What lift do you have on the rear of your truck? The 5100s are for lifted, either 2" or 4". From the looks of the rear, the first time you have a load in the bed and hit a bump, it is going to be compressed all the way.

OE shocks are installed tube down. Personally I would have installed mine tube down. I hit a piece of metal that came up and put a hole in the tube, causing the shock to lose all it's oil. If it had been tube up, the shaft would have been probably bent, not allowing the shock to expand and compress at all.

 

His shock's are installed the correct way

 

I love starting this debate... Up or Down?!

 

Personally I dress to the right.

 

There is no debate, D. Yours are on upside down. Do ya think Bilstein would put their name on 'em upside down?

 

All I have done so far to the rear is add the 2" blocks from a 4x4. The 5100s are designated by Bilstein as lifted suspension shocks. I got them because I plan to only add another inch or so of height to the rear, and these will still work in that configuration.

As is sits now the bumpstop will hit about a 1/2" before the shock bottoms out.

As far as tube up vs. tube down, these shocks are designed to be mounted tube up. This is the reason for the label to be applied the way it is and the shock boots have drain holes in the bottom so they won't hold water.

I don't worry about something hitting the shaft and bending it. It takes a lot more force to bend the shaft than it does to puncture the tube. Besides, I ran these same shocks on the rear of my Jeep for about a year, and NEVER damaged the shaft. The truck will see a much easier life than the Jeep did.

 

Well, when you get a chance, you should turn your shocks over so they are mounted correctly.

 

I'm from Europe. I mounted them correctly...

 

These shocks can be mounted either way, unlike the fronts or reservoir shocks. I mounted mine like the OE. However there are a couple of advantages to mounting them tube down. The first I had already mentioned. Believe me the piece of steel I hit would have bent the shaft. The hole put right near the bottom of the tube went halfway around the tube. Over an inch long and half inch wide.
The second advantage is the shield has holes in it to let air in and out while compressing. If running thru water, what you are sucking in and out is water, not air. Something the shield is there specifically to keep out. That and dirt/mud. If you are in water deep enough to go in the holes with the shield up, your truck is probably floating.

As for the lettering, my OE replacement shocks lettering is upside down. My understanding is that Bilstein has changed the way the lettering is on these shocks now. Readable with shield up.

 

Sounds like that would have ruined your shock regardless of the way it was mounted.

So you think if I run through water the boot is gonna suck water in and hold it? I kinda doubt that.

 

Yes but it was drivable and no I don't think it will hold ALL of it.

 

his shocks are mounted the correct way.

 

http://www.eshocks.com/Mounting.asp
Correct Installation

 

I say that D's (and mine) are installed correctly with piston up/tube down.

Reason being (1) that's the way the stockers are mounted; and (2) the front can ONLY be mounted shaft up/tube down, therefore I'd think the rears would be the same (especially considering #1 above).

Dzervit =

End of story! I have spoken

 

So Bilstein prints their name and labels upside down on their shocks? I kinda doubt that.