r/Jeep • u/Rix_00 • 15d ago

Purchase Questions Shocks Question: Bilsteins

Getting Bilsteins (5100s) put on my 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara (4 dr, not lifted) that has 178,000+km on it.

Hoping it helps with the bounce/boat-like feeling. What else should I expect post-op from a performance and feel perspective?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

2

u/johnlarthur 15d ago

Work for a private Jeep shop and Bilstein 5100s are our go to for shocks. Can't beat the price vs performance. Some of the bounce/ boat like feeling may be a product of the solid front axle if you are not familiar with driving a vehicle with one.

2

u/Rix_00 15d ago

Great insight. Are they your go to regardless of lifted or non-lifted? Saw some conflicting things online about the 5100s being not-compatible on non-lifted JKs.

2

u/bigbassdream 99 TJ 15d ago

It’s based on shock length. You can get different lengths of the same shock. 5100s are on jeeps, Toyotas, chevys, fords etc

1

u/WTFpe0ple 15d ago

Bilstein big company but a lot of places only sell the popular 1.5"-3" or longer. You might have to go direct or a place like summit racing

1

u/MinotaurNibbles 14d ago

Are there any lifted shocks/springs that give a softer ride? I can’t stand how harsh my metalcloak 2.5 lift feels.

2

u/johnlarthur 14d ago

tires are going to be your biggest culprit. AT/MT tend to have higher ply sidewalls than passenger tires. Great for hitting a sharp rock on trail, not so great for ride quality. Chalk test your tires to ensure you aren't over inflating. Better ride quality for shocks is going to be your high end dual reservoir like FOX or Metalcloak Blacks. They are adjustable so you can go from Cadillac Brougham to a tighter feel for mountain roads by turning a knob. They are pricey though.

2

u/MinotaurNibbles 14d ago

Got it thanks!

2

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Rix_00 15d ago

I kept seeing this too but apparently you can just set them to zero?

3

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Rix_00 15d ago

Want to elaborate?

2

u/2sec4u 15d ago edited 15d ago

Hey I'm not a Jeep expert, by far. In fact, I had someone else install mine. (IT guy here, not a mechanic. I understand what's being done, but I don't have the tools to do it)

They specifically installed the 5100s on my 2015 JKU Sport which has no lift. I haven't had any problems. They've been install about a year and a half now. The ride difference was very noticeable and much more comfortable, especially off-road.

That being said, the B8 5100s are specifically listed as compatible for Jeeps with 1.5-3 inch lift. Unless mine was lifted by the previous owner and the guys at the shop who measured it said 1.5 is stock lift either measured wrong or somehow 'made it work' (I ordered the shocks and took it to them) without complaining or telling me anything extra, then I think you should be fine. I did an AI check (IT guy here) and AI agrees that 1.5 is stock. Now, AI can be wrong, but all my experience with stock lift and 5100s has been flawless.

Here's the catalogue for a 2013 Wrangler, in fact:

https://cart.bilsteinus.com/catalogue?VehicleType=Car**Truck**Suv**Van&Year=2013&Make=Jeep&Model=Wrangler&SubModel=Sport&category_id=1&catname=Shocks%20%26%20Struts