Bilstein E4-WM5-Y479A00 User guide

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 1 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
IMPORTANT!
PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS FIRST!
If in doubt, please contact your local BILSTEIN dealer or our sales department before installation.
When replacing other brands, BILSTEIN shock absorbers should always be installed as a set. Installation
of shock absorbers, struts and cartridges requires special tools and expert knowledge. Accordingly,
installation of all BILSTEIN products must be performed by a qualified suspension specialist.
Always use a chassis hoist for the installation of BILSTEIN products, and make certain that the raised
vehicle is securely attached to the hoist to prevent the vehicle from slipping, falling, or moving during the
installation process.
If you choose to install any BILSTEIN product without the necessary special tools, expertise or
chassis hoist, you may subject yourself to the risk of serious bodily injury or death. If you elect not
to use a chassis hoist, at least make sure the vehicle is on level ground, that all tires on the ground during
installation are blocked to prevent movement, that at least two tires are on the ground at all times, and
that adequately secured safety stands (jack stands) are used to support the chassis. NEVER get under
the vehicle until you have checked to make sure all of these things are done.
All BILSTEIN products must only be used for the specific, intended application as indicated in the
application guide. Any use of any BILSTEIN product other than for its intended use may result in
serious bodily injury or death.
BILSTEIN suspension products are gas-filled and are highly pressurized. Never place any BILSTEIN
product in a vise or use a clamp on any BILSTEIN product; never apply heat near any BILSTEIN product,
and never attempt to open or repair any BILSTEIN product, in order to prevent serious bodily injury or
death. Any attempt to misuse, misapply, modify, or tamper with any BILSTEIN suspension product voids
any warranty and may result in serious bodily injury or death.
Do not use impact tools for loosening or tightening fasteners, because this may destroy the screw
threads. Self- locking nuts must only be used once!
Reuse original equipment components only if they are in good condition, otherwise replace them with new
components. Never remove the slight film of oil on the piston rod and seal.
All mounting fasteners for shocks and struts must be securely tightened before tension is placed on the
suspension system.
After installing any BILSTEIN product, the suspension caster and camber must be checked and/or
adjusted to comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. Also, the (load dependent) brake
compensator and the anti-lock brake system must be checked and/or reset to comply with the vehicle
manufacturer’s specifications. Also the headlight aim must be checked and adjusted.
Be sure to properly dispose of all old parts.

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 2 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
BILSTEIN 5160 Series Reservoir Shock Absorbers are designed to fit your vehicle’s original shock
mounts with no modifications. With the exception of reservoir placement, the 5160 Series shocks are
installed in the same manner as a standard replacement shock. However, due to the extended down
travel of the front shocks, 2-2.5” coil spring spacers are required. These can be obtained from many
lifted/off-road truck accessory retailers.
Note: The shocks and hardware depicted herein may differ slightly in appearance from the supplied
components.
In order to complete the installation, the following tools in addition to common hand tools will be required:
•Drill
•Size 7 drill bit (.201”)
•¼”-20 tap and tap wrench
•Centerpunch and/or marker
• Tape measure
Front Shock Installation Procedure:
A. Remove the existing front shocks from the vehicle following all procedures in the vehicle
manufacturer’s service manual. Depending on your vehicle, removing inner fender wells may simplify
installation.
B. Install the front shock in the original location and attach the lower mount. Orient the shock body so
the hose port centerline is approx. 10-15 degrees forward of facing directly out. The figure below
shows the correct hose port orientation:
C. Using the supplied stem mounting hardware, install the lower washer and bushing on the shock stem
then reinstall the shock tower. Please refer to Figure 1 for the proper order of installation of the stem
hardware.
D. Install the upper bushing, washer, and nut. If a chassis hoist has been used, be sure to lower the
vehicle such that its full weight is on the suspension prior to fully tightening the fasteners.
E. Tighten the lower mount fasteners to the vehicle manufacturer’s service manual torque
specification. Tighten the locknut on the stem until it bottoms out on the last thread.
Front

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 3 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
Front Reservoir Bracket Installation Procedure:
A. The front reservoir brackets are recommended to be installed on the outer frame rail, to the rear of
the shock bodies. Each front shock includes a bracket kit.
B. Each bracket kit includes two ¼”-20 screws and two split washers. The frame rail must be drilled and
tapped in order to install the screws.
C. Figure 2 depicts the recommended bracket position. The driver side is shown.
M12 locknut
lower
bushing lower
washer
stem
upper
bushing shock tower
upper
washer
Figure 1

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 4 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
D. Using the tape measure, marker, and/or centerpunch, mark a point on the side of the frame rail
approximately ¼” above and 1 ⅛” forward of the frame hole center point. Mark a second point on the
frame approximately 1 ½” below and 4 ¾” rearward of the first hole. The marks should then be
approximately 5” apart.
E. Hold the bracket up to the frame to ensure that the marks are on center with the holes in the bracket.
Note: The hole centers in the bracket are exactly 5” apart and are slightly oversize to allow for some
variance in hole spacing on the frame.
F. Using the size 7 drill bit, drill a hole in the side of the frame rail at each of the points marked. It is
recommended to drill a smaller pilot hole first to prevent the larger bit from wandering. Be sure to
keep the drill bit as perpendicular as possible to the side of the frame rail. It is also recommended to
use cutting oil to drill the frame.
G. Tap the holes using the ¼”-20 tap. Be sure to keep the tap as perpendicular as possible to the side of
the frame rail. It is recommended to use cutting oil to tap the threads in the frame. Clean out the chips
and oil after tapping.
4
¾
”
1
½
”
Figure
2. driver side
Frame hole
center point
5”
¼
”
1
⅛
”
Front of vehicle

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 5 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
H. Using the provided ¼”-20 bolts and split washers, install the reservoir bracket onto the frame. The
concave side of the bracket must face outward. It is recommended that a non-permanent thread
locking compound be used on the threads.
I. Torque both bolts to 10 lb•ft (13.6 N•m).
J. Using the provided hose clamps, slide the open bands through the thin slots on the sides of the
bracket.
K. Secure the reservoir to the bracket using the hose clamps. The hose fittings are designed to swivel to
allow the reservoir and hose to be more easily positioned. Figure 3 depicts the reservoir installed.
Note: Once reinstalled, the inner fender wells may interfere with a portion of the reservoir and/or hose
fitting. The inner fender wells can be trimmed as necessary.
L. Tighten the hose clamps until the reservoir cannot be manually rotated.
M. Carefully check for any possible interference between the reservoirs and any other components on
the vehicle, then make any necessary adjustments to the reservoir positions. The reservoir mounting
locations depicted herein are appropriate for most Ram trucks for which this kit is intended, however,
some wheel/tire and/or lift kit combinations may create interference problems. It is the responsibility of
the installer to determine if the reservoirs are mounted appropriately and if there is any potential for
interference.
Figure 3
. driver side
Front of vehicle

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 6 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
Figure 5. passenger side
Front of vehicle
Front of vehicle
Figure 4. driver side

E4
-
WM5
-
Y
47
9
A00
MOUNTING I
N
STRUCTION
created: 02.03.15 E4-WM5-Y479A00_1 page 7 of 7 latest revision: 12.12.19
N. On 2019+ models, secure the right front (passenger side) ABS line to the hard brake line as shown
below with a zip tie and trim excess zip tie length after installation. Do not tighten the zip tie to the
point where it’s pinching the ABS line, just enough so it holds the ABS line out of the way. Be careful
to not damage the ABS line during this process.