Bilstein Shock Absorber and Strut Assembly Performance

• Performance
• Ease of Use / Installation
• Quality
• Price

• 5
• 4
• 5
• 3

If you are looking for a comfortable ride, it is not enough to look at the luxuries of its interior. Aside from leather chairs and portable LCD TVs, your vehicle should also be equipped with a shock absorber and strut assembly that will help prevent excessive bouncing in your drive. To find out which assembly provides the most comfortable suspension, we've installed the Bilstein 4600 Series shock absorber and strut assembly on a 2008 Toyota Tundra and test-drove it through normal highway traffic.

Features

• Large-diameter shock absorber body and seamless tube design for improved strength and fade-free performance
• Designed and manufactured using Bilstein's suspension technology
• Ideal for daily-driving, heavy hauling, and occasional off-road applications
• Finished with Bilstein's classic yellow and blue colors

PROS

• Physically, the Bilstein 4600 Series Shock absorber and strut assembly looked well-built. It had a seamless construction and larger diameter, which made it look twice as durable as other heavy duty shocks.
• Upon test-driving the Tundra, we instantly noticed a more tightened ride as compared to having the stock shocks and strut assembly. There was notable improvement in handling and cornering, which made us feel more in control of the truck while on the road.
• Less wheel bounce was felt after driving the truck for 100k miles. Small ruts, bumps, and hole were no longer felt while the bigger road obstructions, which used to cause the bottoming of the truck's front-end, only felt like a slight thump when driven over.
• It raised the rear of the truck to about one to two inches higher than it's original floor clearance.

CONS

• Installation was a bit difficult since the part did not come with any kind of instructions or manual. It was particularly hard to remove the OEM shocks because of the truck's frame and cross members. However, once those parts were removed, the installation got a lot easier.
• It was noticed that the shock absorber had two different diameter sleeves in the mounting. The top sleeve fitted perfectly. However, the bottom bolt diameter was a bit wider. We had to replace the original hardware with one that fits.
• On a simple, uncustomized truck, such as our Tundra, the classic yellow and blue color scheme of the Bilstein assembly looked a bit out of place

Our say

The Bilstein 4600 Series shock absorber and strut assembly can provide any truck with a definite upgrade from its stock shocks. Its mono-tube design easily improves the vehicle's handling capability and suspension performance. Aside from having the Bilstein technology incorporated in the replacement part, its OEM fit and style ensures the quality and longevity of the part, even after driving the truck for a few miles. Although it might be more expensive than aftermarket parts, installing a Bilstein 4600 Series shock absorber and strut assembly can definitely toughen up your truck's suspension system without sacrificing comfort.