Bilstein 4600 question
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 81
Likes: 7
It’s in the top of the shaft that goes through the top mount.
most of the videos I have seen they have a spot you can put a wrench in to hold the shaft. These ones have the Allen key slot at the top to hold the shaft. Luckily I have ratcheting wrenches. Did them fairly tight. But definitely can’t torque it to a certain spec with the Allen key there.
most of the videos I have seen they have a spot you can put a wrench in to hold the shaft. These ones have the Allen key slot at the top to hold the shaft. Luckily I have ratcheting wrenches. Did them fairly tight. But definitely can’t torque it to a certain spec with the Allen key there.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 405
Likes: 212
From: Texas
I installed the 4600's on my 2020 F-250 last week and pulled the camper a couple hours for a weekend getaway. My wife hated the new shocks. She said it rocked from side to side too much. Maybe I should have gone with the 5100's but I was afraid they would be too stiff. She wants me to put the FX4 shocks back on but they are all leaking. Not sure what I am going to do next.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 502
I installed the 4600's on my 2020 F-250 last week and pulled the camper a couple hours for a weekend getaway. My wife hated the new shocks. She said it rocked from side to side too much. Maybe I should have gone with the 5100's but I was afraid they would be too stiff. She wants me to put the FX4 shocks back on but they are all leaking. Not sure what I am going to do next.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 363
Likes: 16
From: Saskatchewan
I installed the 4600's on my 2020 F-250 last week and pulled the camper a couple hours for a weekend getaway. My wife hated the new shocks. She said it rocked from side to side too much. Maybe I should have gone with the 5100's but I was afraid they would be too stiff. She wants me to put the FX4 shocks back on but they are all leaking. Not sure what I am going to do next.
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 253
Likes: 88
The rear 5100s on my '21 are shaft down install.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,635
Likes: 2,430
Got a picture? I was sure that the bushing size is different top and bottom, possibly vulcanized in place making it not possible to switch the orientation (at least thats what I was told by Bilstein CS).
I run 5125's on a couple other vehicles, they are universal and can be mounted whatever the user wants. Change the bushings out to accommodate that. When I asked about this in regards to the 5100's I was told they are only intended to be mounted one way because they are application specific, and it could void the warranty if not mounted in the intended way. Plus the possibility that the bushing would not be removable.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that you could be using a 5100 for a larger lift. I was thinking in the context of this thread which would require the 0-1" 5100. That is a body side down shock. If you are in fact running the 0-1" shock then I am still interested to see how you flipped it.
I run 5125's on a couple other vehicles, they are universal and can be mounted whatever the user wants. Change the bushings out to accommodate that. When I asked about this in regards to the 5100's I was told they are only intended to be mounted one way because they are application specific, and it could void the warranty if not mounted in the intended way. Plus the possibility that the bushing would not be removable.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that you could be using a 5100 for a larger lift. I was thinking in the context of this thread which would require the 0-1" 5100. That is a body side down shock. If you are in fact running the 0-1" shock then I am still interested to see how you flipped it.
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Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 81
Likes: 7
I put 4600 on the front of my 2017 F350 only to discover they were worse than the OEM's I took off. There was a dip in the highway I drive regularly that didn't cause the truck to hit the bump stops before putting on the 4600's but afterwards it hit them every time. I wasn't impressed with them at all.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 405
Likes: 212
From: Texas
Shocks won’t stop sway, that’s the sway bar’s job. I’m not sure how mechanically inclined your wife is, but if it were me, i’d just tell her I swapped them back and never speak of it again. The 4600s are a better shock than the crappy OEM ones, maybe you just had high cross winds or something? I’d have a hard time believing they did anything worse than the OE shocks.
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 253
Likes: 88
Got a picture? I was sure that the bushing size is different top and bottom, possibly vulcanized in place making it not possible to switch the orientation (at least thats what I was told by Bilstein CS).
I run 5125's on a couple other vehicles, they are universal and can be mounted whatever the user wants. Change the bushings out to accommodate that. When I asked about this in regards to the 5100's I was told they are only intended to be mounted one way because they are application specific, and it could void the warranty if not mounted in the intended way. Plus the possibility that the bushing would not be removable.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that you could be using a 5100 for a larger lift. I was thinking in the context of this thread which would require the 0-1" 5100. That is a body side down shock. If you are in fact running the 0-1" shock then I am still interested to see how you flipped it.
I run 5125's on a couple other vehicles, they are universal and can be mounted whatever the user wants. Change the bushings out to accommodate that. When I asked about this in regards to the 5100's I was told they are only intended to be mounted one way because they are application specific, and it could void the warranty if not mounted in the intended way. Plus the possibility that the bushing would not be removable.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that you could be using a 5100 for a larger lift. I was thinking in the context of this thread which would require the 0-1" 5100. That is a body side down shock. If you are in fact running the 0-1" shock then I am still interested to see how you flipped it.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,635
Likes: 2,430
I was looking at a friend of mines Ram the other day, it has a Bilstein lift. I noticed his upper shock nut was flush to the top of the stem and the bushing didn't look to be compressed. He had a guy help him do the install that must have stopped when the shaft started turning and thought it was good to go. He's been driving like that for at least a year and said he hasn't noticed anything wrong 🤷🏻♂️. He usually has so much crap floating around in and out of the truck that I'm not surprised he never heard or felt that the shocks weren't tight.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 336
Likes: 5
If he's replaced shocks before then I'm sure he got them right.
I was looking at a friend of mines Ram the other day, it has a Bilstein lift. I noticed his upper shock nut was flush to the top of the stem and the bushing didn't look to be compressed. He had a guy help him do the install that must have stopped when the shaft started turning and thought it was good to go. He's been driving like that for at least a year and said he hasn't noticed anything wrong 🤷🏻♂️. He usually has so much crap floating around in and out of the truck that I'm not surprised he never heard or felt that the shocks weren't tight.
I was looking at a friend of mines Ram the other day, it has a Bilstein lift. I noticed his upper shock nut was flush to the top of the stem and the bushing didn't look to be compressed. He had a guy help him do the install that must have stopped when the shaft started turning and thought it was good to go. He's been driving like that for at least a year and said he hasn't noticed anything wrong 🤷🏻♂️. He usually has so much crap floating around in and out of the truck that I'm not surprised he never heard or felt that the shocks weren't tight.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,635
Likes: 2,430
There is a torque spec, something fairly low like 25 lb ft., not exactly sure on that. It should look something like this (not my picture)
