Bilstein 5100 Height Adjustable Shocks vs Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Shocks & Lift Springs

Not everybody needs to spend five grand on suspension just to have a little fun four-wheeling. In a lot of cases, a well-made strut and shock paired with a solid set of coils are all you need to get a little extra height for better ground clearance, larger tires, or compensate for any constant additional weight you have on your rig.

Old Man Emu Shocks are a high-quality brand of shock absorbers for 4x4 vehicles. They are known for their durability, performance, and off-road capability. Old Man Emu shocks are designed to improve ride comfort, handling, and stability on rough terrain.

Let’s face it, most of us just want to get on the trail, and often times we say it’s never stupid to keep it simple. If you have been researching a more budget-conscious lift or leveling package for your strut suspension vehicle you have definitely come across both the Bilstein 5100 and OME Nitrocharger Sport struts assembled with a wide range of various lift coils. Although the end result is often similar, these two struts could not take more a different path to achieve the performance they are known for. We would be lying if we told you that you could go wrong with either however both carry distinct benefits that may better suit your specific needs.

Circlip Adjustability or Lift Spring

Although the end results in height are largely similar, the ways these struts achieve their lift are certainly different. Bilstein 5100s are ride height adjustable using the circlip design they have become famous for which will allow you to easily lift or level your rig while still keeping the stock spring. By comparison, Old Man Emu shocks has engineered their struts to work with a wide variety of their own springs for the most harmonious package possible. OME makes springs in a ton of options for various lift heights as well as rates to compensate for additional constant load in bumpers, winches, or other components. However, if you are not scared to mix and match a little, you can pair a set of Bilstein 5100s with lift springs as well. Often times if you add additional weight to your vehicle you can also use the 5100s circlip adjustment to make up some of the height you lost.

Tune and Travel

In order to better suit vehicles of various weights and drivers of all kinds, OME offers their Nitrochargers in various valving options. This means if you are somebody with a heavy bumper and winch, you can be certain you have a damper tuned exactly for your needs. By comparison, the Bilstein 5100s are digressively valved and only available in one tune per vehicle, however, they almost always cycle more travel than an OME so what they may lack in quality from specificity in tune, they make up for in quantity of travel.

Bottom Line

Although both the 5100 and Nitrocharger are great, picking the right for you can seem daunting on the surface, but could not be easier. Plain and simple, if you want a stable, comfortable, and controlled ride with the added benefit of a lift on your daily driver or trail rig with minimal to no added weight pick the 5100. If you have a fair amount of additional weight on your wheeler or overland rig and need something to cope with that added load OME is going to be the way to go.

Ask an Expert - Sean Bowman’s Take

For most people, I think setups like these, are a great entry point to get their feet wet and are more than sufficient for low to moderate speed or more casual dirt miles. There is a good chance once you dip your toes in with a Nitrocharger or 5100, you may find yourself wanting to jump all the way into wheeling your rig. The great thing about both of these options is, they will survive pretty much anything you throw at them within reason. Long day in the rocks or creeping through roots and ruts? 5-day trek across a beautiful landscape with no asphalt in sight? The occasional shenanigans on a fire road? Don’t sweat a thing. These may not be what ends up on your rig when she’s finally “finished” ( LOL let’s be real they are never finished), but they will get you pretty much anywhere you need to go.