I have a 2005 Chevy Silverado Z/71 with 82,000 miles on it I purchased it new and dealer had installed 4 inch lift kit from BDS. It rides really well on smooth pavement, but will rock you pretty good on any kind of hole or bump in the pavement. It hasn't always done this, just started around 75,000 miles or so. I replaced all 4 factory shocks with Bilstein's in 2014 when the truck had around 50,000 miles on it. The factory shocks had gotten rough riding so I replaced them with the Bilsteins 5100 series, good for up to a 6 inch lift. Truck is like a lot of 4/ wheel drive models, very little off road use, except when we have snow or ice. Not often in Georgia. Question is, would the Bilsteins be worn out in 5 years and 32,000 miles? Maybe I need to look elsewhere, bushings, hubs, or something else. I really like the truck and it is hard for me to believe 15 years has gone by, time sure flies. Thanks in advance.
Bilstein shocks
- Thread starter odotb
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Have you tried adjusting tire pressures to see if that helps with the ride?
Yes I have. Forgot to mention that in 2014 with 51,000 miles installed a set of Michelin LTX-MS tires that are rated at 65 PSI max. I ran 50 psi for a while and recently dropped to 40. Seemed to help a little, but may be my imagination. I have heard that Michelin tires harden with age, could be my problem, but hate to replace them until I know for sure.
Can you elaborate on "rock you pretty good" ? Normally I would take that to mean shocks are too stiff for your use when it comes to road impacts which is opposite of what happens when they wear. Worn or less firm shocks let the wheel travel easier with less movement transmitted to the chassis, but you bob around like a boat on water the rest of the time.
Is it possible that your potholes are just getting worse?
I wonder if you have some other issue like a broken swaybar link, but yes on a lifted vehicle you could have the shocks worn out in 32K mi, though that is on the low side of expectations.
Certainly at 15 y/o and lifted, you could have several suspension components with significant wear, and an incremental handling improvement with each replacement, but potholes... should only get more jarring with each of those incremental improvements.
Is it possible that your potholes are just getting worse?
I wonder if you have some other issue like a broken swaybar link, but yes on a lifted vehicle you could have the shocks worn out in 32K mi, though that is on the low side of expectations.
Certainly at 15 y/o and lifted, you could have several suspension components with significant wear, and an incremental handling improvement with each replacement, but potholes... should only get more jarring with each of those incremental improvements.
The Bilsteins I know in cars last longer then 32,000 miles, I would look at bushings first, and don't go with poly urethane since they will be stiffer and a rougher ride/road input. Are your tires at 1/2 tread or less, that makes a difference. Lift kits are hard on bushings, I myself would get a couple of different opinions by the dealer or a specilty street truck/repair place to see if they "see" anything else that you don't.
I had a front Bilstein leak on my truck. It was 1.5 years old. They are not perfect.
Tires still look new with a lot of thread left. If you hit a hole or where roots from trees have created a raised area in the road it hits like I have no shocks. Wife's Accord does much better, on the same road, but I realize it's apples to oranges.
Bilsteins have been good for me. In 11-09 at 41k, I replaced the factory struts and shocks with Bilsteins on my 2004 Trailblazer. Today at 194k, they are still riding well.
Originally Posted by zfasts03
The Bilsteins on my `97 Ram 1500 4x4 are 20 years old with 70,000 miles on them. They are rusty but perform 90% like new.
My 2006 Alaskan Silverado has 4600 series Bilstein shocks and struts with just shy of 100K miles on them (truck has roughly 180K on it and looks and drives great). My Alaskan truck still rides wonderfully with them, though I suspect I will accomplish an R&R action with the same this coming spring.
The Bilsteins on my `97 Ram 1500 4x4 are 20 years old with 70,000 miles on them. They are rusty but perform 90% like new.
My 2006 Alaskan Silverado has 4600 series Bilstein shocks and struts with just shy of 100K miles on them (truck has roughly 180K on it and looks and drives great). My Alaskan truck still rides wonderfully with them, though I suspect I will accomplish an R&R action with the same this coming spring.
Originally Posted by odotb
Tires still look new with a lot of thread left. If you hit a hole or where roots from trees have created a raised area in the road it hits like I have no shocks. Wife's Accord does much better, on the same road, but I realize it's apples to oranges.
Crashing over bumps = springs. 75k is pretty low mileage but I would be looking at what I assume are 15 year old OEM springs.
Tires still look new with a lot of thread left. If you hit a hole or where roots from trees have created a raised area in the road it hits like I have no shocks. Wife's Accord does much better, on the same road, but I realize it's apples to oranges.
Crashing over bumps = springs. 75k is pretty low mileage but I would be looking at what I assume are 15 year old OEM springs.
A 4" lift will mess with a ton of suspension geometry.
I also bet you aren't rocking out factory wheels, and those will mess with your ride.
Did you go lower profile rubber? Bigger wheels and tires? Bigger rubber?
Either way, that's a lot of extra unsprung weight you've got spinning and bouncing on the axles. It's not going to do you any favours when hitting bumps at any kind of speed.
*Note* Most if not all lift kits 3" and over are labelled for off road use only because their installation causes your vehicle to violate many different DOT(Transport Canada in Canada) standards and regulations. No one plans on an accident, but bad things happen and I've known people killed because of a lifted vehicle going over and crushing the cabin of the vehicle they were in. They were rear ended by the truck and it was a Honda Accord they were in.
So please be extra careful and for the love of anything precious to you, aim your headlights properly after getting any lift installed.
I also bet you aren't rocking out factory wheels, and those will mess with your ride.
Did you go lower profile rubber? Bigger wheels and tires? Bigger rubber?
Either way, that's a lot of extra unsprung weight you've got spinning and bouncing on the axles. It's not going to do you any favours when hitting bumps at any kind of speed.
*Note* Most if not all lift kits 3" and over are labelled for off road use only because their installation causes your vehicle to violate many different DOT(Transport Canada in Canada) standards and regulations. No one plans on an accident, but bad things happen and I've known people killed because of a lifted vehicle going over and crushing the cabin of the vehicle they were in. They were rear ended by the truck and it was a Honda Accord they were in.
So please be extra careful and for the love of anything precious to you, aim your headlights properly after getting any lift installed.
Bilstein have lifetime warranty so if you determine they are bad they will replace them.
Need to jack it up and see what is going on. Possible they leaked out.
Need to jack it up and see what is going on. Possible they leaked out.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/09/full-75135-36692-img_0201.jpg "[Linked Image]")
The truck has 17 inch aluminum wheels, same as factory wheels, and 285 tires, factory was 245. It is not a big high jacked buba truck. In 15 years I haven't killed anybody and haven't even been stopped by the law enforcement. The BDS lift kit has a life time warranty, so I'm going to give them a call and see what they suggest. Picture was taken today.
I was honestly worried it would go that way. I wasn't saying you did or would.
I mean I lifted a Beetle 3". 1.5" in blocks, 1.5" in springs.
The note was more for people that make it so their bumpers are aimed at say a Honda Accord's windows, or so that the driver is staring at the trucks diff through their window. Those nobs that use armoured rock crawling bumpers on public roads.
It's aimed at them, not you.
Your truck looks pretty good to be honest.
I mean I lifted a Beetle 3". 1.5" in blocks, 1.5" in springs.
The note was more for people that make it so their bumpers are aimed at say a Honda Accord's windows, or so that the driver is staring at the trucks diff through their window. Those nobs that use armoured rock crawling bumpers on public roads.
It's aimed at them, not you.
Your truck looks pretty good to be honest.
Thanks, no harm. I know you were trying to help and I appreciate it.
I've had 2 pairs of Bilsteins on the rear of my Liberty leak and completely loose all dampening power in 50k miles...about 20-25k a pair. The front ones last longer. Got OME ones for the rear and they've been great for over 50k and ride much smoother than the Bilsteins ever did.
I have Bilstein HD's on my 98 chevy K1500 and they have been on there for about 100,000 miles and probably 16 or 17 years and still work fine. I will tell you that Michelin tires will get hard as they age. I had the LTX AT's on my truck for years and the ride got to where it felt like I had no shocks.
I finally replaced them with some new Firestone's which were not LT tires like the Michelins and the truck rode like a totally new truck.
I finally replaced them with some new Firestone's which were not LT tires like the Michelins and the truck rode like a totally new truck.
If the truck rides rough it is more than likely shocks. I used heavy duty NAPA "Gas Grande" shocks on my Dodge 1500 and they were the best shocks I ever had.
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