Looks like Bilstein is now making 5100s for the 15-19s!!

[Penumbra]

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[16plati]

I have run my tires at max pressure for over 30 years. Don’t listen to the kids at Discount tire regurgitating information from a training handbook. I have circled the US in many types of vehicles in every weather condition and my job sites are often war zones and mud holes for topography. Never been stuck, my vehicles handle with precise response and my tread always wears even. I always get the 80psi???are you sure??? As an engineer major products are under engineered and the given spec on a product is given with max tolerances in mind for regular use unless noted otherwise. Your vehicle handles as it should at max psi for the given tire. Running an under inflated tire is dangerous at high speeds not allowing quick crisp maneuvering...there is roll in the tire and this is not only unsafe at high speed curves on mountains but actually will damage your tire and cause uneven wear.

Ok well you tow also which is why you run higher pressures. When I call nitto and tell them exactly what I use the truck for and they recommend 45psi, I’m going to listen to the manufacturer. They also stated anytime I tow to bump to the max, but to come down for normal city and highway driving.

 

[16plati]

Photos are wheel gaps front to bacView attachment 30744 View attachment 30745 View attachment 30746 View attachment 30747 View attachment 30748

At max tire pressure, less of the tire is touching the surface creating bounce. More bounce = less handling ability especially at highway speeds.

Handling is going to suffer, ride comfort will definitely suffer, and you’re risking a blowout since the “max 80psi” is a WARNING to not exceed this number. With your “war zone” trips across the country highway speeds are heating up the air in the tires so your already over that max number. You are actually more of a hazard than joe smith running the RECOMMENDED 35-40psi.

The recommended pressure is the pressure where the vehicle handles and performs the best.

 

[Iamsam1117]

Agreed, max pressure isn't the proper pressure for our tires. Toyo has a conversion chart for P to LT tires I ended up bumping the pressure on mine to 45 and been running great

 

[LRNAD90]

I have run my tires at max pressure for over 30 years. Don’t listen to the kids at Discount tire regurgitating information from a training handbook. I have circled the US in many types of vehicles in every weather condition and my job sites are often war zones and mud holes for topography. Never been stuck, my vehicles handle with precise response and my tread always wears even. I always get the 80psi???are you sure??? As an engineer major products are under engineered and the given spec on a product is given with max tolerances in mind for regular use unless noted otherwise. Your vehicle handles as it should at max psi for the given tire. Running an under inflated tire is dangerous at high speeds not allowing quick crisp maneuvering...there is roll in the tire and this is not only unsafe at high speed curves on mountains but actually will damage your tire and cause uneven wear.

Scratching head. You should do the chalk test to verify your hypothesis, and if you are right, reach out to Ford and the tire manufacturers to show them the error in their recommendations..

My experience has been that the tires maximum load capacity is at maximum pressure. In the case of the specs you have posted, that would mean four of them support 14,600 lbs at 80 psi. I'm glad you've had good luck running your tires at max pressure, but I don't really think it is recommended, and I doubt you'd find a tire manufacturer that would recommend it on a truck that weighs less than half the rated tire capacity at max pressures.

Running them at maximum pressures just seems to unnecessarily decreasing ride comfort, increasing shock to the wheel, suspension chassis and occupants. It also increase the risk of damage to the tire carcass as a result. Tires are supposed to flex.

 

[Penumbra]

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[Penumbra]

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[MuddySpokes]

Geeze . . .

Why is it that on forums I watch, whenever somebody shares an experience on tire psi, people feel a need to jump on each other to prove who is right?

I find it hilarious that people will go into flame mode about tire pressure, yet get bigger tires than what OE calls for. Or install HID's when the lens is for filament. The list of OE deviations can get long . . . But tire psi? Noooo . . . Full-on war.

 

[16plati]

You obviously have no real world experience in testing your false statements. Set your tires at 50% max pressure and maneuver through big city highway traffic and check your lateral roll, run through 10 tanks of gas and compute your gas mileage, run them through 40,000 miles and gauge their wear across the tread,. Then repeat at 90-100%psi. I have personally done these comparisons several times with different vehicles and different tires from performance to A/T. The handling and response is night and day. My ride doesn’t bounce even a minuscule. Lateral response is higher. Gas mileage is higher. Turning is lighter. An under inflated tire generates more heat and wears uneven. If you have a tire that wears uneven by running it at its max psi no matter the condition...it’s poorly made and you should stop buying 99$ tires. I have 30k miles on this set and can show with a gauge my wear is even across with just a slight more (.5mm) near edge due to aggressive driving.

I don’t run my tires over 80 and under some conditions drop them to 75. When I head out on a trip I adjust tires as needed at each stop to maintain proper pressure. I have over 1million miles under my belt and I can tell what my pressure is in each tire within 2-3 psi just by driving. Many moons ago I worked for an OTR company in Chicago maintaining the tractors and trailers tires and brakes. Most tire failures are not due to over inflation. Mostly it’s due to an etiolated, worn or poorly manufactured tire. A manufacturer has recommended psi rating based upon the load on the tire. The pressure goes up to match the load which actually increases the force on the inside of the material, valve stem and bead...there is now a greater risk for failure. Therefore running at higher psi without load will decrease failure point while increasing tire stiffness. Basic physics. I like a stiff handling tire. If I drove a 1 ton pickup as a grocery getter or work commuter as most do, I would probably adjust, but I don’t and never willl. One ton passenger vans ride very nice at max psi with Bilsteins. I’ve had 3.

I know everything your regurgitating and most likely quite a bit more. A tire is in no way in danger of exploding at stated max psi...that’s laughable. When any product is engineered it’s given operating specs far below its actual fail points...otherwise products across the board would fail constantly. A cheap, old, or stressed tire may fail due to exponential decay of materials. A quality manufactured passenger tire with a max psi of 65psi will easily handle 150psi before failure. You can watch YouTube videos proving this on old worn tires.

So you go ahead with and do you and enjoy your floppy ass boat ride down the freeway. I love out maneuvering guys like you in and out of lanes. It really comes down to ride preference and real world application. Never a blow out or stuck in my life from desert to blizzards. I live in both. Hauled my trailer over and over through deep snow on Colorado passes at full psi passing underinflated passenger cars and trucks like butter. Never hydroplaned in torrential downpours across the nation. Real world experience beats any manual young man. Manuals are basic guidelines for the masses...a one shoe fits most to keep the stupid safe and the ignorant pointed.

https://www.drivers.com/article/354/

Jesus what a nerd, you can tell your tire pressure within 2-3 psi, yeah ok. Sounds like you’re full of yourself! If you’re at 80psi and on the highway for more than 50 miles I guarantee you’re running those tires over 80, but hey, you do you, keep your fingers crossed you dont have a blowout one day and injure yourself or god forbid someone else. I’ll be on the lookout for you during my travels and be sure to drive the other way

 

[LRNAD90]

Recommendation is exactly that by definition...a suggestion...not an absolute rule or number; otherwise it would be stated as so. Everything within this topic is life preferences. The sheep of the world unite.

The Vehicle Manufacturer and Tire Manufactures make recommendations based on testing and empirical data. I'm pretty sure their engineers aren't using seat of the pants impressions to make them, but apparently your more finely tuned than their testing equipment and methodologies.

It is really not worth getting into ******* matches like this (Not to mention this has gone way off the OP's topic), but to state YOUR preferences as fact, can be misleading, and everyone should know that they are just that, YOUR preferences.

If anyone wants to know what conclusions the Tire Manufacturer came to (after spending 10's, maybe 100's of thousands on testing) for optimal performance/economy and wear consult their recommendations, not the Internet Jockey that yells the loudest..

https://www.toyotires.com/media/2125/application_of_load_inflation_tables_20170203.pdf

Anyone reading along for their own education, keep in mind when changing tire sizes and construction (P vs P-Metric, vs LT, etc), you will need to adjust Air Pressures from what is stated by the factory, but there are conversion tables to do this, and I've yet to see any that recommend MAX PSI, unless the load carried warrants it..

 

[16plati]

Recommendation is exactly that by definition...a suggestion...not an absolute rule or number; otherwise it would be stated as so. Everything within this topic is life preferences. The sheep of the world unite.

Here’s some light reading material for you.

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=196


https://info.kaltire.com/the-right-tire-pressure-why-the-maximum-isnt-the-best/

https://www.cars.com/articles/how-do-i-find-the-correct-tire-pressure-for-my-car-1420676891878/

 

[Munkiebunz3]

Can we get back to the suspension subject? Start a new thread for tire debates.

 

[16plati]

 

[Adam N Davis]

I have a 2014 Ford Expedition 160k miles and need to replace all my struts. IT has self leveling rear and calls for EL1Z-1824-B front replacements. Looks like Bilstein 5100 is about the only replacement besides OEM? Or at least better than OEM. I am not tying to lift the vehicle either. FOr whatever reason 2014 is a difficult year to buy suspension parts on these. I think I have same HD towing self level system as 2015 and up?

My main question is if I go with 5100 do you all know if the spring perch is pressed on or not. Need to know before I start so I can get a press lined up to take it off.

 

[grdsman]

I have a 2014 Ford Expedition 160k miles and need to replace all my struts. IT has self leveling rear and calls for EL1Z-1824-B front replacements. Looks like Bilstein 5100 is about the only replacement besides OEM? Or at least better than OEM. I am not tying to lift the vehicle either. FOr whatever reason 2014 is a difficult year to buy suspension parts on these. I think I have same HD towing self level system as 2015 and up?

My main question is if I go with 5100 do you all know if the spring perch is pressed on or not. Need to know before I start so I can get a press lined up to take it off.

You should be able to knock off the perch. My 2015 perches came right off.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Bilstein rears just sitting in my garage because I didn't realize that I had Nivomat rears on mine. Now I'm wondering which will be better for heavy towing. Replace the rears with stock springs and Bilsteins or keep the Nivomats?

Mike

 

[wstcoaster07]

You should be able to knock off the perch. My 2015 perches came right off.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Bilstein rears just sitting in my garage because I didn't realize that I had Nivomat rears on mine. Now I'm wondering which will be better for heavy towing. Replace the rears with stock springs and Bilsteins or keep the Nivomats?

Mike

Can you explain a bit what you did? It sounded like others had a real beast of a time and either needed presses or destruction of the old strut. Thanks

 

[Adam N Davis]

Mike, I found the KYB SR4456 Strut plus for front at Jegs for a pair for $181! https://www.jegs.com/i/KYB/575/SR4456/10002/-1
With not needing to lift these are cheaper and KYB is definitely upgrade to OEM. Not sure how much better Bilstein 5100 would be over this but at least this is a coil and spring assembly.

The rear I think without changing to standard coil and shock we are stuck buying the OEM EL1Z-18125-A nivomat replacement. I found it https://www.fordpartsgiant.com/parts/ford-shock-absorber-asy_el1z-18125-a.html $173.90 each shock

 

[Conrad Penner]

You should be able to knock off the perch. My 2015 perches came right off.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Bilstein rears just sitting in my garage because I didn't realize that I had Nivomat rears on mine. Now I'm wondering which will be better for heavy towing. Replace the rears with stock springs and Bilsteins or keep the Nivomats?

Mike

Im in the same boat. I Have a 2017 EL limited with blown rear shocks. Ordered teh full Bilstein 5100 set. Now i realized the rears are not standard coil overs. they must be the the Nivomat. They are roughly 2 7/8" in diameter. The Bilsteins are smaller diameter. Also, whatever mine are, the spring perches are welded on solid. Anyone have a solution? i really want to use the 5100's on full lift to get rid of my spacers

UPDATE: I think i have figured out my folly. I have the Ninovat shocks in the rear. Problem just got bigger

 

[grdsman]

Im in the same boat. I Have a 2017 EL limited with blown rear shocks. Ordered teh full Bilstein 5100 set. Now i realized the rears are not standard coil overs. they must be the the Nivomat. They are roughly 2 7/8" in diameter. The Bilsteins are smaller diameter. Also, whatever mine are, the spring perches are welded on solid. Anyone have a solution? i really want to use the 5100's on full lift to get rid of my spacers

UPDATE: I think i have figured out my folly. I have the Ninovat shocks in the rear. Problem just got bigger

You can find stock rears at a junk yard that are non-nivomat. I got mine for about $100, swapped the shocks in and put them on. It was more money than I planned on spending, but don't regret it.

 

[arbetrader]

5100s and 4600s when for the same model are valved the same. The 5100s body is slightly longer and has the adjustable snap ring to accommodate the lift.
Being that for EB Expeditions one was using the fronts from an F150 and the Rears from the older Expedition the valving for the 5100s and 4600s is likely different and the 5100s are going to be more fine tuned.

5100s have a setting for stock ride height.
If I was not going to lift it or was happy with only 1” lift I would use the 5100s listed in this thread.
If I wanted more lift I would not.
Not a good idea to use a spacer with the 5100.


I have the 5100s from the F150 giving 2” lift up front and 4600s from the older Expeditions paired with a Readylift 2” spacer in the rear.
I am very happy with the ride. I much prefer it to the stock ride and handling.
I have not towed with it yet but I did have about 1500 or so pounds of mulch and dirt in the back the other day and would have no idea it was back there. No sag nor did the ride change at all.

Hey, did you have this setup on your Expedition? (5100 up front/4600rear w/ 2" spacer?) This is the setup I might consider. Did the back end look substantially higher than the front?