Bilstein 5100 Rough Ride

[Ford2019]

Hello .

I got Bilstein 5100 Front & Rear at stock height after my OEM got leaked. Got alignment as well.

Since I installed Bilstein, ride is noisy and rough. Truck feels every bump on the road, handling is better than OEM no doubt but the noise and the harsh ride on bumps is driving me nuts.

Been to multiple mechanics and everyone is affirmative that suspension components are fine & tight.

However I'm not satisfied with the ride at all.

Any recommendations or solution?

 

[SilverStealth]

Have you reduced the pressure in your tires? Bilsteins are definitely more firm than factory shocks.

 

[Ugh_J]

Hello .

I got Bilstein 5100 Front & Rear at stock height after my OEM got leaked. Got alignment as well.

Since I installed Bilstein, ride is noisy and rough. Truck feels every bump on the road, handling is better than OEM no doubt but the noise and the harsh ride on bumps is driving me nuts.

Been to multiple mechanics and everyone is affirmative that suspension components are fine & tight.

However I'm not satisfied with the ride at all.

Any recommendations or solution?

I had the same problem on my F-150. Everyone just RAVES about the Bilsteins and how much better they make the ride and etc. I took mine right back off and installed OEMs as I just couldn't deal with the skateboard ride. I'm somewhat convinced that folks saying they make the truck ride better were coming from either a completely clapped-out set of shocks to begin with or were used to sports cars with hardly any suspension.

 

[Ford2019]

Have you reduced the pressure in your tires? Bilsteins are definitely more firm than factory shocks.

I've tried all pressures but to no avail. The last things is the Factory tyres Hankook DynaPro AT.

Thinking to try some other brand or tread. But again, how much difference can a tyre make I'm not sure....

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

The Bilstein 4600s are a little firmer than stock and the 5100s are firmer than the 4600s. Generally speaking, if you're installing an off-road shock like these, you shouldn't be expecting a soft ride.

 

[duneslider]

What size wheels do you have? I had the 18's on my previous expedition and I found the change to the bilsteins to be much better than the too soft stock shocks. The bilsteins are def more firm than the stock but I did not find them harsh or anything like that. Maybe that was due to the fact that I had the 18" wheels and the extra sidewall helps with that. If you have the 20-22" wheels I could see there being more of a feeling of harshness as my current expedition has the bigger wheels and when I first got it I was surprised at the difference in the feel. I personally feel like the shocks on the expedition are too soft though.

 

[Yupster Dog]

5100 is for when you have a lift
4600 is for stock height

 

[duneslider]

5100 is for when you have a lift
4600 is for stock height

I didn't have a lift on mine with the 5100's. The ones made for the expedition don't lift it at the lowest setting.

 

[Yupster Dog]

I didn't have a lift on mine with the 5100's. The ones made for the expedition don't lift it at the lowest setting.

The 5100 are not meant/recommended for "stock ride" on the expedition on ANY height setting.
That is why the stiff ride. Many post on here about it.

 

[Moeman]

I had the same problem on my F-150. Everyone just RAVES about the Bilsteins and how much better they make the ride and etc. I took mine right back off and installed OEMs as I just couldn't deal with the skateboard ride. I'm somewhat convinced that folks saying they make the truck ride better were coming from either a completely clapped-out set of shocks to begin with or were used to sports cars with hardly any suspension.

I put the 5100's on my F150 mostly to lift the front a bit, but I also expected better ride and less wheel hop in the rear based on everyone's reviews. I really felt very little difference after the swap. Not sure I'd be able to pick out which was which in a blind taste test. Hence, if the ride is about the same, I think people will fool themselves into thinking it's better. As for the Expedition, we have a 2022 and I was also considering the 5100's. Again to level the front a bit, but also because I think the ride can't possibly be any worse. Exp has about the worst impact harshness of anything I've owned in the past 15 years.

 

[duneslider]

The 5100 are not meant/recommended for "stock ride" on the expedition on ANY height setting.
That is why the stiff ride. Many post on here about it.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here? They worked just great for me at no lift height and were not overly stiff at all especially with the 18" wheels.

 

[DieselMonk]

I had the Bilstein 4600 on my old 18 F150 Babystroke Lariat Supercrew, short box. They were identical to the stock shocks. No stiffer, no softer. If I compare that to my bone stock Expy SPP, she is super stiff with that HD trailer package, non CCD.

 

[Yupster Dog]

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here? They worked just great for me at no lift height and were not overly stiff at all especially with the 18" wheels.

Bilstein 4600's are the stock equivalent for an Expedition/F150 and 5100 are the stock equivalent for a F250/F350.

Many Members have the 5100 here because it gives them lift not comfort.
Like I said many threads on this subject on this forum.

 

[Yupster Dog]

Exp has about the worst impact harshness of anything I've owned in the past 15 years.

Did you try the Helwig sway bars?
Many Members have said the rear helps tremendously.

 

[Ugh_J]

Did you try the Helwig sway bars?
Many Members have said the rear helps tremendously.

For impact harshness?

 

[John I]

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here? They worked just great for me at no lift height and were not overly stiff at all especially with the 18" wheels.

My experience has been the same since I installed the 5100s on my 2019 with 20" wheels.

 

[Deadman]

That sounds right, almost all Bilsteins are very firm.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

shocks should be matched to spring rates for optimal ride and handling. I learned this when I messed with shocks on my touring motorcycle (a BMW R1100RS). stiffer springs require stiffer shocks. The better motorcycle shocks are highly adjustable, with both low speed and high speed rebound and compression damping all being separate settings, springs adjustable for preload height, etc. a couple cars ago, I upgraded the springs to a HD spring in back, and shocks to bilsteins, someone loaned me a spare set of TC and SP bilsteins for the rear to try before I ordered mine, and I settled on the TC (which I think are now the 4600, they were called 'touring' back then).

 

[keny01998]

I feel the same with my 2019 XLT 4wd. The Bilstein 5100 ride stiffer than OEM and my tires are at 38 psi on 20 inches .

 

[Moeman]

Did you try the Helwig sway bars?
Many Members have said the rear helps tremendously.

I missed you comment. No, I haven't tried the sway bar. Most people I've seen replacing them claim that they get rid of the side to side floating. I don't really feel like our vehicle is terribly floaty, just harsh.