My buddy needs your help with his lift.

He has a 1st gen 2002 tacoma and is putting on a 3in lift. He will be putting on bilstein 5100s with eibach coils. Wondering what setting to set the bilsteins at for the 3in lift? Is it the .85 setting?


This is the kit he bought minus the add a leafs. ( he got a full pack )
https://toyteclifts.3dcartstores.com/mobile/Bilstein-Adjustable-lift-kit-with-5100-shocks_p_132.html

We are also wondering if a diff drop is necessary? We have the stuff to do it but don't want to do the diff drop and lose ground clearance if it is not needed.

Also are new upper control arms needed with this 3in lift?

I know the answers for 2nd gens but I'm not sure when it comes to his 2002. Thanks for your help tacoma world!

 

For the front, what you see in the pic is what you get. The 2.5" setting is +2.5 inches over stock. You are within limits a control arm geometry to keep everything stock if you want and you will be able to still alight front end. Much more lift than this and it gets much more expensive because you will need more parts.

 

The link you provided is for a second gen. But if he get the lift for a 1st gen then the eibach springs provide the full three inches of lift. So set at stock height.very bottom setting.

 

It is not recommend to put the bilstein 5100 on anything but 0 for the eibach coils. This setup at 0 should give around 3"

 

If those are what he order return them because 2nd gen don't fit first gen. tacoma has only 3 notches. The springs will give him the 3 in lift, so on the tacoma shock it would be on the lowest setting.

 

As far as diff drop, they do much more on a first gen vs second. So I would say yes.

And aftermarket uca's ,you could get by without them but would be able to get better alignment specs with them. From the sound of it he , he has spent a good amount of money of the lift and leaf pack. So I would say just buy a set of them! What's another 400 bucks for spc.

 

Sorry I put the wrong link. Here is the right one for his 1st gen. https://toyteclifts.3dcartstores.com/mobile/Bilstein-lift-kit-with-5100-shocks-_p_1137.html

So from what I'm hearing and reading is that upper control arms are not needed with that lift. So 1rooster I have to set it at the bottom setting? (stock height setting) I have been reading some things that say otherwise. (or maybe I was reading for 2nd gen)

 

pretty much what these guys said. the 0 height is already at a 2.5 inch lift for our tacos. you don't need to put more.

 

Correct

 

Thanks for all your help guys!! Tacoma world rocks!! I will tell him to use the very bottom setting. (stock height setting). Sounds like I will also tell him to do the diff drop. Anyone know how much ground clearance you will actually lose by doing that? Just curious not a big deal. Still not sure about upper control arms. I'm reading some people are doing fine with the stock ones and others saying to get new uca's.

 

i have a 2.5 inch spacer kit up front. it does pretty much the same abuse to the front suspension aside from having less travel. im doing fine on stock everything else.

HOWEVER. when I go offroading and hit a good enough bump that drops my tires to their max, the housing around the upper balljoint will make contact with the spring and pluck it. it's not a pretty sound. was scarry as F*ck when I first heard it.

the heimjoint/uniball style upper control arm doesn't have this problem.

 

I know back when I had a 1st gen I went through inner cv boots like crazy! But that was befor I knew about a diff drop. I put one on my current truck 2nd gen.but ended up taking it off due to it not helping much. I'd say you would loose an inch max since that's about how thick they are.

 

From my experience anything over 2.5 lift it's best to invest for some uca. You can get to or within spec but it ain't gonna drive right and tire wear is gonna happen.

 

Stock height setting on the bilsteins

Yes to the diff drop

UCA's are highly recommended

Thanks again!