My 5100 install

I just installed my front 5100's at the 2.5" setting. I have a few comments and questions for those who have done the install, and for those who plan on doing this install:

1- After the install, my lift measured MORE than 3" on both sides. I assume this will settle to 2.5"ish? How long will it take to settle? An hour of driving? A few days of driving? I'm concerned about the CV angles while driving at this height with no diff drop.

2- I'm picking up my new tires tomorrow and getting an alignment. Right now (immediately after lifting) my alignment is ffffffffff'd. Major vibes/shaking above 30mph, and even after driving 5 miles or so I can already see that the tires are wearing on the outside treads. How is it that some of you guys wrote above that you had "no need for alignment" after your install??

3- I used a cheesy coil compressor to get the coils off my stock struts, but couldn't get enough draw on them to squeeze them onto the new struts at the 2.5" setting. So I took them to Midas. I realized some time after I picked the assembled struts up that the Midas guys had left out the smaller bushings that go under the top plate. They just used the larger bushings that go above the top plate. They said they couldn't get the small ones to fit under the top plates. Is this a serious issue that they didn't install the smaller bushings? I know the stock struts don't have a second bushing underneath the top plate, so is it 100% necessary for the 5100s?? Can omitting those bushings affect ride height?? It would be a major PITA to disassemble everything at this point and have them re-assemble the struts/coils with the small bushings in place, but I'll do it if I have to.

4- I assembled everything and torqued everything to spec, leaving the sway bar re-attachment for last. I realized to my dismay that the ends of the swaybar (still unattached) were stuck above the UCAs because I had tilted the bar up towards the fronts of the wheel wells to keep them out of the way. There was NO WAY to get it un-tilted past the UCAs, so I had to undo the UCA's from the spindles again. Major "doh!" that cost me an extra hour.

 

Is there a list somewhere of the tools that are needed for this? gotta borrow some tools from a buddy .

 

I too got more than 2.5" lift. I was able to get the second bushing on. Leave it how you found it. I did not take off uca because they have adjustment as the lca does not, this is why your alignment went sooo bad. As far as your cv joints, leave em. They are designed to be at an angle. The diff drop lowers clearance. Search for the guy who learned the hard way.

 

There are a few other threads linked in the following thread that may help (note that they are all slightly different approaches to do the same task):

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/121223-bilstein-5100-install-pics.html

You don't need much. I used:
-Liquid Wrench to spray on all the nuts/bolts a day prior to removal
-two metric socket sets (one deep socket set and one regular)
-a set of metric crescent wrenches
-a set of metric allen wrenches
-a 3/8" rachet wrench
-a long 3/8" or 1/2" breaker wrench (to undo highly torqued nuts/bolts -- you WILL need this)
-a torque wrench that goes up to 100 ft/lbs
-needle nose pliers (for cotter pins)
-a hammer
-a tube of Loctite (medium)
-nylon cord or wire to tie the spindle to the UCA
-a six pack of your favorite beer

And of course a good jack, jackstands, and wheel chocks. I recommend NOT doing the coil compressing yourself. Midas will do it for $50. Also, would avoid removing the tierods, as some of the how-to threads suggest you do. I don't think it is necessary to undo tierods to be able to remove or install the strut and is just extra work.

Feel free to shoot me a text or give me a call if you run into any snags. I'd be happy to try to help.

 

Oh man up! Compress springs yourself. I also removed tie rods.

 

Maybe they make better compressors that are a lot beefier than the ones I used, but I felt like I should've been wearing a kevlar vest with the ones I used The threaded rods were srsly bent like bananas under all the tension ...def did not look safe!

YMMV

 

I'm sure there are some better but from my own experience from using a couple diff. ones, they all banana'd out & looked like they were going to go batshit on me any sec. Just got to make sure they "lock" properly around the coil & get tightened up equally, still kind of a hairy process though....

 

Rented from autozone and used an air gun to compress.

 

Those guys charged you huh ? Guess it varies from store to store, BIG THUMBS UP for the air wrench !!!!

 

1/2 gun. Air wrench wouldnt have the torque.

 

wrench,gun OK USE AN IMPACT RATTLE GUN !!!

 

But the gun, not the ratchet!

 

yeah they charge you $50 and then when you return their compressor they give you your $50 back so it's free

 

Just installed mine today. I followed the write up somewhat. I unbolted the sway bar and the tie rods off the spindle.. Instead of loosening the control arm I just pushed own hard one time to get the shock close to the hole then one more quick time to put the bolt in. Went fairly easy and had it in and out in a little under 2.5 hrs with NO air tools. Damn compressor was no where to be found imagine compessing the springs 1/2 turn at a time but went really good and the truck is brand new so I'm sure that made it much easier. Now just waiting to put miles on so I can re-torque the bolts

 

Nice write up fella. Thinking of doing mine but have a few questions though. I don't plan on raising my truck up I just want to keep it normal hight as it is now, do I put the 5100's at "0" or .85 or what? If I keep the same hight lavel I have now I don't need to mess with the back end leafs? correct? I don't plan on hauling anything heavy or pulling anything with my TACO. Does all the hardware needed come with the shocks? Did you get them at the tacomaworld member discount price? and what was that price?

 

Contact Downsouth Motorsports. They are a TW vendor, the cheapest by far, and can answer any and all questions for you!

 

You don't need to remove all that to install Bilsteins. I didn't.