Bilstein 5100 vs non SAS Hitachi

[WhiteOBX]

Hey there brand new to this forum. I had a question for anyone with experience with the 5100 adjustable shocks. I have a Outer Banks non SAS and earlier this year I went ahead and bought some 35 toyo open country at-3 tires and 17” rims. I also put the Rough Country 2” spacer lift on to give it a bit more height purely for cosmetics. I don’t off-road but after doing so research I’m regretting messing around with the spacers. The ride is a little rough which I assume would be from the big tires and stock suspension. My question is if I change to the 5100’s and ditch the spacers will I notice the difference in ride quality compared to the hitachis ? I live in Manitoba Canada and the roads here are pretty rough

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[RagnarKon]

The 5100s are definitely a better overall shock than the stock Hitachis. BUT... Also keep in mind that the adjustable portion of the 5100s work by effectively pre-loading the spring. So if you spring rate doesn't match the weight of the vehicle and the tire... it may ultimately not give you the desired result.

Also keep in mind that the tires themselves play into it. For example... if the Toyos you got were an E-rated tire... then it's going to be a lot more unforgiving on the road than a C-rated tire, which most (all?) of the stock Bronco tires are rated.

 

[Snacktime]

5100 are digressive valving and will transmit more road imperfection. You are more a candidate for factory sas-shocks if you can handle the nose dive when breaking.

Are you looking to spend $500? or move up a price bracket?

 

[WhiteOBX]

The 5100s are definitely a better overall shock than the stock Hitachis. BUT... Also keep in mind that the adjustable portion of the 5100s work by effectively pre-loading the spring. So if you spring rate doesn't match the weight of the vehicle and the tire... it may ultimately not give you the desired result.

Also keep in mind that the tires themselves play into it. For example... if the Toyos you got were an E-rated tire... then it's going to be a lot more unforgiving on the road than a C-rated tire, which most (all?) of the stock Bronco tires are rated.

Appreciate the info, I believe these tires are e rated which I wasn’t aware of tire rating when I purchased these. Not sure how common a C rated tire is in this size

 

[WhiteOBX]

5100 are digressive valving and will transmit more road imperfection. You are more a candidate for factory sas-shocks if you can handle the nose dive when breaking.

Are you looking to spend $500? or move up a price bracket?

Hey I actually just read your thread on the 5100’s which made me rethink them haha. Im willing to pay a little extra for better ride quality. I definitely don’t want to put something in and realize there’s not difference . Are the factory SAS shocks the way to go or are there other options? There are so many and it’s kind of overwhelming.Also would I have to find take offs or are these available through ford?
Thanks again

 

[RagnarKon]

Appreciate the info, I believe these tires are e rated which I wasn’t aware of tire rating when I purchased these. Not sure how common a C rated tire is in this size

I just checked... the 35x12.50r17 tires come in both C and E rating. They also have 315/70r17 come in a D rating.

C rated tires are ideal for comfort, which I assume is why Ford included them in the Bronco from the factory. You will see a lot of off-roaders running E-rated tires because of their higher ply rating, which makes them more resistant to flats. I prefer D-rated tires personally—the in-between choice—but those are fairly rare at sizes above 33". (Although I guess not too rare cause Toyo offers them.) There is also F-rated tires which you should avoid—typically only need those is you are towing heavy loads, which the Bronco can't do anyway.

As far as the suspension goes, it sounds like you are more worried about on-road comfort and less worried about off-road performance. So you really should be looking at progressive valving shocks. Sounds like @Snacktime has you covered though, so I'll bow out and let him take it.

 

[Murfman]

Hey there brand new to this forum. I had a question for anyone with experience with the 5100 adjustable shocks. I have a Outer Banks non SAS and earlier this year I went ahead and bought some 35 toyo open country at-3 tires and 17” rims. I also put the Rough Country 2” spacer lift on to give it a bit more height purely for cosmetics. I don’t off-road but after doing so research I’m regretting messing around with the spacers. The ride is a little rough which I assume would be from the big tires and stock suspension. My question is if I change to the 5100’s and ditch the spacers will I notice the difference in ride quality compared to the hitachis ? I live in Manitoba Canada and the roads here are pretty rough

What air pressure are you running your tires at? You can lower the air pressure and that softens the ride as well.

 

[SpringTXOR]

I love mine on and off road!

 

[kodiakisland]

First start with your air pressure. Proper pressure for the weight of your vehicle goes a long way toward a good ride, regardless of tire rating. What PSI are you at now? Your door sticker is for GVWR for the size listed only, so it doesn't apply to what you need in the new tires and your actual weight.

As far as the 5100s, they would be a marginal improvement over the Hitachis, but for me wouldn't be worth the trouble or expense. Take off squatch/Badlands Bilsteins would be as good or better. I've used 5100s on my Tacoma for years but never considered them when it was time to ditch my Hitachis on the Bronco.

As you've found out, the best thing about spacers are the price, and not much else.

 

[WhiteOBX]

First start with your air pressure. Proper pressure for the weight of your vehicle goes a long way toward a good ride, regardless of tire rating. What PSI are you at now? Your door sticker is for GVWR for the size listed only, so it doesn't apply to what you need in the new tires and your actual weight.

As far as the 5100s, they would be a marginal improvement over the Hitachis, but for me wouldn't be worth the trouble or expense. Take off squatch/Badlands Bilsteins would be as good or better. I've used 5100s on my Tacoma for years but never considered them when it was time to ditch my Hitachis on the Bronco.

As you've found out, the best thing about spacers are the price, and not much else.

Air pressure was one of the first things I checked , Im sitting at 32 psi which I believe is where I should be at. Not sure if guys are going much lower?

 

[kodiakisland]

Air pressure was one of the first things I checked , Im sitting at 32 psi which I believe is where I should be at. Not sure if guys are going much lower?

32 is good. You can go a little lower in that size if you aren't at max weight, but that should be good. I went from the Hitachis to the Badlands Bilsteins and liked the improvement, but then went to Icons and am even happier.

 

[Snacktime]

Hey I actually just read your thread on the 5100’s which made me rethink them haha. Im willing to pay a little extra for better ride quality. I definitely don’t want to put something in and realize there’s not difference . Are the factory SAS shocks the way to go or are there other options? There are so many and it’s kind of overwhelming.Also would I have to find take offs or are these available through ford?
Thanks again

You posted about 5100 which are a $500, don't want to put you down a path outside your budget. With factory SAS shocks your getting a very different valving which is why so many people are happy with. People who are happy with the Sas shocks typically okay with a little more lean around corners and nose dive. SAS rides softer and stiffens as it reaches its travel limits. You will want some additional lift to SAs if you want to stay the same height which adds money/complexity to the question.

If you want 2-4" of height and plush ride your moving towards coilovers which are more money & maintenance. The next step up for on road would be Eibach coilovers, they are not a larger shock body than SAS/5100 so they are not going to handle offroad better but everyone who has them has been happy with road performance.

The other options are rancho 9000, rancho assembled struts or belltech which are in the $500 to $600 range. All are decent options but are half the quality of 5100 for the same money. I just don't see the value it going with till they are proven (let someone wheel the piss out of them see if they pull apart).

As far as the 5100s, they would be a marginal improvement over the Hitachis, but for me wouldn't be worth the trouble or expense. Take off squatch/Badlands Bilsteins would be as good or better. I've used 5100s on my Tacoma for years but never considered them when it was time to ditch my Hitachis on the Bronco.

5100 are a huge improvement over Hitachi shocks. Hitachi shocks are not designed to handle heavy tires and don't do a good job of dampening 35"+ tires. 5100 are actually stiffer than factory SAS shocks and help with road handling with heavy tires.

The question is how long will the Hitachis handle big tire before they give up? 5100 are know to last and money well spent if you are paying for install.

 

[kodiakisland]

5100 are a huge improvement over Hitachi shocks. Hitachi shocks are not designed to handle heavy tires and don't do a good job of dampening 35"+ tires. 5100 are actually stiffer than factory SAS shocks and help with road handling with heavy tires.

The question is how long will the Hitachis handle big tire before they give up? 5100 are know to last and money well spent if you are paying for install.

I've been running 5100s for over 10 years, so I guess our opinion of huge differs a bit. They would not be my choice for heavy 35s any more than the Hitachis, but it's your money, so spend it on what you want. They are an improvement.

 

[CMillBronco]

I have an OB Non Sas on order 16 months and counting but had a chance to buy them on a black Friday deal so I did. Coming from many years of Toyota Tacoma's, Tundra's, and 4Runner's the 5100's are a great shock but as someone above mentioned they're digressive, I personally like this for the road feel but some don't. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a 5100 or 6k Bilstein with a small spacer, this is something Toyota guys have been doing for a LONG time to get lift without hitting ride quality as bad.

I've done this setup on about 6 Toyota's now and have this setup on our 22' Tacoma TRD and will try this with the Bronco. I bought 2 Rough Country level kits so I can add 2 of the round spacers to the back for 1/2-3/4 inch lift and one round and one lower to the front for the same then set the 5100's to #2 for 2-2.25 lift without as much spring preload,

 

[AMTRV]

When you guys talk about off-road performance regarding shocks, what exactly do you mean? Running 60-70 mph across the desert? Rock crawling? Fire roads? Exploring trails? Crossing rivers? Climbing mountains?
I see the mention all of the time, but it means nothing without a definition of what off-road is regarding the performance of said shocks/coil overs.

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