Falcon 3.3 vs Bilstein 8100

[Ozian]

Ok, so I’m looking at shock options for a 2.5” lift on my 2020 Rubicon. I’m in Australia, so local options are limited, but I’ve now got a choice between a set of Bilstein 8100 and Falcon 3.3. The Falcons are about $1000 less (prices are crazy over here) and I’m very tempted by the adjustability. But Bilstein have an awesome reputation and the 8100’s sound like an amazing shock. I’m torn!!

Fyi my Gladiator is my daily driver and off road is mostly rocky or dirt/mud tracks with heaps of ruts and holes. I’m not a big rock crawler, and will be doing longer overland trips up to northern Queensland (Cape York) and across the Simpson desert, so they will need to handle the extra weight of camping gear, fridge and water. These areas have LOTS of corrugations as well. This is why I’m so tempted by the Falcons as I can change the shock characteristics to match the big differences in terrain I’ll be encountering on different trips.

Really interested in peoples experience with either of these shocks, particularly on overland set ups.

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[bring44]

For what it's worth, I use the adjustibility features of the Falcon 3.3 shocks much more than I expected. There is a bit of psychosomatic illusion associated with the microadjust (i.e., changing from 2 to 3 on the microadjust and noticing a significant difference)...but I fell for it. I would regret not having the adjustment capabilities if I had a "static" shock. I am the majority of the population when it comes to off-roading...moderate rocks, trails, and the daily commute.

 

[Ozian]

Thanks, that’s the exact feedback I’m looking for. Do you have yours set on the soft or performance mode? I’ve read that performance is pretty stiff, but I’m in a hot climate so it might be softer than someone running them in a colder climate. Interested to hear what mode you use and if you’ve tried both.

I had a set of Rancho 9000 on my old 2014 JKUS and really liked the ability to adjust the settings based on how much I was carrying and the terrain I was going over. I think that I’d really like to have that option on the Gladiator as well, as I unload everything for daily driving and only run all my extra gear when heading out on off roading/camping trips.

 

[bring44]

Thanks, that’s the exact feedback I’m looking for. Do you have yours set on the soft or performance mode? I’ve read that performance is pretty stiff, but I’m in a hot climate so it might be softer than someone running them in a colder climate. Interested to hear what mode you use and if you’ve tried both.

I had a set of Rancho 9000 on my old 2014 JKUS and really liked the ability to adjust the settings based on how much I was carrying and the terrain I was going over. I think that I’d really like to have that option on the Gladiator as well, as I unload everything for daily driving and only run all my extra gear when heading out on off roading/camping trips.

So, I have mine set in the performance mode. I live in a area with four distinct seasons, so you can incorporate a fudge factor with regard to temperature changes through the large amount of adjustment afforded through the macro and micro intervals via the dials on the shock. Basically, I don't see why one would drop the shock to change from performance to soft based on the temperature (as suggested by Falcon) when you can compensate through the "conventional" adjustment methods. Have mine set (in performance mode) at 2.4 for everyday driving. For extended highway trips I might go to 3.4; on the trail I am using 1.4. I might've inadvertently used the soft setting on one or two of the shocks when I initially installed them (I am a special like that sometimes), but I didn't notice any difference.

 

[bleda2002]

Are you talking 8100 bypass or just regular? If not the bypass the falcons would be my choice for the adjustablity and lower price. The bilsteins aren't really doing anything special for an extra grand.

 

[Ozian]

Are you talking 8100 bypass or just regular? If not the bypass the falcons would be my choice for the adjustablity and lower price. The bilsteins aren't really doing anything special for an extra grand.

They are the B8 8100 remote res shocks. https://cart.bilsteinus.com/details...2&Submodel=6913999818685629958&Pos=Front Left

I don’t think that they’re a true bypass shock. I’m thinking the Falcons are the go.

 

[bleda2002]

They are the B8 8100 remote res shocks. https://cart.bilsteinus.com/details?id=5355711146544018383&fyv=true&Year=4016897910049358191&Make=2008850656034331255&Model=6638806998663276032&Submodel=6913999818685629958&Pos=Front Left

I don’t think that they’re a true bypass shock. I’m thinking the Falcons are the go.

Yeah those are the non-adjustable. Between those 2 I'd definitely go falcon personally.

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