Shock recommendations
- Thread starter grabeb
- Start date
SouthernTJ2000
TJ Enthusiast
Bilsteins get a lot of undue hate on this forum. Google "wranglertjforum bilstein" and you'll find the "rides so rough you can run over a quarter and tell whether it is heads or tails" story told a hundred times. It's just not true.
That's been a thing for almost 20 years. Long before this forum existed.
Just get the Blackmax or Rancho 5000x and move on. You’re wasting your time trying to figure something out that there’s nothing to figure out. There’s no benefit to spending more than $55/shock.
I did Rancho RS5000X RS55128 for my TJ's front shocks, it's for 0-1.25 inch lift. I have 31/10.5/15's. I think it rides pretty good for the cost but that's obviously a subjective statement.
It's a myth. I hate to say it because it goes against wranglertjforum.com dogma, and I'm an otherwise loyal cult member. Everything else I think I know or believe about my jeep I either learned by direct experience, or I took your guys' word and I built my jeep based on your wisdom. So Jerry, Blaine, AndyG, Rasband, jjvw, tworley, JMT, Chris, and all the other TJ gurus on this forum, THANK YOU for helping me build my Jeep. I almost never post on here because I don't feel like I have much to add. I'm a novice hobbyist at best, and I think I've done really well by listening to the consensus and when there's debate I usually assume the old guard is correct.
However, I won a set of Bilstein shocks in a raffle at the KOH this year. I had the choice between 5100 and 5160's. I chose the 5160s with the reservoir because they're more $ and I fully expected to sell them on Facebook marketplace for a few hundred bucks after giving them try, just based on what I've read about them on this forum.
I was "shocked" at how well they performed. These Bilsteins replaced Rancho RS5000X's, which replaced Fox 2.0's, which replaced Black Max's (one of which failed within a few months), which replaced Rancho 5000Xs, that replaced PO's R.E. shocks 6 years ago soon after I bought it. So, compared to all of those, the Bilstein 5160s are IMO the best shocks BY A LONG SHOT of the bunch. This is of course subjective, but they are dramatically better based on how they handle big hits and small events, washboard, on-road handling. High speed, slow, rough trails, rocks, on/off road — I mean, it's not even close. The only thing that's made a similar improvement in the ride quality of my Jeep was swapping in Mastercraft suspension seats.
The only reason I even went through the trouble of mounting them on my Jeep was that people like Chris the admin on this forum, and one of my friends who runs 5100s on his TJ, both have direct experience and they love their 5100's. That wasn't enough of an endorsement for me to ever buy a set and try them, but it was enough to make me curious enough to try them for free. I'm really glad I did, so thank you Chris (and my friend Armando who won't read this) because I count these shocks as one of the best mods I've done to date. These shocks aren't cheap, I think they're like $250 each, but if I knew they were this good I would've bought a set. So I'm just paying it forward, giving you all my unbiased honest opinion based on direct experience. The Bilstein head or tails quarter story is funny, but it's not what I’ve experienced.
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I have no experience with the 5160. Neither do all or most of the others you listed.
However, my brief experience with the 5100 was that they were a bit jittery on the small events, like road imperfections, and they had decent control on the big movements.
I personally have said very little about the 5100 in recent years since gaining more overall experience with suspension and designing ride quality. And have no real position on the 5100 one way or another.
* declarative statement made based on a sample size of one
That's ok. I have only had one set of Patagonias and one pair of 5000xes and I think they are both garbage.
And only one SwayLoc that I think is wonderful.
Strictly suspension lift for shock lengths. The shocks are using an axle mount to the frame mount location. The upper mount is not to the body so that portion of lift does not factor into the equation. If you feel inspired take a tape measure out - down and dirty you measure a static length of the shock and you are going to want that length to be in the middle of the compressed length and extended length of the shock your purchasing. You want to go pro you can try to measure out full droop and compression to make your purchase. I don’t rely on mfg suggestion of which shock fits what lift without confirming with the down and dirty technique.
Bilstein has voluminous valving options in the 5100 series. I just don’t know what it all means relative to my TJ.
@grabeb. FWIW, my notes on a few stock-height shocks are here.
I run the Ranchos, and would like to try the BlackMax sometime.
I've read that these cheaper shocks can be inconsistent in their quality. I recently replaced my rear shocks with a matching set I bought from @AZBRAM, and it's clear that my old pair were lemons.
I run the Ranchos, and would like to try the BlackMax sometime.
I've read that these cheaper shocks can be inconsistent in their quality. I recently replaced my rear shocks with a matching set I bought from @AZBRAM, and it's clear that my old pair were lemons.
I ended up going with a pair of ranchos. All that was in stock and I had to do something. I of course drove it and it felt good. That said it's not really mine, it's my daughter's so see if she gives me any feedback.
I am curious because every site says to run these lower control arm needs slight grinding. I didn't seem to need any and could not figure this out. What gives?
I am curious because every site says to run these lower control arm needs slight grinding. I didn't seem to need any and could not figure this out. What gives?