Hi All,
I wanted to know . I'll be in the market for some new shocks soon.. I have a gently used 97 4 R runner Got 107k one the clock. I have never changed the shocks.She Rides ok for now but when there is any kinda load in there it gets rougher. I have heard a lot obout Bilsteins are they good shocks?Do you reccomend or not reccomend them? I drive about 85% on the road and the rest on the beach. I have a small 11ft boat, pop- up , and a jetski i that i tow..
I'm just trying to get some ideas..
Thanks all!

 

WORTH IT IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. they are amazing and I would recommend them every day. if you love your rig and plan on years of loving it get them if not then dont waist the money and THATS IS.

If you want performance for a few months get some procomps

 

I have Bilsteins fitted to my 3rd Gen, & they are a little harsher then the standard shocks on bumpy roads but they are suberb.

 

Thanks all for the replies...
The ol gal ... Yes I will have her a while.... She's in great shape, i'm still saving for my M3 so i dont want 2 payments at the same time.... although i came close to leaving her in the rain and growing into a sequioa(few years old)... my neigbhor has one I hated them when they first came out but now i love the snot outta them.
I like a smoother ride on the street It's just me, So i'm not hauling a family and a dog and all that.. just me... she also saggs in the rear like my X gf but i think some springs or a leveling kit might take care of that. I saw the shocks are about $120 a piece..... kinda pricey.. I think i have procomp tires on it They are just over a year old now.. I have a company car she she gets used on the weekends... any other suggestions? on past trucks I had Rancho shocks. They were ok I guess..
Thanks for the replies...

 

Bilsteins here, I love them! Worth the money.

 

I've got Bilsteins on my 97 and like them but my roommate has Tokico Trekmasters that he got from Sonoran Steel on his 98 and I like them even better. The Tokico's seem to give much improved handling over stock but don't give up as much on the comfortable ride as the bilsteins do.

 

I think it depends on the model of Bilstein you get.

You said you liked the way the Sequoia rides, then the HD bilsteins is not what you want (IMO). As mjwalfredo said they firm up the ride and you will give up the comfortable ride compare to stock. I have them mine and have experienced the same issue. If I take mine off in near future I can send them to you to try out.

Sounds like you need new rear springs too.

 

Have you done the rear spring recall yet? I know my 98 had the signature rear sag and I took it to the dealership and they replaced the springs. Worth a try to see if its been done yet. If not I'm pretty sure I still have the springs from my white rig in the garage at home. I only had them in for a month or so before going with some OMEs and Bilsteins.

If you want cushy, don't get the bilstein HDs (the signature yellow/blue combo) b/c they do ride a bit stiffer but you also gain better control of the vehicle. It all boils down to personal preference but if you are looking for cushy, I'd look elsewhere...

 

All,
Thanks for all of the replies.Yes. i did take it back to the dealer for the recall, but it still sag's. The recall did not do as much as i thought it would have.I was Hoping that it would bring up the rear as well. I'll just replace the springs too and be done with it. I have heard the same thing about the Billy's stiff ride.I'm not at the point in my life where i need an absolute cushy ride..But i dont want my kidneys to leak allover the place either.I'll do some more reasearch and find a suitable solution. Who KNOWS... the kind of shock i get might depend on what i have to do(new springs) to the rear to keep in inline with the front...
BTW would any of you guys like to post pictures of my truck? I have not had much luck in doing so. This way you guys can see what i'm whining about. I guess all i would need is an address to send the pics to(I nominate the owner of the beautiful- non sagging Green Runner)!!.
Road... Thanks for the very generous offer... I would not want to put you through all that work!! but thanks anyhow!

 

put your photos in something like photobucket.com (http://photobucket.com/).
Then link them to here

No problem, when and if I take them off I will put up a notice on marketplace and see if someone wants them.

 

Hey Road,
Thanks for the tip... I'll try Photo bucket , if you see them here you will know i had success!!

 

hey guys i was wanting to know if anyone knows which bilstien is the harsh one, and which one is the better riding model of the bilstiens.

 

The Bilsteins mentioned are the HD BE5-2450/2451
http://www.sonoransteel.com/rear_shocks.html

So I just tried a friends 97 limited with Trekmasters. I am not sure how much softer a ride they are compared to my HD bils. But a few things might play into this. I got >30K miles on mine, his shocks/struts are new. He had BFG ATs at 35 psi, I have Revos around 32 psi (I believe it is a softer tire too). Finally his seats, while they have more miles, are softer (I want limited seats now!).

So has anyone gone from HD bils to Trekmasters on their truck and was it serious improvement in ride quality? Not sure I bother with the hassle of changing shocks if it doesn't change much.

 

I have the signature yellow & blue HD bilsteins. The make the truck handle superb, but "cushy" is not adjective anyone would use to describe them with.