Bilstein 5100 + OME 881 Question

Quick Pictures of the CV boots while in the Walmart parking lot tonight.

Drivers Side


Passenger Side

 

Drivers Side CV


Driver Side Upper Boot


Passenger Side CV


Passenger Side Upper Boot


As you can see from the pictures from last night and tonight there is a little grease coming out from around the what I call the upper boot on the passenger side?

**EDIT**
** Took the truck into the shop today, they drove it and thought noise was an alignment problem, as for the grease they think the boot was over filled and when the angle was changed the extra grease was forced out. They cleaned it up and told me to keep an eye on it. A little more has come out since, but not a whole lot. So I guess that is where it stands now." **

Thanks!!

 

hey, the truck looks great.

one question: did you put in a diff drop?

 

Yep I installed a diff drop. I don't know why there is so much angle. I got less than 3" of lift, really about 2.75". With the 881's and the Billies at 1" (middle setting)

 

I am trying to get about a 1.5-2" lift and wondering which option is better in terms of ride quality. I want a soft, street-friendly ride. Nothing too harsh:

1) OME 881 coils on STOCK Bilstein shocks.
OR
2) Stock Tacoma coils on Bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks set to 1.5"

Anybody have experience with that?

 

I think your second option is better for the ride you want. 5100s were intended mainly as a leveling shock to be paired with stock coils.

The first option pairs a much stronger spring (500+ lb spring rating, compared to about ~350 lb stock toyota coils, IIRC) with a much weaker shock.

My experience is with 881s paired with 5100s (nice at first, but seemed much stiffer later), then 881 with nitrocharger shocks. I took off the sway bar too. I liked that setup best, but it is not for everyone. I did it for better articulation, but that does not sound like a priority for you. Just fyi.

 

Thanks for the info Scocar. Yeah that makes sense. So you think that the 350 lb stock coil preloaded at 1.5" on the 5100 would still provide a softer ride than the 500 lb OME 881 cool installed with no preload? I wasn't sure if preloading the stock coils might make them ride even stiffer than the 881...

 

Yes I believe so. Especially if your stock coils are original.They will already be less strong (worn/fatigued) than when new.

 

Scocar, I just found out that the stock coils I can get for my tacoma are 465 lb springs. So I guess I am trying to choose between using those with the 5100s set on the 1.5 preload, or using the OME 881 with the 5100 at 0. Any way to guess which setup would provide a softer ride?

How did your 881 and 5100 combo feel?

 

VVV

There is not a ton of guesswork. A coil with a lower spring rate is going to give you a softer ride than a higher one. However, I did not realize you were swapping out your coils. I thought you were just retaining your original ones.

For your needs, I'd advise the Bilsteins with the "stock" coils , but the spring rate sounds suspiciously high for stock coils. I can't find my old source for rate info right now. You don't specify your cab type (single, extra, double) or engine type (4 banger or V6), or whether you have an SR5, or TRD Off Road. All these are factors for which "stock" coil is correct for your specific model.

You might want to give these guys a call, and they can help with sorting out the stock coil spring rate.

 

Super helpful demystification happening in this thread! Thanks, Yall!

I also just got solid advice from the Toytec Rep (Carson, Dude!!) That I be sure to have my lower control arm cam bolts checked for sieze, tire rod ends and other front suspention 'minor' parts checked FIRST before pulling the trigger on a lift.
Like saying "whoa, simmer down kid. maybe you should think about this a bit.."

 

This thread was an interesting read. From everything I've read on here I chose to go with the Bilstein 5100's, OME 881's and General Spring HD leafs in the back. Plan on setting the 5100's at 0 with the 881's in the front. The GS HD leafs are supposed to add approximately 1.5" of lift and I'm hoping to come close to level with the front setup.

Thoughts?

I also have Wheeler's 1/4" aluminum leveling spacer for the driver's side front. This is all replacing the 335K mile stock suspension on my '03 TRD 4x4 Double Cab.

 

I've just spent all day reading as many 1st gen suspension posts concerning full OME, OME + 5100s, OME vs Bilsteins, 881s with 5100s etc. It feels like two days. Maybe it has been.

In the FWIW category, if I were spending your money, I'd go either

• full OME
  
• Bilstein 5100s with Eibachs --OR--
  
• have a look at the ToyTec BOSS lift.

While many people have the 881s with 5100s, a vocal minority didn't like it, saying it was either too firm or too harsh, especially on roads, right away, or got that way over time. Old Man Emu tailored their Nitrocharger shocks to work with their 88x springs, so I recommend keeping OME with OME. I found only one post where someone was dissatisfied with his full OME setup, and he didn't specify what that was, nor what his truck was. He may have been running 882s on 2.7L four banger with no weight anywhere and E load rated tires.

HTH.

 

Ya know... I just had another thought. (That's a dangerous thing.)

It is becoming apparent to me that many people seem to get 881s with 5100s for economical reasons. They cannot afford, or are unwilling to spend, the $$ to get a full OME setup. But they want more than just a 5100 lift with front 5100s set to 1.75 or 2.5 on their stock coils, with an AAL tossed int he back.

So... go ahead and get 881s with 5100s set at 0. Just be aware that some people reported that as being too stiff, too harsh on the road with that setup. BUT... if that turns out to be the case... at least you have the 881s in the front, and you can switch the front to Nitrochargers. Then upgrade the rear when you are able.

Just a thought.

 

I been reading and lurking around this topic and yes is all about $ ....however someone said ".... i wish I had saved more money and instead of the 5100 do the next step on bilsteins.....

I don't recall the part numbers but you know those with the.....
Bilstein Coils over for the front ( 5162 ? or wathever # ) those about 600 the pair
and the 5165 ( or wathever #) for the rear...... those are about 340 the pair

For the leaf pack either cheap the General HD about 360 both sides or the medium IMHO the J59 8 leaf pack about $680 both sides

I think when it became a priority for me to do suspension these above are like the " medium level " with the J59 8 pack before any top brands like fox, kings or whathever more $.

You only do this ONCE every what ? 17 years and I'm still running stock..... so better be good to hold another 20 yrs more

 

I'm not tracking you on those leaf packs. I haven't read up on them much. To be honest, I'm more fixated on a full OME lift.

WRT your Bilstein questions... are you thinking of the newer 6112 shock? I think that is being used on 3rd gen (maybe even 2nd gen) Tacos. But I have not seen it mentioned much, if at all, with regard to 1st gens.

Best advice I could probably offer someone at this point, is get a list of TW vendors (Headstrong, Wheelers, DownSouthMotorSports, Toytec etc), call each one, tell them what you have, what you are trying to do, and what you have to spend. If it comes to picking and choosing different leaf packs to go with shock X and front coils Y with UCA Z etc etc, they should know what parts work with what parts.

 

Obviously budget is a main factor in people's decision, but in my situation is was 50/50 budget and application of the components. 8 leaf packs like J59s and OME's are progressive packs come with a disclaimer that they aren't recommended for carrying heavy loads or towing. So, while they may work for people who want lift and upgraded performance off-road they are probably not the best choice for someone who doesn't necessarily want to modify the suspension and other components to that extreme. Sure the full OME kit is a steal if you want 2.5" of lift, but by adding that much lift you most likely will have to modify other components to match (break lines, diff drop, UCA, etc.). That can QUICKLY take your budget from $1000 to $2000 in parts. Also, one thing I ran into budget wise is everything on this list is for the most party HEAVY AS HELL and is going to cost you an arm and a leg to ship, so consider that if you're piecing together items. You can expect to tack on another $200-$300 for shipping alone, which is no small number.

There aren't many options for those of us who just want to replace (upgrade) stock suspension and maintain a somewhat stock ride height. As Steve said above, the people at any of the vendor sites could set you straight. I almost pulled the trigger on the full OME kit, but I've surpassed the lift stage in my life and would prefer a more HD suspension for towing and carrying around the occasional heavy load of mulch, etc. I went with the General HD's and have my fingers crossed they perform as advertised.

 

In your case, how many pounds is an "occassional heavy load"?

 

Not sure... a couple of times a year I usually make trips for gravel, mulch, top soil... They measure it out in bobcat scoops. I know that 1-2 scoops of gravel puts a hurting on my stock suspension. Also, I have a Thule bed rack with an oversized safari basket, a couple of bike racks, paddle board rack and paddle mounts. I would say it easily as heavy if not slightly heavier than a topper.

 

After reading the full OME setups seemed like guys were gettin more lift than I was hoping for on my pickup.

Went with 5100 and OME 880 set to second notch and an AAL. it drives great. Very plush. everything was $519 out the door

Sure OME springs are supposedly paired better with nitros but any spring should work - it’s just a spring rate. Which would largely depend on your gross weight and where your truck sits.

If you’re lookin for high quality ride go for an icon stage 3 or 4 suspension kit, Kings or fox coilovers