Stiff Bilstein 5100

Hey everyone,

recently installed an icon 1.5” AAL in the rear and Bilstein 5100 with OME 888 springs. The ride seems to be very stiff. I can’t even go over a bump in a parking lot with my front end basically slamming down. Maybe I just need to break them in?

 

Sounds about right I would give it a few days to settle. Unless you hear clanking it banging then check it.

 

What perch are the 5100s set to?

 

I have 5100s on mine and it rides great, but I'm on stock coils which I think makes a difference. My sons truck is on the highest setting and it rides the same as mine which is on the 4th setting. Maybe its your coils, but your one of the few that I have read complain about them. Give them a chance to break in, also Bilstein recommends to use factory coils so you don't void the lifetime warranty and they were designed for use with factory coils. Again it doesn't matter which setting/perch the ride is the same, ask me how I know. I have two trucks set up on 5100s on different settings and no it doesn't compress your coils.

 

wrong. Stock coils, doesn’t matter what perch. You will arguably get a different ride with different perches, but that is neither here nor there.

OME coils are designed for the bottom perch only, they are longer than stock coils.

 

I guess Im the only one that has two 3rd gems with 5100 on different perchs, set up the same way, same wheels and tires and ride identical. That's just not correct, might wanna check into that a little more. My friend he was on OME coils and had 2 sets sag, the ride was not any better than with the factory coils which he is using now. I will agree to disagree and leave it at that.

 

4th perch here. No complaints. 5100’s are designed to be used with oem coils. They supply the lift people want without sag. IMO 5100’s with oem coils that’s it. You want more lift or new springs go with 6112’s or Eibach kits.

 

I think it even says that in the instructions. And I havent made up my mind on what lift I want.

 

Me too, I’ve talked to my local shop in Chicago that specializes in Toyota’s. He told me the 5100’s are designed to be used with stock coils and that there’s no need to spend the xtra cash. I have 5100’s sitting in my garage, only reason I haven’t installed them is I’m trying to do my research on all the folks saying it will be too stiff! Driving me nuts because I only want to do this ONCE!

 

I have almost 3 years and 25k miles and my tacoma drives better today than the day I bought it. Keep your factory springs, thank everyone later. My truck sits at 25K miles on the the clock and 20k on the lift. It will soften up some over time and I mean a more broken in feel. The OME coils will stiffen it up but still in a good way when driving on the highway. My friend went through two sets because of sagging, now he is back on stock coils, and his next door neighbor has a Pro which I think both ride about the same.

 

5100s on stock coils here. "Tight" not "stiff"

 

5100’s are excellent IMO. DAILY / weekend warrior. Wouldn’t change a thing.