And the road won..

Left front shock

Right front shock

The road and my rig.


Usually you can go over wash boarded roads fast to smooth things out but this road was so bad I was stuck doing 5 to 12 mph.

Funny thing is Bilstein will not warranty my shocks because I used them for "offroad" use. My OEM shocks have handled similar types of roads without any problems.

 

Oh that is not good for sure! So let me get this straight...Bilstein sold shocks that are made to specifically fit your F350 4 X 4 but yet when you use them for the 4 X 4 function they claim Kings X and won't cover them?? I think I would be locating the number of my local Bilstein rep and lighting up his phone.

 

Product description directly from the Bilstein website for their 5100 shocks.

Bilstein 5100 Series Shock Absorbers are high gas pressure monotube shocks designed specifically for lifted pickups, SUVs and Jeeps. The shocks feature a 46mm digressive piston with self-adjusting deflective disc valving. They offer super damping ability that makes them ideal for heavy hauling or occasional off-road use, while maintaining an exceptional street ride. (zinc-plated steel body, Triple-C-Technology coating )

 

Considering the cost and supposed quality of the 5100's that's pretty dissapointing about no warranty. Also it looks like from you signature the truck is less than 2 yrs old. Out of curiosity what shocks do you intend to go with next?

 

I explained what happened and under what conditions and basically they said it is not covered under warranty. The reason because I was going too slow (8 to 12 mph) over a wash boarded road which caused the over heating and meltdown of the front shocks. She even stated that they have seen it happen before. The 5100 series shocks I have are for trucks with 0 to 2 inches of lift. My truck is not lifted so I have the correct shocks for my truck. So not all 5100 bilsteins are for lifted trucks. She also said that I would need to talk to a tech at bilstein to get the correct shock for my application. I then asked her should I not trust the people that sell your products? She then told me I would have to take it up with the people that I bought them from.

The next day I talked to one of their tech/sales person. He stated it sounded like a shock defect and it shouldn't have happened but he would have to talk to the warranty department. I was put on hold for a few mins. When he got back to me his whole attitude changed and said they don't make a shock for how I use my truck (carrying a Truck camper offroad) . Total BS. He also said there is nothing they can do for me since I was already denied warranty. He told me to go back to the store I bought it from and see what they can do.

I'm probably going to replace them with some Rancho 9000xl shocks. I carry a Lance camper and there is a lot of positive reviews about the Ranchos from people that haul Truck Campers. Not to crazy about having a adjustment **** on the shock, mainly why I went with the Bilsteins in the first place. Plus I have the FX4 package on my truck and the fake Rancho shocks that came with it were horrible.

<hr>

 

That is interesting, I too carry a camper and do some rough trail running once in a while. My previous truck (99 F250) had Monroe shocks and they worked good. My current truck has OE shocks with 67K miles. I had considered Bilsteins but now I think I will stick with Monroes again. Thanks for the heads up! See you out on the trail!

 

My Rancho 9000XL's have been great. I think that will be a good replacement.

 

Makes me glad I "cheaped" out on Ranchos and didn't go with the more expensive Bilsteins.
Sorry about your mishap tho

 

I was also none to impressed when I called bilstein about my faulty str damper, I was considering bilsteins shocks for my new truck but after my previous experience and reading this I think ill look for something else

 

Wow, that really stinks. I'll never buy Bilstien shocks after learning about your experience with them.

Another great shock is the Fox shock built for BDS Suspension. A lot of the oilfield trucks are running them with excellent results on their Super Duty Ford trucks outfitted with lots of tools and boxes that are probably equal to the weight of your Lance camper.

PR #113 - Fox 2.0 Performance Series Shocks for BDS Lift Kits

I bought mine here in Farmington from Fabworx & have been very happy with them.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I will check them out. We drove thru Farmington, coming down thru Colorado, on our way to Chaco Canyon and eventually Sante Fe.

 

But not as bad as the ones you bought from Bilstein.

 

Well I decided to go with the Rancho 9000xl's and installed them a couple of days ago. I swear the Rancho were twice as big as the Bilstiens in diameter. I always thought that the adjustment **** thingy was a gimmick but I can actually feel a difference between adjustments. I have been using different settings each time I go to work so I can compare settings on the same road everyday. Turned the dial to 1 on all four today and the truck felt really soft and slightly bouncy. Yesterday at 9 and it felt real firm and solid. Next test will be with the 3200 lb. Lance camper riding piggy back.

 

I put those on my dodge, they seem to still work fine Howe er, after about the first year the **** froze up and I can not adjust them any more, I don't know if there is a way to fix ,

 

call Rancho, they have a warranty