Blocks on top of bilstein 6112

I just installed some bilstein 6112 coil overs and a 1.5” add a leaf kit on my 2013 long bed, double cab.

has anyone ever added blocks on top of this sort of set up. My intention would be to lower the bilsteins for a bit softer ride and ultimately aim for ~3.5-4” overall lift. So, 3” blocks up front and 2” block in the rear. I haven’t seen any other threads talking about anything like this.

I know I’ll need UCA’s and brake hoses, for sure. My upper ball joints are on their last legs, anyway.

If I decide to go for closer to a 5” overall lift, will I need a drop K member? I don’t really want to do drop spindles. This thing is a daily driver that I’ve wanted to lift for a long time now 90% just for aesthetics.

 

1. No. 6112 is adjustable.

2. no. 2.5” is approx max recommended lift on a 2nd gen Tacoma. One reason is downtravel. Another reason is CV angles. There are other reasons besides that. They have been discussed here.

3. no. Spacers cause problems including worse ride. 6112 is not designed to use or need spacers. The corresponding rear shock is a 5160 that can and probably should be run with a normal rear lift = leafpack.

4. no. Lift is performance not aesthetics.

the formula is laid out. I have 1.5”-2.5” front lift on 35’s and associated required tire clearance mods like CMR, pinch weld hammer, etc.

The next limiting factor that 35’s creep into, and 37’s definitely enter, is hitting the factory tub. The solution that has been created for this is JDFab inner fenders.

 

It will max out the control arms, basically stacking lifts is like locking your suspension in place.

I know you want bigger looks but you have a good suspension and it drives awesome. Any bigger results in terrible results that you could have got from spacers in the first place.

Ideal for tacoma is 1-2" lift. You can increase the lift of the 6112s by moving the c clip and get it over 2" without sacrificing travel.

 

I think you may have misunderstood my goal here. My plan was to decrease the preload of the 6112 to soften the ride and basically use the spacer as the means of lifting. Also, my truck is 2wd so no concern of cv axle issues. I also don’t plan on running anything larger than 32”, MAYBE 33”

 

Why do you not want a spindle lift? (assuming that's what you meant by "drop spindles")
A spindle lift does not change the geometry or function of your suspension at all other than it moves the wheel spindle (hub) down 4". Spacers on the other hand can lead to a harsh ride at best, or broken shocks at worst.
You spoke of maybe wanting 5" lift... So with these spindles, you set your 6112s to their 1" lift setting. To do it any other way would be overcomplicating things (no UCAs needed either, though you can still add them if you want to try to maximize your wheel travel).

https://www.extremeterrain.com/max-...t-w-max-trac-shocks-0519-2wd-6lug-tacoma.html

The only other way to get anything over 3" lift (and have it ride & handle well) is with a drop bracket lift (the drop k-member), and again that is way more cost & complexity than you need for a 2WD truck.

 

1. If you put anything larger than 1/4” spacers on top of 6112’s your UCA’s will bang into your coil springs. Among other problems. I know this from experience.

2. You don’t understand preload. (Don’t worry, a lot of people don’t.) Except in extreme contexts, preload doesn’t change the quality of the ride. On 6112’s you can set the height anywhere from the lowest setting to ~3” of lift and the stiffness of the ride will remain the same. However, you will begin to fully extend your shocks into smaller potholes and off smaller bumps when you use the taller height settings, and that will feel jarring.

3. 32” tires with 3” or more of lift makes your truck look like it’s on stilts. Bird legs. It will look much better with 1.5-2” lift max.

 

A spacer lift on top of 6112s is just straight up a bad idea. You'll get much better ride quality by adjusting the clip on the 6112.

All other issues aside, 32" or 33" tires on the amount of lift you are looking for is going to look goofy as hell. I am at the 8/6 clip location (about 1.5" of lift) and run 33s and still have plenty of open space in the wheel well.

 

6112 is loaded how it's loaded. It's designed that way.
You do not soften ride with a spacer. Spacers worsen rides. And put the shock out of it's intended range of travel.
A spacer is also not suspension. At no point, does a solid piece of metal act as soft ride. It's the very opposite of what suspension is; moving components designed to expand, contract, dampen, and suspend a vehicle (spring and strut)

Given the truck is 2WD, there is no reason.
Given per this post the truck is on 32" or less, there is no reason.

6112 lift. They are adjustable.

 

idk because now I’m heavily considering just getting the spindles and being done with it. . You certainly made it sound like the MUCH easier option

 

32-33 on 3.5-4”? Main reason I mentioned that tire size is everyone preaching that 33” is the largest you can go at all without hacking half the truck apart. .

 

You actually could run 34" (285/75R17) tires on that with the correct-offset wheel and not have to trim a thing.
33s are the more-common suggested size because most people have 4WDs and many of them don't want to make the required frame modification to install a 4" (or 6") lift that has brackets to correct the suspension geometry. You have a 2WD, so yours does not need the frame mod (needed to reposition the 4WD front differential housing).
Very slight trimming will get 35s under there even. You'll certainly want to regear your axle though, the bigger tires are going to rob you of a lot of power (one thing leads to the next, as they say).

You 2WD guys do have it easy for sure.
Post some pics once you get it all done (the longbed Double-Cabs definitely do benefit from a little more tire & lift in the looks department, I think).

 

How are they riding?

 

yeah….im going to see how it drives after it’s all said and done before I go regearing. I’ve had the 3.73’s sitting in the toolbox for my auto cross car for way too long now. Just haven’t had the time to dig into it and I’m a single dad to a toddler so that makes it even harder. .

that $6k pro charger kit looks pretty cool, though. .

I’ll probably be starting another thread or reading through to help decide on tires. I’ve been heavily considering the fallen at4w, but the ht02’s look good, too. Being in coastal VA I don’t have to worry TOO much about snow. Just want something good in the rain, 60k+ tread life, and able to handle the rare snowfall that we do get

 

got halfway through it and realized that all the posts I saw were wrong….i needed longer u bolts. So, the new shocks and struts rode much better, but the front is super vague rn because 1.) my upper ball joints are due to be replaced, and 2.) it’s squatted by about 2”. Putting the leaf springs on sometime today, though.