Stock shocks to New kings to Worn Kings to bilstein 5100s to rebuilt kings and back again

This tread will be my review of the bilstein 5100s vs worn out kings and back to rebuilt kings and using 5100s while your shocks are getting rebuilt struggles profanities and triumphs.

 

One the best days of my life was after two years of offroading/adventuring on the stock black shocks I pulled the trigger on a set of OEM kings in 2015. I put them on with my 245/75/16 dunlops w/steelies no armor or other mods for a few years. I thought I was badass and felt like king of the sand doing all kinda hood rat stuff with friends in the desert.

 

Pulled off the kings after about 50k over 4yrs to send out to @desertjunkie760 for a much needed rebuild


Put bilstein 5100s in the rear temporarily until the kings comeback

 

I’ll stick around and see what you have to say

 

The kings have gotten me far and wide
They have spend alot of time handling all the stuff I'm thrown at with me living with desert as my backyard and trails and washes for hundreds of miles in many directions. They have lasted longer than two clutches and my front coil covers seem be handling just fine without complaint. But will most likely need a rebuild as well in the near future. Front on which I will most likely use bilstein 5100s for the fronts while those are being rebuilt.

 

Good Bad and the Ugly
Valving intact and not bent up
Shafts need to be replaced from pitting
One remote resi caught corrosion
Shocks oil burnt AF
They ain't near as shinny and pretty as when I bought them
King shocks stickers sand blasted off

 

Future considerations
Take the shocks off more often for cleaning and polishing
Check nitrogen pressure and inspect shafts and more often
Shaft guard to protect new shafts from desert sand blasting
http://www.kingshocks.com/products/parts/2-5-smoothie-shaft-guard/
https://www.polyperformance.com/king-2-5-shocks-smoothie-shaft-guards

 

So to compare worn kings to bilstein 5100s. The bilstein 5100s compression is garbage compared to the worn kings. I would bottom out 1/3 of the speed I was going on the same whoop/washboard sections as on the worn out kings. Rebound on the 5100s not terrible and manageable with cutting angles across terrain. Road manners really good super smooth with no porpoising. Would recommend this as a good budget or in between rebuild shocks for rear end. Will get the job done but not much more than basics.