Bilstein shocks with level lift...

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has already done bilstein shocks with a level lift (2.75 spacer/1.75AAL) and could pass along the part number for the rear shocks. I know with the front it's the OEM fitment(Part#

$90 24-185042 Monotube Shock Absorber, Front, Left, 36mm,Yellow

24-185042,

$85 24-185066 Monotube Shock Absorber, Front, Right, 36mm , Yellow

24-185066) because its a spacer lift and the 4600 series is the only thing that fits but their website won't tell me what 5100 series will work for the rear with the AAL. Also the rep from bilstein told me that they don't encourage spacer lifts because they throw off the stock geometry and cause problems down the road. I know there's a lot of guys who have done spacer/AAL lifts on here and have nothing to gain or loose by giving their honest opinion. Thanks in advance...

 

I haven't done a level lift yet.. i have the ReadyLift 69-5510 kit presently shipping inbound - i have to order the shocks/struts yet.

As i understand it, this is a 'mild' lift. In the research that i've done, i have not noted anybody expressing issues with geometry being adversely affected - at least here.

I was just at a 4x4 shop ordering an ARB bumper - i indicated that my lift would be done at the same time as the bumper install, to help compensate for the additional weight of that bumper - told 'em what i was going to, with the Biltstein components. "Yes sir, absolutely, that will work fine".

I know that your mentioned issues do crop up with longer travel setups, and sorting things out can get expensive, fast. The 3" (and similar) level-lifts, is the economical and complication-free solution, comparatively speaking.

FWIW, and take with a grain of salt.. perhaps someone else will have input that i haven't yet considered.

Part no's/reference to website source for parts, as pulled from my planning log.



2 x 5100 Rear - http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/bsn-24-186728/overview/make/toyota/model/tacoma

4600 Front left - http://www.summitracing.com/dom/parts/bsn-24-185042

4600 Front right - http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/bsn-24-185066

 

Many thanks, did the 4x4 shop help you pick out the correct rear shocks? I was on the phone with Bilstein, Race Car Dynamics, and Toytech and none of them could give me a Bilstein shock that would work for the rear of the truck with the AAL . I went with the pro comp spacer/AAL and they have a rear shock that works with the kit but don't sell a front shock for the truck at all. I don't want to mix shock manufacturers, so I figured Bilstein was a good quality manufacturer to go with and they sell OEM replacement and aftermarket options. I'm open to suggestions of other manufacturers that sell struts and shocks for the truck...

 

All i can suggest is doing some research - in my case i found out the part no. for the Readylift kit that i wanted (2.75", 1.75" iirc), and went from there using the search engine here, and elsewhere, cross-referencing "69-5510" in searches. Being 5-lug 2wd specific, if it works for another 5-lug 2wd Tacoma, it'll work for you.

I don't know if lift/aal kits are all created equal - but the two most common/popular being the Readylift, the other being Fatbob. I'm simply following the path already blazed by others, using the Readylift recipe. The shocks/struts part numbers are cross-referenced multiple times, in other's build threads.

 

Is this what you're needing?

 

Those are them.

 

So if you're already spending the money on the billies, why not just drop the extra $150 for some new coil springs to get your lift instead of a spacer? Seems to me the spacers will be around $100. So for approximately $50 more you could have a much better setup. Are you upgrading the fronts too?

 

I assume you are referring to this .. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/v6-springs-had-lift.370500/

This is the only thread on this topic for 5-lugger specific, for several pages in the topic scroll-back - https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/v6-springs-had-lift.370500/

Hardly reassuring.

I'm wondering if what you are referring to, is 6-lug specific?

As i understand it, we have two choices - lift/level kit and shocks/struts, or go Full Monty on UCA's and other expensive stuff - there is no real in-between... FWIW.

 

Stupid question...Now that I know everyone who goes with bilsteins is using the 4600 series OEM fitment for the front and the Prerunner/4x4 5100 series OEM fitment for the rear why not use the 4600 series for the rear as well? Wouldn't it be a more compliant setup between the front and rear of the truck? I'm assuming the 5100's are stiffer?

 

The 'stock' 5-lug Bilsteins are these: http://cart.bilsteinus.com/product/24-185073/388435/RWD

These are 4600 series.

The 5100 series are 'heavy duty', and i believe are ride-height adjustable 0-1.5" - same type of shock used OEM on the 6-lug Prerunners.

 

Those are for the 5lug stock ride height and won't work with any kind of lift. I guess I should have been more clear with my question. I know people go with the 4x4/Prerunner OEM fitment for the rear shocks but was wondering why people go with the 5100 series instead of the 4600 series in the rear when they are using the 4600 series in the front because that's the only option. I just got off the phone with a rep from bilstein and they don't make a 5100 adjustable setup for the 5lug, nor do they have anything that would work. The rep did say that they will be coming out with one in the near future though...looks like the spacer lift will have to do for now until they come out with a 5100 series adjustable for the front, then the spacer lift can come out.

 

It's a quibble, but the front aren't shocks, they are struts.

If you've got a 5 lug 2wd, just go with the cited 5100 series parts numbers - What does Pro-Comp recommend in conjunction with the AAL to bring ride-height up, and beef up the suspension spring rate some? Is there anything involved with the Pro-Comp AAL that specifically precludes a 5100 series?

 

The only thing Pro Comp makes for the 5lug tacomas is the spacer/AAL kit (Nitro Level Lift part#65660K) that I have, they sell a rear shock for the 5 lug that works with the lift (ES900 Series part#922518) but they sell nothing, not even a stock OEM fitment strut for the front. I wanted to upgrade the struts and shocks but didn't want to mix and match manufacturers for my shocks and struts. If Pro Comp had struts that would work I would have went with them. I guess the take away from all this is if you want to lift your truck don't buy a 5lug haha.

 

Go with the Biltstein struts.. as long as your spacer is the same thickness, it should work pretty much on the same principle as the rest of the kits. The spacer and strut works in the same way, whatever strut is attached to it. The strut length itself is what is important on this.

"5100" series struts won't work with our trucks - something to do with the UCA, if i am not mistaken. We have to stay at stock strut length, the lift itself comes from the spacer.

Nothing wrong with the 2wd, 5 luggers.. sure it'd be nice to have a bigger playground to order parts from, but for myself, what i'm throwing at it to lift, will meet my needs from a basic lift/level, combined with the larger rims and tires. I don't want 4x4 (no need for it) or additional expenses related to that, and i couldn't afford a prerunner off the floor.. I'm just looking to beef mine up with the 'basic lift/aal' formula enough to make it a good, all-rounder mid-sized toy mover for the weekends, and a reasonably durable commuter that i can look a bit over the rest of traffic from, the rest of the week..

 

I just ordered the Bilstein 4600 struts and 5100 shocks. Should have them by mid next week and the lift will go in the following weekend. When Bilstein comes out with a 5100 series strut for the 5 lug in the future (according to the rep I talked to they are in development) that will probably be the next move.

 

Keep us informed.

I'm a few weeks away from proceeding with mine - as mentioned in my post, i've got a readylift kit coming in within the week. I do have to order the shocks/struts yet - want to price them out online, and see what that local shop will do for me.. considering the amount of money i just dropped on them in the past few days for idiot-proofing my truck front-end.

 

I ordered them through 4wheelparts.com, the struts were $65.99 a piece and the shocks were $69.99 a piece. Those were the best prices that I found, I looked on Amazon, shock warehouse, summit racing, auto anything and some other website I can't remember.

 

Well, that'll be real easy, because my 'local shop' is the 4wheelparts location in Burlington, Ontario... CDN pricing is gonna be a bit more than that, though.

 

Well I ran into a snag...4 Wheel Parts emailed me today and the struts are backordered till the end of september. I checked the website just to make sure I'm not crazy and it says nothing about them being backordered. The plan was to put the lift, struts and shocks in next week get it aligned and then throw on the rims and tires. Guess I'm going to go without the struts until september or august

 

Oops.. that might have been me, last night. The 4600's are (apparently) coming from Edmonton, and the 5100's from Toronto - not sure if USA and Canada run separate distribution warehouses. My bumper is coming from California..