Rear Suspension Done - Now What?

I just completed installing new hangers, bump stops, and Bilstein 5100 shocks on the rear of my 2022 TRD OR. Even though I'm not doing a lift or other monumental suspension mods, I have been bitten by the bug and am wondering what I could do next to get a nicer ride? Would replacing the front shocks with 5100s do anything for me? I don't do any hardcore off-roading with my truck, mostly asphalt, dirt roads/light trails a few times a year, and tow a trailer every now and then. I'm assuming if I'm not lifting then I should be good sticking with the OEM springs? I could also consider doing new leaf packs in the back if it would make a difference - but like I said, I am not doing a lift (at least not yet). Maybe doing the 5100s up front set as stock first would make sense. Then if I decide to lift an inch or two I think I'd have the shocks in place and only need new leaf springs.

Anything else I should consider doing? I don't want to waste money but wrenching on the truck if pretty fun so anything that can add a marginal improvement and isn't crazy expensive is on the table.

Thanks!

 

Better rear leafs will be the biggest improvement in ride quality (now that you've replaced the hangers). Unfortunately not a cheap upgrade though and you basically can't buy better leafs that don't include at least a 1.5" lift. That being said, you can also just add weight to the box to reduce the lift.

Also 5100s are not really an upgrade. They ride very similar to factory shocks, they just allow for a lift. You gotta spend some serious money to get shocks that will be a noticeable improvement for daily driving. Reservoir shocks usually ride better just due to their design. And even further than that, getting custom valving in any shocks makes a huge difference (usually requires the shocks to have a reservoir though). Accutune is great for that. But again, not the cheapest upgrades.

 

Thanks for the info. I was looking at leaf springs last night and did see that they would add some lift. An additional couple inches in the back would leave me with a lot of rake if I didn't do anything in the front, so sounds like if I do the leaf springs I might as well do the front shocks at the same time. With that in mind, I need to decide if I want to go with 5100s and maintain the ride quality, or upgrade to improve the quality? Or maybe just be happy with what I have and move to upgrading the rear and front bumpers...

 

Yeah it kinda snowballs lol. "Well if I do that then I should probably do this at the same time" really quickly turns into spending $10k on suspension haha.

Honestly 5100s will probably be fine for you. The front rides pretty good as is so not a huge need for improvement. Getting the rear dialed in will do the most for the ride quality.

You could also look into Falcon shocks. They are a great mid-range option (better than 5100s) without having to drop crazy money. The fronts use the OEM coils to save money just like 5100s and have clip rings to lift it a bit.