Bilstein 6112

Are you running the OEM UCA? And if so, how is the alignment? I have also heard that these will settle. so, does that mean that I will have to do another alignment after a few months?

 

Yes stock UCA and as far as I know the alignment is good, it was within spec if that makes sense. I waited a month before getting an alignment, it did settle a bit and I don't recall how much but setting at about 1.5". I had the ever so slightest vibration before it settled at 40 mph but it's totally gone now. I'm not an expert on UCAs, but if I went any higher than 1.5", I'd probably do them to get the full travel out of the setup.

 

It can be overwhelming but let me try to simplify it for you. The different clip setting will only be for the 3rd gens like yours and you will not need a 1/4" spacer. It will settle a little but not as much as you might think depending upon if you dont add any more armor. An aftermarket uca will give you better articulation and better caster for your tires. Is it 100% needed....no.....is it better for the life of your suspension, better to install all at once, and better for wheel articulation.......yes. With no constant weight in the rear, the 6112/5160 set up with an aftermarket UCA, a ECGS bushing, and a 3 league AAL, you should be fine. Then you will just need to focus on possible driveline vibes with a carrier bearing drop and possible shims for the axles if necessary.

 

Thanks for clarifying that, it makes a lot more sense now! I understand the argument for an aftermarket UCA, I just didn't want to change it out for only a 1" to 1.5" lift. I was hesitant enough to crank the suspension enough to get 1.5". I plan to run some 265/75/16 K02s and I wanted the better ride quality. Maybe Ill only go to the 2nd or 3rd clips and see what I get.
Also, I really don't want to do anything to the rear suspension other than the shocks. I'm really not interested in lifting the rear and I'm okay with the rear being level with the front, or maybe only a tad higher.
I would imagine that the springs and shocks alone make a hige difference in performance, even if they are set to be as stock height.

 

I'll give my experience, having just gone through all of this- in case you don't want to read all of it I'll start by saying that if you plan to run larger tires (even 265/75's) the UCA's will save you a lot of headache especially with rubbing. I went with Camburg and have been super happy and able to get high caster (4+). With my current set-up of 6112's set at 5/5 with a 3/8" spacer (yes I needed it to correct some lean) I have even been able to put my front mudflaps back on- because why not?- and there's only the slightest bit of rubbing in reverse.

The front has been straightforward for me- at first I had the 6112's set at 6/5 and even with drivers side set at 6th clip I was an 1/8 inch higher on the passenger side.
Later, due to changes in the rear (I went to Deaver U402's which put my rear end sky high) I would go to 6/6 with a 3/8" spacer on the drivers side.
Currently I am at 5/5 with the spacer- having yet again changed the rear to Icon RXT stage 2. I am super pleased with this setting, feel it rides noticeably less harsh than on the 6th setting, and love the stance and feel of the truck.

The rear is where I ran into issues- driveline vibrations- and I have been chasing those problems for some time and am stoked to finally have them figured and feel like I can drive my truck! I have a short bed though, and have heard long beds are less prone.
No ECGS bearing yet as no problems there yet. With any luck I can hold out a few years until I decide IF I'm going to regear and go to bigger tires. I'm currently on 265/75/16 on SCS Stealth 6 with a-25mm offset.
At some point I'll post what I've gone through with the rear- as I wish I had researched a little better before- and I've definitely learned a thing or two, one of which is that because I didn't measure things at each step of the process, when I get asked "how much lift did you get" I can only say "I don't know, but here's a picture:"

 

Also- I would say in regards to your comment about not changing the rear- I noticed a HUGE difference in ride quality with the Deavers and Icon RXT over stock (disregarding the driveline vibes between 15-25 mph). The Deavers made the truck feel so well planted- they are super heavy after all, and just absorbed everything I threw at it. Put a 200+ lb load in the back and the Deavers changed the whole feel of the truck from bouncy light truck to smooth and stable. Icons also, though they feel a touch softer/ slightly more bouncy overall and make the truck feel lighter also.

 

When I first got the truck I was thinking that it rode really well. Not that I have been reading this thread I'm like 'man, this thing is way soft and it rolls a lot!' Ha ha! I'm really starting to consider more options now. So thank you all for the input. I appreciate any and all advise and shared experience.

 

my experience is that the Bilsteins tightened everything up- made the truck handle firm, less nose dive etc- which in my opinion is a good thing. You still feel all the little bumps on pavement at slow speeds, but they're way smoother and feel more controlled when you're moving at speed on the washboards - which here in northern AZ are what I drive a lot

 

How is your ride quality in the highest setting? I've heard the additional compression makes for a pretty harsh ride.

 

I'm at 6/5 setting rides WONDERFULLY.

 

It depends on what you think is harsh. It was comfortable enough for me, I came from lowered cars. I switched to fox 2.5 up front and the ride is way more plush. I also had to sacrifice ride height.

 

Alright, I posted in here last month and I got them a few days later! 6112 fronts at the top notch, 5100 rear with a 3-leaf Icon AAL. Got the install done at 4WP. I was going to do it myself with some buddies but they warranty the install so I let them do it. My original intent wasn't to set them at the top notch but they called a few hours after I dropped it off and advised me to do so, saying it won't be "level" if I have it at anything less. The front sits higher than level but I'm waiting for them to settle.

Let me start off by saying it's awesome and I love how it rides. It soaks up the bumps at speed far better and my handling is the same. I took it to the sandy beaches a couple weekends ago and absolutely flogged it. Even caught air a couple times. It did great, and from previous beach trips I know there's no way I would've attempted that on stock suspension.

HERE'S MY QUESTION/CONCERN: It drives great in every scenario except when I hit a speed bump. I have a couple speed bumps to drive over every day, and if I hit them at anything faster than 5mph the front suspension slams hard. It's like the shocks are maxing out. I took it back to 4WP and they said yep, that's exactly what it's doing. I also took it to a do-it-yourself shop this weekend and noticed the front has hardly any droop when it was up on the lift.

Is it worth having them lower it? It's a couple hours of work and an alignment. Overall I love the result, though I do think it's kinda BS having to remember to slow down to nothing for speedbumps on expensive performance coils...

 

When you say speed bump you mean these speed bumps? Any suspension is not going to like going over speed bumps at speed. It's either slow down, or go much faster.

 

This was my experience as well, everytime my wheel drops off something or over speed bumps, it feels like the wheel slams down hard. I had a friend with 1 notch down, and experienced the same. I think they would perform better set to the middle setting, but you will have to sacrifice ride height.

 

Slightly more aggressive but it definitely didn't act this way stock. It sucked, don't get me wrong, but it didn't slam. Feels like there's something wrong with it almost.

 

I think you could go with a heavier spring on the bottom notch for lift and shock travel. I don't know if they offer different springs but this is what is done with a 5100.

 

I actually want a slightly stiffer setup for better on-road handling and to reduce body roll, but there is a fine line between better handling and a downright harsh ride. I'm trying to figure out if the 6112/5160 setup (set at 6/5 or even 5/4) will provide a good overall balance AND allow me to keep factory UCA, since I don't really want to replace them.

 

Your choice of tire and PSI will have a greater impact as to how harsh the truck rides.

 

That's not necessarily true. While I agree that tires greatly impact ride quality, your suspension setup has a greater impact on body lean and overall handling.

 

Body lean and overall handling, yes. With this specific suspension, the tire choice and pressure will be the deciding factor in it riding harshly.