Upgrade shocks for a smoother ride?

2017 SR5 2WD. Not interested in a lift, just looking to make my truck ride a little more smooth. Giving me back pain in long trips. Yes, I know it's a truck. Been looking at the Bilstein 4600s and the 5100s. Will either of these give me a more smoothe, car-like ride? Can I keep the stock coils?

 

i have installed bilstein 4600s on two different trucks (ram 2500 and tacoma sport) and have been very happy with the improved ride. they are a good replacement for the OE shock. i am sure someone here knows whether you can keep the stock coils. i was able to on both trucks and i suspect you can too.

i think 5100s are overkill for your truck.

 

TRD-OR shocks are apparently the smoothest. 3rd gen takeoffs are pretty common in my area, but I live near Denver.

Billstein 5100s are stiff and sporty

 

Check out seat jackers before changing suspension. They will do wonders on your back!

 

I picked up a complete replacement set of Bilstein 3700's (OEM for 3rd Gen TRD Off Road), for the wife's OR with close to 80k miles, for $320 out-the-door from my local dealership. They run online specials a few times a year, and there is a discount for placing the order online.

I thought about jumping up to 4600's... but the Off Road shocks ride really well and I didn't want to lose ride quality considering how much she drives.

 

Definitely interested in this thread.

Also remember to do an alignment after you replace the shocks.

I don't think the stock suspension is too bad, but smoother or comfier is something I'd def pay to upgrade.

 

Do shocks really change ride quality, or is this more a function of the springs?

 

Pretty sure it's a bit of both. Over-sprung and it will ride rough. Over-damped on compression and it will ride rough. Under-damped on rebound and it will ride rough. I think the off-road springs are progressive, which may start off softer, so that may be part of the difference in feel. If you swap to the OR suspension, I'd do the springs as well. But if it were me, I'd just do 4600s and call it a day. As mentioned, 5100s are a bit sportier and may make things worse.

 

Why is this? I could see possibly suggesting an alignment with a spring change or preload change but shock absorbers themselves should have no input to changing alignment numbers. Especially if the OP claimed they didn't want any more lift out of the suspension change.

 

Was curious about this as well. My plan is to just change the shocks and drive it around the neighborhood first to test to see if the alignment is off. If it is, I'll go to the shop. If not, consider it done. I do this when I work on my wife's car. When I changed out the control arms and tie rods, I just counted threads and was careful and everything buttoned up nice - no alignment needed.

 

Alignment is recommended anytime front suspension is replaced, your tires and wallet will thank you later.

 

It's definitely a "marriage" - it's not one or the other and some springs require a certain type of shock. I'm not an expert but I do know if you marry the wrong spring to the wrong shock you can prematurely wear out or blow out the shock itself. At least that's how it is been explained to me previously.

Some shocks are meant for performance and handling and some are meant for every day driving or comfort, it's all over the map.

 

OP, definitely opt for 4600's or low mileage Off-Road take-offs. I find 5100's too stiff on these trucks, but the stock SR5 Hitachi's are pretty bad so almost anything will be an upgrade to handling and ride comfort.

 

From Bilstein:


"4600 and 5100 are the name of our series. The numbers do not have any specific significance. The 4600 series is a series of shocks we make for most light trucks and SUV’s that is intended to remain at stock ride height with OEM coil springs. The 5100 on the other hand is a longer than stock series intended for lifted trucks and SUV’s. We offer the 5100 in a ride height adjustable version in the front for vehicles such a yours that use a strut style suspension. The rear shock will not be adjustable due to the suspension style and will only accommodate a lift but not provide one.

There is a lot of misinformation online that suggests our 5100 series is stronger, better or more heavy duty than our 4600 series. Nothing could be further from the truth. Both use 46mm pistons, are tuned for the same vehicle and are made out of the same high-quality materials. The biggest difference is the coating and the fact that the 5100 is physically longer to accommodate for a lift."

 

But...... this one goes to 5100.

 

I highly recommend 5100, with a 1" lift in the front, but no lift in the rear. The small front lift will eliminate the oem brake dive, and level the truck.

Even without the lift, the 5100s are a much bigger better shock than the stock. But like mentioned, it's still a truck!

 

While driving may not indicate the alignment is within spec and it’s always a good idea to get periodic alignments, I can say that replacing a like coilover (meaning same spring and length) will have next to no effect on alignment on a double wishbone IFS vehicle. Thinking about the geometry and physics of the Tacoma suspension will show that…not just the age old phrase…”always get an alignment after touching the suspension” which is extremely generic.

Would you get a rear end alignment after replacing rear shocks??

 

Just to throw some fuel on this fire...

I have King adjustable on my truck and it rides like an absolute cloud. Easily the most comfortable truck I have ever ridden in by a long shot. It was not cheap though. I did an accutune stage 5 kit. Surprisingly the hammer hangers made a huge difference in making it not ride like a truck.

 

Yeah definitely not cheap but I also have adjustable kings and they are amazing. 2x as good as the OEM Pro suspension was.