Just spoke with Bilstein customer service- these rear shocks are for Gm and are to be installed boot up with the Bilstein legible not upside down. Torque specs are front - upper nut 19ft lbs lower bolt 60ft lbs Rear torque spec upper and lower bolts 85ft lbs
Just subscribed and thanks for the instructions. I have an '08 Silverado 2500HD and will be replacing all shocks with the Bilstein 5100's. I'm also going to remove the bed for a thorough rust removal & check. Any work you do on my model & year would be appreciated!
Hey I planing on ordering that set up and had a question. I have a leveled 03 z71 and it comes stock with a 2”block. Wondering what option I pick for the size the one saying 0-1 in lift or the 2in lift. Question about the rear shocks btw.
Great video and filming. Although, I think you should have some eye protection on when using solvents and wire brushing above. Eyes are so taken for granted by us humans.
@anonymous just find the bilsteins that are for trucks with a 0-3” lift. Shocks do not lift a vehicle. They provide stability on the road. The do not lift at all.
On the pass side frame you are missing a rebound cushion! I am at 320K miles on my 04 Silverado and I am still on original shocks and suspension. I am clear my shackle bushings are shot. You may wish to do yours (and your fuel pump as part of your bed off series.
So I bought a set of 5100s for the front after doing all the other components on my 03 1500 ls ext cab. The the flat nub on the new a arm won't let the billstein clear the shock tower. It's needs like another inch. The Ranchos that are in there have a tapered end so they're not having the same issues. It's there anyway I can make them fit before I return them?
Good video...thanks. Yeah I am in the process of re-doing some stuff on my 02' Chevy Silverado. I cannot bring myself to go new...waaay to overpriced for my taste. My preference, aftermarket this good ole' 4x4. New Bilstein 5100's, wheels 18X8.5 KMC KM541 DIRTY HARRY < ;) , tires Goodyear Wrangler 33's, 1.5" lift in the back and some 1-3' MotoFab torsion keys in the front. Oh yeah and the whole front end done (for the most part)...Moog and AC Delco professional line for pitman, rodends, links and still need to pop some new sway bushings in. ;)
Why do you think they are upside down? At 7:35 you tear off the cover and it shows the shaft. At 6:00, as someone else pointed out the label is upright. Also if the boy is up it went get ripped off by rocks and brush. I’m not a pro, so I’m wondering. I’m about to replace mine. Thanks
Also, you said they work well the way you installed them. Does a shock know whether it is upside down? It’s pumping oil through the valving either way. Thanks
So, question. My lift is a rough country 6 inch on my gmc. I just put on the basic rc shocks that came with the kit. Would these shocks really make that big of a difference in ride quality for the cost of replacing the rc ones?
@@79champions In my opinion yes German designed shocks that are made in the U.S.A or Mexico for under $120 per shock 90% of the time and make your truck ride very good and slight handling improvement is a damm good shock to me. I have had rough country before I think they last a long time but ride harsh.
Rustoleum Rust Converter primer is awesome stuff. Follow up with some Rustoleum flat or semi-gloss paint. I like the semi-gloss because it sheds water faster than the flat. Wire brush, scrape and sand prior to application. I do this whenever I get into a project like this because why duplicate my efforts? I know there are better rust restoration products but the Rustoleum has served me well at a very reasonable cost. Off the subject I know but I hated seeing all that rust under such a nice truck. I'm waiting on my Monroe Gas-Magnums to arrive because Bilsteins are out of my price range for a shock and I don't off road. I'm getting all four shocks for a little over the price of one Bilstein. Good video, thanks.
@@kerrybradley3536 When you don't compress to activate, the cylinder acts erraticly & each one responds differently. It can take quite some time before all are fully activated equally, and until then the suspension will be less stable.
Nice video! I have a 2006 F350 Super Duty with an 8-inch Fabtech lift (bought it like that in 2016). Does Bilstein make a shock that will work with an 8-inch lift? If not, do you have any recommendations? I want to replace all of my shocks, to include the steering stabilizers. I'm trying to get a much softer ride, as I don't do much off-roading, and a lot of the videos here on RUclips seem to support Bilstein shocks as a good solution.
Yellow and blue are 4600 series and the shiny zinc/black are 5100 series. I believe 5100 is considered an “off-road” shock but I have them on a truck that never goes off road and they ride amazing.
On a 2005 Chevy avalanche, what’s that big rubber thing , just before the suspension, it looks like an upside down pyramid that is all rubber and mine is breaking away. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with if you have extra loads and it seems to be between the chassis and the bed if the truck.?
I got a 1999 today and the saw the shocks are shot. Can i still use these parts? Is 1999-2007 the range of silverados that can take these parts he has?
I have a 2004 chevy silverado 1500 2WD...I am going to be having heavy loads in the bed regularly, and pulling a trailer with 7,000 pounds...I want to upgrade the entire suspension and have Eeo idea what all I need to do.
Yes, Bilstien sells different shocks for different height lift, just put the lift height into your search query and you should be able to find several sites selling different length shocks
No one seems to be 100% sure which way to install them. I’ve seen them put on both ways. Bilstein does a terrible job with explaining how to install. I’ve seen the Bilstein sticker on the shock stamped facing up and facing down which is more confusing!
I put them on the reverse to what he did, I just copied what the last person did. My instructions, what I could read said “ don’t tighten up completely until you put weight on the vehicle. I watched video as I tried to tighten nuts with needle nose pliers and it didn’t hold or it kept twisting, I’ll go back now and use the type he us3d
when doing the front end. If I jack up the front end at the axel, am I able to compress the shock enough to fit it in? Or do I need to jack it at the frame? (my jack isn't high enough to reach the frame and I don't like using wood blocks lol)
Some 1500's still have the Torsion Bar sprung frontends, like this one. With the coilover front, you can keep the coil on and just slip it out the bottom of the a-arm.
The shocks alone will not level the truck they just control how the truck handles bumps in the road. You will still need to “raise” the suspension using keys
Shocks in the front of a half ton the way it should be!!!😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😳😳😳😳😱😱😳😱😳 😂😂😂😂😂😁😂😁 07+ is a damn shame thankfully they haven't ruined the 3/4 tons and up
I installed mine on my 2002 Silverado. They work great. The boots are up, and for the front they can’t be reversed. And the logo is upside up. The rear could be turned over but that doesn’t make any sense to me. Not a hard job at all.
your prices for shocks , you out of your mind $2000,00 dollars for shocks, i can get a set of 4 shocks for $77.00 with free shipping , sorry i will not buy shocks from you guy , i am disabled and on a budget
$2K? We linked to them on Amazon for $350 I believe for the set of 4. I think through Kies they are bit more but we don't set the prices, they are enforced by the distributor. Whoever is selling them on Amazon is shortcutting the distributer and selling for less than smaller businesses can unfortunately. They are definitely on the pricier side for sure tho and there are some budget options out there.
@@TheSundaeDrive i had bought this 2005 chevy Silverado k1500 from a plumber he had the 294 in it my point is he had it rebuilt and the transmission was as well , he had taken good care of it, i had put $4000.00 in it now adding the shocks , it has 174.604 miles and never replaced them, i paid $1.400 for it it has a lot of rust , here in Illinois every thing Rust here LOL i will fix anything that comes up , Ilove this truck, i had a 1992 S-10 i bought brand new had it for 25 years i sold it , i have always had chevy all my life GM cars have been good to me, i had one ford and it was a 1962 Galaxy 500 with rebuild trans and motor that was a great car every other sucked chevy only here
Just spoke with Bilstein customer service- these rear shocks are for Gm and are to be installed boot up with the Bilstein legible not upside down. Torque specs are front - upper nut 19ft lbs lower bolt 60ft lbs
Rear torque spec upper and lower bolts 85ft lbs
Thank you! The video said refer to torque specs in description and there was none.
@@coltonwatters9800 There is a torque spec sheet in the description it is about half way down the list.
im having a hard time with the front shocks. every time i tighten the rest spins with it any help?
I always cut the shaft on the front shocks...takes 2 minutes to pull the shock when you do it that way :)
Brilliant. For real
@@hitmanhydraulics645 I will do the if it saves me time 👍
Lmao it barely took me ten minutes to remove the old shocks and install new.
Dude you have a gift with instructions. Thank you so much!!!!1
Just subscribed and thanks for the instructions. I have an '08 Silverado 2500HD and will be replacing all shocks with the Bilstein 5100's. I'm also going to remove the bed for a thorough rust removal & check. Any work you do on my model & year would be appreciated!
Hey I planing on ordering that set up and had a question. I have a leveled 03 z71 and it comes stock with a 2”block. Wondering what option I pick for the size the one saying 0-1 in lift or the 2in lift. Question about the rear shocks btw.
Great video and filming. Although, I think you should have some eye protection on when using solvents and wire brushing above. Eyes are so taken for granted by us humans.
Good call! always better to be safe then sorry!
Lol eye popo in the hizouse!!!
😅
very good video. is there struts on this yr truck? not sure of the signs that will let me know when to replace shocks other than rust?
Nice video! I would recommend wearing eye protection with all that rust plus you sprayed PB Blast might save your eyes in the future.
Always a good idea to wear eye protection!
@anonymous just find the bilsteins that are for trucks with a 0-3” lift.
Shocks do not lift a vehicle. They provide stability on the road. The do not lift at all.
On the pass side frame you are missing a rebound cushion! I am at 320K miles on my 04 Silverado and I am still on original shocks and suspension. I am clear my shackle bushings are shot. You may wish to do yours (and your fuel pump as part of your bed off series.
Good idea!
you are just now changing your shocks WOW ! 320k miles that must be one hell of a ride lol
@@TomMack530 Whats funny is it did not change the ride one bit: what really improved things was the new cab and bed bushings
@@oldschoolcars3318
BS
Have a 03 gmc and even the yellow bilstein made a lot of different at 30,000 miles
@@reyperez3424 your experience is yours. Mine is mine. At 320k in pa with road salt,, shocks don t do shit without cab mounts.
Great video! Do you know if they make ride height adjustable shocks the the first gens?
Torque spec? Don't see it listed
His elbow clicks at 90 lb-ft
Chevy spec 70footlbs
Thinking about tossing these on my Silverado 2500, how do the handle under a 14000-10000lb load nothing too heavy.
Very good detailed video very satisfied with this video.
Thanks! Glad it helped!
I have a 02 silverado z71 with stock height. The truck has original 4600 bilsteins, would the 5100 work?
If you don’t jack the back of the truck all the way up you don’t have to lift the rear axle to get holes to line up.
Very helpful thanks
You reused the old bushings in the front. Surely there were toast? Did Bilstein not include new lower bushings for the front shocks?
So I bought a set of 5100s for the front after doing all the other components on my 03 1500 ls ext cab. The the flat nub on the new a arm won't let the billstein clear the shock tower. It's needs like another inch. The Ranchos that are in there have a tapered end so they're not having the same issues. It's there anyway I can make them fit before I return them?
The NJ winters realy rust up a truck. PB surface shield works well.
Good video...thanks. Yeah I am in the process of re-doing some stuff on my 02' Chevy Silverado. I cannot bring myself to go new...waaay to overpriced for my taste. My preference, aftermarket this good ole' 4x4. New Bilstein 5100's, wheels 18X8.5 KMC KM541 DIRTY HARRY < ;) , tires Goodyear Wrangler 33's, 1.5" lift in the back and some 1-3' MotoFab torsion keys in the front. Oh yeah and the whole front end done (for the most part)...Moog and AC Delco professional line for pitman, rodends, links and still need to pop some new sway bushings in. ;)
I have a dumb question, why do some people mount there shocks upside down in these trucks
Do you mean like we just witnessed in this video?
Lol yeah we know.
Why do you think they are upside down? At 7:35 you tear off the cover and it shows the shaft. At 6:00, as someone else pointed out the label is upright. Also if the boy is up it went get ripped off by rocks and brush.
I’m not a pro, so I’m wondering. I’m about to replace mine. Thanks
Also, you said they work well the way you installed them. Does a shock know whether it is upside down? It’s pumping oil through the valving either way. Thanks
Awesome 👍🏻
Thanks 🤗
So, question. My lift is a rough country 6 inch on my gmc. I just put on the basic rc shocks that came with the kit. Would these shocks really make that big of a difference in ride quality for the cost of replacing the rc ones?
NO those are shocks for stock ride hight trucks you have to buy shocks for your truck that are made for a 6in lift
@@Giovanni_Litterini For sure, totally get that. I just meant are bilstein shocks that much better than stock or rough country ones for ride quality?
@@79champions In my opinion yes German designed shocks that are made in the U.S.A or Mexico for under $120 per shock 90% of the time and make your truck ride very good and slight handling improvement is a damm good shock to me. I have had rough country before I think they last a long time but ride harsh.
Bilstein's are phenomenal. I would strongly recommend them. Just make sure you are getting ones rated for the lift you have.
these shocks won't compensate for a cheap lift kit
Will the rear shocks fit an 04 2wd with no z71 block?
Rustoleum Rust Converter primer is awesome stuff. Follow up with some Rustoleum flat or semi-gloss paint. I like the semi-gloss because it sheds water faster than the flat. Wire brush, scrape and sand prior to application. I do this whenever I get into a project like this because why duplicate my efforts? I know there are better rust restoration products but the Rustoleum has served me well at a very reasonable cost. Off the subject I know but I hated seeing all that rust under such a nice truck. I'm waiting on my Monroe Gas-Magnums to arrive because Bilsteins are out of my price range for a shock and I don't off road. I'm getting all four shocks for a little over the price of one Bilstein. Good video, thanks.
Definetely a good idea to restore what you can each time you work on something to keep it lasting.
Man that truck is rusty. Glad I live in West Texas. Not much rain but vehicles don’t rust here
The bane of those that live in the northeast sadly :( it's a constant battle
Question, do these fit a 05 Gmc,
Not a 4x4, crew cab?
So, you don't have to compress the shock absorber 4 to 5 times to activate?
It will activate itself when driving
@@kerrybradley3536 When you don't compress to activate, the cylinder acts erraticly & each one responds differently. It can take quite some time before all are fully activated equally, and until then the suspension will be less stable.
I have the same truck where can i order it. Great video
Links are in the description :)
You should check with Bilstein on my 2014 ford f150 they said rubber boots down they have drain holes , don't install upsidedown,,
Nice video! I have a 2006 F350 Super Duty with an 8-inch Fabtech lift (bought it like that in 2016). Does Bilstein make a shock that will work with an 8-inch lift? If not, do you have any recommendations? I want to replace all of my shocks, to include the steering stabilizers. I'm trying to get a much softer ride, as I don't do much off-roading, and a lot of the videos here on RUclips seem to support Bilstein shocks as a good solution.
What is the difference between the Bilstein you put on, and the yellow and blue Bilstein shock?
Yellow and blue are 4600 series and the shiny zinc/black are 5100 series. I believe 5100 is considered an “off-road” shock but I have them on a truck that never goes off road and they ride amazing.
@@notkylelol Thanks. I just didn't want to put anything on my 01 GMC Sierra that makes it ride any rougher than it already deas.
On a 2005 Chevy avalanche, what’s that big rubber thing , just before the suspension, it looks like an upside down pyramid that is all rubber and mine is breaking away. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with if you have extra loads and it seems to be between the chassis and the bed if the truck.?
Those are bump stumps for when you have a heavy load
Can l use for my GMC Sierra 2006 4+4 ? ??
Bilstein's site shows comparability. Best of luck with it!
I got a 1999 today and the saw the shocks are shot. Can i still use these parts? Is 1999-2007 the range of silverados that can take these parts he has?
Don’t take my word fully on this but I do believe 99-06 are all interchangeable
Look on bilsteins site and they show the compatible shocks. You can compare part. Numbers for the different years to see.
Bilstein 24-186643
Stock height and up to 2.5 “ lift
On their site for the 14-18 Chevy and GMC the boot gets mounted towards the bottom
I have a 2004 chevy silverado 1500 2WD...I am going to be having heavy loads in the bed regularly, and pulling a trailer with 7,000 pounds...I want to upgrade the entire suspension and have Eeo idea what all I need to do.
Best to get manual on the truck or serch how tos
Would these work for a 05 Silverado on a rough country 6in lift
Yes, Bilstien sells different shocks for different height lift, just put the lift height into your search query and you should be able to find several sites selling different length shocks
Lucky, I had to roll around in the dirt in my driveway fighting heat and mosquitoes.
I saw some video showed the rubber part of the shock go on the bottom.i dont know what the different or it can goes both way
I believe that is the wrong way
No one seems to be 100% sure which way to install them. I’ve seen them put on both ways. Bilstein does a terrible job with explaining how to install. I’ve seen the Bilstein sticker on the shock stamped facing up and facing down which is more confusing!
I put them on the reverse to what he did, I just copied what the last person did. My instructions, what I could read said “ don’t tighten up completely until you put weight on the vehicle. I watched video as I tried to tighten nuts with needle nose pliers and it didn’t hold or it kept twisting, I’ll go back now and use the type he us3d
Pretty sure these are upside down shocks, which is why they have the bellows rather than the rigid plastic shield.
Will they work on a leveled truck? Jt in case
These should be good up to 1.5” lift I believe so I’d think they will work will a leveling kit. It’s been a while since I looked though
when doing the front end. If I jack up the front end at the axel, am I able to compress the shock enough to fit it in? Or do I need to jack it at the frame? (my jack isn't high enough to reach the frame and I don't like using wood blocks lol)
What about the orientation pf the rear shocks
So many have commented and yes, they are possibly upside down but they work lol. We are swapping them now since we are redoing Pete's frame
They are correct- boot up with the Bilstein logo legible. I confirmed this with Bilstein customer service. If he swaps them they’ll be incorrect.
Don't you have to prime the shock first?
It doesn't hurt to
What happened to the coil over sprin
Some 1500's still have the Torsion Bar sprung frontends, like this one. With the coilover front, you can keep the coil on and just slip it out the bottom of the a-arm.
Don’t forget about the ball joints!
I see you don't have bump stops either 🤣 mine fell out the same day
Lol old truck problems
How do you like them bilstein shocks?
Love them! Very happy with the upgrade
Those are a factory shock but man they ride nice
Can I use just the Bilstein 5100 to level my truck Chevy Truck? or do i have to use the torsion keys to level the truck? or both?
The shocks alone will not level the truck they just control how the truck handles bumps in the road. You will still need to “raise” the suspension using keys
@@TheSundaeDrive thank you for your reply!!!
Lol hahaha 😆🤣😅 you don't need to remove all that stuff 🤣😂😅😄
I almost feel like this truck stays parked on a beach with the amount of rust
Worst part is, while I live near the beach, it’s never been on the sand. It’s a common issue in the Northeast
Being from Michigan I have to say that frame isn’t even that bad 😂
Lol very true. It's pretty good for a 20 year old truck in jersey
geez you didn't think to put a 30 sec montage of the ride from different angles at the end of this video ??? disappointing
I guess we should have more broll in our videos. We try to keep them cut and dry and to the point but we should include some more broll shots
Put some new bump stops on that unit
agreed! lol
Good grief man! You must be living in salt. That thing is crazy rusty.
welcome to the northeast :) and this isn't even that bad compared to most on the road
Lol take a ride in Wisconsin one time... a 5000 truck from down south goes for 10k minimum if its clean in Wisconsin.
Tri-force
😅😅😅
Shocks in the front of a half ton the way it should be!!!😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😳😳😳😳😱😱😳😱😳 😂😂😂😂😂😁😂😁 07+ is a damn shame thankfully they haven't ruined the 3/4 tons and up
3:13-3:20 that’s what she said
Way more information
1:27 if you need to watch a video to remove the spare you shouldn’t be under a vehicle
Agreed lol
Why 5100 over 4600???
You pick the 5100 if youre running bigger tires or planning on lifting the truck. Plus the 5100 front struts are adjustable and the 4600 arent
Must be a back east truck a lot of salt on the roads
Yessir. Lots of salt unfortunately
Your shock is upside down
Boots down. Not up. Looks weird but Bilstein says down. Should be able to read the brand upright not upside down.
At the 6:00 min mark, the boot is up on the rear driver side, and the words on the shock are right side up..?
If the boots are down they can get ripped by rocks and brush.
I installed mine on my 2002 Silverado. They work great. The boots are up, and for the front they can’t be reversed. And the logo is upside up. The rear could be turned over but that doesn’t make any sense to me. Not a hard job at all.
It’s not set in stone boots down. It’s which ever way the logo goes right side up. Says it on bilstein website
Those shocks are f.. expensive
They aren't the cheapest but they ride really nice
Your shock is in upside down, look at the label when you are putting them in
your prices for shocks , you out of your mind $2000,00 dollars for shocks, i can get a set of 4 shocks for $77.00 with free shipping , sorry i will not buy shocks from you guy , i am disabled and on a budget
$2K? We linked to them on Amazon for $350 I believe for the set of 4. I think through Kies they are bit more but we don't set the prices, they are enforced by the distributor. Whoever is selling them on Amazon is shortcutting the distributer and selling for less than smaller businesses can unfortunately. They are definitely on the pricier side for sure tho and there are some budget options out there.
@@TheSundaeDrive i had bought this 2005 chevy Silverado k1500 from a plumber he had the 294 in it my point is he had it rebuilt and the transmission was as well , he had taken good care of it, i had put $4000.00 in it now adding the shocks , it has 174.604 miles and never replaced them, i paid $1.400 for it it has a lot of rust , here in Illinois every thing Rust here LOL i will fix anything that comes up , Ilove this truck, i had a 1992 S-10 i bought brand new had it for 25 years i sold it , i have always had chevy all my life GM cars have been good to me, i had one ford and it was a 1962 Galaxy 500 with rebuild trans and motor that was a great car every other sucked chevy only here
Awesome man! Best of luck with it!
Will these fit a 2wd 06 Silverado with stock height ?
I’m thinking Bilstein 24-186643 should be ok for stock height and lifted up to 2.5”