[trailsmoker02]

So im looking to get new rear offroad shocks. Im wondering if I should spend the extra cash to get the kings with the custom shock hoop(Not through the bed). I have the donahoes in the front, and I think kings in the back would be a sweet setup. On the other side I could go with the bilstein 7100 with the resovier, and have it bolt directly into place And save about half the cost. Im wondering if the kings would be that much of a difference, to where id want to spend the extra money. Any opinions would be great.

Thanks Alot:tu:

 

[dsrtrcr01]

As usual we will need to know your driving habits. Do you off road a lot? What kind?

MOST people do not even need the reservoir but they get it for the looks. It is basically a radiator for the oil in the shock to help it from fading. Unless you are doing a lot of high speed off-roading the reservoir does not do anything but look cool. If that is what you want then that is fine. The King is for even heavier off-roading. Honestly I would put the bilstien on and be happy. The king is just for looks. Personally I can't stand the super duties running kings with reservoirs. Those shocks are not the correct shock for what they are driving.

 

[DevinSixtySeven]

It sounds like you want a lot of travel...unless you find a stem-to-eye shock, you won't be able to use all the compression travel on a 10" 7100 without reworking the upper shock mount. If you're not getting a longer shock than the stockers, I'm gonna guess you also don't need the res...check out the 5100 series and save a few bucks for something else.

If you go to a shock hoop you get to rework the tabs on the axle...not difficult...and if you're not crawling (gonna go out on a limb and guess no) you can just mount the shocks lower on the axle and get all the travel from a 10" 7100 without a shock hoop. Chaos has a trick shock mount which looks like it will work for exactly that sort of build. Dunno how it'll sort out with one hanging forward and one back...but they are good people and surely can help you sort it out.

If you put in a shock hoop, and drop the axle mount a little...maybe you could fit an 11" shaft (that would be BBCS and it's valved as a crawler, not dune bashing). Dunno if you can fit a 12" back there without cutting the bed, ruining the shock angle or mounting the shocks really, really low on the axle...of course, if you're not crawling, and you went SUA anyway, you'll have the space...but now I'm just talking out my arse.

Tell us how you're gonna use it...desert ride, rock whip, hardcore mall-assault pimpmobile...?

-Sean

 

[trailsmoker02]

I do a good amount of high speed offroading in the desert, got the 4wd so i dont worry about fishtailing from the back. Have to charge everything its a Tundra.:tu:
I actually have the bilstein 5100 right now and its really harsh in the back,
whoevers in the backseat is usually pretty sore. Wondering how much better the kings would be for the money??? they will both be put to good use..

 

[dsrtrcr01]

I do a good amount of high speed offroading in the desert, got the 4wd so i dont worry about fishtailing from the back. Have to charge everything its a Tundra.:tu:
I actually have the bilstein 5100 right now and its really harsh in the back,
whoevers in the backseat is usually pretty sore. Wondering how much better the kings would be for the money??? they will both be put to good use..

I think a Bilstein with res would work well. The trick is you want to get it valved correctly. 100% of the time right of the box the shock will be valved wrong. This is true for whatever shock you get. Bilstein is an extremely good company. King has the name recognition but if you look at the race vehicles the Bilstein is a winner. I get "Couldn't afford the King's huh?" A LOT because I run 18" Fox 2.5's. Most do not comprehend that I could have bought 3 Kings for the price of these and the Fox's outperform and are better built then the King. Top of the Heap is Fox and Bilstein. The King is a nice "Pre runner" shock but Mine are the race series Fox's. I could not recommend the Fox's more so try looking into them as well. There is a guy in Santee that is a Fox valving genius and valved all my shocks. This truck works 100% better then the exact same truck running the Kings. I know because my Buddy has the identical truck. Same color, arms, springs. Heck he even copied my cage and he runs the King's.

Whatever you get I suggest weighing the back half of your truck, Fully drop out the suspension and measure the amount of shock shaft showing, Fully compress the rear suspension and measure how much shaft is showing and also measure the amount of shaft showing at ride height. Give all those #'s to who ever is valving the shock and it will ride MUCH better.

Is the ride in the back "Harsh" due to the fact that you are bottoming out a lot? Try dabbing a little grease on your bottom out stopper and go for a quick run. Once you feel that "Harsh" hit then check to see if the grease was transfered to the opposite side of the stop (Where it hits) If this is the case you will need more travel to help the ride not just shocks. Granted stiffer shocks will help not hit so often but the ride will be stiffer all the time.

 

[DevinSixtySeven]

Whatever you get I suggest weighing the back half of your truck, Fully drop out the suspension and measure the amount of shock shaft showing, Fully compress the rear suspension and measure how much shaft is showing and also measure the amount of shaft showing at ride height. Give all those #'s to who ever is valving the shock and it will ride MUCH better.

Do you need to get the sprung weight or will rear axle weight do?

 

[dsrtrcr01]

Do you need to get the sprung weight or will rear axle weight do?

When He asked me he said to just put the rear of the truck on a scale. I am sure it would be better to get the sprung weight but that is harder to get. I think.

Axle weight = the weight sitting on the rear tires, right?

It was explained to me that he set the shocks up so that at ride height they are softer but when it gets close to bottoming out they stiffen. These shocks are identical to bypasses EXCEPT I do not have the option to change the valving on the trail like bypasses do. At least that is what he siad. He valves shocks for many race trucks (Trophy trucks not just little 1450's) so I tend to believe him.

 

[DevinSixtySeven]

When He asked me he said to just put the rear of the truck on a scale. I am sure it would be better to get the sprung weight but that is harder to get. I think.

Axle weight = the weight sitting on the rear tires, right?

It was explained to me that he set the shocks up so that at ride height they are softer but when it gets close to bottoming out they stiffen. These shocks are identical to bypasses EXCEPT I do not have the option to change the valving on the trail like bypasses do. At least that is what he siad. He valves shocks for many race trucks (Trophy trucks not just little 1450's) so I tend to believe him.

Axle weight yeah that's correct...just hit a truck stop. The rear axle, dressed with tires, probably weighs around 500# (VERY rough guess). Only way you'd get that weight would be putting the rear on jackstands so you could drop the axle and roll it on a pair of scales. Stock big (Dana 60, etc) axles are heavier.

Got contact info for this guy?

 

[dsrtrcr01]

Axle weight yeah that's correct...just hit a truck stop. The rear axle, dressed with tires, probably weighs around 500# (VERY rough guess). Only way you'd get that weight would be putting the rear on jackstands so you could drop the axle and roll it on a pair of scales. Stock big (Dana 60, etc) axles are heavier.

Got contact info for this guy?

Not on me since the sim card in my phone died and lost ALL my #'s. BUT it is called Mirage (Like what you see in a desert) racing in the Santee area. I usually just have my wife drop them off because it is on her way to work so I am not to sure on Exact location.

I believe ORW has contact info. We got their info straight from Fox. I will try and search out the Phone # at home especially since the season has pretty much ended and I need my shocks rebuilt.

 

[tdavi00]

i also have the bilsein 5100s in the rear end of my truck and i know how u feel about the ride quailty..... dont spend the extra on King when u can get some Fox racing shocks for cheaper and will definetly out perform bilsteins...