Black Diamond Hitachi to Non-Sasquatch Badlands Bilstein Swap Impressions

[Bruno]

Is there a link & spec. to the Hatachi shocks?

I was going to do the Bilstein 5100 on my Base.

Would the Hatachi be a better option?

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[M97]

Haven't noticed a difference yet, but I'll report back on that as well over a bit of time. It's gotten 16 mpg since we first got it and I haven't seen a change from that yet.

Rightnow I get 19 so it probably go down to 16

 

[83XLT]

Were you able to install them yourself? I'm thinking of buying SAS takeoffs with the coilovers already attached, am hoping that I can install myself.

 

[M97]

I'm a bit late to post this, but I figured better late than never. I picked up a set of non-sas Badlands Bilsteins off of someone here on the boards and swapped them with the Hitachis at the beginning of this month. I have not driven it off road yet, which will come later in the summer (I'll give my thoughts on that at that time), but I have driven maybe 500 miles in city and highway driving situations since the swap was completed. Just figured I would give everyone my current thoughts in case anyone else is thinking of doing the same swap.

First of all, I'll give you some basic measurement differences (which actually don't make sense to be honest), so keep in mind they may be a bit off. I measured with a full tank before and after to get the height increase comparison numbers in my garage parked in the exact same spot. I did measure just 4-5 days after the swap though, so maybe they could have settled a bit since then? Pretty much removed the rake out of it and I'm not sure if I'm okay with it yet. I'll double check here when I get a chance, but here are the initial numbers:

After the swap:
Front lift increase of 1.5"
Clearance increase at bottom of transmission skid of 1"
Clearance increase at bottom of rear trailing arm mounts of 1"
Rear lift increase of 1"

Before and After Side shot:

Front 3/4 view Before and After:

Impressions:

- Ride control is much better. After now having the Bilsteins, the Hitachis were possibly underdampened. Huge improvement/reduction in bangs over road imperfections and the ride is much smoother overall.
- Highway ride is the city driving improvements, but to the next level. Much nicer for a long drive now.
- Noticeably less nose dive and more body control. Feels more "planted" while driving which has been a big bonus.

Yep, we're gonna ago with 33s or 34s when the Grabbers wear out as well, but they will have to do for now. But overall, If anyone is thinking about doing the swap, I wouldn't hesitate. I was looking for a simple upgrade to the Hitachis, and I am more than happy. I'll definitely report back with some off road impressions this summer as well, but I figured I would at least give everyone my initial impressions.

Would you say you now you have the same clearance/ride height as a badlands bronco?

 

[Grant3168]

I did a similar upgrade to my 4D non-sas Black Diamond. I bought take off SAS springs from someone local, came off a 4D BL SAS and bought 4D Wildtrack SAS struts from a different guy. I took off some of the components from the stock hitachi suspension and it was a simple bolt on.

Ride quality definitely improved. Not that the hitachis were bad, but they did nose dive a lot on braking and a little more unstable on bumps. On the trail is where the upgrade really shines. Took it out 2 weeks ago on some trails close by. Its hard to explain, it just feels much more sturdy now and gives me even more confidence at higher speeds. I highly recommend this upgrade to any non-SAS bronco owners if they can find a cheap pair of take off sas suspension.


Baby Picture, built 12/12/22

Current set up, installed suspension and wheels in March 2023

Wheels are RTR Evo 6 17x9 0 offset with 35x11.5x17 KO2 (E tires)
I did buy SAS fender flares to make the wheels flush with the fender.

 

[met]

I’m thinking about the 5100’s. Sounds about the same but I’m not a very shocking guy..

 

[5280Bronco]

Is there a link & spec. to the Hatachi shocks?

I was going to do the Bilstein 5100 on my Base.

Would the Hatachi be a better option?

You actually already have the Hitachis. They are the stock shocks for all models below the Badlands non-sas models.

Rightnow I get 19 so it probably go down to 16

Yeah, I'm guessing we'll take a hit, so we'll see.

Were you able to install them yourself? I'm thinking of buying SAS takeoffs with the coilovers already attached, am hoping that I can install myself.

I did not do the install myself, just due to time and some other reasons, but it shouldn't be a very difficult install especially if you have done suspension work before.

Would you say you now you have the same clearance/ride height as a badlands bronco?

With the tire difference, it's tough to make a direct comparison, but it almost seems like it's at least equal, if not a bit more in the front than a standard Badlands.

 

[Rspayde]

Were you able to install them yourself? I'm thinking of buying SAS takeoffs with the coilovers already attached, am hoping that I can install myself.

Install is not bad. I did a coil over swap on my ranger and it was pretty easy to do. I do not anticipate install being very tedious here either.

I will say if you have access to a lift it will make the process a breeze. If you are on the ground it is much more difficult.

 

[M97]

You actually already have the Hitachis. They are the stock shocks for all models below the Badlands non-sas models.


Yeah, I'm guessing we'll take a hit, so we'll see.


I did not do the install myself, just due to time and some other reasons, but it shouldn't be a very difficult install especially if you have done suspension work before.


With the tire difference, it's tough to make a direct comparison, but it almost seems like it's at least equal, if not a bit more in the front than a standard Badlands.

With the pictures you posted those are 33” tires on your bronco?

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

rake reduction could be from the Bilsteins coming from a V6 or Auto bronco and this BD may not have both.
?

Yeah, still trying to figure it out, but I'm going to roll with it for a while.


Yeah, that's the odd part. It took me months to find this set that was off of a hardtop, V6 Badlands (most the sets available were coming off if 2.3s) so it would be most closely matched with mine. Only difference between the two vehicles (besides the model of course) is the tow package, and that doesn't make a difference in the shock or spring model numbers on the Badlands. Who knows. Since it doesn't have a noticeable "squat", I'm just gonna see if it changes over time.

While I think the BD has the same plating underneath as the BL, the BL has the Swaybar Disconnect which weighs more. So, I am guessing there is where the weight difference is.

 

[5280Bronco]

With the pictures you posted those are 33” tires on your bronco?

They are 32s.

 

[710-oil-614]

I have a BD on order and plan a suspension upgrade. This sounds like the way I will be going.

 

[Snacktime]

I see people posting about Hitachis, 5100s and SAS take offs.

Hitachi shocks ride perfectly fine with stock tires, they have plenty of resistance to control stock weight wheels and tires. SAS shocks are a substantial upgrade over the Hitachi shocks in the control department. They should have been standard on all Broncos as they are a good mix of offroad and onroad control (hitachi fall short on freeway driving around curves with expansion joints). 5100 have a more aggressive valving than SAS and are an improvement when you go larger tires. I like the video below, its about the best review I have found on SAS shocks vs cheap 5100s. Note the heavier the tire the more shock you need to control it.

The op would most likely prefers the SAS shocks due to the stock tires. Stock tires and 5100s may be to harsh and something people should think about. 5100s and 35x12.5 tires are a pretty nice combo but not something I would run on stock tires.

 

[5280Bronco]

I see people posting about Hitachis, 5100s and SAS take offs.

Hitachi shocks ride perfectly fine with stock tires, they have plenty of resistance to control stock weight wheels and tires. SAS shocks are a substantial upgrade over the Hitachi shocks in the control department. They should have been standard on all Broncos as they are a good mix of offroad and onroad control (hitachi fall short on freeway driving around curves with expansion joints). 5100 have a more aggressive valving than SAS and are an improvement when you go larger tires. I like the video below, its about the best review I have found on SAS shocks vs cheap 5100s. Note the heavier the tire the more shock you need to control it.

The op would most likely prefers the SAS shocks due to the stock tires. Stock tires and 5100s may be to harsh and something people should think about. 5100s and 35x12.5 tires are a pretty nice combo but not something I would run on stock tires.

Agreed. Tire size has a lot to do with it.

 

[M97]

They are 32s.

Do you have link to the tires? Was thinking of getting the same ones

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