Bilstein 5100s with 2" block in rear?

has anyone with a 3rd gen Tacoma added 5100s on top setting with 2” block in the rear? I’m trying to see what that will look like and ride like?

 

You can get a single AAL in the back which will give you 1.5” lift. The front top setting will be stiff, plus I think Bilstein doesn’t suggest the top

 

Yes I’ve heard Bilstein 5100 shouldn’t be on top setting but my local 4x4 suspension shop (mountaineer 4x4 unlimited) said they have done more than 200 on Tacoma’s with no issues at all.

 

You can, but it’ll ride stiff as hell. Plus, blocks aren’t going to do much and don’t improve ride quality.

You really want the front coils to do the lifting or and larger leaf pack in the rear.

To answer your original question, many here have done what you want to do, but they soon switch to something with better performance and function.

A really affordable 2.5” lift is 5100s with OME springs and a 3leaf AAL in the rear. Also, look into replacing the needle bearing with the solid ECGS ($60$) to eliminate any vibes up front.

 

I trust more what’s on TW than what a shop tells me. I’d let the coils do the lift and leafs. Once you start to read the huge thread about suspension the general consensus is to do that for ride quality which you mentioned. Trust me, you don’t want to hate driving your taco due to stiffness.

 

Thank you Grossomotto.

 

Here’s a good thread, also a lot of info in the Suspension forum plus you can search for key words in any forum.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ome-887-with-bilstein-5100.370072/page-33#post-19730090

 

Had my 5100s on 4th setting and the ride was fine. I recently swapped to OME 888 coils and noticed a big improvement in ride quality.
I'm at a little over 2.5" lift up front and luckily haven't had any needle bearing vibes. I do all suspension work myself so it made sense to leave the ECGS bushing out for now until I get the vibes.

A 2" block will be completely fine in the rear but if you haul anything or put any weight in the bed regularly I would suggest either a 3 Leaf AAL or swapping out the whole leaf pack. The stock leaf pack sucks a nut sack.

 

@HeadStrong Off-Road also recommended that I didn’t set them to the 5th ring on my 4x4 DCSB, it was a good call. I also kept my stock coils and put in a single Deaver AAL in back. Overall lift was +1.5”, and the ride is good, and even with my heavy RTT on top of the cab, it does not dive forward at stops.

Call Headstrong for help with this, they have some great options and know their stuff!

 

I see the mounting instructions and thank you but does it matter that my truck is a 5’ bed and not 6’ ?

 

Here’s a copy of a letter I got when shopping for lift options. I ended up with the 5100’s after I received this information from Headstrong Offroad. It is a little aged now and there may be some new options, but there’s good info about lifting with 5100’s and leaf and coil spring options in it. If this helps you in your decision, please consider calling them with your business:

The Bilstein 5100's are popular since they provide some additional and performance over stock while still being budget friendly however they can be a bit limiting off the road. Especially the new version for the 3rd gens. Since that is the case we do have quite a bit of people going with the 2nd gen Bilsteins on their 2016+'s. I created a thread comparing the two. Here is a link if you want to check it out:https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-available-in-stock-and-ready-to-ship.455220/

You can run either of the Bilstein 5100's with the aftermarket lift coils we list or your factory springs. The lift coils will provide the lift and the Bilstein will remain at the zero setting. If you stay with your factory coils you would have to adjust the snap ring up to the desired settings on the shock itself. From the feedback I have, so far, people feel as if the top notch settings provide a less then desirable ride quality. In the case of the 3rd gen 5100's I have had a few customers dislike the ride from the 1.1 setting and above. Customers do turn to the lift coil option because they feel as if it supports the truck better and helps prevent the nose dives at stops and the sloshy cornering that you see with the stock suspension without being as stiff as the ride with the preloaded stock spring.. This all just comes down to which option you feel best suits your particular needs. Now or down the line.

In this realm of lifts you also have the OME suspension kits. I have many people who go back and forth between the Bilstein 5100's and the OME's. What typically differs from the Bilstein 5100 kits and the OME kits is the shocks themselves. Most of the other components stay the same (rear lift options). Since this is the case I find it helpful to compare the shocks side-by-side, this way you can see which ones would be suit your specific needs.

Some of the differences between the OME nitrocharger sport shocks and Bilstein 5100 shocks are below:
Bilsteins are a steel body that has been coated with their triple-C coating which seems to hold up better in the elements the powder coating that OME's has on their steel shocks.
There are two different OME struts available the standard 90000 which are the firmest and the 90021 soft ride struts. The Bilsteins fall in the middle as far as valving is concerned.
The OME's have a slightly larger shock diameter then the Bilsteins.
The Bilsteins are a monotube shock and the OME are twin tube.
The OME shocks have an internal component which can be noisy at times. Some people refer to it as the "speed bump clunk." The Bilsteins do not have this same component design.
The OME rear shocks will work the Dakar pack and not require bump stop modification or longer brake lines but they limit the amount of droop you see from the Dakar leaf pack. The standard length Bilstein 5100's really should be used with one of the add-a-leafs or a block up to 1.5". The extended length RCD/Bilsteins will also work with the Dakar leaf pack but longer brake lines are needed and possible bump stop modification but you get more droop from the pack.

The 6112 is a strut and coil combination which uses the notch settings on the shock with the coil provided to achieve lift. They come with a 600lb spring rate tapered coil. They have a much larger shock diameter then the factory shock (which is a 1.5" diameter and the Bilstein 5100's have a 2.0 diameter) which helps with the displacement to keep the shock cooler longer when under strain from an extended period of time. They are not fully adjustable or revalvable. However they are a nice upgrade over the stock suspension and the Bilstein 5100's. From most of the feedback I have, provide a nice on and off-road ride quality even at the higher notch settings. They have a steel body that has been zinc coated. They pair nicely with the 5160 remote reservoir rear shocks. Some people do run the 5100's with the 6112's if they do not need the added extension or the reservoir. I usually say that if the 5100 and a coilover unit like Fox had a baby, the 6112's would be what you get.

Up from this type of lift you have the ADS, Fox, Icon, and Kings which provide quite a bit more performance, capability, and adjustability. If you want to go over these options more in depth I can provide you with information on these as well.

For the rear you can go with either a block, a single leaf add-a-leaf, a 3-leaf progressive add-a-leaf or a full leaf pack replacement. (If you want to explore the full leaf pack option let me know and I can go over the different options that we have available). Since you tow you do could benefit from just an airbag suspension in back. https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p225/FireStone_Ride-Rite_Air_Bags_for_2005-2016_Tacoma.html

The lift achieved from any kind of spring, whether it is a leaf spring or a coil spring, is a variable lift. Meaning that the amount of lift achieved can vary. Depending on the condition of your factory pack and how it responds to the addition of the aal you can see a difference in lift height. On average the aal will provide approx. 1.5"-2" of rear lift. The ride quality will be stiffer from the use of either style of aal since you are adding more steal out back. However you do gain some added load carrying capabilities. The nice thing about a lift block is it is a 1 for 1 ratio meaning that a 1.5" block will provide 1.5" of lift so it is easier to fine tune rear lift and stance with a block over a variable lift from an aal. The block will maintain the factory ride quality but does not provide any added capabilities. It really comes down to which lift option you feel you would prefer.

I have a lot of people who are interested in the add-a-leafs. Since that is the case, I find it helpful to provide my customers with this comparison of the add-a-leafs so you can narrow down which one you feel would best suit your needs and get the spec's on each:

The single AAL is both thicker and arched more than the initial leaf in the 3 leaf AAL. Though the 3 leaf AAL has more steel overall, the first leaf in the mini pack does not engage as quickly as the single AAL does. In fact the single AAL is arched to a point where it re-arches the existing factory packs upon assembly and thus engages immediately. The 3 leaf AAL has less arch and complies with the arch of the factory packs. So although the first leaf in the 3 leaf AAL will provide some support with the smaller bumps, it won't provide as much as the single AAL will, which translates to a slightly stiffer on-road ride. And as far as the 2nd and 3rd leafs in the 3 leaf AAL, these will only come into play until the factory packs are flexed far enough to engage them. This will happen more so over the bigger bumps or when off-roading. The single leaf provides approx. 1.5"-2" of lift and the 3-leaf provides approx. 1.5" of lift with the factory overload removed and approx. 2" with it retained. The overload does provide function, for when you are over load, so removing it or retaining it can depend on what you use your truck for. If you find yourself hauling or towing a decent amount of weight you may want to keep the overload in to keep the factory pack and add-a-leaf from overflexing. Now the performance and capabilities of any of the add-a-leafs still do rely on the factory leaf pack and its capabilities and wareability.
Basically, from the feedback I have, the single leaf provides a stiffer ride quality but better initial support of consistent weight and the 3-leaf provides a better ride quality and as more of the leafs are engaged then the weight support comes into play.

We do not offer installations at this time however we do work with some places in town who install products purchased from us at a discount. Once you decide on the set up I can help get a quote for you.

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can assist you with.
Thank you so much.
Marie
www.headstrongoffroad.com
headstrongoffroad@hotmail.com
951-658-3030

 

Great, thank you very much

 

I have the 5100s set on the 4 the perch and a one inch block in the rear. I'm on factory sport coils, stock UCA, aligned perfect, no issues,no vibrations and I did the 1/4 inch shim for the taco lean and ECGS clamshell bushing. It rides smoother than my stock sport shocks and floats over bumps. My neighbor has 5100s and 888 coils with a rear block and to me they drive and ride the same. We have done a lot of comparison between the two. It's hard to tell which is smoother. Now his is a short bed v/s my long bed and both sit the same in lift height. I got about 3 inches after tires were installed.

 

I’m going to OME coils, just don’t know which ones. I’ve got 150lbs on the front with winch and slim bumper, so it dropped back near stock while I’m at 1.1” setting 5100s on stock springs.

Thinking 888 or 887, I’ve got 1.5” more rake in the back I’ve got to get more level.

 

Don't they recommend 886 coils when running weight in the front? At least that's what I thought.

 

I’ve read that, but I don’t need 2” of lift, just 1” or so. Plus, I have a slim steel bumper, not full and synthetic line so lighter winch. Really thinking 887

 

Thank you to everyone for all your info this is been a big help.