Level Kit vs. Bilstein 5100
03-29-2013, 10:48 PM
#1
2011 SCREW 6.5' EB
Thread Starter
Level Kit vs. Bilstein 5100
Hey guys,
Haven't been here in a long time. We had a baby in Nov. and he was real sick for a few weeks so I have been disconnected from the world for awhile. He is all good and now we are getting back into the swing of things.
So, back to the truck. 2011 F150 4x4 EB 6' Bed Off-road Package.
I want to add the 2" level kit up front and remove the 1 1/2" block in the rear and add a 3" block (so to not double stack blocks). I am looking for an overall minor lift hence the rear lift as well. I tow a boat and put camping gear in the bed so if I just did a level kit in the front, the back would be to low when towing and I don't want that. (primary purpose of the truck)
I saw a post mentioning Bilstein 5100. I was ready to pull the trigger on the level kit in two weeks then I read Bilstein 5100 info and am now wondering if I should do this instead? I did a search and read numerous posts talking about each but couldn't find anything giving reasons for one vs the other. I do minor off-roading, mostly boat ramp and campground.
So, air it out... which is better and why?
Quick google search told me Bilstein allows more uptravel then a level kit, but then if I add bigger tires would the extra up travel cause bigger tires to hit the fenders or anything in the wheel well?
Haven't been here in a long time. We had a baby in Nov. and he was real sick for a few weeks so I have been disconnected from the world for awhile. He is all good and now we are getting back into the swing of things.
So, back to the truck. 2011 F150 4x4 EB 6' Bed Off-road Package.
I want to add the 2" level kit up front and remove the 1 1/2" block in the rear and add a 3" block (so to not double stack blocks). I am looking for an overall minor lift hence the rear lift as well. I tow a boat and put camping gear in the bed so if I just did a level kit in the front, the back would be to low when towing and I don't want that. (primary purpose of the truck)
I saw a post mentioning Bilstein 5100. I was ready to pull the trigger on the level kit in two weeks then I read Bilstein 5100 info and am now wondering if I should do this instead? I did a search and read numerous posts talking about each but couldn't find anything giving reasons for one vs the other. I do minor off-roading, mostly boat ramp and campground.
So, air it out... which is better and why?
Quick google search told me Bilstein allows more uptravel then a level kit, but then if I add bigger tires would the extra up travel cause bigger tires to hit the fenders or anything in the wheel well?
03-29-2013, 11:36 PM
#2
There are going to be differing opinions. I started out with the Bilstiens @ 1", ride was superb but I wanted more "lift" in the front so I went to 1.5 and the ride was still great with only two exceptions. 1. The rebound seemed excessive to me, kind of like a pogo stick almost but only when going over dips and such.
2. The "little" bumps in the road like where they put a bunch of patches in the asphalt and it gets weathered and rough, if that makes sense, you could feel those rather harshley. My take on it was that since the springs were compressed they were too stiff for the suspension to notice those tiny little bumps. Other than those two things it was great. Firmed up the ride and kept the front end from dipping when cornering. More of a "sporty" ride than stock. Super off road except again (from #1 the rebound was excessive on certain terrain).
I then had the Bilstiens set back to the bottom notch and had a 2" spacer installed. Wish I would have done that to start with. Yeah it's "slightly" less firm, dips "slightly" more in corners but for me the ride is much improved. I drive mostly on the street as well. Play a little off road but nothing serious.
Again, this is just my personal opinion and other than the two things I listed above, I loved the Bilstiens. Sorry for the long post and in the end which is better? I think that comes down to personal taste. Can't go wrong either way in my humble opinion.
Finally, I didn't put bigger tires on till after the 2"spacer so I can't speak as to whether they would hit the fenders. If I had to guess I would say no.
2. The "little" bumps in the road like where they put a bunch of patches in the asphalt and it gets weathered and rough, if that makes sense, you could feel those rather harshley. My take on it was that since the springs were compressed they were too stiff for the suspension to notice those tiny little bumps. Other than those two things it was great. Firmed up the ride and kept the front end from dipping when cornering. More of a "sporty" ride than stock. Super off road except again (from #1 the rebound was excessive on certain terrain).
I then had the Bilstiens set back to the bottom notch and had a 2" spacer installed. Wish I would have done that to start with. Yeah it's "slightly" less firm, dips "slightly" more in corners but for me the ride is much improved. I drive mostly on the street as well. Play a little off road but nothing serious.
Again, this is just my personal opinion and other than the two things I listed above, I loved the Bilstiens. Sorry for the long post and in the end which is better? I think that comes down to personal taste. Can't go wrong either way in my humble opinion.
Finally, I didn't put bigger tires on till after the 2"spacer so I can't speak as to whether they would hit the fenders. If I had to guess I would say no.