Anyone feel the Bilstein 4600s aren't that great?

[wildcatgoal]

I installed Bilstein 4600's on my 2002 which has oversized BFG AT tires on 2014 Silverado wheels. I mention that because the tire/wheel combo is certainly heavier than any stock wheel configuration -- otherwise, that's the only difference from stock when it comes to suspension. Well, that and I've installed Bilsten 4600s. Ever since I did, the front end bounces after sharp bumps on the highway and even driving pretty slowly. I replaced the original 192K mile shocks with these Bilsteins and the suspension control is WORSE.

I mean it's so bad, if I'm following a curve on the highway and hit a bump, sometimes the truck will skip straight because the tires are bouncing up and down. On a rough city road it's like the entire front end is just bouncing around. I am going to try and find someone to drive next to me and see if the wheels are bouncing up and down after bumps because it certainly feels that way.

Anyone experience this before? Am I missing something here? Not that hard to install these things...

 

[Rocket Man]

Have you checked your jounce stops? They’re an important part of the torsion bar suspension and if they’re worn out or don’t make contact with the control arm or aren’t at least real close to making contact when sitting still you will have trouble like you’re explaining. I have those shocks on my 02 and they work awesome. Also check your sway bar end links. At 192k have you replaced all the steering and suspension?

 

[wildcatgoal]

I have brand new bump stops, sway bar end links, and all of the ball joints and bushings in the front suspension are replaced except for the sway bar bushings, which appear to be fine. I will replace them anyway, but this is a tire bouncing up and down not body role issues.

 

[drakon543]

were the tires put on about the same time? are you running the tires at the tires printed psi? reason i ask i tried a set of Falken tires a while ago and had a similar issue. i had to drop the psi to soften the tire up a little.

 

[Rocket Man]

Something is wrong, because those Bilsteins are the best shocks made. Every single forum member who has them on have said the same thing over the years. Only other thing I could think of is if you got some counterfeits. Was the price in the normal range or did you get a too-good-to-be-true deal on them? What's the part number of the Bilsteins you bought? They should be 24-065009. Also, can you take a picture of your front jounce stops with the truck at normal ride height so we can see if they're making contact with the control arm? If there's more then about 1/4" gap or if they're squished too much the torsion bars aren't working right.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I got that P/N from RockAuto - doubt they were counterfeit from them. Price was lower than elsewhere because it's RockAuto, but I earned it back in shipping cost, so... a wash mostly.

I have my torsion bars set so the height of the front has both sides of the LCA contact pad just touching the bump stops at rest and ride height is even-ish on both sides. To do so, the driver side requires significantly more turns than the passenger side. I would normally call this a problem, but (1) this bouncing didn't exist with the stock shocks, same tires, same torsion bar setting and (2) the bouncing actually occurs MORE on the passenger side than the driver's side (which theoretically has less spring tension due to less torsion bar key pressure).

I randomly tried even torsion key settings to see if that made any difference. It only had the effect of making the front end uneven.

Rear shocks, BTW, are the auto-leveling (non air ride) shocks and they were replaced 3 years/22K miles ago with ACDELCO 580355. They look almost new, as well. The rear doesn't bounce.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I engaged Bilstein and they're giving me things to look at all the way through the sector shaft of the steering box, which is a rebuild. I don't have steering issues, though, I have tire bounce issues. They said I can warranty replace with RockAuto if I want, so I probably will. I almost want to buy ONE shock from a name brand like KYB and see if that resolves anything first, but... kind of a waste of money.

And the Bilsteins I know are very good. I had Bilsteins on other vehicles. What sucks about THESE is the top mount bushings are a cost cutting exercise. The design of the factory bushings forces the bushing center in the hole the bolt passes through. The ones the Bilsteins come with are just rubber pads with a flimsy key to center in the hole. That doesn't really work as well as a proper self-centering bushing would (like the factory bushings). So they are great, but they did cheap out on the bushings and that's really annoying.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I've been doing some experimental bump testing and am highly suspicious of only the front right shock right now. I'm going to warranty out one of them, see what happens.

 

[TheAutumnWind]

I've been doing some experimental bump testing and am highly suspicious of only the front right shock right now. I'm going to warranty out one of them, see what happens.

Interesting. Possible you just received a dud.

 

[TheAutumnWind]

Something is wrong, because those Bilsteins are the best shocks made. Every single forum member who has them on have said the same thing over the years.

Well I wouldn't go that far! (Foxes/Vikings/QA1's should be a tier above 4600s) They are definitely the best stock style replacement in the price range though.