Which leaf for bilstein 5100

Hey yall my names beef nice to meet you all.

I bought an 02 2.7 pre runner single cab that's been a total gas. I put bilstein 5100s all the way around with OME 880s for front coils and the billies set at 0.

It's a great ride, awesome both off and on road. But it'd be great to give it some new leaf packs as I'm sure these are well worn at 170k much like the shocks and front coils.

havin 2-2.5 inches of lift would be great but stock heights fine. just some leaves that'll be a good ride upgrade and a quality part will more than suffice. I've been checking out the OME Dakars but where I'm snagged is that My 5100s may not be long enough (knew I shoulda bought the 5125!). The Dakars are up to 2.25" of lift. A leaf can be removed to reduce height by 5/8 inch. Here's the length/travel data on these specific shocks.

• Series: RCD/Bilstein 5100
• Driver side Rear Specs: Collapsed Length: 13.9" / Extended Length: 21.6"
• Passenger side Rear Specs: Collapsed Length: 14.6" / Extended Length: 22.6"

Includes: BE5-D559-T0 Rear Shock, BE5-D560-T0

If yall could slap me some wisdom on if the Dakars can work with the 5100 or if there's other compatible quality substitutes Id really appreciate it. I've searched and come up with no clear answers here

Thanks

 

Welcome to the site, Mr. Supreme.

I just asked a similar question elsewhere, as it seems rear shocks have a limited range. And by the way, some 5125s are shorter, not longer necessarily. The example I'm thinking of here is the 5125 that Down South Motorsports is frequently quoted here as selling for use with factory-height leafs. Don't ask anything about part numbers, I don't know them.

My advice is to get whatever spring you want and if it turns out your shocks aren't the right match, sell 'em. For something close to stock height, the best rear leaf I'm aware of is the Deaver at 1.5" higher. Everything else either lifts a little more lift or won't flex as well. Of course, there are other considerations such as cost and payload capability, where Deavers wouldn't be my first choice. << This is based on my reading here, not first-hand experience.

 

If you are not really going to lift the front, your best options would be either a new stock replacement pack with our 3 leaf added, or the OME Dakars with the Overloads removed.

 

Hey Dan

Let's say $$ was no object and the front was kept at factory height. Would Deavers in the back not provide a better ride/handling/control? Forget payload considerations for the moment. Or is only a 1.5" lift in the back considered too much when left stock upfront? I realize even just a 1.5" lift in the back would exaggerate the factory forward rake.

 

The Deavers would be an awesome setup as far as ride goes. They are super soft, and ride and flex very well. They just don't handle weight in the bed that great. 1.5 in the back will make a noticeable rake if the front is completely stock height. Would be good to bring the front up at least about 1. 75"

 

That's what I thought, thanks. In that case, how would you compare your 3-leaf+overload and Dakars w/o overload for ride/payload/height ?

Thanks for your patience. I know it must seem like you continually answer questionable minutia like this.

 

If money is not an option go deavers with a 1" shackle lift .. if you want more lift later on you could always get a larger shackle. I would avoid lift blocks they can cause axle wrap.. shackles are a good option for 1st gens

 

The Deavers are certainly going to be the softest ride, but won't handle weight very well. The OME and New pack with 3 Leaf are going to be fairly similar to each other as far as ride and load support goes, and better than the deavers for loads.

 

Alright cool so the deavers with 1.5 inches will work with the bilstein 5100s, the front is lifted 1.25-2 inches from the OME springs, it's leveled out pretty well so a couple inches rear lift won't hurt at all.

But it looks like it's OME with leaf removed vs deavers, how do they compare? I do pull jetskis and carry my bikes in the rear (425ish lbs) but I don't think that's too much weight so a spring for flexing and ride would probably be better.

Edit just saw your post yota, really if they're about the same then either one will work haha

 

I'm rollin in RC Prerunner with 5100s all around set at 1.85 up front and out back all I did was trash the 3 leaf pack and put on a set of oem 4 leafs off a 2012 with less than 5k on them. It actually lifted the rear 3/4" just from swapping leaf packs. Rides much much better than the 3 leafs ever did, no comparison.

Is your VIN in the leaf recall? Could wait a few months and get free 4 leafers if so or get reimbursed if you have already replaced them.

 

Beef has an '02, so the 2nd Gen's leaf spring recall wouldn't apply.

 

+1 for OEM pack with Wheeler's 3-leaf Progressive. I love mine.

 

Still a good question ... there are a few threads floating around here with owners stating Deavers' payload capacity is OK but they would still sag more than Dakars or General Spring or Wheeler's HD ... I'd have no way of knowing what you value most but with regular hauling the standard type with an overload spring might be smartest still.

I always kinda figured Dakars were sort of a smart compromise: multiple leafs like the Deaver (although not as many) but with an overload when something heavy gets dumped in the back.

I don't know if this is a valid assumption but there's at least one person here with Deavers + air bags. "Best of both worlds" (ride quality AND payload capability?) The thing is, however, Firestone explicitly states that their airbags do NOT increase payload capacity, which runs counter to that lovely notion. On the other hand, once you put air in 'em the back IS gonna raise back up, yes? Would make for an expensive rear end setup however.

 

oops, missed the "02" in first post...........

 

Silly 2nd gens...

 

I have my front end lifted 3" with my adjustable Billy's set at 0 and I'm letting the 3" Eibach springs lift my truck the 3" in the front. In the back I have regular 5100's with a 1.5" AAL. But I have 234,000 miles on my truck and was looking into getting a leaf pack also. Just not sure which leaf pack to get either. I like how my truck sits now and would not want to have to lift the truck in the front anymore if the leaf pack I got lifted the rear.

 

All-Pro Standards for our trucks are on sale. 3" lift.

 

So since I already had a 1.5" AAL in the rear with the stock leaf pack will having a 3" all pro leaf pack make the rear of my truck higher than the front? I realize it is a whole new leaf pack but how will it sit compared to the stick leaf pack with the 1.5" AAL? I like my front end to be a tad bit higher not the back being higher

 

My understanding is that the lift numbers attributed to springs imply the additional lift beyond stock springs, which if true puts the rear another 1.5" higher than what you have now since you're already 1.5" higher than stock. With a similar 3" front lift the rear would only be lower when something's in the bed. Theoretically, I think. So you may want to look for something else.