cheers, right on

Yeah running the 5160 in the rear works, might actually feel better when the vehicle is unloaded in the bed

Outside shocks, what you really need to focus on is you rear spring set up. That is where are you weight support is. The shocks are more of the comfort or feeling of the rear end.

That is correct. The vary from model to model. 5160, 8100, and 8112 have a 2 year and are more off-road oriented and are rebuildable by Bilstein. All the 5125, 5165, 8125, 9200, 9300 are universal so they have a shorter warranty and requite more prices calculations for setup.

@@ShockSurplus just wanted to mention it because in the video you say the 5160 has a 90 day and that's it, when they actually have the 2 yr. I just put mine on a week ago, and then when you guys said 90 days I was like wtf how'd I miss that. Glad to read it's 2 yr on the site.

Our apologies, I'll bring this up to the media team.

Actually since this video was released Bilstein has updated their policy to a 2 year warranty on things like the 5160s, but at the time having the 90 day warranty certainly was an issue for a lot of people who ended up buying these parts. Bilstein probably has the highest build quality and production standards of any other manufacturer, so issues are the least likely of any brand, but nobody is perfect so there are still always some occasional duds. It was not uncommon for somebody to buy a set, not install them or check them for 3 months, find out they were leaking/defective when they went to install and be essentially out of luck with Bilstein. We obviously took care of a lot of people on our dime, but there were certainly a lot of people who got bit before they updated the warranty

5160s are typically valved linearly, rather than digressively, so a bit more bump compliant and smoother in the tougher stuff www.shocksurplus.com/search?query=bilstein-5160

Please contact our sales team directly. We'll help guide you in the right direction. If this is strictly a off-road build, we'd have to know what you're doing exactly so we can steer you into the right direction.

I would probably go with an Eibach Stage 2 package or at least their 2.0 coilovers and Pro Truck Sport rear shocks instead of the Bilstein. If you are not towing or taking it off road, you can stand to go with something tuned a little softer.

It depends on the total constant weight on the front end. Bilstein 6112 come with a 600 lb. spring which is good for 0-80 lbs. of additional weight. You would upgrade to 650 lb. spring for 80-140 lbs. of additional weight. The most we would do is a 700 lb. spring which is for 150-220 lbs. of additional weight.

The difference is going to be in materials mostly, Bilstein is using materials to ensure longevity, KYB is more oriented towards cost savings. Namely the seals that Bilstein use are superior to most, which gives their shocks such a long life span. That wiper seal that cleans the shaft before entry to the shock is best in the business, ensuring no debris is getting into the shock.

If you do not plan on running too heavy of a front bumper, I recommend the 6112s and 5160s. However, if you want to run a lot of additional constant load ahead of the front axle, you may want to consider something you can upgrade the spring on, like Icon 2.5 coilovers. The 6112s use a proprietary spring design with no heavier alternatives. In contrast, a threaded body coilover like the Icons uses a universal flat ground coilover spring, with countless options for spring rates from companies like Eibach. That said, the Bilsteins are the better value, and we think they are tuned a little better for the average overlander or daily driver.

6112s are for vehicles that already have coil over strut suspension and will not work on a truck like yours that has torsion bars, leaf springs, and separate shocks. On your application the 5100s and 5160s will both offer very similar initial feel with the 5160s offering better heat dissipation under more extreme use. If you like to drive fast off road, or you turn a lot of miles when you are off road, then it may be a good idea to get a 5160 remote reservoir shock all around, otherwise the 5100s will do the trick.

What is the exact part number of the spring? What you need to consider is how much lift the springs also provides, then look at the circlip chart for the 5100. The specs on the 5100 are based on using a stock height spring.

The best option would be to stay at 2" but you would likely get better ride out of a spacer. Just make sure to cycle the suspension to make sure there is no CV bind and if there is, although we hate to do it, your best bet is a diff drop.

One of our favorite easy trail systems for the daily driver www.shocksurplus.com/products/eibach-pro-truck-lift-system-stage-1-kit-for-2003-2009-lexus-gx470-w-2-3-lift

The 5160s probably will not be all that much better under a load, however in most cases they are longer in travel so they do perform better with most aftermarket leaf packs.

@@ShockSurplusthank you for the reply!

They do have 6112 and it's a new part number that has not been supplied quite yet. Contact our sales team directly and we'll help figure everything out for you. www.shocksurplus.com/pages/contact-us-general-inquiry

If you are looking for something softer than stock we think the Skyjacker M95 is a great option and at less than $400 they are a great value. The Fox 2.0 is probably the best riding option, but they are $700 a set and will need to be rebuilt fairly often.

We suggest this kit: www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-b8-5100-monotube-gas-shocks-set-for-1987-1996-jeep-wrangler-4wd-w-3-4-lift-yj

If they offer parts we can. Please contact us with your full vehicle specifications. www.shocksurplus.com/pages/contact-us

Sounds like you might be simply measuring the rear blocks which these trucks come with from the factory. If the truck is sitting level and has a 2" lift in the front it is probably stock in the back. For your use a set of 5100s would more than do the trick www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-b8-5100-monotube-gas-shocks-set-for-2017-2019-ford-f250-super-duty-4wd-w-2-2-5-lift

Bilstein 5100s should do the trick if you are plan on keeping it stock height now and might consider lifting it later. If I am not mistaken the lowest setting on the 6112s will still add a little lift to the front end.

@@ShockSurplus how does Bp-51 front/5100s rear combo perform if using for both off-road and daily commute? i just really like the way ome bp-51 has both compress and rebound adjustment

Bilstein 6112s and 5100s top out at 2.5", but the 8112 front coilovers can go up to 3.25"

@@ShockSurplus thank you. I'll take a look at them.

#1 - Stock #2 - 0.6" #3 - 1.2 productdesk.cart.bilsteinus.com//media/products/bilstein/E4-WM5-Y666A00_1.pdf You can see the details on page 2

Bilstein for sure www.shocksurplus.com/search?query=bilstein

The 6112s will definitely ride better. The larger 60mm piston means they have way more potential dampening force and do not have to be tuned quite as stiff to provide the support for a full size truck with independent front suspension. The digressive design on both also means the larger piston of the 6112 allows for more oil to pass freely through the piston for better small bump sensitivity. Bilstein just released an "Extended Travel" 6112 that is adjustable from 1.75-2.75" of lift instead of 0-1.75" like the standard 6112s or 5100s. So if you were planning on running the 5100s or 6112s at the top setting for 1.75-1.85" of lift, you could get that same lift at the lowest setting on the extended travel 6112s which should allow them to top out less and ride better. They do require an aftermarket upper control arm though, so you will need to factory that into your budget/choice.

What upper comtrol arms do you recommend with the extended travel 6112... and whats another similar option? Like that

It's based on application. Some come with them, some do not, and some cannot use them.

There’s a trail boss / at4 specific 6112 shock that gives 1.6”

Thanks a lot!

That definitely is not normal. I would definitely check what circlip settng your are on.

Nope not needed, but it can really help with tire clearance since you can align for more positive caster to push the front tires forward and net yourself some clearance from those pesky front body mounts, wheel tubs, and everything else behind the front tires

@@ShockSurplus Thanks, it sounds that if I don't need to worry about tire clearance, I really don't need it. I am running 265/65R18 with stock wheel on my 2020 GX without rubbing.

What 2020 Chevrolet Silverado do you have? 1500, 2500, 3500?

Hahah winning! Hopefully its helpful info

Bilstein don't require maintenance, and most aren't serviceable since they're sealed shocks. But good thing is they last a billion miles without issue most of the time

5100s require a small lift, use the 4600s if you're sticking at factory height, they ride the same. Fox does have 2.0s for factory height. Fox will produce more comfort, Bilstein will produce more handling, some overlap between the two but they definitely have a different feel between them

@@ShockSurplus Much appreciated, thx I'll give the 4600s a go. Good day

Stock suspension is typically really soft, so we'd be on the side of no here, when comparing against Bilstein. What vehicle do you have specifically? We can find you an option for what you're looking for (offroad comfort)

@@ShockSurplus a 2015 Toyota tundra crew max. I’m looking for at least 2.5 inches of lift but want something I can offroad in long fast dirt roads usually

I need 2.65 bilstein for front

This a link to the 6112 for your F150: www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-6112-strut-spring-assembled-rear-b8-5100-shocks-set-for-2009-2013-ford-f150-4wd?variant=31673547587633 They come with a 500 lb spring

Most companies we deal with don't produce parts for international cars that were not offered here in the US. We don't offer Ironman 4x4 but we can possible look at ARB/OME as OME was an Australian based company. Please contact us directly for assistance.

There are 5160s that could be made to work, but there are not any 6112s that will work for your application

@@ShockSurplus okay thanks for the info

Bilstein 6112 are 2.5" diameter struts and do not offer a reservoir option . The reservoir only comes in the rear in the 5160 iteration. 2.5 series do not overheat more than smaller diameter. The large diameter body helps out and if they offer ar eservoir, they help out even more.

It depends on your use case and preferences. The Bilstein definitely is more supportive over bigger bumps at higher speeds, but the Eibach is generally more comfortable over smaller bumps and chatter and particularly at lower speeds

They have the 8100s, which is basically a 6100 and a reservoir

It's a great starting point for a lot of people.

wow thanks for the feedback, first we've heard such negativity around the 6112s. They are quite a bit firmer for sure than the factory setup, which is what i think you're feeling. You could sell em and roll into Fox 2.0 coilovers, which would be a lot softer.

The 5160s now have a 2 year warranty, while the 6112 has a limited lifetime

There isn't much you can do to alleviate potholes unless you have a large enough tire to kind of absorb that impact.