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Bilstien 5100 vs Fox 2.0

9663mu

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Guys for street/highway driving and very little offroad , which one of these would you get with ? The Fox comes with different springs too. I know both will have firmer ride but would one ride little more firmer ? Thanks
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The better question is Fox 2.0 vs. Bilstein 6112, and there are threads on that. But to answer your question, I think the 5100s will ride better on-road and the Fox’s will be better off-road. And the 6112s will ride better on-road than both.
 
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The better question is Fox 2.0 vs. Bilstein 6112, and there are threads on that. But to answer your question, I think the 5100s will ride better on-road and the Fox’s will be better off-road. And the 6112s will ride better on-road than both.
That’s interesting cause I’ve also seen some say the 6112 will be firmer then the 5100 and Fox 2.0. That it’s More suited for off road.
 

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That’s interesting cause I’ve also seen some say the 6112 will be firmer then the 5100 and Fox 2.0. That it’s More suited for off road.
The 6112 have a 2.5" body diameter, so the larger piston will have a firmer feel than the 5100.

Bilstein's have a digressive damper curve that is usually better suited to on-road driving. You get a quick ramp up of damper force to handle body movements like cornering, then a blow off to a very shallow curve for large bump absorption. This is the overwhelming curve choice for on-road motorsports.

Fox has a linear damper, so it ramps up slowly and in a straight line. That makes it nicer over small bumps, but a bit less responsive to body movements (cornering). It also offers more damper force for better control over larger bumps. This seems to be a more common choice for off-road dampers. I am not as well versed in off-road, so this tuning philosophy is a bit new to me.

Thing about ride quality is it's all subjective. They will both be good, just different.
 

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Guys for street/highway driving and very little offroad , which one of these would you get with ? The Fox comes with different springs too. I know both will have firmer ride but would one ride little more firmer ? Thanks
I wouldnt go with either.

Ranchero for 1/2 the cost.
 

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I spoke with a Bilstein engineer at KOH and he told me the 6112 will have better on road ride quality than the 5100, for what it’s worth. My 61112s are arriving today so I’ll post when I get them in.
 
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9663mu

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The 6112 have a 2.5" body diameter, so the larger piston will have a firmer feel than the 5100.

Bilstein's have a digressive damper curve that is usually better suited to on-road driving. You get a quick ramp up of damper force to handle body movements like cornering, then a blow off to a very shallow curve for large bump absorption. This is the overwhelming curve choice for on-road motorsports.

Fox has a linear damper, so it ramps up slowly and in a straight line. That makes it nicer over small bumps, but a bit less responsive to body movements (cornering). It also offers more damper force for better control over larger bumps. This seems to be a more common choice for off-road dampers. I am not as well versed in off-road, so this tuning philosophy is a bit new to me.
This is very interesting explanation and thank you .
Do the springs make any difference ?
 

ConiferEric

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The 6112 have a 2.5" body diameter, so the larger piston will have a firmer feel than the 5100.

Bilstein's have a digressive damper curve that is usually better suited to on-road driving. You get a quick ramp up of damper force to handle body movements like cornering, then a blow off to a very shallow curve for large bump absorption. This is the overwhelming curve choice for on-road motorsports.

Fox has a linear damper, so it ramps up slowly and in a straight line. That makes it nicer over small bumps, but a bit less responsive to body movements (cornering). It also offers more damper force for better control over larger bumps. This seems to be a more common choice for off-road dampers. I am not as well versed in off-road, so this tuning philosophy is a bit new to me.

Thing about ride quality is it's all subjective. They will both be good, just different.

I've had both 5100's and Fox 2.0's on my old 2014 F150 and your description is very accurate. I like the smoothness and large bump absorption that the Fox's provide, so I'll be going with those on my 2021 F150.
 
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9663mu

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I spoke with a Bilstein engineer at KOH and he told me the 6112 will have better on road ride quality than the 5100, for what it’s worth. My 61112s are arriving today so I’ll post when I get them in.
Would love to hear back mate..What part of Ca are you ?
 

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running 5100s on my '21 FX4; the stock shocks made me carsick (it was like driving a boat).
 

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I put the Icon Stage 1 on my truck because it was available at the time. From reading the forums, I was concerned that it might be too harsh a ride.

I love it. It's great and comfortable on-road, and it takes bumps much better than stock. I have not had it off-road yet but every indication is that it'll be great there too.

I would not over think this choice like I did. Go with the Bilsteins if you want a cheaper option. Go with either the Fox or Icon if you want a coilover.
 

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All of the products mentioned have different aspects that make them good in their own way depending on useage and other factors.

For informational purpose im just going to give my 2cents on the 5100 to hopefully help steer some of you in the right situation. The 5100 is a great product and certainly outsells other products likely because of price point more that anything. The downfall with the 5100 is that in using the factory spring and adjusting ride height by compressing the spring, the higher in the height settings you go the firmer the ride gets.
With that being said the 5100 at stock height will give improved ride/handling over stock but will still be floaty/sloppy as I like to call it. The further up in the height settings you go the firmer it will become making the ride more composed and eliminate more of the body roll. At some point in the adjustments becomes a trade off.
Now I have installed countless 5100 over the years most people are thrilled with them even at full height settings, but there are certainly times where they are said to be too harsh and i think the deciding factory can be usage and location, very bumpy roads or off-roading may make the harshness more noticeable than those who daily drive on smooth roads.

Quick note on the 6112 even though it lifts the truck in the same fashion the included spring makes the results much different.
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