Please recommend replacement Bilsteins the next step up from stock

I believe the stock shocks are Bilstein 4600s. When I have to replace them I want to go with Bilsteins but slightly more aggressive. It's a 6spd manual so I don't want to put bigger tires and have to change the gearing. I don't want to raise/lift it more than 1.5" I take it offroad a lot but nothing too crazy.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

 

Bilstein 5100s

 

5100 I’d you want lift.
4600 with out.

4600 are NOT OEM.
You can see the difference here.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trd-off-road-vs-bilstein-4600’s.646751/

 

I just did 4600's all around... Gained roughly an inch to inch and a half from worn factory bilsteins (102k on them). The factory bilsteins were noticeably smaller than the new ones (20% ish) so factory bilsteins aren't 4600's aftermarket. Ride is maybe a tad stiffer than I remember from day one (bought the truck new... Just put off shocks too long) but definitely cured the body roll that urged me to do it. A lot of posts saying 5100's FTW but just my input on the 4600's

 

ok so the OEM ones don't have a model number or part number. and a good replacement are the 4600s which will only raise it minimally.
Great info! when i have to replace them i'll go for the 4600s.
huge thanks!
what does FTW mean?

 

In this case FTW probably means For The Win

 

Can’t go wrong with 5100s, best bang for your buck.

I was going to go with those when I was shopping for a lift but decided to go with the newer 6112 and 5160s (w/ SPC UCAs)
Been on them about 5,000 miles so far, I’ve done some off-roading, no complaints

 

Cool thanks! looks like you truck has bigger tires and is lifted, I'm going to keep it stock so it seems 4600s are the best fit.
I appreciate all the input! really helpful!

 

I put Bilstein 5100s on my 2016 TRD OFF ROAD. The 4600s on the back were shot as I do a lot of off roading. My 5100s in just 7 months have over 2,500 offroad miles on them. That is 30+ trips in that time. I’m retired....

Offroad they are generally quite a bit stiffer than the 4600. The 4600 are very bouncy, a lot of up and down at low speeds in deep ruts. Too much for my liking. The 5100 also handle washboard a little better for my liking. Both are stiff on washboard, but I find the 5100 float above it a little better if you are hauling ass on bad washboard roads. That too though is personal preference. Some might like the slightly softer feel of the 4600 on washboard.

I raised the 5100 just 1.1 inch on the front shocks, and left the backs at the stock zero setting.

interestingly, that improved the front end handling. Now, the front end is “lighter” and handles deep holes and washboard better than when they were at the zero stock setting. So for me that slight raise on the front was a big improvement in handling.

i also prefer the 5100 for street driving. I find they are more responsive, better for cornering, less feeling of roll.

I have Goodrich KO2s, and that affects offroad ride too of course, but in a very good way. Those stock Kevlar tires on the TRD OR are crap, I blew 2 on the same day within an hour of each other. I have 35,000 miles on the KO2s with close to 9,000 offroad miles on them, and they have been great, zero issues and I beat the crap out of them.

With all that said, some might still prefer the softer offroad, bouncier ride of the 4600s. I don’t think you can go too wrong with either. A lot of personal preference in ride feel.

 

Yeah for sure, can’t go wrong with Bilstein honestly. As long as you get what suits you best

 

I am also looking to tighten the ride--if only slightly--on my DCLB-OR. I tow 2800 lbs rather frequently and am debating the 4660 vs 5100 vs 5160/6112 options. Since I do not intend to lift the vehicle, 4600 would seem to make the most sense but 5100 at the "0" setting is perhaps better for towing.

 

O.P. this is all you need ^

 

PEOPLE - the stock OEM shocks are NOT 4600s.

4600/5100 are the same minus the adjustable pre-load And extended travel on the 5100’s.

the 4600s are a bilstein OEM REPLACEMENT for trucks without lift.

 

I just replaced my original 36000 mile shocks with Bilstein 4600. One of the best things I did for the Tacoma. I love the way it feels and rides so much I'm going to replace the fairly new shocks on my Vette with Bilstein.

 

Nice. Just to check, did you use a torque wrench on that top bushing? The bushing looks just a wee bit high, maybe not torqued quite to spec? However, I forget what the torque is supposed to be for that top bushing nut. Yeah, the Bilsteins are nice shocks. I hope my 5100s last a couple years. My stock Bilsteins lasted only 15,000 miles due to weekly off roading and so many long hauls on very bad washboard roads. Since they are a bigger piston (46mm vs 36mm on stock) and with more oil capacity than stock, if I can get 25,000 miles that would be ok.

 

I didn't use a torque wrench on the top bushing nor did I tighten it all the way down. I just tighten it till the bushing was somewhat compressed. The Same with the rear. Don't tighten the bottom bushing it until the truck is back on the ground so the bushing isn't twisted when lower.

 

THIS^^^
Both are the same technology internally. Both are pressurized with 360 psi of nitrogen. The body size is the same, the piston size is the same. The rod size is the same. The outside looks a little different but that is just cosmetics. 4600’s are designed for stock height trucks, 5100’s are designed for lifted trucks. 4600’s are generally a few bucks cheaper. The stock shocks that come from the factory ARE NOT 4600’s.
I have 4600’s on my truck and spend a lot of time off road on my hunting and fishing adventures. No serious rock crawling or anything like that but some occasional difficult 4wd terrain and the 4600’s serve me well. I also tow a 3500lb boat and again the 4600’s are great.
If you aren’t lifted and don’t plan to be just go with 4600’s.

 

Hi All,

I'm lifting my truck 2" all the way around, can I get away with just changing struts & springs (and 1" leveling kit" at the front and 2" blocks at the rear?

I guess I'm asking if I need to consider any other front end part replacement to compensate for the 2" lift?

 

Simply put, the 5100's are made for this. Set them to clip 3 or 4 in the front, no extra parts needed, you just reuse the top mount and factory spring.

In the rear, you need extended shocks for 2" and the 5100's can handle this. You just need a block in the rear. I would 100% suggest only 1" block to prevent bad angles.

 

Upgraded to 5100's here and love them. I went with OME 885 coils