Ditching the dealer installed spacer lift for Bilstein 5100 question.

Hello TW.... Quick question. I bought a 2021 TRD OR 4x4 and the dealer installed a 2.5 in spacer lift for me..... 2.5 inch spacer in front and 1.5 in block in the back.... I've since learned that I shouldn't have done it that way and I want to do it the proper way now... I do like the height that it is now so my plan is to get Bilstein 5100s all around and set it at the highest notch (5th) up front.. My question is, If I already have a 1.5 inch block in the back, Do I need to replace it with a 1.5 inch Add a leaf or is the current block sufficient??? Which one rides better and more reliable.... I also plan on getting new UCAs.... I'll be getting everything done at Sibi Built. Thanks everyone

 

Depends on what your needs are, really. I say you leave it, administer full beans, and see if it works for you. It's multifaceted

 

I'm gonna say look into 5th notch before doing it because I don't think it's the best idea

 

Leave the block unless you plan on loading the truck up. You can always change it later.

The 5100's will not get to 3" like the block lift but will treat you much better.

5th notch isn't for everyone, I find it rough and unforgiving. I'd rather have spacer lifts.

 

I go off-roading like twice a week ... Nothing too serious mainly desert sand and dirt and sometimes a little rocky... Thanks for your reply.

 

???? I haven't found much info on the 5th notch but a few people that I saw on here that had it seemed to like it and had no problems... Why not a good idea? Please elaborate... Thanks

 

I'm trying to keep it around 2.5 inch lift not 3 inch... If I went with 4th notch and kept the 1.5 in block in the back would it be around level? Is the 4th notch a 2 inch lift? Thanks

 

The higher the notch, the more the spring is preloaded resulting in a stiffer ride. The stiffer the ride, the harsher it is.

 

Read the directions on the 5100’s, they are not recommended on the 5th notch for Tacomas. If you are looking for 3” height, go with a different setup. I have mine on the 4th with original springs, it rides well there.

 

Thank you.

 

I'm only looking for a 2.5 inch lift and I'm also going to use the dealer springs... How much of a lift did the 4th notch give you and are you lifted 1 inch in the back or 1.5? Thank you

 

The 5100 rear shocks are good for 1" of lift.

 

See! Run whatcha got and see how it fairs. Adjust as needed.

 

Bilstein are also degressive firmer ride not for everyone. I road 5th notch for a while before upgrading and it wasn’t a problem for me at all. Also ride quality with vary with tires as well. Good luck and you can’t go wrong with the 5100’s
Good luck OP

 

There is no difference between the 5th and 4th perch in ride quality. Ask me how I know, I have two Tacomas and are identical except the perch setting, yes both ride identical. The springs don't get compressed!!!! OP set it on the 5th with your 1.5 block for a near perfect level to very slight rake.

 

Rear 5100’s do not give any lift. I used a single Deaver add a leaf and kept the overload leaf in to get 1.5” of lift in back, the front at about 2” was just the stock coils and the shocks set at the 4th notch only. You may get a bit more lift with a different coil up front too. Ride wise, the 5100’s are great on rough roads if you are not the racing type, those who like to drift and pounce on the acceleration off road would be better off with more expensive reservoir shocks of some sort.

 

Marie at Headstrong sent this to me, it describes what lift you can safely use wirh 5100’s in the rear. I went with a single leaf AAL Deaver which kept mine within the extended range of the 5100’s:

“Rear shocks work a little differently. When sourcing rear shocks it is recommended to know what the extended and collapsed length of the shock is and how that works with the rear lift you are going with. For example the standard length Bilstein 5100 rear shocks are spec’d out for a 0-1” rear lift. They have a 14.02 collapsed and a 22.94 extended. You can utilize them for lifts outside of that range. It is how you are achieving lift that largely plays into this. Those shocks will work with an 1.5”-2” add-a-leaf lift because the add-a-leaf is only around 1/4”-3/4” thick but it re-arches the factory pack thus providing that much more lift. They will also work with blocks up to around 1.5” aswell.


Please let me know if there is anything else that I can assist you with.
Thank you so much.
Marie
Email: sales@headstrongoffroad.com
OFFICE HOURS M-TH 9-4 AND FRI 9-1PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
For added information please visit our FAQ page:
http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/faq-page.html “

 

Here’s a copy of a letter I got when shopping for lift options. I ended up with the 5100’s after I received this information from Headstrong Offroad. It is a little aged now and there may be some new options, but there’s good info about lifting with 5100’s and leaf and coil spring options in it. If this helps you in your decision, please consider calling them with your business:

The Bilstein 5100's are popular since they provide some additional and performance over stock while still being budget friendly however they can be a bit limiting off the road. Especially the new version for the 3rd gens. Since that is the case we do have quite a bit of people going with the 2nd gen Bilsteins on their 2016+'s. I created a thread comparing the two. Here is a link if you want to check itout:https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-available-in-stock-and-ready-to-ship.455220/

You can run either of the Bilstein 5100's with the aftermarket lift coils we list or your factory springs. The lift coils will provide the lift and the Bilstein will remain at the zero setting. If you stay with your factory coils you would have to adjust the snap ring up to the desired settings on the shock itself. From the feedback I have, so far, people feel as if the top notch settings provide a less then desirable ride quality. In the case of the 3rd gen 5100's I have had a few customers dislike the ride from the 1.1 setting and above. Customers do turn to the lift coil option because they feel as if it supports the truck better and helps prevent the nose dives at stops and the sloshy cornering that you see with the stock suspension without being as stiff as the ride with the preloaded stock spring.. This all just comes down to which option you feel best suits your particular needs. Now or down the line.

In this realm of lifts you also have the OME suspension kits. I have many people who go back and forth between the Bilstein 5100's and the OME's. What typically differs from the Bilstein 5100 kits and the OME kits is the shocks themselves. Most of the other components stay the same (rear lift options). Since this is the case I find it helpful to compare the shocks side-by-side, this way you can see which ones would be suit your specific needs.

Some of the differences between the OME nitrocharger sport shocks and Bilstein 5100 shocks are below:
Bilsteins are a steel body that has been coated with their triple-C coating which seems to hold up better in the elements the powder coating that OME's has on their steel shocks.
There are two different OME struts available the standard 90000 which are the firmest and the 90021 soft ride struts. The Bilsteins fall in the middle as far as valving is concerned.
The OME's have a slightly larger shock diameter then the Bilsteins.
The Bilsteins are a monotube shock andthe OME are twin tube.
The OME shocks have an internal component which can be noisy at times. Some people refer to it as the "speedbump clunk." The Bilsteins do not have this same component design.
The OME rear shocks will work the Dakar pack and not require bump stop modification or longer brake lines butthey limit the amount of droop you seefrom the Dakar leaf pack. The standard length Bilstein 5100's really should be used with one of the add-a-leafs or a block up to 1.5". The extended lengthRCD/Bilsteins will also work with the Dakar leaf pack but longer brake linesare needed and possible bump stop modification but you get more droop from the pack.

The 6112 is a strut and coil combination which uses the notch settings on the shock with the coil provided to achieve lift. They come with a 600lb spring rate tapered coil. They have a much larger shock diameter then the factory shock (which is a 1.5" diameter and the Bilstein 5100's have a 2.0 diameter) which helps with the displacement to keep the shock cooler longer when under strain from an extended period of time. They are not fully adjustable or revalvable. However they are a nice upgrade over the stock suspension and the Bilstein 5100's. From most of the feedback I have, provide a nice on and off-road ride quality even at the higher notch settings. They have a steel body that has been zinc coated. They pair nicely with the 5160 remote reservoir rear shocks. Some people do run the 5100's with the 6112's if they do not need the added extension or the reservoir. I usually say that if the 5100 and a coilover unit like Fox had a baby, the 6112's would be what you get.

Up from this type of lift you have the ADS, Fox, Icon, and Kings which provide quite a bit more performance, capability, and adjustability. If you want to go over these options more in depth I can provide you with information on these as well.

For the rear you can go with either a block, a single leaf add-a-leaf, a 3-leaf progressive add-a-leaf or a full leaf pack replacement. (If you want to explore the full leaf pack option let me know and I can go over the different options that we have available). Since you tow you do could benefit from just an airbag suspension in back.https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p225/FireStone_Ride-Rite_Air_Bags_for_2005-2016_Tacoma.html

The lift achieved from any kind of spring, whether it is a leaf spring or a coil spring, is a variable lift. Meaning that the amount of lift achieved can vary. Depending on the condition of your factory pack and how it responds to the addition of the aal you can see a difference in lift height. On average the aal will provide approx. 1.5"-2" of rear lift. The ride quality will be stiffer from the use of either style of aal since you are adding more steal out back. However you do gain some added load carrying capabilities. The nice thing about a lift block is it is a 1 for 1 ratio meaning that a 1.5" block will provide 1.5" of lift so it is easier to fine tune rear lift and stance with a block over a variable lift from an aal. The block will maintain the factory ride quality but does not provide any added capabilities. It really comes down to which lift option you feel you would prefer.

I have a lot of people who are interested in the add-a-leafs. Since that is the case, I find it helpful to provide my customers with this comparison of the add-a-leafs so you can narrow down which one you feel would best suit your needs and get the spec's on each:

The single AAL is both thicker and arched more than the initial leaf in the 3 leaf AAL. Though the 3 leaf AAL hasmore steel overall, the first leaf in the mini pack does not engage as quickly as the single AAL does. In fact the single AAL is arched to a point where it re-arches the existing factory packs upon assembly and thus engages immediately. The 3 leaf AAL has less arch andcomplies with the arch of the factory packs. So although the first leaf in the 3 leaf AAL will provide some support with the smaller bumps, it won't provide as much as the single AAL will, which translates to a slightly stiffer on-road ride. And as far as the 2nd and 3rd leafs in the 3 leaf AAL, these will only come into play until the factory packs are flexed far enough to engage them. This will happen more so over the biggerbumps or when off-roading. The single leaf provides approx. 1.5"-2" of lift and the 3-leaf provides approx. 1.5" of lift with the factory overload removed and approx. 2" with it retained. The overload does provide function, for when you are over load, so removing it or retaining it can depend on what you use your truck for. If you find yourself hauling or towing a decent amount of weight you may want to keep the overload in to keep the factory pack and add-a-leaf fromoverflexing. Now the performance and capabilities of any of the add-a-leafs still do rely on the factory leaf pack and its capabilities and wareability.
Basically, from the feedback I have, the single leaf provides a stiffer ride quality but better initial support of consistent weight and the 3-leaf provides a better ride quality and as more of the leafs are engaged then the weight support comes into play.

We do not offer installations at this time however we do work with some places in town who install products purchased from us at a discount. Once you decide on the set up I can help get a quote for you.

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can assist you with.
Thank you so much.
Marie
www.headstrongoffroad.com
headstrongoffroad@hotmail.com
951-658-3030

 

Thank you... I think I'm going to give the 5th notch a try... What did you upgrade to???

 

I believe they say it's not recommended for the access cab.... I have a double cab... Don't know what the difference could be?