ID Bronco
Registered User
- Location
- Idaho Falls, ID
I bought some after reading Greg and DAA's endorsements and will be putting them on my Suburban this week. I hope it goes smoothly.
Bilsteins on an F150
- Thread starter frieed
- Start date
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I'd rather have Falcon shocks on my truck...
... but they don't offer them for older GM's, yet. For now, the 5100's are good enough.
- Location
- Draper, UT
Only for 2015+ F150s also. That, and the Bilsteins were $345 delivered, probably less than 1/3 the cost of the Falcons.
Went back to McNeils this AM and got the alignment done. It was pretty obvious the alignment was no longer good, I could hear the tires scrubbing and they even smelled hot when I pulled in from a test drive.
Went back to McNeils this AM and got the alignment done. It was pretty obvious the alignment was no longer good, I could hear the tires scrubbing and they even smelled hot when I pulled in from a test drive.
- Location
- Draper, UT
Drove the truck around for a couple days and noticed a tapping sound from the driver side. Rechecked all my work and everything is tight. Checked the nut on the top of the front shock (assembled by McNeil's) and it needed a full turn to seat firmly.
edit: I'll add the following to the lessons learned as well
The nut on top of the shock is recessed into a double walled cap that compresses the coil so you can't get to it with a 19mm wrench. There is room for a socket but you need access to the shaft and it's 6mm hex socket the holds the shaft still while you tighten the nut. What you need is a 19mm socket with a handle or some such thing. I searched the OEM tools sections of a couple auto parts stores with no luck. I was about to sacrifice a spare socket and weld on a handle when I realized that 19mm is about .002" smaller than 3/4" and 3/4" spark plug sockets have flats for a wrench.. a bit awkward, but problem solved.
what I needed is called a pass-through socket set.
edit: I'll add the following to the lessons learned as well
The nut on top of the shock is recessed into a double walled cap that compresses the coil so you can't get to it with a 19mm wrench. There is room for a socket but you need access to the shaft and it's 6mm hex socket the holds the shaft still while you tighten the nut. What you need is a 19mm socket with a handle or some such thing. I searched the OEM tools sections of a couple auto parts stores with no luck. I was about to sacrifice a spare socket and weld on a handle when I realized that 19mm is about .002" smaller than 3/4" and 3/4" spark plug sockets have flats for a wrench.. a bit awkward, but problem solved.
what I needed is called a pass-through socket set.
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- Location
- Draper, UT
I now have a pass through socket set. and an update..
I've been chasing a thunk around for a couple months now. Do a slow S shape in a parking lot and every time you change directions the front end would make a "thunk" noise. Lot's of searches and I thought I had the answer...
Bilstein 5100 shocks for an F150 have a hardened washer to put on top of the shock shaft to spread the load on the strut mount and some people experienced the thunk when they didn't put the washer under the strut mount but rather on top, under the nut. I checked mine and what do you know, mine was on top of the strut mount under the nut.
I called Mcneils and explained the situation and they said bring the struts in and they'd fix it. Not wanting to tear the front end apart again I asked "how much for you to do it?" and the guy said $145. I said it's all yours then. I took it in Tues (July 3rd) and got a call an hour later "Uh, um, we quoted you for a ranger not an f150, with all the discounts I can find to apply it'll be $245 not $145". I had crashed my bike on July 1 and my back was a mess so I said ok. 2 hrs later I get a call. We have both struts out and the washers are in the correct place. What you saw was the welded on washer that is part of the strut mount. Well f**k me. Mechanic suggested replacing the strut mounts with an out the door cost of $550. grrrr. Ok, I need this fixed.
30 min later the service writer calls back and said the service manager didn't think the new strut mounts would fix it because it was the different geometry from the leveling that was causing the noise. Going back to OEM components for the shock would fix it but since I wanted the leveling then I'd have to get used to the thunk. wonderful... $250 for no change. But then the the service manager said that since I'm a long term customer and they could not fix it they'd put it all back together and there would be no charge. whoah, admit that new parts wouldn't fix it and provide 3-4 hours of labor at no charge!
The best part. The noise is gone after they reassembled. I either had something done wrong, something not torqued, or whatever. Service writer said the tech didn't notice anything abnormal but I just ran the truck from Heber, across pole line pass, and down AF canyon and there is no noise in the front. Woot!
and an update..I've been chasing a thunk around for a couple months now. Do a slow S shape in a parking lot and every time you change directions the front end would make a "thunk" noise. Lot's of searches and I thought I had the answer...
Bilstein 5100 shocks for an F150 have a hardened washer to put on top of the shock shaft to spread the load on the strut mount and some people experienced the thunk when they didn't put the washer under the strut mount but rather on top, under the nut. I checked mine and what do you know, mine was on top of the strut mount under the nut.
I called Mcneils and explained the situation and they said bring the struts in and they'd fix it. Not wanting to tear the front end apart again I asked "how much for you to do it?" and the guy said $145. I said it's all yours then. I took it in Tues (July 3rd) and got a call an hour later "Uh, um, we quoted you for a ranger not an f150, with all the discounts I can find to apply it'll be $245 not $145". I had crashed my bike on July 1 and my back was a mess so I said ok. 2 hrs later I get a call. We have both struts out and the washers are in the correct place. What you saw was the welded on washer that is part of the strut mount. Well f**k me. Mechanic suggested replacing the strut mounts with an out the door cost of $550. grrrr. Ok, I need this fixed.
30 min later the service writer calls back and said the service manager didn't think the new strut mounts would fix it because it was the different geometry from the leveling that was causing the noise. Going back to OEM components for the shock would fix it but since I wanted the leveling then I'd have to get used to the thunk. wonderful... $250 for no change. But then the the service manager said that since I'm a long term customer and they could not fix it they'd put it all back together and there would be no charge. whoah, admit that new parts wouldn't fix it and provide 3-4 hours of labor at no charge!
The best part. The noise is gone after they reassembled. I either had something done wrong, something not torqued, or whatever. Service writer said the tech didn't notice anything abnormal but I just ran the truck from Heber, across pole line pass, and down AF canyon and there is no noise in the front. Woot!
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- Location
- The Land Northward (Bountiful), Utah
Let me know how you like him I'm due for new shocks on my 2012 F250