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This is making my head ache.
Ive been trying to get Bilsteins for my new to me 2006 1500 Express. But it seems I only get rears. or front for 2500. But other brands such as KYB list ther 1500 as the same part number for 2500. So basically if I buy KYB fronts, the fit both 1500 and 2500, but not bilstein.
I'm going to hazard a guess the shocks are a little taller for the 2500.
Do they give an indication of the GVWR for the van the shocks go on? Its possible to have a 2500 with the 9600 lb rating and it then has the same suspension and brakes as a 1-ton. Short of going to a junkyard and comparing between the two (or maybe getting lucky finding people selling control arms with good photos) I don't know how you'd determine if they will bolt up.
You could also look into fronts for a 1500 pickup, which may work better. Will take a little detective work on Rock Auto with part interchanges to figure out what years to go with, the van usually gets the same chassis as the pickups a few years later.
I'm going to hazard a guess the shocks are a little taller for the 2500.
Do they give an indication of the GVWR for the van the shocks go on? Its possible to have a 2500 with the 9600 lb rating and it then has the same suspension and brakes as a 1-ton. Short of going to a junkyard and comparing between the two (or maybe getting lucky finding people selling control arms with good photos) I don't know how you'd determine if they will bolt up.
You could also look into fronts for a 1500 pickup, which may work better. Will take a little detective work on Rock Auto with part interchanges to figure out what years to go with, the van usually gets the same chassis as the pickups a few years later.
Also my thought (about it being taller) but then, why KYB are same model?
well I can share what I know here... I have an '03 1500 RWD and purchased what I hoped would work: a set of Bilstein 24-024815 for the rear (which are listed for both 1500 and 2500 applications) and a set of Bilstein 24-187435 for the front, which were listed as being for 2500.
Well, it doesn't work. The bolt spacing to attach the shock to the lower a-arm is wider on my van than it is on the Bilstein.
The confusion is that, as far as I can tell, there are 2500's rated for 7300 GVWR (which use the same lower A-arms as the 1500 7300GVWR). This is a snapshot of results for a Express 2500 suspension
So I suspect the front Bilsteins are only mean to work on 2500's with the 8600 GVWR.
It would be really great to know if the lower A-arms were interchangeable, but the differences could be much more substantial (upper a-arms, springs, hubs, steering, even the chassis interface). Hard to know where it ends.
1500 and 2500 Front suspension same?
