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Bilstein Question

11K views 26 replies 15 participants last post by  blackArmada_Dxb 
#1 ·
Whats are the pros and cons of the HDs vs. the 5100s ? Im looking to upgrade or replace when im due for shocks. 2008 SE stock height.
 
#2 ·
Same shocks, except the 5100 has three positions for the spring perch. One is at the stock height, the other two will lift the front up to 2 inches.
 
#3 ·
ive read that the rears arnt adjustable so would these be to level the truck off ?...and if im looking for a quality replacement/upgrade...arent the hds fine ?...forgive the ignorance...i like to do my research...the whole measure twice cut one thing.
 
#4 ·
If you want to remain stock height use the HD. They work great.
 
#5 ·
Yes they do!

:bow:
 
#6 ·
Where is the best place to get the HD? Are the ones for the
Titan the same as the armada?
 
#7 ·
Check with our sponsors to get the Bilsteins. The Titan and the Armada use the same front shock, but not rears.
 
#9 ·
i got my HDs from shockwarehouse.com the other day. 'armada2012' discount code will get you 5% off. mine were just under $200 for the pair. ordered a set of spring compressors from autozone($70). had them installed in about an hour. pretty easy install if you are mechanically inclined at all. i was just at the dealership and checked on what a new set of shocks would run if they did them and it was $300 for the shocks and $200 for the labor. 2 hours labor. WOW!!! anyway. my mada is a 7 with 45k and i notice a difference. its not cadillac smooth but still better than it was. i think the rear could be improved but not sure if it is possible with the air system on mine. still searching. good luck.
 
#10 ·
I put the 5100's on my '07. I set them to the middle notch and got a 2 inch lift. I then adjusted my level sensor on the rear airshocks to bring it back to level. (2 turns). No problems since. This level puts the front camber settings on alignment, right at the limit of the camber bolt slot length. If you exceed this height setting, either the shop will try and soak you for "camber offset bolts" for about $600 (pep boys). Or you can lengthen the slots with a file or drill for about the cost of the drill bit and an hour or so. The Bilsteins cure 99% of the shortcuts that Nissan took in building the front end. No more bump steer, no more wobbles going over railroad tracks, reduced sway, better offroad tracking, better tracking on uneven pavement, much reduced front tire wear, much much better feel when going over speed bumps and potholes. -Magic- something every mada owner should do 10 minutes after driving them off the lot.
 
#12 ·
+1

mine is a 05 but years ago replaced with Rancho (POS fronts). now i got the 5100 and placed it at the highest slot and got 2 inch of lift. i do not have a autolevel rear suspension. i like the way it looks and cured my dreaded bump steer. took me 2 hours complete it. my stearlership is asking $300.00 for labor :mad:
 
#14 ·
Do it yourself. There is a how to in the how to section. Not hard. U can take it out and call a shop like meinke to swap the springs out and put it in the new shocks. Cost me 25 or 50 bucks to have it done. Or u can rent a spring compressor from auotpart store.

tap tap with my galaxy nexus.
 
#17 ·
Just changed the struts on my QX yesterday. It's not hard, but a buddy is a must. We found that it's also easier if the entire front of the truck is lifted and placed on jack stands as it took off "tension" in the stabilizer bar that occurs when one is lifted and the other is sitting on the ground. Even then one of us had to step on/push down on the rotor for removal and installation of the strut assembly. I got the HD's (part# 24-197656), and noticed that when transferring the rubber bumper and other parts onto the Bilsteins, the whole assembly, after put everything back together, is about 1/4" taller than the stock - we measured before and after. I don't think this will affect anything though. Luckily for us, nothing sheared off during removal. Nissan has thread lock on the shafts of the bolts.

One question though, how in the heck is someone able to torque that nut in the strut shaft when an 8mm wrench is needed to hold the same shaft at the end so that it can be tightened/loosened? The spec says 40 ft/lbs but I don't see how this can be done. The torque specs on the 3 bolts on the top suspension bucket is 22ft/lbs, and those for for the bottom bolt/nut is 99ft/lbs. Soak the nuts and bolts with PB Blaster for 'easier' removal.

I actually brought a set of spring compressors, while they worked in the end (had impact wrenches to compress them), they were not made for truck springs so the safety pins were not able to close. I would assume those will be the case for those that are rented from the auto parts stores.

Hope this helps.
 
#19 ·
Do you have an auto levelling rear supsension? If not, Bilsteins dont make rear shocks that fit without modification for Armadas. I believe there is a post by polz on how he got some Bilsteins to fit by doing slight modification....
 
#20 ·
Just as an FYI for those looking for rear replacement shocks- PRG Greg is working on direct replacement COIL OVERS for us curtesy of communications with Pops, ntrdraggn, and I like to think myself also a tinny bit. lol.

blackArmada has the right of it though... currently Bilstein does NOT make rear shocks for the Armada- no matter what year it is or if it has auto-level or not. I believe is is also correct in that Polz did do a write up on his conversion of some 5100s to make them fit in the rear (not sure if he was able to get the valving correct or not).
 
#21 ·
Hi ~ Ignorant (lack of knowledge) question to add to the thread... I've put 35,500 miles on my 2011 Armada in the past 15 months. I'm getting a bunch of stuff fixed pre-36k while the bumper-to-bumper warranty is in full effect (sadly, the most warranty repairs this dealership has seen on such a young rig).

In response to consistent complaints about the front end "bunny hopping" when hitting bumps in curves, my dealership said they will replace the front struts under warranty. Wahoo, right?

My question is this: What is the difference between the springs, the struts and the shocks? I thought that as long as they were tearing everything apart, this would be a great time to introduce the Bilstein HDs up front and have the dealership pay for labor. They said they might, but that this would void any warranties moving forward.

A) What part of the front suspension is the strut v. the shock? B) Are the Bilsteins worth it? and C) Should I worry about losing this small portion of my warranty? I need to figure this out quickly, so anyone out there online right now... I'd appreciate help. Thanks!
 
#22 ·
found this and it explain it better then I can. :D
Although shocks and struts are a lot alike in function, they are very different in design. A shock is designed to control spring motion as is the strut, but the strut acts as a suspension part and sometimes replaces other suspension parts. Sometimes used as pivot points for the steering and as an adjustment tool for alignment purposes, struts can absorb side loads where shocks do not.

based on your question..the shock is the tubular black (OEM) thing inside the 'srping' that is attached to the upper and lower control arm. so when you and ppl on here replace the OEM with Bilstein they replace the tubular thing and reuse the spring.



B) Yes. most if not all the members here have replaced theirs with either Bilstein (HD or 5100) or with Ranchos.
C) Not sure why replacing a better part then OEM would void your warranty. If it just void the 'replacement' of future shocks then I say Yes its worth it. If it void other suspension issues then I would ask why and what type of issues will not be cover.

you will noticed your ride will be smoother and better handling once you replace with aftermarket shocks like the bilstein.

Hope that helps.
 
#24 ·
So... for what it's worth... The guys at the Nissan Dealership service area are telling me that the "strut" IS the shock and whipped out little diagrams to illustrate that point. Hmmm... In any event, they are inclined to swap in my Bilsteins but are going to have to talk the mechanics into it as they don't want to work with aftermarket parts. As my "struts" did not arrive in time for my service call today, the saga will continue. With any luck, however, I'll have a pair of new OEM shocks to sell (any takers? ha!), and Nissan will install my Bilsteins with warranty-paid-for labor. Fingers crossed that I'll save $300 this way. Most importantly, I'd LOVE to lose the bunny hop I experience when hitting a bump in the curves - at highway speeds in the mountains, esp'y on ice, that's dangerous. I'll keep you posted.
 
#25 ·
So the saga ends... My dealership tried pitching the idea to corporate (say, what? why?!) and got nowhere. A) They say that the "strut" IS the shock/spring combo, lwhich is shipped as one part. B) Corporate says the warrantied labor will only cover the OEM replacement, whether or not they are tearing it apart and it makes sense or not. What a waste of time and - in the future - my money to have to tear it apart again some day to install the Bilsteins. Sigh. Good night lads.
 
#27 ·
Get the 5100s. I have. If you change your mind about lifting the front end, you don't have to swap shocks. Just raise that lip.


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