Bilstein 6112

And don't forget -

The more the a-arms are pointed down (vs. horizontal) the more shock you will feel from hitting bumps.

Ideally, you want the arms to be completely horizontal. That position will allow the bump force to go into a completely vertical movement of the suspension. When the arms are angled down (lifted truck), part of the bump force goes directly into the frame (in addition to vertical movement).

Regardless of your shock/spring setup (brand), a lifted truck is going to ride harsher.

 

Thanks for the reply. I’m currently on the 3rd gen OR suspension that has the 700# springs. What gets me the most is the highway bumps and potholes and such in town. From research I see the 6112’s usually come with the 600# spring. With that lighter spring will the ride soften up a bit or will the shocks counteract that? Do the 6112’s still perform well in those scenarios or is it not a lot of fun to drive on the highway. Basically what I am asking is is it an improvement over stock in those situations or a downgrade? Thanks

 

I've driven the 600#and 650# springs on the 6112s and noticed very little, if any, difference between the two spring rates. Only difference was net lift. Both are a huge improvement over stock in all driving conditions. Highway, city driving it feels like riding in a Lincoln Town Car. Super Smooth.

Note my experience is coupled with Icon RTX leaf pack option 2 and 5160s in back. I don't think it would be realistic to only upgrade the front and expect a smooth improvement. May even make it worse due to different ride quality in front and rear.

 

Thanks for your input. I didn't mean to portray the idea that I was just going with the front lift but I would pair the front with 5160s and probably the RTX's or Dakars, not sure which but a full leaf pack for sure.

 

The 6112s counteract it.

To be fair, I'm coming from a Sport. I've only test driven one OR, and we all have different opinions on what feels better than whom, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

I think the 6112s are a vastly superior highway shock to any of the Tacoma stock trims. They are firm and sporty but not jarring. They handle the pavement well.

I'd say 99.9 percent of billy owners are like me - they read a few reviews and then blindly invested into the setup, only to write more glowing reviews. I get it, it's a tough sell without truly knowing the differences. My recommendation is to get on your regional thread and ask if anyone near you is running them. Then offer to buy them a beer in exchange for a short ride, so you can get a feel. Even if you ride passenger it should tell you all you need to know about them.

 

Thanks once again, thats a good idea on test ride.

 

Who's running the same notch settings and who's running higher on the driver side? With the higher notch setting on the driver side does anyone notice that the passenger side is softer of a ride or sways more when making left hand turns? And has anyone switched to both the same notch height and noticed symmetrical handling? I'm about to change my 11/9 to 11/10 0r 11/11 and test it out when I have time.

 

So ive never lifted a vehicle before and just want a little help. '20 TRDOR with 265/75/16's.

Looking at the 6112/6150 option.

If im reading things right thats a 2.5 lift up front and a 1.5 in the rear?

For the front, whats the recommended circlip position? I see most people run 5/4

For the rear what about getting an add a leaf? Thats going to create even more lift with the Bilstein shocks right?

Do I not need an add a leaf? Trying to lift and level the truck out, not a fan of rake.

Oh and do I need upgraded UCAs?

Sorry if this has all been answered somewhere else.

 

Shocks do not provide lift. The lift is provided by the coils and where the clip is placed in the front and the rear is provided by the leaf springs

 

The rears do not add lift unless you add leaves in addition to the shocks.

Factory rake is roughly one inch- to level without lifting put it on clip 3/4 on the 6 position shock, or 5/6 on the 11 position shock. Put it on 4/5 if you add a leaf in the rear (6/7 or 7/8 on the 11 clipper).

 

I know I’ve seen it here, or TW in general, but what are pre lift, ie stock measurements from center hub to fender on a 3rd gen. I can’t seem to place the correct words into the search bar. Tia

 

Roughly 20.5-21 front, 22 rear

 

Thanks!

 

Does anyone know if 6112s are rebuildable by Bilstein?

I have my first set with 100k miles on them sitting in the garage. I hate to throw them out. I assume, if they are rebuildable, that it would be cheaper than buying a new set.

 

Lift in the front is provided by the circlips. The highest setting is advertised as 2" lift. The 2.5" is only for second gen trucks. There is a circlip chart. See page 294, post #5880.

Lift in the rear is provided by adding blocks between your axle and the leafs, or by adding leafs, or by replacing the entire leaf pack. Blocks are the cheapest and worst option, it makes performance worse. Adding a leaf is a middle cost, and doesn't really make it worse or much better. Replacing the whole leaf pack improves performance usually.

There are 6 positions on the older models and 11 on the new models. See page 294, post #5880.

Setting the clip higher just "preloads" the spring. Presumably, more preload = stiffer ride. But you also lose downtravel as you increase preload.

Shocks don't create lift. They dampen the movement so it's not jolty and bouncy.

If you want to lift the rear, you need a block, an extra leaf, or new leaf pack. Read through this thread, there is lots of information and pictures of guys who did various ways. I haven't installed mine yet, but I opted for a whole new set of ICON RXT leafs and I am going to leave them on Option 1 which is advertised as 1.875" of lift over stock. You'll have to play around with it a bit to get the results you want, because advertised lift isn't always accurate. Factory rake is about 1" so to level the truck out you would need x+1" front lift and x" rear lift.

Mostly people say you can get in alignment with factory UCAs under 2" of lift, any higher and you may need aftermarket UCAs that are more adjustable. You can always add them later, because if you don't need them, you don't need them. Keep in mind, many people say the UCA is the first to bind when drooping so you could gain up to 1" of downtravel with better UCAs.

It has, this thread is 300 pages of people asking the same questions. Go through it a bit more.

 

Agree. @Casey182 there are literally dozens of combinations of options you could do with the 6112s and 5160s and various leaf packs and add-a-leafs. Add in UCAs and bump stop upgrades, etc. It gets mind boggling.

Even worse, if you have any added weight you are taking a gamble on where your decisions will land you and you might need to revisit it a second time and tweak things (I did). I have a spreadsheet where I mapped out various options, costs, pros, cons. Use the forum to ask the hard questions or people personal experiences, but most of what you asked that Suspender replied to, the info is readily available. Just about everyone here is willing to help with indecisions and basics, but in the end you've got to map the dozens of options out to your needs.

 

My understanding is no. Some one on this thread or a similar one made a statement that there is a shop in San Diego (where I live) that rebuilds them but I don't think it is a common thing. They are not "rebuildable as advertised by Bilstein", lets put it that way.

Bilstein has pretty good support, give them a call. I had to call them once and I don't think there was any dreaded wait time in the queue.

If I had to hazard a guess what shop in San Diego rebuilds these it would be these guys. Lots of people use them for Tacoma mods. Give them a call and ask.
http://sdtruckshop.com/

 

As a dude that has also been deep into Mexico, disagree. Oaxacan dishes are different than Yucatan are different than Chuhuahuan. And you can find a fairly good facsimile of various styles within the border states, especially in SoCal and parts of Texas.

 

I'll agree with you there. Most "authentic" or local dishes I've had when traveling did not incorporate any dairy (with the occasional exception of butter), and the few that did was a light smattering of queso blanco.

 

Yep! Well, don’t know about “Deep”! But, I have long time friends that I served with that live in Santa Lucía and Rosarito that make the commute to work stateside. Family gatherings with them… That’s the Mexican food I’m referring to! And it will be truly missed on the East Coast..