Lower spring seats -- I spent money so you don't have to

[mjp2]

tl;dr: just buy the Ford shocks.

I bought Bilstein shocks but don't have stock parts on my truck. Bilstein doesn't offer lower spring seats for the rear of our trucks so I took it as a challenge. In the end, you need to buy stock shocks to scrounge the necessary parts.

The spring seats that Bilstein does sell are too small for our rear coils.






They also don't come with isolators so you'd have to figure that out unless you're fine with metal on metal.

There are unbranded shocks available on the cheap that have removable lower spring seats but they're slightly larger diameter than stock so they won't work on the Bilsteins.





The Ford shocks can be had for just over $100 each and it's the way to go. You get removable spring seats, isolators, and bump stops. No need to take a hammer to loosen things up as they're new, not rusty, and are held in with the same snap ring design that Bilstein uses.

More pics to follow in a reply...

 

[mjp2]

Pics of the stock shocks just because.









I'll post more whenever I get around to attempting the 5100 install on the rear of my 2010.

 

[Grover6]

Is there any reason you couldn't just buy a set of spring seats/isolators for the front and use for the rear? Asking as I will be going down this road my self soon.

 

[mjp2]

Nobody sells just spring seats that will work for the rear.

 

[RobE]

Wow, I just threw away my stock spring and strut assemblies and replaced them with Detroit Axle parts. I suppose I should have kept them as someone could have used the parts!

 

[mjp2]

I did the same thing when I swapped in the Ranchos. Been kicking myself since.

 

[Thunderbirdsport]

Did anyone search for this, and come across my thread titled "bilsteins and spring seats"?

Another guy posted that he did indeed get springs seats from bilstein that WILL work on stock diameter shocks, and of course the 4600 Bilstein. Not sure if the 4600 and the 5100 have the same dia though. This will stand to have some scrutiny.

 

[mjp2]

Yeah, that was me who replied in there. The spring seats fit the shocks but the question was whether or not they'd work with the truck's coils. I did the legwork to confirm whether or not those spring seats would work with the coils. They unfortunately won't.

 

[Scott Carden]

I have a 2014 el king ranch 4x4. Serial #00002. The serial number is important because my truck came with test parts from for on it. The rear strut tubes were 3” diameter! Crazy huge things with different seats, springs,ect. So when I swapped to bilstien 5100 nothing would work. I bought used struts of a wreak with 48,000 miles on it for 90$ swapped the parts over I needed and junked the rest. Fronts and rears are different on these just an FYI. The rears are quick and easy . 30 minutes a side at home and 5 bolts per side including the 3 strut nuts. The front is a big more complicated and took about an hour a side but still very easy job.

 

[Logan97]

tl;dr: just buy the Ford shocks.

I bought Bilstein shocks but don't have stock parts on my truck. Bilstein doesn't offer lower spring seats for the rear of our trucks so I took it as a challenge. In the end, you need to buy stock shocks to scrounge the necessary parts.

The spring seats that Bilstein does sell are too small for our rear coils.
View attachment 41437

View attachment 41438

View attachment 41439

They also don't come with isolators so you'd have to figure that out unless you're fine with metal on metal.

There are unbranded shocks available on the cheap that have removable lower spring seats but they're slightly larger diameter than stock so they won't work on the Bilsteins.

View attachment 41440

View attachment 41441

The Ford shocks can be had for just over $100 each and it's the way to go. You get removable spring seats, isolators, and bump stops. No need to take a hammer to loosen things up as they're new, not rusty, and are held in with the same snap ring design that Bilstein uses.

More pics to follow in a reply...

I know this post is old, but you only had to buy the rear right? My fronts are stock and I can't tell what my rear are and don't want to run into this issue when it's pulled apart.

 

[mjp2]

I know this post is old, but you only had to buy the rear right? My fronts are stock and I can't tell what my rear are and don't want to run into this issue when it's pulled apart.

It's the same parts you'll need to scrounge for all 4 corners. If you're still on stock fronts, you're good there. For the rears, pick up the cheapest Motorcraft shocks available for the vehicle since you'll be cutting the mounts off and disassembling anyway.

The price went up slightly since I last checked but you can get MOTORCRAFT ASH24742 for about $45 each these days. It's what I ordered when I did my setup.

 

[Logan97]

It's the same parts you'll need to scrounge for all 4 corners. If you're still on stock fronts, you're good there. For the rears, pick up the cheapest Motorcraft shocks available for the vehicle since you'll be cutting the mounts off and disassembling anyway.

The price went up slightly since I last checked but you can get MOTORCRAFT ASH24742 for about $45 each these days. It's what I ordered when I did my setup.

Does it have to be the ASH24742? I crawled under the expedition after work and the rears are also motorcraft. I don't know if there are different motorcraft for that though.

 

[Logan97]

 

[Logan97]

Mjp2, that's what I have on the rears. Sorry about the angle but that's the best I could do at the moment.

 

[mjp2]

Just has to be motorcraft. I mentioned that part number specifically only because it's the cheapest option I found. If you already have motorcraft on your truck you'll be fine tearing that down and pulling parts from it.

 

[Logan97]

Good to hear. Thanks for the information.