1.5" down in front from undercarriage weight on Bilstein 5100s stock circlip

Looking for advice. I need to raise my front end.

I am on Dobinsons C59-238, stock height to 1/4" lift springs, and Bilstein 5100s still on the first circlip.

I need at least 1" full to get back to stock height due to undercarriage weight added-full skids and rock sliders, but no front bumper (nor anticipating).

I know I can adjust my circlips up easily, but is this a stronger rate situation, or alternatively, a longer coil, same rate situation, as opposed to just setting circlips?

 

is your skids steel or aluminum? I am considering full skid and sliders but worried about the same thing you have now

 

The proper solution is to match spring rate to the weight. Longer springs or moving the clip would work the same way by supporting a bit more weight before the shock sinks into its travel, but it won't change the spring rate. You could try moving the clip and see if you like the way it rides, but it's about the same work as swapping new springs on. With the additional weight and stock rate springs, it's likely to dive more under braking, lean more in turns, etc. But it might be fine, just depends on how overloaded it actually is.

 

Thanks for responses.

Yes, all steel, basically added one piece a month. It creeps up.

 

Report:
I ended up raising the driver's side 3 circlips and the passenger's side one circlip on my 5100s with the same springs, which was not the initial 3+2 plan.

However, it raised my front height back to where I started and got rid of the 1/2" driver's side lean. My driver's side now sits 1/8-1/4" taller. I don't notice a significant nose dive at brake than before.
The rear is dead even across with a 1/2" rake to front.
Will continue to keep my measurements log through 2024 and monitor perf and any change of wear over time but I am going to run it with the 3+1 circlip adjustment.

 

I forgot to mention that the 3 circlips on the driver's side raised it 1.5" as advertised.
That alone raised my passenger side front by nearly 1/2" and my driver's side rear by 1/2", which eliminated all my driver's side leaning.
Hence, why I went with only 1 circlip up on the passenger side front, which went up over 3/4" from just that one clip.

 

Thanks for reporting back!

 

Wondering how hard it is to change ride height after shocks are already installed.
I was thinking of running 5100s on stock height, then upgrading wheels and height later.
Do you need to remove the spring from the shock?
Thanks

 

It isn't complex to use the tension release by jack method but be careful just like removal and using a spring compressor. I still take 2 hours a side going slowly and evenly, from job staging to putting away tools.

I use all of Tyler's videos nearly exclusively. He goes by Soft Taco on TW and Team Oil Drop on YT.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-maintenance-maps-get-300k-miles.789809/

 

Myself I would have raised the clip instead of buying harsher springs. The 5100s are a bigger shock than the oem Off Road shock.

 

A year ago, I thought the oem drivers side spring must be shot, so I bought the Dobinsons and tossed the oem coils. A year later, I wish I had tried manipulating them first.

 

Thanks... Awesome videos on everything

 

Update: not surprising I guess, the passenger front started sinking slightly. Tomorrow, up a pass side circlip to go to the 3:2 driver to passenger height adjustment originally thought.

 

Another update:. I added 1/2" more rear block to the drivers side in addition to raising the passenger front circlip up one notch, making the front a 3:2 circlip setting.

Now it sits nearly level side to side, front and rear. The driver front is only about 1/8" higher than passenger front. So far, so good.

 

Further update: I started to notice some minor rear sag and I did not like that the blocks merely served to level across the rear. Also, my drivers rear shock was compressed 3/4" more than the passenger rear shock despite being level across the rear due to the unequal blocks.
I went radical and installed General Spring HD leaf, reported 1.5" lift, ONLY on the drivers side. I replaced the rubber bushings it comes with, to OME poly bushings. I installed a 1" block on the passenger side to the stock takeoff spring i bought, to balance the rear height across.
The overall rear height went up over an inch, which will settle some.
So far, so good and it rides smoother.
I have a steel gas tank skid, which means a full tank is 200 lbs. more on the drivers rear, so the goal was to get more spring where it was needed.
A small add a leaf will probably replace the passenger rear block once things settle and I can measure the results.
Experimentation

 

Stock leaf next to Skyjacker 2" rear lift leaf. Both 3+1. Tomorrow I am installing this to the drivers side and relocating the General Spring HD 1.5" lift leaf to the passenger side. No blocks or AAL now. Both GS and SJ let you buy 1 leaf instead of a pair. Thus, adjust rear lean by spring like up front.

 

Just try bumping up a perch or 2

 

I tried 2 up front but driver rear still sagged below passenger rear after 2 weeks. A Toyota half inch block in there worked.

 

It worked. Less than 1/4" difference across the rear. Will see how it settles over the week.