Bilstien 5150's suck

[AlaskaVX]

Well just thought I would let everyone know that I have found how weak these Bilstien 5150 series shocks are so you don't make the same mistake I did.

Well I had 2 installed (rear) and they lasted for 3 months then 1 broke just under the top mount offroading. I was broke at the time and JB welded it together and actually got 3 more months out of it until I went hardcore offroading again and it broke. I figured it to be a fluke and I really liked the ride quality. So I finally ordered a new one and installed it Friday, went wheeling Saturday and broke the other one in the same exact spot. So I have broke 2 shocks that are supposed to be meant for offroading, heck the stock shocks took a LOT more than these did and they held up fine.

[Ldub]

Are the Billie's able to extend as far (eye to eye meas.) as the stockers???
Just a thought as to why the same failure would happen under the same set of circumstances.

Ldub

[mbeach]

I believe that AKVX has mentioned in another post that his 5150s were "supposedly a tad long" compared to stock. I dunno if this is a compression or extension measurement.

I have also seen it mentioned here that the 5150s were "more style and marketing hype than substance."

I was eyeballing the 7100s, after evaluating the performance of the Bilstein H1s that I put on the wife's truck.
I'm leaning towards the H1s on the front and the 7100s on the rear with 1.5" of lift. I spend a lot of time on washboard gravel roads and the Rancho 9000s just give up all dampening after a few minutes.

[driver3]

Are the 5150's the H1 and H2's

I was ordering those soon... I had heard a lot of good things about them....

So I guess what are the part numbers of the 5150's?

[AlaskaVX]

BF5-A195-H1's and if you do any offroading don't buy them, that last one went out durng minor wheeling. Unless my sizing is completely off? You do the math, the sizes seemed good to me Look at my profile and sig to se what I have done.

[mbeach]

I'm lazy and I referred to the 1739/1738-H1 shocks as H1s.

These are the simple monotubes, that do really well on the roads that I drive on. My Ranchos (on the Ironman) send me out of control after a couple hundred feet.

AlaskaVX,
I might be heading to Anchorage in a couple of weeks, could you hold one of those broken shocks aside for me to look at?
I'm interested to know what the method of failure was for the eyelet. Was it pulled off or pushed in to the point of weld failure?

[mbeach]

I just got back from the Toyota forums, and a couple of people have experienced the 5150 eyelet break as well. In their case (and I suspect this case), they acknowledge that the shock was not used in it's correct application. The 5150 is actually LONGER compressed than its listed length.

Extended length is important (if you're leaving the ground, esp.) but the compressed length is what's causing them to break.

AKVX, are you using the original bumpstops?

[AlaskaVX]

I have 2" bumpstop extensions on there.
And that makes sense that it is longer than listed compressed and now I am going to email Bilstien and give them hell.

[TEN36VX]

I know this thread is a little old, but I just found it through another thread.

Based on this thread, the stock rear shock measurements are 12.54" to 19.25".
The 5150 A195-H1's are 14.17" to 22.5". So with 2" bump extensions they shouldn't bottom out unless the the listed short range is false as suggested above...

Alaska, any update on your dealings with Bilstein?

I dont know much about the build up of shocks, but could the top nut be reinforced by welding it in place after the eye was correctly positioned?

I just bought a pair of these to try. This is actually the first negative I have heard on them. I bought them after reading rave reviews on other forums. Hopefully I have better luck.

[thedutchguy]

I would let everyone know that I have found how weak these Bilstien 5150 series shocks are

I think you may have bought a chinese replica because the real thing is called BILSTEIN!

[AlaskaVX]

I never emailed them and still have a broken shock in my room, I am unsure on what you can do but anything to beef the area under the top eylet should help. The JB weld held for 3 months so if you slightly beefed it up it should hold for a while.

And damn my grammer teacher.... I before E except after C

[Moncha]

UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I thought Grammar was my mom's, mom.