Advantage of bilstein 5100 lift over spacer lift?

I will have to agree that the 6112 set up is the best bang for your buck. The Bilstein 6112 is 4 times the sock the 5100 is. The 5100's are the entry level strut and work well for 80% of the people that install them. If it was a Choice between 5100 and 6112's I will always suggest 6112's. But this tread is a Spacer Lift vs 5100's.

Yes we all agree the 5100's are better than a spacer lift but for a guy on a budget and doesn't use his Tacoma more than driving on pavement than the spacer lift is an option.

 

Let me explain why this kit is not great. Yes I will agree the U-bolts are well made but have you gave the thought of if its Metric or Standard?


Rough Country has been doing kits for years and they do a good job but I just want to explain what is superior. Lets look at the Diff Drop Kit. The hardware they send is Standard. This means having two sets of tools and installing standard parts on a metric vehicle. Now lets look at those rear lift blocks. Hollow, we have personally seen these blocks fail / Crush over time. They are also Steel and rust over time. Then lets look at the rear pin in the block. The pin is made from mild grade steel. We receive calls all the time and seen personally these block pins shear off from low grade lift kits. You want to use a kit that uses Stainless Steel Pins. The rear U-Bolts are well made but use Standard sizes over Metric.

The only advantage to the kit is they send rear shocks included.

 

Not sure if you were directing this towards the quoted post or OP, but that quoted post is highly sarcastic.

 

Thanks for the condescending reply. I got the off road because I can afford it and I like the look of it. Enough said.

 

Suspension lift over spacers. Ride and quality will be much better. I have the 6112's in front and 5100's in the rear and it handles much better than stock in my opinion.

If it is between spacers or adjustable 5100's i'd go with the bilsteins. These guys are right, don't put cheap additions onto a 40k truck.

 

call @HeadStrong Off-Road and ask for marie for that budget you should be able to get a good lift possibly even with uca's. if you use your stock springs and use your 5100's to give you lift you end up with the same situation as if you put a spacer in. if you purchase coils to give you the lift either eibach or ome and leave your shocks set at zero you'll have a great ride and your suspension will function much better

 

Okay what is the best ome spring to pair with the 5100s for just under 3 inches of lift settled? 888 or 887? I hear conflicting ride heights with these and I hear add a leafs ride even stiffer than blocks ??

 

Can't help you on coils since I'm a 2nd gen, but I can tell you that an AAL is superior to a block. It increases your carrying capacity by a little bit, and you're not prone to axle wrap like you are with blocks. They cost about the same too.

 

I would go 2885 or 2887's. They are the same spring rate just different lengths. You can go 2885's and get 2" lift. 2887's - 2.85" lift. You can cheat and use 2885's and put it on the clip just above the stock clip and get around 2.65" of lift.

 

Make it simple on yourself and call headstrong. Like everyone else suggested. Promise you will be happy after you do.

 

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

 

lol, of course he is...if he wasn't a supplier then no way he'd be making that claim. Suspension lift > spacer lift always.

This is a much better plan, but personally I'd keep the 5100s set to 0" and get aftermarket coils. OME or Eibach. Better to let the coils provide the lift, it'll ride much better that way. Pre-loading the shocks should be a last resort to gain a little extra height if needed.

 

This information is 100% correct for the 2nd Gen Tacomas. Unfortunately it is incorrect for 3rd Gen tacomas, and the person you were answering to has a 3rd Gen. The lift springs OME provides give .5" to 1.25" less lift on a 3rd Gen compared to 2nd gen. Although I haven't seen this first hand, I have heard a few conflicting reports on the matter.

 

That's what I hear so unsure on lift the 888 achieves on my 3rd gen double cab long bed 4x4

 

I actually just got an email back from Marie. I'll probably go with 5100's,887 and AAL. She had a ton of great info.

 

good deal. i started with the rough coutry 3" spacer in the front and 2" block in the back. it did ok but i switched everything over to a 3 leaf progressive aal in the rear and 5100's with eibach coils in the front and could really notice the difference. for some reason all these trucks seem to be a little different, however, i don't think you'll regret your choice. idk exactly about the 3rd gen's but you may want to check with her also i know with the 2nd gens the 887's will give you 3" lift but they arent as heavy if you have plans for a plate bumper in the future. i'm deffinately no expert but marie can stear you rt. if your lucky they still have their sale going on

 

From what I hear, those 888 springs get the truck higher than the 887 springs.

 

I think the 5100s ride like crap even just being set at 0.85. If you can get them and some coils. I just don't believe everyone who says it "rides as well or better than stock". I did believe them then I tried for myself and regret it.

 

Nothing modified will ride like stock.

Better or worse is up to the driver.

Hankook tires are shit also, loved by this forum.