ToyTech springs and 5100's set to top setting...

I need some advice... I have a 2008 V6 Six Speed, Double Cab... I put 5100's on it with the ToyTech (I think they are eibach) springs on it and 2" AAL in the back, Also Built Right UCA and 1/4 driver side spacer...

ToyTech Said put the clip in the second from the bottom. When I did that, the truck sat low in the front. I measured from the center of the hub to the bottom of the flare and it was 22 1/4 inch. So I took it all back apart and put it at the top clip, Then it was at 23 1/4 to 23 1/2. ToyTech said don't go above the second clip.... ToyTech said that at the second clip my truck should have been at 23 1/4. My truck never goes off road only has 30,000 miles on it and is like brand new. Anyone have any experience with this?

Also I am trying to find the best alignment specs for my truck, it never goes off road and I am looking for the best wear/handling setting for the street. Thanks in advance for any help..

Semper Fi

 

Don't go above the second setting on the 5100's with Eibach coils. They're a still coil and do not need that much preload. The issue is you went with a 2" AAL which probably gave you 2.5 to 3" of lift for the rear initially. Since you only lifted the front 2.5" with Eibachs and 5100's at .85, you're sitting at the same rack as a factory Tacoma, just a couple inches taller. The rear will settle some, put a little weight in the back and it'll help settle the AAL.

Good alignment setting 0 Camber, 0 Toe and 2+ for the Caster.

 

I would do what toytec recommended and set the 5100s at .85

 

Well here is the deal... I keep hearing don't go above the second ring on the 5100's but know one can tell me why. Let me add that before I got the eibach springs and the UCA's I had the 2" AAL in the back and the 5100's with stock spings set at the second clip from the top. The truck was almost level. So I called ToyTech and told them I want to go another 1/2" higher up front to level the truck out. They told me go with the eibach springs and put it on the second clip from the bottom and that should bring me up another 1/2 of an inch. When I did that it actually dropped the front about 3/4 less then with the stock springs at the second clip from the top.....

 

That doesn't sound right... When you had 5100's with stock coils, was the coil seat upside down? If the coil seat was upside down in the original setup, that would explain the drop. Eibachs with 5100's set at .85 would give you close to 2.5" of lift for the front, 5100's set at 1.75 should have only give you 1.75" of lift.

The reason you don't want to preload the hell out of Eibachs is because they're a stiff coil. They have a spring rate of 620#/in compared to the stock 540#/in. They're also taller than stock coils. If you have too much preload, the shock will basically just stay at full droop because the truck isn't heavy enough to compress the coil any further. You'll also top out the shock constantly since there's really no down travel left.

 

I agree it doesn't sound right at all! I measured it and the 5100's measured about 5 inch total travel. Right now with the 5100's at the top setting with the eibachs I have about 2 inchs of uptravel. Could my coil seat be upside down with the eibachs on? Would that explain why at the second clip from bottom and the Eibachs I sat so low? From what I was told I should be sitting about 23 1/4 (3" of lift) with the Eibachs and the 5100's set at the second clip from the bottom..... But I wasn't. Any thoughts on this?

 

If the seat was on upside down, you'd end up with more lift. You'd most likely know if they were upside down because compressing the Eibach's enough to give them that kind of preload would have been a biotch! I think they may have been upside down when you had the stock coils. I'll measure mine from the hub to the fender when I get back to the truck. I'm running Eibachs on 5100's at 0 so it'll at least give you a comparison.

 

Thanks!! I just am not sure what is going on here... Maybe they gave me the wrong springs?
One thing I was thinking about. I couldn't have had the seat upside down before. I never fully took it off again when I put the Eibach springs on. I just slide it up and moved the clip, so it is on the exact way it was on with the stock spring. Something is defiantly wrong here.

 

Well I did call them... Got 3 different techs, and 3 different answers- I was not impressed at all by getting 3 different answers.When I get home tonight, I will have to see if I can see the numbers on the spring and right them down. I don't want to take it to the alignment shop and spend the money getting it aligned if something id wrong. Right now the truck sits perfect, it is even and looks great, but it shouldn't be set to those settings....

 

I just measured from the center of the hub to the fender on mine and it was 21.75". You should be just under an inch under 22.75" with your Eibachs and 5100's set at .85.

 

Thanks I remeasured again today when I got home. For some reason I am getting different numbers now. I still have 23 1/4 But now when I measure how much up-travel is left in the strut, I only have an inch left!
I called ToyTech back and got a different tech (go figure) This guy sounded a little more knowledgeable... He said that with the clip in the second from the bottom and my eibachs I wouldn't get 3 inchs of lift. I would also need a spacer. So the numbers you just gave me sound right.. What clip position is .85?

 

There are 4 settings on the 5100's, 0 (bottom setting), .85 (first from the bottom), 1.75 and 2.5.

Toytech is correct, you should get just under 2.5" of lift with Eibachs and 5100's set at .85 but they make a kit with Eibachs, 5100's and a top plate that will get you to a true 3" of lift.

 

I ordered the aluminum Top plate for the struts. It is suppose to be the same as the 3/4 spacers. I am going to put the clip back at second position and put the top plate on and hopefully that gives me the full 3" of lift.

 

I dont know why yours was sitting so high in back. I had the same set up (minus UCA's) and mine sat pretty much level... Dont know what to tell you.