How does it even work.

So I’ve seen posts where people are replacing factory shocks with Bilstein and gaining lift using factory springs. This just doesn’t make any sense to me. It seems counterintuitive. The shock can allow for longer travel, but unless the shock is fully compressed and still longer than stock at its normal ride height, I just don’t see it. Maybe I just don’t understand IFS. Is there some video or write-up? I did a quick search and didn’t find anything that explains how this works. I just don’t know how anyone can make an educated decision on which lift they want if they don’t even know how it works. I know when to step back and claim ignorance. Somebody help!

 

Definitely search on Google and Youtube. You will get a lot of info!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj1ab-FlkqY

 

Someone posted this in your last post.

Look over this link and this will help you on everything you need to know about suspension...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-lift-faq-guide-read-this.11282/

 

pretty simple, really. The spring perch on the bilstein is adjustable to a few settings. By placing the spring perch higher on the shock than factory, the truck rides higher.

So instead of using a bigger spring, or a stiffer spring that doesn't compress, this is just putting the spring itself in a higher position.

 

Okay. This makes sense. Essentially it is a spacer lift. From what I can gather from the link posted above combined with what you are telling me, the shock, not being any longer, severely limits travel when adjusted to give lift. Looks like many of the lifts I’ve looked at are adjustable, which would return the same results. So I could invest in something like an Icon stage 2 (adjustable from 0-2.5 inches of lift) and still be in same position?

 

Compressing the spring to achieve lift is not the same a as puck spacer lift that fits on top of the top hat on the coil over assembly.
5100's are not a serviceable shock.... rebuildable.
Icon, fox, etc... are all serviceable shocks.
Both can be used with different spring rates.
5100s compress from the bottom using a single perch, also not recommended to compress a higher spring rate such as a ome885. Set on bottom perch, lift is achieved by the spring.
Icon, fox etc... use a collar on top and a lock collar onto of that. To adjust you need a spanner wrench to compress the spring

 

Not really like a spacer lift. Let’s say for example an OE shock has the coil seat at position 0 with no adjustments. A 5100 has position 0 - 4 all being 1/2” apart. If you use position 1, while the lift would be equivalent to a 1/2” spacer, you actually moved the resting position of the shock since moving the perch up 1/2” means you now have 1/2” more compression but 1/2” less extension.

Take it to the extreme, position 4, and you have 2” more compression but 2” less extension. At this point, your truck may not have enough extension to react to pot holes and such smoothly.

If you get to a point where you have no more extension, then you’ll begin to preload the coil, but until that point you’re just moving the starting point up and down.