What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Same...

 

I'm sure there are many that haven't. Just saying there's a lot of us that have had them leak and bilstein says it's normal.

 

I'm guessing it goes the other way. When I asked, the parts guy said the pre-mix was for late model Toyotas. When I told him mine was an '03 he said that the unmixed will work. Haven't researched it but guessing the older toyotas need a special additive or formulation and it doesn't matter so much for the newer ones. But, again, this is just a guess.

 

I think a common misconception with 5100s are that they are cheap. they are the cheapest way to lift our trucks without using the demonic spacer lifts. so most people purchase 5100s to more or less "get their feet wet". then when they are lifted, they go offroad more and more, push the truck more and more... then wouldn't ya know it, they leak. ive seen plenty of 5100s that don't leak, most of the trucks in this case are pavement princesses....
bottom line, if u want to lift your truck with the intent of going offroad with it... spend some money to get a better suspension. Everyone that bitches a 5100 leaks, my reply would be: Man up, you tried cheap didn't work. you gotta pay to play.

 

I went cheap. 5100s all the way around. Just trying to see how I like offroading for now. Once I am more familiar with everything I plan to upgrade to icon extended travels. But so far no complaints on my 5100s/eibach. But I haven't really dont any real trails or offroading.

 

Exactly. This isn't a cheap hobby...

 

Don't lie. You have never had 5100s up front. Just out back. You can not compare them to your spacers up front.


My 5100s held up fine for two or three years of very very hard abuse. Then all the oil left them. Haha and even then. Lasted a full wheeling season more of abuse.

Shit my rear 5150s....idk how those things still work even. But still rides okay and flexes great.

Granted I was using eibach coils which are also great and way better the compressing stock ones.

I'm with Jace. Great way to start and figure out what you want. Better then spacers by a lot.

 

Yeah I have 5100s and eibachs I plan on upgrading to icon next year after other mods get taken care of. For now they get the job done

 

This is all I need them to do.

 

I replaced a brand new set of kyb struts with the 5100s and man does the truck ever ride better! For $200CDN a set they cant be beat. Besides. most trail riding is at low speed.

 

Well, what did I start?

Mine lasted no more than 30K, with a decent amount of wheeling. Wanted to replace them because one was leaking bad, but turns out a bent shaft caused the leaking. Being no one has responded, and I don't remember another time where someone has mentioned it, doesn't seem too common to bend a shaft on a 5100. Don't know whether to attribute this to Bilstein, or me. Maybe it's what you get for actually wheeling on 5100s.

My problem with 5100s is this: they are a cheap way to achieve lift, they perform similar to their cost, but why then are they so heavily recommended on this site? Everywhere you look is someone else saying how awesome they are. I would have been much better off with OME from the start, which is really not that much more expensive. Hell, after going through preloaded stock TRD coils (horrible ride), 881s, now 882s, and now the replacement nitrochargers, plus the time to swap all that, I could have been most of the way to set of coilovers.

Unless you car never sees dirt, I really wouldn't bother with them. Not worth the cost savings at all. Just because they don't leak for X amount of miles, doesn't make them an acceptable option.

 

uuh ya we designed them so the oil would blow past the seal...helps keep the shaft lubricated. I'm just going to put together this quick pdf with a few graphics showing leaking shocks and slap a big normal label on it

 

How does OME compare to the Billys? I always thought they were basically the same performance wise, just one could be adjusted?

 

LC Engineering just shipped my $4,200 blow job.

 

Broke in the Engo winch today trying to pull this Cherokee out. Idiot had no recovery points in the rear...
Ended up hooking to his axle.

 

What, you mean a vehicle marketed for off-road is not properly equipped? Like the old XJs requiring a $300 kit if you wanted tow hooks at all?

 

Silly jeeps

 

All these options are driving me crazy... don't know which route to go. lol

 

That is one spendy hooker

 

But the smile on your face each time she huffs will be worth it!