What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Doing 52's up front with Bilsteins, 255/70 a good valving? Also, Furd shock tower mounting ?'s too.

handloader90

handloader90

Building!
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Posts
2,665
Reaction score
1,053
Location
Colorado
52's are going on the front of my rig very soon. SBC for now, will have a 6.0 LS in it within a few months hopefully if I stop being lazy. No plans of big block or diesel in the future. No heavy winch bumper up front and no winch for now.

I've already got all of my crossover stuff, long braided steel brakes lines and Furd towers. What is everyone doing mounting wise with these? Two bolts through the frame rail doesn't seem like much to me... could be wrong though.

All that's left to get it done is shocks, extended bump stops, limiting straps and I'm planning on keeping the overload but chopping them down a little bit so they're not getting hung up on stuff.

Planning on going with a 14" or 15" Bilstein 5125. Is the 255/70 valving what I need or something else?

What would you say is a safe length to limit the down travel to by using limit straps. I'm not in a hurry to bend my springs up lol.

Also, I'm going to assume I may need to have something done with my front driveshaft so it is useable at full droop. Should I just get a "long slip" shaft made from reputable company or take my current one to a local shop and have em hack it up and put it back together with a longer splined end and such?

For the rear I'm doing stock 52's with a 4" shackle flip and 6" shackles. Gonna move to 56's when I find a nice pair of used ones.

What travel length shock would be ideal for this? What valving in the rear?

Thanks in advance to all of my CK5 brothers that drop some knowledge on this thread. I would like to get the rest of these parts on order so I can get this truck out here on some trails!!
 
Last edited:
Gonna be fallowing this one because I would like to do the same. What shocks are you gonna be using? I got a set of bilstein 7100s so I could revalve them to my liking.
 
My advice would be get the longest shocks you can possible fit. I have 15" travel shocks all the way around.

You will need a long travel front shaft.

I had 52s on the K5 and the ORD springs on the crew cab. I think the "softness" might be about the same between them. To begin with I used the shocks from the K5 in the crew cab but ultimately I went with Bilstein 7100s and heavier vavling, 325/85 I believe. The 325/85 shocks eliminated the bump steer I had going on with the old K5 shocks.

One thing to consider with my experience is a crew cab will have more weight on the front axle. Plus there are factors like heavy winches and bumpers to hold them.
 
mrk5 said:
My advice would be get the longest shocks you can possible fit. I have 15" travel shocks all the way around.

You will need a long travel front shaft.

I had 52s on the K5 and the ORD springs on the crew cab. I think the "softness" might be about the same between them. To begin with I used the shocks from the K5 in the crew cab but ultimately I went with Bilstein 7100s and heavier vavling, 325/85 I believe. The 325/85 shocks eliminated the bump steer I had going on with the old K5 shocks.

One thing to consider with my experience is a crew cab will have more weight on the front axle. Plus there are factors like heavy winches and bumpers to hold them.
Click to expand...

How was you're body roll with 52s and the 7100s? Did you drive it on the street any?
 
I didn't have the 7100s with the 52s. With the 52s I had shocks similar to 5125 but custom vavled by Doetsch Tech based on the vehicle specs I gave them. All that being said, I haven't had a sway bar on a square body in over a decade. Yes both the K5 and the crew cab lean over in the corners, but it don't have a sway issue; not even towing the 4000lbs camper with the crew cab.

On all my setups I've made it a point to mount the shocks straight up vertical with the exception of the rear shocks in the crew cab because I don't want to cut holes in the bed and lose cargo space.
 
mrk5 said:
I didn't have the 7100s with the 52s. With the 52s I had shocks similar to 5125 but custom vavled by Doetsch Tech based on the vehicle specs I gave them. All that being said, I haven't had a sway bar on a square body in over a decade. Yes both the K5 and the crew cab lean over in the corners, but it don't have a sway issue. Not even towing the 4000lbs camper with the crew cab.

On all my setups I've made it a point to mount the shocks straight up vertical with the exception of the rear shocks in the crew cab because I don't want to cut holes in the bed and lose cargo space.
Click to expand...

Cause I just got a set of 7100 that I'll be rebuilding and I wanna do the 52/56 swap but to be able to drive it on the street.
 
The only issue I ever had driving either truck on the street was with the Swampers I had on the K5.
 
I have the ford shock towers on both my blazer and my crew cab...just two bolts through the frame on both trucks...never had a problem at all. Just mount as high as you can in the spot you want and at whatever angle you want, drill the holes, bolt up, cut off the bottom to match the frame. Simple as that
 
Oh, and I don't have any limit straps or anything on my truck...and mind you, my 52's up front are the same 52's @mrk5 ran for years he was referring to on his old blazer...so they have now seen a ridiculous amount of time under a wheeling rig and mine are still relatively straight. I think they are finally on their way out, so I have another set of 52's sitting in my shop waiting to swap in whenever I want, but I'm gonna keep rocking them for a while longer. You can do limit straps if you really want, but I don't think it's really needed. FYI...I did keep the overload on the 52's, and I feel like that helps a bit to keep them alive.

Whatever the stock valving from bilstien is on the 5125's will be fine. I have that same shock on both my K5 and CCLB...it's a great shock. Very happy with the performance on both my trucks. On my K5, I have 14" travel in the front, and on the rear I just have 12" travel (56's rear, stock upper shock location, and just welded tabs on the axle where I wanted for the lower shock placement).
 
MetalMulishaMarcus said:
Good shocks as in coilovers or are my 7100s are still on the good end.
Click to expand...
Good shocks as in dropping at least a Benjamin on each one.

I remember the days on CK5 when lots of guys were buying an Edelbrock shock for some random application because they were on clearance for like $20ea and putting those under everything. Buddy and I did it, they lasted like a year and then they were shot.
 
mrk5 said:
Good shocks as in dropping at least a Benjamin on each one.

I remember the days on CK5 when lots of guys were buying an Edelbrock shock for some random application because they were on clearance for like $20ea and putting those under everything. Buddy and I did it, they lasted like a year and then they were shot.
Click to expand...

I used to think my pro comp shocks were just fine (and pretty cheap at the time for less than $50 a shock)...then I put on my bilstein 5125....night and day difference. I'm a believer now that a good shock can go a long ways
 
mrk5 said:
Good shocks as in dropping at least a Benjamin on each one.

I remember the days on CK5 when lots of guys were buying an Edelbrock shock for some random application because they were on clearance for like $20ea and putting those under everything. Buddy and I did it, they lasted like a year and then they were shot.
Click to expand...

Well..that sucks lol
I cant afford to drop that kind of money on shocks right now.
 
Ok, so the 255/70 valves Bilstein 5125 in a 14" or 15" shock will be fine up front?

And we're saying 12" travel shocks for the rear? Stock 52's w/ a 4" shackle flip, shocker mounted in stock location on frame and on axle.
 
MetalMulishaMarcus said:
Well..that sucks lol
I cant afford to drop that kind of money on shocks right now.
Click to expand...
I thought you had 7100s? Those are a good deal more than a Benjamin a piece.

handloader90 said:
Ok, so the 255/70 valves Bilstein 5125 in a 14" or 15" shock will be fine up front?

And we're saying 12" travel shocks for the rear? Stock 52's w/ a 4" shackle flip, shocker mounted in stock location on frame and on axle.
Click to expand...
If at all possible, I'd figure out a way to get longer for the rear. That being said, 12" should be okay. I only say longer because they're more likely to work in the future if you do something to increase rear suspension travel.

That valving should be okay as long as you don't have a big block and a heavy bumper+winch.
 
handloader90 said:
Ok, so the 255/70 valves Bilstein 5125 in a 14" or 15" shock will be fine up front?

And we're saying 12" travel shocks for the rear? Stock 52's w/ a 4" shackle flip, shocker mounted in stock location on frame and on axle.
Click to expand...

Yes, that 14" shock will work just fine up front.

And yes, my 12" in the rear works just fine. I like to keep it simple sometimes, and I really don't see much advantage to moving the mounting of the upper rear shock at all. I know most like to "inboard" them, but most get crazy and inboard the shocks so much that they really aren't dampening anything anymore.

If you think about it, unless you inboard the rear leaf springs, the front will always flex a bit more than the rear as the spring width on the front of our trucks is narrower than the spring width of the rear springs. Therefore, since the front flexes more, you need a longer travel shock to accommodate. With that being said, I've never bottomed out or over extended my rear 12" shocks...and I've also rarely ever said, "I need more flex in the rear" either. to each their own though
 
The slower the valving, the better. I would run the 360/80 valving. Or whatever the hell they are, 375/80, I don't remember.
I run the 5125s with 255/70 in back with 56s. They will get the 7100 and slower valving as soon as the money is there.

I would drive my truck anywhere. 75 on the highway all day long.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom