i know the torsion bars didn't give me any longer travel witch is why i was so confused when the bilstein shocks didn't fit. so tell me this, is the stock shock supposed to hold the stock suspension from fully extending? because the ones that were on my truck were not long enough either. After i removed the stock shock i measured 16.25 in from the center of the bottom mount hole and the bottom of the upper mount hole. the stock shock fully extended was at 15.5! and the bilstiens were about 1/2 to 5/8 shorter than that. I had to jack up the hub to get the old shock to even mount back in. Why is this? also does any one know if the 01 screw had any optional suspension setups that would make one taller then another?

 

Sorry for the confusion. What I meant was that a torsion bar crank still only requires a stock length shock in any brand. BUT, as has been discovered by a few people I've heard, the "stock" Bilstein application is too short.

Thanks for listing those measurements on the Bilstein vs stock shock...I initially thought it would be worse than that. But, still seems like enough to create problems.

I had heard that Bilstein designed the shocks to limit front suspension travel instead of the control arm as I feel it should be. I have actually done some communicating with Bilstein on this matter because I discovered their 5100 lift shock end up short the same way. They have (or are coming out with) a 5100 for a 6" lift and after doin all the measurements on my suspension (with 4" lift) and current shocks, the ones they have listed for a 6" lift actually fit better than the ones they have listed for a 4", thus creating the "too short" problem for lifted trucks as the stock application.

No optional suspensions on these trucks...they're all the same.

 

That's just a shame. For almost a year, now, my planned new front shocks were going to be Bilsteins. I want the stiffness and the handling I hear they give (I use the 4x4 like a sports car sometimes, and offroad with it other times). Too many shock and suspension companies promise characteristics that their shocks don't have, and I thought the Bilsteins were supposed to be the bee's knees.

The KYB GR-2's I bought for the front shocks (having had GR-2 struts on a car and really liking them) turned out to be a big disappointment. For a super smooth ride the GR-2's would fit a "gentleman's truck" just fine, but they turned out to not be valved 'sporty' enough for my taste.

 

Oh, don't be confused. Your thoughts about Bilsteins performance is spot on. They rock on everything I've had them on. This seems to be a fitment issue not a performance issue.

 

LOL, maybe I'm still reading it wrong and confused... Limiting downward travel seems like a performance issue - but if that's not the case then they should be good to go. I do like to get the front wheels in the air a little sometimes... sometimes the whole truck.

 

How do you get the front wheels or the whole truck off the ground in SE FL? It's flat as a pancake down there!

 

I plead the fifth on the grounds that I might incriminate myself. But I also do get to other places here in FL - it's a great state (unless you require to be earning a living at all times).

 

i also drive my truck to or past its full potential, and in WI i need all the truck i can get. so i also have heard nothing but the best from bilstein so thats why i got em. too bad there too short. i saposed you could manage to get them on but you will be limiting the front travel by bout an inc or so. i would think that the shock holding up the front suspention would bust them in a hurry.

 

The Gr2's are valved to increase the stiffness/response once demand is placed on them (Like Edelbrock IAS) where the Gas-A-Just are much like the design of Bilstein- all performance.

With regard to the oem shocks, while I don't have the specs on yours, i did write to Ford and obtained the specs for my 06 Mark LT 4x2 and found the specs to be such that unless I went with a very high end shock, the gain would be minimal as compared to other suspension mods. Because I was disappointed in all of the available sway bars on the market, I designed and built my own rear unit which is solid chrome moly, weighs 50% of Helwig, mounts above the axle, requires no relocation of any hoses/brackets/aftermarket exhaust (actual install time was 1 hour in my driveway). John Hotchkis himself was incredibly impressed with the pereformance of the truck and placed it on his rack to see the install and verify all other components were oem (shocks, etc.). I can personally attest my Mark LT with oem BFG tires will outhandle a Porshe Cayenne in the salom by 1 mpg consistently. The swaybar- patent pending

 

I am very interested in your rear sway-bar design. I put polyurethane bushings on the front of my '99 and was, two years ago, looking at rear sway-bar options (only found them on the Lincolns and the Expeditions I believe).

 

Hey sorry for the # mixup - that was directly off the 4wp website. Here is the number for my actual store location - 760 752-8697.

What galaxyfe said about the torsion bar deal is true. Cranking your torsion bars does lift the vehicle, but does not change the actual mount to mount distance from stock. What it does, is extend the shock to a point where it would normally only extend for a few moments when drooping out. The shock is now extended in this way all the time. Now, here is the other issue with torsion bar lifts...the suspension is at a constant state of droop, so now you are riding around in your "droop travel" zone. So where as before you would have around a 50/50 droop/bump travel setup, you have now a 10/90 droop/bump travel setup. So the nature of the beast is that the truck is not going to ride as well as before because you are maxing out your travel on one end of the spectrum all the time.

Now on to the shock thing....yes a stock length shock "should" work fine in theory. But if that shock is a bit short, then you will be maxing that shock out when installing it on a torsion lifted vehicle. So what we need to find you, is a blstein shock that is approx 0-1" longer then factory. I might have to talk to to the bilstein tech guys, but we will figure it out and I will get you the right shocks...the only 5100 series shocks I can find you right now are for a 4" lift which would be too long. Hang tight man...

 

Very kind of you, sir.

 

Thanks for the help on finding the right bilstein shocks but i talked to shane at bilstein in Cali and he said he has nothing for my truck that is 1 in longer, only too long. so any way i just gave up on the bilsteins and returned them and got a set of ranch rs9000xls. Not what i wanted in the first place but they were my second choice. I ordered stock length for the back and 2 in lift for the front. They extend to 18 in and compress to 12. i think. cant remember for sure right now but they will fit just fine. once again thanks for the help bonzen.

does any one know ho well the adjustable ranchos will hold up in a WI winter and mud?

 

I don't want Rancho - in too many instances they sold front lift springs that sagged lower than the expected height within months, and they are generally softer than I'd want for performance driving.

I know Fox makes shocks for these trucks, but I don't know if they have a lower-end line or just the super-awesome shocks that cost $200 and more each.