Set Bilsteins at 1.75 or 2.5 with stock size 265/65/17 tires and 1.5" AAL?

Here is mine, 1.75" front 1.5" aal, 265/75/16 tires



As you can see it is raked like the factory stance. I'm installing Eibach's on the .85" setting with Light Racing uca's soon.

 

anybody else wanna comment?

 

2.5 and 285s

 

I really wanna go 2.5 in the front. It couldnt look that bad could it?

 

Take and put your tires you have on now on craigslist and try to sell them. I sold some 265/70r17 Nitto TG's on there that had about 50% tread left. I kept them on my truck until they sold and then took them off, once I had a buyer. Can't remember what I sold them for now, but used the money, plus more, to buy some 275/70R17 BFG A/T's.

I've jacked with my ride height alot. I was a 3" for almost a year, then I started getting fairly bad vibes, so I went down to 1.5 with a spacer. Got tired of that so ordered 5100's and set them at .85 with this small spacer. I'm sitting at 2.5 now, with very minor vibes. When I had mine at 1.5 in the front before, I had no vibes at all and castor was great at 2.4 with the factory upper control arms.
In my pictures i'm at 2.5 with TSB and 1" block. 275/70r17 tires.

Take a jack out, and jack your truck up to see what it will look like both ways, that is what I always did to get an idea of how it would look at different heights. Need two jacks and probably some 2x4's to get it to the height you want.

If you want it at 2.5, do it. It won't look that bad, try the jack trick.

 

alright, thanks for the tip man

 

I'm at 1.75 front with a 1.5 AAL rear. Sits perfect in ratio to the factory non TSB stance. It does look lifted. I am now running 33" BFG AT with the same setup with next to no rubbing (ONCE in a while the tires will buzz the cab mounts in reverse going uphill through a turn).

Alignment will be more out of spec the higher you go without UCAs. I ran at 2.5 and incurred a bit of driveline vibrations and a pretty sh*tty alignment so I brought it back down. Alignment is better (as well as it can be) and no vibrations.

I drive trails pretty regularly and haven't needed to raise the truck up on relatively technical trails.

 

I did the 5100's with the 2.5 setting - rear TSB with a 1" block - Looked great. I definitely recommend an alignment after install. Front had camber and started noticing uneven tire wear after 5000 miles. It also road a little stiff.

5100's set at 2.5 and TSB with 1" block:
265/65/17 - Duelers HT - Stock



Camburg Spindles, 5100's set at .85 and Camburg 1.25 Uniball UCA's with rear TSB with 1" block - Deaver 3" custom leaf pack on order - Right now, the rear does not keep up with the front suspension. Gained down travel and rides like butter. Very fun going fast over those speed bumps at the mall! LOL. Very happy with the front set up. Sits a little nose high right now, but the Deavers will level it out nicely.
285/70/17 BFG TA KO's:

 

Well i think im convinced that it wont look bad at all. Im just afraid of getting vibrations now and too stiff a ride

 

Just finished it up today. 5100s set at 2.5", rear Icon 3 leaf progressive AAL. The AAL was supposed to be 1.5" but mine is 2 1/4" right now. I'm thinking it will settle a little. I've only driven it about 5 miles but the ride feels about the same as stock in the rear, but more controlled. I have 1" of rake currently.

 

Any vibes or unusual noises?

 

No vibes from the AAL that I can find, but I haven't driven it much. Initial drive was around town and then down the road a few miles up to about 60. Mine's a prerunner so I don't have to worry about vibes in the front.

 

Oh well mines a prerunner too! So your sure that theres no way we can get vibes up front? Cause that might have just convinced me for good to set em at 2.5!

 

Does anyone know if setting the 5100 at .85, 1.75 or 2.5 will cause a loss of down travel?

 

Yes, I'm positive you won't get vibration issues in the front with the 2.5 setting. The 4x4s have this issue because the angle of the CV joint changes and causes vibes. The only problem you might run into is running out of alignment adjustment. Some have this issue, some don't. Worst case is that you might have to purchase some upper control arms to get your caster where it needs to be. As for mine, I don't know yet. With the snow I haven't been able to get my truck off this hill to get the alignment checked.

Yes, each setting will cause a loss of down travel. The higher the setting the less the downtravel.

 

Yes. This isn't too hard. You will have either 0.85, 1.75 or 2.5" less down travel than stock.

 

Why is it thats its hit or miss as far as needing uca's? if i go to a good alignment shop should i not have to get them if i set em at 2.5

 

It's because of the variation between trucks. If you go with the 2.5 setting, you are on the fringe of getting within specs for your alignment. For some trucks you run out of caster adjustment. You can drive it with low caster, but it will follow grooves in the road and will feel twicthy at highway speeds.

 

On a side note, I have an 09 dblcab trd off road 4x4. It seems like if I set the 5100 to 1.75 it would be the safest bet in not having issues and also allowing me to have 285/75/16 if I wanted to. Iam just trying to make the right choice and not regret the change.

 

Your gonna have to do a lot of trimming with the billys at only 1.75, trying to stuff 285s in there