If you put the Bilstein 5100's on you will need an alignment. If you insist on keeping the AS kit in, replace them with like size shocks and you shouldn't need an alignment. IMHO, if you put the Bilstein 5100's on, use them to the full potential and ditch the AS kit. It's a lot of money for 5100's not to use them as designed. Just a thought.

 

Well I bought the 5100's because they were cheaper than the HD's and I plan on using the 5100's in the future when I lift my truck. I just want the AS kit to stay on so I can keep it exactly level and hopefully not have to get it aligned. Brent

 

Looking forward to reading your posts about broken CVs soon. lol
You will probably be worse off than people with 3" leveling kits when your front end is under full droop with the 2.5" spacers and bilsteins.

 

ok so the 5100s he has will not work with a 2.5 AS if the shocks are set at normal height you are saying?They are ADJUSTABLE for a reason. So saying that if you set them to the 2" lift up front and keep the 2.5 spacer of course you are going to run into SERIOUS problems. But keeping them at the stock height is the same thing as an OEM shock but obviously a more exspensive and better quality shock.

 

Then you also say love to see your post about broken CVs soon??? Funny how you say that when you also have your truck leveled. Mine is leveled with a 2inch autospring leveling kit and yours is by the bilsteins. So what is the difference? Its the shocks. But guess what? Ive broke my half shaft, torn cv boots, and UCAs and LCAs with the leveling kit due to the fact that i went wheeling in my truck. So you may also be the one posting up how you have a worn out ball joint or torn cv boot and broken half shaft.

 

You didn't read my earlier post. There is a difference.
Bilstein 5100 shocks are LONGER than factory shocks. They allow for more down travel than stock, but not so much that they allow the CV joints or ball joints to bind, or let the upper control arms contact the spring.

There is a difference between a 2" spacer on top of the spring (outside of the shock body like the autospring) and the 5100s. At ride height it is the same, sure. But the 2" spacer allows the the front suspension to droop a full 2" beyond factory design. This is where you get into problems with excessive angles.

Now, combine a 2.5" spacer that allows the front suspension to droop a full 2.5" BEYOND factory design, and run a shock that is LONGER than factory allowing even more droop. Are you catching on yet?

You can break CV joints and ball joints at factory angles, but the more you stress them at higher angles the sooner they will break. I stated before, I don't care because it's not my truck. I'm just trying to educate him because he asked for opinions. Obviously he seems to have made up his mind though already.

 

I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm just trying to figure out what i'm going to do before I go start taking it apart. Do you know how much longer they are than factory shocks?

 

yah i hear ya but i was not aware that the bilsteins are a longer shock than oem ones.

 

Thanks for that insight. You are not the only person that's advised against running the 5100's on the stock setting with a leveling kit and I never understood why...... now I know. It also makes a lot of sense. Since I'll be using my truck off-road some for hunting I believe I'll hold out for some 5100's.

To the OP..... I would still wait on shocks if you're lifting. If you're dead set on getting some now go with the yellow/blue HD's and get a lift that utilizes a spacer in the front. At least you won't be wasting money that way.

 

Well the reason i'm wanting to get them now is because my dad said he would help me buy some as part of a christmas gift. I ended up ordering them through Top Gun Customz for 393 shipped. Since they are longer than the factory shock and i'm all about doing things the right way i'm going to sell the spacer on here and use that to get an alignment. Thanks for all your help guys. Also another reason I got the 5100's over the HD's is because when I get my lift with the spacer I plan on putting these at plus two to get it up to 8 inches! Brent

 

when you guys are argueing about the bilsteins allowing the truck to droop are you refering to the suspension being fulling extended or compressed. i have yet to hear of bilsteins causing problems at 0 lift. now i know using them in the 1-2in lift with an additional 2in spacer on top will damage the c/v axles, unless you have modified c/v axles and a uniball upper A-arm to replace the stock ball joint to support the extreme angles. its kinda useless to buy leveling shocks and still use a spacer but if the shocks are kept at 0 and using the spacer all it does is force the lower A-arm lower in a sense acting as though the shock mount is lower. the spring will allow the shock to extend just as far as the stock shock and even if he bottomed out the stiff bilstein shock theres the bumpstop and it wont go any further than the stock shock would of. input on this is MORE than welcome! im just wondering if i misunderstood anything i'v read on the subject.

 

Well this post solidifies that I need to take off my spacer. I just put on my rear shocks and will be tackeling the fronts next week when my new rotors come.