Rear Shocks Recommendation

Somehow I knew you would be more then happy to go out
and Test (Hammer) them...HA,HA,HA

Good luck and wear a helmet....HA,HA,HA

 

Got the rear 5100s on, will check out the ride tomorrow on the way to work...installation was a piece of cake. There seems to be plenty of room for compression. I think the shocks picked up the rear end about 1/2", not sure if it will stay there.

If, down the road, I decide to get taller bumpstops, does anyone offer the OEM style, just taller?

Thanks for all the help and advice on the shock question, you've all been an outstanding source of info...

Fronts go on this weekend.

 

I'm attempting the front 5100s today, and have three questions.

Do the swaybar links need to be unbolted to get the front shock assemblies off? Some write-ups mention that, some don't.

On the 5100s themselves, will the stock height setting raise the front end any, or do I need to put it on the second notch for any height at all?

Will using the second (middle) notch necessitate getting an alignment?

I'm going to attempt swithching the springs with the spring compressors I have, but if it looks like too much of a job, there is a shop down the street that does strut replacement, so I think they would be willing to swap the springs over to the 5100s if I need it done...here goes nothin'...

 

Good morning,

I would un-bolt the sway bar links..It will only take a few minutes...

No the stock height (Bottom) setting will not raise the vehicle...
That is just if you would like to replace the shock and leave it at the stock height...The second one up will raise the vehicle slightly and you will need the vehicle aligned when it is done...

I would highly recommend that you have a shop with a wall mounted spring compressor swap out the springs for you....It can be very dangerous if you are not familiar with doing it.Also they can probably have them do the alignment as well...

Let me know on the rear shocks....

Hope this helps.....

Sonny

 

Mission accomplished, fronts are on! I wanted to once again thank all the contributors to this subject, it was very helpful not only in picking out the right shocks for my project, but also for the installation. Thanks again to Sonny for all his help and for getting me the 5100s so fast and answering all my ignorant questions

It only took a couple hours, and a lot of that was taking them to a shop to have the springs swapped off the OEM Billies and onto the 5100s. It became apparent after a feeble effort with my spring compressors that that wasn't a good idea, the shop did it in about 20 minutes with a big ol' wall compressor. Some photos of the swapped springs and installed front 5100s are at

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/6499-what-have-you-done-your-tacoma-today-46.html



One more question- why does this project throw out the alignment, and what exactly do they do when they re-align the truck?

Thanks again everyone!

 

Yep, thats my thread. I also searched for pictures of the 5100 installed to see if the boot goes up or down and saw both. And both cases were on Tacomas. So I dunno, I mimicked the OEM HD Bilsteins where the rod is facing up and shock canister and the bottom. I might flip them to the boot down position down eventually.

As to the TrOdOr dilemma on this thread on the new one about the AAL and 5100s, I went through the same problem with Sonny on my 02. See my thread above. I installed the AAL and they still seem to long to me. I haven't heard any bottoming out yet even with a few dirtbikes on the back but I will switch back to the stock HD Bilsteins before the summer when I do more 4x4 and riding.

 

I guess I decided if the 'Bilstein' was upside down, so was the shock...so I mounted them where I could read it...one way to decide, I guess.

 

I saw your latest post, so I went out and took a couple of photos for comparison...I mounted the rear 5100's with stock height springs (albeit Alcan replacements), and this is how they look in comparison to your photos on the thread you refer to: (I can't figure out how to insert your photos, the picasaweb has a strange url...)

Mine:




They don't look nearly so compressed, unless your photos are at a different angle, so I don't quite get it...

 

Yeah, I know, upside down "Bilstein", thought that too but went the OEM way.

Thanks for those pics. Good to see a comparo. I'll go out this weekend and take a few pics with the AAL in and show how my shocks are looking now. The pics in my thread are before I put the AAL in. It'll be good to show your pics and mine side by side.

Cheers,
M