Maxtrac Spindle Lift for 2nd Gen Prerunners

This may be a dumb question but did they jack up the lca, pushing the strut into position & the tighten the nuts or just try to tighten them while it was at full droop?

 

I don't know, and didn't know/don't know enough to ask the right questions. I am in my office and they called me.

 

Would that make a lot of difference?

 

If the 3 nuts aren't tightened down all the way when the suspension drops it would drop more cause the strut wouldn't stay put.

 

Just talked with the shop guy on the phone. He tells me that he put everything in the compressor and then attached the bottom of the strut into the LCA. He also tightened the top end plate into place first and then pushed the LCA up essentially pushing the whole component (strut and coil) up to the end plate. While holding the LCA up he tightened down the nuts over the strut.
Hope my non-mechanical explanation makes sense.
Then he kind of got frustrated with my questions on the phone and said, let me go see about getting this fixed and I will give you a call back. Needless to say, that didn't encourage my trust any more. Ugghh

 

The shop just said they spoke with Bilstein directly and Bilstein tells them that the 5100 height adjustables are only for 4x4 tacomas. What??!!
I know for a fact that others on here are running Maxtracs on 2WD PreRunner just like mine with the Bilstein 5100 height adjustable struts. I am so confused/frustrated.
They also called Maxtrac which said they couldn't help them with regard to struts. Grrrr
I thought I had done soooo much research. I spent a ton of time with Headstrong Offroad which is who sold me the package too. I am at such a loss!!!

 

No, that's wrong and they're all stupid AF. I had 5100s on my 2WD with OME 885s back in the day, worked just fine. So your shop is a bunch of fuck nuts probably about to try to sell you something else. A swift punch to the throat and then grab your stuff and get out of there

 

X2

That's funny, I have 5100's & Maxtracs on mine. They're set @ 1.75 though.
I think they did something wrong or like BORNWILDGUY said left something out.

 

I agree, but they are saying that for some reason the 5100 isn't fitting properly and there is that little "rattle". They called Bilstein who told them that they don't even make 5100s for 2WD, so that was weird.
Maybe it's a falty component in the 5100 or something?

 

Maybe they never called Bilstein & are trying to feed you bullshit.
You can look it up on Wheelers, Toytec & Downsouth Motorsports just to name a few & find 5100's for prerunners. Oh & I have proof sitting in my driveway. [emoji4]

 

I'm gonna say your shop put something together wrong. Ask them where the rattle is coming from. If they dont know, they need to reinstall your oem stuff and let you leave for free. I'm gonna bet the either put the shock together wrong, didn't bolt it in right, or didn't put something together under there right. They are either full of shit about bilstein, or they the talked to the wrong person at bilstein. I'm TELLING you as a fact that 5100s can be run on 2WDs. Have them call Down South Motor Sports so they can set them right.

Insert facepalm facepalm facepalm meme since I'm on my phone

 

Here's my proof they fit a prerunner & with Maxtracs.


As you can see no axle.

 

So, they took everything off to compare it side by side with the stock struts and found that the stem on the bilsteins was not machined the same as the stock struts. This is to say that the stem has threading on it and the stem goes through a bushing and then through the suspension support or end plate and then there is another bushing and retainer. When the nut is put on the stem to compress the top bushing down to the endplate, the thread didn't go down far enough and thus the nut couldn't compress everything together when reconstructing the strut. So when you went over a bump the bushing would bounce causing a little rattle.
Does this make sense? I hope I am explaining it coherently.

 

Yeah that makes sense. There's not enough threads to tighten the assembly.
Are both Bilsteins like that?
Sounds like you need to contact Bilstein or Headstrong & get it exchanged.
Maybe tell them to put the stock struts back on while you get this resolved.

 

I spoke with the owner of Headstrong who says he wants to speak with them himself and get pictures because he doesn't think they are assembling it correctly, but if it is a manufacturing issue with Bilstein he said they would replace them.
Of course, the shop here closed and so they didn't get to speak today or exchange the pics. I have to wait until tomorrow to get them on the phone with each other. This is exhausting. I have been waiting so long and done so much research to get the right stuff and it just had to be screwed up. FML

 

I know how you feel, my truck got hit & was in the shop for 40 days. One delay after another, the waiting sucks.
I was gonna ask if they put them together right. Should be metal washer, bushing, top plate, bushing, washer & nut.
Like this but in this pic it looks like the bushing before the top plate is missing.

 

To me it sounds like they might of forgot to put on the lower front shock absorber cushion retainer which is allowing the shaft to ride too far up not llowing it to tighten properly. Had to tell w/o pics or seeing what they did or didn't do.

 

I was thinking the same thing, I find hard to believe the shaft isn't threaded enough. Not impossible though.

 

Thanks guys! I am frustrated, but I am so glad there are good guys across the country who care enough to talk me through this and help try to figure it out.
I will hopefully have it all cleared up tomorrow. The hardest part is not being able to go over there myself because I have to go to work.
I absolutely love TW and its members! definitely the best forum I have ever been on.

 

No problem, hopefully it's just something they over looked & can fix tomorrow. Let us know what you find out.