Jeep Garage  - Jeep Forum banner

Bilsteins!!! Got 'em, one question though.....

6K views 34 replies 15 participants last post by  vinpaa 
#1 ·
Is there a wear in period? I just put them on but wow are they stiff! I know they are a lot stiffer than stock but just curious if they'll settle in?
 
#4 ·
Yeah my stock ones were shot pretty much all around. Anytime I hit a bump or pothole it felt like I lost a wheel or something and the truck bounced all over the place. The only reason I'm asking if they"ll settle in is because I still hear a lot of noise being transferred from the road surfaces into the cabin.
 
#8 ·
I didn't notice any increase in road noise, however mine was/is much younger than yours.

Are your tires nearly worn out? In my experience worn tires tend to transfer a lot more road noise into the cabin (and brands vary too).

Renewing spring insulators won't help, not unless your current ones are completely stuffed.

If you're convinced it's not just tires, I say take a close look at sway bar bushes, they're a common wearing part.
 
#11 ·
Definitely a compromise to those seeking uber-smoothness. Switching to bilsteins at 116k for me uncovered a few little buzzes and rattles in the dash and center console. I am so much happier with the way the jeep feels overall though. They took about 500 miles to settle in fully. Not sure if my front shocks were worse off to begin with but it leveled the truck up nicely from the nose-down stance it had before.
 
#12 ·
Well I've had them on for about 2 weeks now and easily 500 miles on them and they still seem really stiff. I love the way they handle and help the steering feel really responsive (awesome when braking too, no nose dive) but hit the smallest pothole and the whole Jeep feels it. The noise inside the cabin lets you know you just hit a pothole, like a jolt. I'm not looking for a caddy type ride but really hope they will soften up a little and make the ride smoother or I may sell them and go Monroe or KYB. I mainly got them off recommendations from this forum and a few others but fail to have a great experience so far.
 
#15 ·
Would changing my front diff bushings help some? I've already been under there and they are pretty damn shot, 2 are torn (mainly the top one). It can't be the front LCA's because they have both been replaced due to the clevis bolt being seized in each one when replacing the front struts with the Bilsteins, so I replaced them both with Omix-Ada LCA's for $146 each.
 
#17 ·
I'm not a fan of high pressure gas shocks (Bilstein) for the reasons mentioned above. This is the low tech way of improving handling, at the expense of ride and comfort. I have also never been a fan of the WK SRT8, as the ride is much too stiff, rough and unforgiving. I wish Koni US would get their act together and offer the WK FSD here in the US; far superior to Bilsteins, and makes the ride smoother than stock.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Anything besides the stock setup will be harsher. I've had my lift in now for about a year and the ride to me is smoother than compared to the first month or so. Maybe its just me being used to it, but either way i have no extra sounds or harshness to report. Then again i only have 48k on my rig.

How many miles are on your WK now? I am thinking you may have some bad bushings or something of the sort going bad on you due to higher mileage (if thats the case). I'm just throwing that out there as a possible culprit.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top