Bilstein 5125 length issue

Hi all.

Yesterday I began work on the rear suspension of my 2012 double cab, ordered bilstein 5125s from DSMS for the rear shocks as I believed I had the TSB overload leaf and added a 1.5" AAL from Toyotec yesterday as well.

Upon trying to get the new shocks in I found the length to be pretty off from what would fit on the truck. I tried to compress them a bit but found they would have had to been compressed almost entirely to make work and also that there are polyurethane washers on the sides of the hole where the bolt goes through that wouldn't even let me slide the shock into the mount.

Wondering if anyone has had similar issues or anybody with more experience could help me troubleshoot the problem. I am assuming that possibly I don't really have the added TSB and so the extra AAL didn't get me enough lift to make the shocks work.

I spoke with a member at DSMS before purchasing and they replied with the following

"The rear shocks for the Tacoma do not effect the height of the vehilce so you will need to determine how much lift you want to add to the back to match the 2" lift you plan to add to the front and select the correct shock from there. If you already have the TSB rear leaf and plan to add the 1-1.5" lift AAL to it then the Bilstein 2-2.5" lift rear shocks would be the one long enough to accommodate that much lift."

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

Whats the part number on box and thought the 5125s were with a res.

 

the 5160s are remote res

 

part of the problem is you have the truck sitting on the axle with jack stands. if you put the stands on the frame and let the axle sag a lil bit you should be able to get the shock in there easier

 

From what ive gathered he is concerned about up travel and bottoming out the shocks causing damage. Correct? ????

 

5150's are made for 3-4" of lift. You need regular bilstein 5100's which are made for up 2" of lift.

 

Thanks for the help guys, makes sense, ill probably be putting these up for sale soon then

 

Hi Timbo, correct, it seems like to get the shock to fit i have to compress them so far that there would be very little travel, i would definitely bottom the shock out pretty easily

 

Which length of 5125's did you get? And what's the travel? Have you tired installing the shocks with the tires on the truck and it just sitting at normal height? My guess is with the new AAL it should give you enough height to get them to fit.
After seeing the pics of the shock lengths you may have gotten a 5125 that's about 1-2" too long especially since it's just a 1.5" AAL. You should be able to get them to fit but I suggest getting the TSB done for the extra 3/4" or so. If your worried about bottoming out the shock, maybe get some extended bump stops

 

As for the bushings getting in the way of the shock mount, you may have to trim them a little, but you do want a snug fit.

 

Thanks Mainmoe, appreciate the input. Ill check in with the dealer about the possibility of adding the TSB. I just double checked the shock order and looks like i got the ones to go with 2-2.5 inches of lift, not the 3-4" ones, I think my problem is i thought the 4th overload leaf on the bottom was the TSB and i didnt actually have the additional lift i needed to give it proper room. When i tried to install them i still had the axel dropped from installing the AAL and it was still difficult to get them compressed enough to fit. If i had the axel at normal height for tires i think there would have been even less room for travel.

 

When I got the regular length 5100"s the lower mount was tight as well. I took a crescent wrench and put it on one of the ears of the mount on the axel and adjusted the wrench so it is tight and just pulled it apart a little . Once you tighten down on the bolt it will tighten down just fine. Hope this helps.