FYI, A while back, I pulled my stock stabilizer off to put a new Rancho one on, but found out the stock one was 100 times better than the new Rancho. So I sent the Rancho one back. Anyway, taking the stock one off was tough, the tapered fit of the bolt took me heating it with a small torch to bang it out of there. Maybe because my truck was brand new. Just thought I would pass that along.

 

Thanks for the heads up.....

The Rancho replacement was too loose?

 

No, the stock one was just way harder to compress, which was the final straw for me ever considering using Rancho again. I should have made a side by side compression test and videod taped it. But I was so pissed off with Rancho..I threw it back in the box and shipped it back.

 

Ok, thanks. Hopefully, the Bilstein is the answer! (and my knuckles survive the install)

 

Thanks! Really do appreciate it...


biz

 

I hope you have better luck with them than I did. They gave me the run around about when it was going to be shipped, ended up cancelling my order.

@ TXFordGuy1, I sprayed the bolt with WD40 and got a BFH (Big friggin hammer) and wacked it a few times, came right out. I am really happy with how it rides now.

 

Pic of the 5100 Bilstein Stabilizer installed.

 

Nice, I need to get a black boot on mine, my Bilstein 7100 didn't come with one...

 

What is the part number on that Bilstein? I'm on the fence about just replacing the original, or putting a dual setup on my truck (once I put a leveling kit and bigger tires on it). I'm jotting down all of the part numbers now though so that in a year I'll remember everything I've looked at!

 

This is the 46mm silver tube 5100 series, direct replacement shock.

F250/F350 2008-2012 Ford 4WD 5100 Series Steering Stabilizer Part Number: 24-196284

 

Guess I'm confused about what the design function of the Steering Stablizer is. I thought it's only function was to miminize the shock to the system when you hit a large pothole or rock or what ever. It sounds like folks here are installing dual shock systems to minimize day to day shimmy for lack of a better word. I would think you're masking a problem by doing that. On normal roads, your front end should't need a stabilizer if the front suspension is doing its job. If you do need one for normal road driving, it would suggest to me that something is out of whack. I've read hear about folks that have experienced front end issues that have been addressed by replacing the front shocks, and that makes sense because the factory installed shocks seem to fail very early.

I'm especially suspect of the need for a DUAL shock set up. Unless you're doing some SERIOUS offroading I wouldn't think you'd ever need it (Yes, it does add to the bling factor).

Any thoughts?

 

Part of the dual set up is definitely bling, but once you go up to a big enough tire, it does make a difference. If you are staying with stock sized tires, there really is no need for it.

The reason to replace the stock stabilizer is the same reason as replacing the stock shocks... the stock stuff sucks.

My $0.02.

 

I just replaced my stock Rancho's with the 5100's. I was fully expecting my shocks to be shot when we took them off. Not the case, at 22,000 miles there were still functioning. Not as good as the Bilsteins I will add

 

Stabilizer vs Damper

Not sure what the difference is between that one and this one:

Bilstein Part 24-158848 - Bilstein 5100 Series Steering Damper

 

P.I.T.S., that adds more to the question. IS there a difference in the design function between a Dampener and a Stabilizer? The names would make it seem so but on the other hand, it could be marketing hype. Hmmmm...