So which rear shocks shall I get for my NON-LIFTED F-150?

[gooby]

And just to confirm - you replaced just the rears and kept OEM shocks and springs, correct?

Just the rears. Front are all OEM. Only mechanical mod I made to my car is rear 5100 bilsteins.

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[Buyer2021]

And you actually feel a better (never mind "much") ride quality even with the OEM in the fronts? Like, it doesn't make it worse that one end of the vehicle is softy and the other is firmer?

Just the rears. Front are all OEM. Only mechanical mod I made to my car is rear 5100 bilsteins.

I don't doubt that a rear-only improvement is better than no improvement at all.

 

[sbi]

Just the rears. Front are all OEM. Only mechanical mod I made to my car is rear 5100 bilsteins.

Thanks @gooby .

 

[sbi]

I don't doubt that a rear-only improvement is better than no improvement at all.

What I was trying to understand is if there was any contradiction in "behavior" because of different style shocks.

 

[Buyer2021]

What I was trying to understand is if there was any contradiction in "behavior" because of different style shocks.

IMO that's a "no", I don't think that a rear-only, shock-only, 'upgrade' of the sort being discussed here would degrade overall handling / behavior.

To the extent a firmer rear shock would momentarily reduce rear body-roll that could reduce initial understeer, but that's not necessarily a bad thing and IMO that dynamic effect would be minimal at the most in the case of the shocks being discussed here. This in contrast to the installation of a rear anti-sway bar which reduces rear body-roll not only upon initiation of a turn but throughout the turn, so one must be careful about sizing / front-rear balancing of that component lest the understeer become unacceptable oversteer.

Bottom line I think most would enjoy some net benefit from rear-only improved damping control, but would enjoy even more benefit from properly-balanced F&R damping improvement.

Just one opinion.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Any aftermarket rear shock, IMHO is an upgrade to the OEM mushy production one.
Fox, Bilstein, etc.

 

[sbi]

Any aftermarket rear shock, IMHO is an upgrade to the OEM mushy production one.
Fox, Bilstein, etc.

No question about that. Again, just trying to "picture" in my head how will they work with front OEM, if it has any effect (good or bad) or if you must have all 4 changed in order to experience real improvement.

 

[Graygoose2021]

I added a front level, rides great, but eventually adding Eibach coil overs. Swapped rear to Fox 2.0's...ride awesome, even with a spacer front OEM strut

 

[Buyer2021]

4WP / 4wheelparts online has a listing for B6 4600 for my non-lifted 4WD 2022 Lariat, shocks and struts for all corners bundled for $399.96 which is a pretty darned good value ($70 less than separate order of front & rear). BUT, it's out of stock with open-ended delivery date and they hit your credit card for full price upon online order.

I visited the Austin, TX 4WP storefront yesterday, they searched their supplier database and as expected found none they use have the rear in stock - all waiting for more from Bilstein it seems. BUT the store manager only asked for 50% deposit to order the full-set at that locked-in package price and put in writing that I can get full refund of the deposit upon request at any time, even after they've 'shipped', if I get tired of waiting.

So, I 'took the bait', 50% deposit run on the Visa and now we'll see how long it takes for them to arrive at the store. I'm not in a rush, they're the shocks I want, we'll see how this plays-out .......

Yesterday 4WP checked again with Bilstein and was told there's no ETA for the F150 front strut 4600's, supposedly not a normally stocked item (the store already had the rears in-hand). So I requested a refund of my deposit on the F&R package which they processed immediately (kudos to 4WP for that).

So I placed the order for F&R 5100 package with Stage 3 (Thank You Frank with Stage 3 for the 10% off code ac2020) which UPS now shows in transit from Salt Lake City with an ETA of Monday.

 

[sbi]

Yesterday 4WP checked again with Bilstein and was told there's no ETA for the F150 front strut 4600's, supposedly not a normally stocked item (the store already had the rears in-hand). So I requested a refund of my deposit on the F&R package which they processed immediately (kudos to 4WP for that).

So I placed the order for F&R 5100 package with Stage 3 (Thank You Frank with Stage 3 for the 10% off code ac2020) which UPS now shows in transit from Salt Lake City with an ETA of Monday.

Are you going to install it yourself? I can definitely do the rears, that's simple, I don't have the knowledge or the tools do deal with the fronts by myself. Are you keeping the OEM front springs?

 

[Buyer2021]

Are you going to install it yourself? ....... Are you keeping the OEM front springs?

Yes to both questions.

I've done more than a few coil-over and strut rebuilds over the years so have the tools and wherewithal to do that. Also confirmed a Gen14 specific question about making it a bit easier with input from this forum.

My objective is better controlled damping with the OE springs (and no lift).

 

[Chili]

Shocks control movement. Do you have oem 18's or 20's? Or aftermarket wheels with LT tires?

4600 is an oem replacement
5100 is oem or with small lift/bigger tires.

The 5100 will be firmer. Not a ton, but it better controls the slightly larger wheels and tires. Since it sounds like you're concerned with ride quality and firmness, I would consider the 4600 especially if you're on the lightweight 18's. If you tow a lot, big wheels and tires definitely go for the 5100.

 

[Blue22]

Are you going to install it yourself? I can definitely do the rears, that's simple, I don't have the knowledge or the tools do deal with the fronts by myself. Are you keeping the OEM front springs?

I installed Bilstein 5100s in the rear and front and kept the OEM coil spring. I watched a Youtube video from Stage 3 which showed me the size wrenches/sockets I would need and it didn't look too hard so I went ahead and decided to give it a shot. It really wasn't that difficult, but I did borrow a Branick wall-mounted coil spring compressor from my neighbor which made me feel safer doing the job.

 

[sbi]

I installed Bilstein 5100s in the rear and front and kept the OEM coil spring. I watched a Youtube video from Stage 3 which showed me the size wrenches/sockets I would need and it didn't look too hard so I went ahead and decided to give it a shot. It really wasn't that difficult, but I did borrow a Branick wall-mounted coil spring compressor from my neighbor which made me feel safer doing the job.

Thanks @Blue22 ! Let me check this video carefully and see how to proceed on this. My first mission is to install the two rear 5100's that waiting patiently in the garage, I am waiting for a torque wrench to arrive tomorrow. Clearly, that is (seems to be) a significantly easier task.

 

[Tobstertx3]

Another vote for the Bilstein 4600. I installed on the rear only and was a significant improvement over OEM. I am still considering the fronts but ok with OEM at the minute. (Not lifted)
This video had been posted before but I’ll post here again for anyone looking at the Bilsteins

https://www.shocksurplus.com/pages/bilstein-4600-vs-5100-series-the-lowdown

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