Grit Dog

I have Bilstein 5100 (the silver ones) now with close to 100k mi on them.
Truck drives fine empty or with trailers but with the big ole camper in the bed it rocks like a cradle. Have airbags, don't really want to add a sway bar.
What are the stiffest, highest low speed damping rate shocks you can get?
Don't care if it rides like a lumber wagon empty and what I understand, the 5100s are designed more for high speed damping like keeping the wheels on the ground when haulin butt over washboards.

Danderson

I had pretty good luck with the Rancho 9000's on my 2nd gen. I can't stress enough the improvement in handling with Hellwig's Big Wig swaybar. Kills the sway without affecting the road ride. I got mine from Summit.
Even the popup overwhelmed the Bilstein 5000's on my 2nd.

bishgeo

I have the yellow and blue bilsteins had the silver ones found out they were for lifted trucks.I drop 3k on my 5th wheel hitch truck is still stiff.

Coblue

I also have the yellow and blue Bilsteins and really like them, but I have a lighter camper on my '06 2500.

bishgeo

Yea with a truck camper and no sway bar your pretty much pissin in the wind. Shocks are meant to control up and down not sway.

.boB

Each suspension component has a specific job to do. You have already identified which component is not doing it's job (the anti-sway bar), but you want to change another component to fix it. You can certainly do that, but then that component won't be doing it's job correctly.

Shocks control rebound and compression. Anti-sway bars control lateral roll (sway). Springs and air bags manage the weight.

If you already have stiff shocks and air bags, adding stiffer shocks will control sway a tiny bit, but will increase the harshness of the ride. I know these are trucks, and they tend to ride a little harsh. But on rough roads you'll get a lot of bouncing around that can really degrade handling, and make the back end wag like a dog.

A big anti-sway bar is the best way to go. You'll get the same ride quality you have now, but without the swaying around and you'll improve handling in corners. No more fear of tipping over on a freeway on ramp.

Grit Dog

Bob you're absolutely correct and the only thing holding me back from a sway bar is the cost with shipping here in AK.
Put thousands of miles on last year first year with the camper including driving the Alcan up here towing a substantial trailer as well. The sway don't scare me, it's really just an annoyance when on potholed dirt roads where you lose a tire into the hole and have to stop to let the truck stop rocking.
Heeding your advice, think I will try to find a sway bar.

Danderson

I tried to convince my friend to keep his Hellwig Big Wig swaybar when he sold his '05. He could have made somebody a great deal. When you get it you'll be amazed at how much it improves the handling. Next best thing to a dually. Best thing is emergency collision avoidance. That's something you can't accommodate for.

FrozenAssets

Excellent explanation in common sense, plain English! Good work, .boB.

JRMason

If you have a dealer near by it may be cheaper to source an OEM unit through them rather than ordering aftermarket and have to pay out the nose for shipping. A Hellwig would be more effective but IMO even the factory sway bars are a big improvement over none at all.

Danderson

There is no OEM swaybar offered for the 3rd gens.
2nds had small ones.
I had one on my '98.5 but even with it and the stiffer 2nd gen springs my control was not where I wanted it. Lorenz valved me some great reservoir Bilstein 2.0's which did the trick on that truck.