Write-up: 3rd Gen Bilstein 6112/5160 with 3-Leaf AAL for 1.5" lift

ejewels · Oct 26, 2018

Rob Daman said: ↑

No your impressions are correct. I thought it was 1 inch no matter which. well at least not nearly 2 inches.
Click to expand...

Well there are users here who installed the new Fox pro suspension and I believe are only getting 1” right? (From stock OR)

Vjtrey1 · Nov 4, 2018

smitty99[OP] initial post: ↑

Application: Stock 2016 TRD OR DCSB 4x4 but much could apply to 2nd gens as well

3rd gen specific 6112s are part number #47-234413 springs included

The 6112s go up to 2" for my truck but I only wanted 1.5" to maintain factory rake.

HUGE CREDIT TO: @Threerun @GPsevinSixx and countless list of others on these forums who have contributed in the past with write-ups, links to videos and resources that assisted in getting this done on a DIY basis.

Warning: This is a comprehensive write-up and maybe too wordy for those with mechanical ability. I did this after-the-fact based on requests I was getting so I apologize in advance for not having much in the way of photos. If you catch errors please let me know and I'll revise as needed.

What I bought & approximate prices:

Bilstein 6112s (unassembled; no-compressor install method) ~$559 Race Consulting Agency

Bilstein 5160s- ~$380 from Low Range OffRoad

Wheelers Progressive 3-Leaf AAL- ~$180 from Wheelers Offroad

Wheelers Superbumps front & rear + All Pro Ubolt Flip Kit ~$280 from Wheelers Offroad

Fox Roost Shield (1 for passenger side 5160 protection-optional) - ~$20 from Wheelers

$18 Energy Suspension 9.11104 8 OZ TUB OF FORMULA 5 PRELUBE

Energy Suspension 9.11104 - 8 Oz Tub Of Lubricant- ~$15 Amazon

East Coast Gear Supply (ECGS) Bushing + Axle Seal + Removal Tool- ~$180 from ECGS

Lifetime Alignment- $180 Firestone Autocare (you’ll likely need multiple alignments!)

Total: ~$1774
I sourced my parts from different vendors based on Price and Availability.

Supplies/Tools

Safety: Hearing Protection, Eye Protection, Gloves

Bungee cords or wire coat hangers (to suspend some suspension parts keep CV axle from popping out)

A couple (for AAL) larger ones just get in the way

Jack stands

Wheel chocks

Floor Jack

4x4 wood blocks to assist floor jack lift height if needed

Pry bar (I got these from Harbor Freight )

Nylon Pry tools ( --optional but could help with leafs)

Sharpie (to mark alignment cams)

Heavy duty zip ties (I used to reattach ebrake bracket to leaf retainer/guide)

Needle nose pliers

Vise grips

Overall I recommend having a wide range of 3/8 and 1/2 drive Metric sockets and Wrenches available--(these )

12, 13, 14m, 17mm, and 22mm end wrench

19mm open wrench

10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21 and 22mm sockets ( )

Torque Wrench 3/8” drive for 50ft/lbs or less

Torque Wrench 1/2” drive for 50 to 150 ft/lbs

21mm impact socket works for lug nuts

Keep a couple of screwdrivers on-hand (phillips and standard)

Cordless Impact Wrench (helped a ton!)

Nitrile or Latex Gloves (used for applying

$18 Energy Suspension - 9.11104 8 OZ TUB OF FORMULA 5 PRELUBE

Energy Suspension Grease to Leafs)

Large 24” 3” opening (used to remove OEM Leaf Bracket and bump stops) w/ metal cut off wheel (for AAL rivet and removing excess Ubolt length)

Lube (helps to get shock bushings into mounting boss—I hear not to use WD40 on bushings)

*Some of these items could be substituted or another option used, this is just what I found useful

Videos and Write-ups that helped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6u7dC7EHg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVLBOnAifc

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aal-install-second-gen.54186/unread

Field Service Manual (link may not be working now?)

*Order of install is your choice. I did rear first to see how much I needed up front.*

6112 Install Steps

(Set circlips to desired height. I used #5 and #4 for 1.5” on my 4x4 DCSB. Be careful when doing this, I used a flathead screwdriver to move the circlips but you could gouge the shock body if not careful. Snap ring pliers could be used instead. When assembling, you should have a larger flathead screwdriver handy in case you need to open the ring up. You want to wedge enough between the split on the ring to open it up ( if there isn't enough room to get the plier jaw pins in between), and insert the snap ring pliers to open a bit more to guide it up the detent grooves.

1. Lift truck onto floor jacks front and rear tires off ground

2. Remove tires/wheels

3. Using 17mm end wrench loosen the sway bar end link through the spindle hole and remove the sway bar link from the spindle on both sides of vehicle

4. Next I Removed the Skid Plate; then loosen the sway bar mount to the frame with a 14mm socket (remove rear bolt, loosen front bolt) this will allow the sway bar to slide out of the slot from the bolt and be moved out of the way

5. Use Sharpie to mark the location of the alignment cams on the LCA—Can Take photos of the eccentric cam bolts to note position also in case the sharpie rubs off. For my own experience this didn’t end up changing much when we went back to reinstall but YMMV.

6. Now use a floor jack to support the LCA; start jacking up the LCA until you see the suspension start to compress about 1” or more NOTE: It's more critical that the jack doesn't slip off the LCA, so position it in a place you'll have room to adjust for the LCA's travel arc. The spring is encapsulated by the UCA and the other suspension components and the spring pressure will just push straight down using the shock as a guide pin.
Image shows where you most likely want the jack to make contact on the LCA.

7. Now loosen (don’t remove) the LCA alignment cam bolts (22mm) front and back.

8. Use 19mm Socket to remove the two bolts that connect the lower ball joint to the steering knuckle –this will enable the LCA to swing down out of the way and gives room to install new assembly.

9. Use 17mm wrench to remove the top nut, washer and bushing from top plate of shock/spring assembly (may have to hold top of shaft with vise grips)

10. Use 19mm socket to SLIGHTLY Loosen lower shock mount bolt but do not remove yet or you could be injured; now SLOWLY lower the floor jack to allow the spring to decompress

11. Move Jack out of the way of the LCA and check that the LCA moves somewhat freely (demonstrating the spring is relieved of tension) now you can use 19mm socket and 19mm wrench to remove the lower shock mount bolt and remove the assembly from the truck There will be some resistance, but you should be able to swing the LCA down so they're 75 degrees or so and out of the way.

12. Assemble the 6112 with appropriate bushings and washers in accordance with Bilsteins supplied instructions (pretty straight forward). Then Insert the new shock/spring assembly into the top hat; be sure the rubber boot is on top of the spring and that it is aligned correctly.

13. Reinstall the bolt connecting the shock to the lower control arm do not torque yet but when ready the torque spec is 61ft/lbs – you may need to rotate the coil spring until the center of the shock shaft aligns with the hole in the center of the top plate while ensuring the rubber boot is aligned properly (I just aligned the spring into the boot where the stock spring indent was at).

14. Now use floor jack under the LCA to begin compressing the spring—the shock absorber shaft will begin to rise through the center hole of the top plate until the shaft stops moving and yet the suspension continues to compress you can reinstall 1. Rubber bushing; 2. Washer; 3. The nut on the shaft (torque spec for shock shaft to top plate is 20 ft/lbs) when tightening the bolt you may need to hold the shaft with a wrench or vise grips to keep the shaft from spinning.

15. With jack still under the LCA you can now reinstall the steering knuckle to the lower ball joint (Torque spec 118 ft/lbs) .

16. Set the LCA alignment cams to the marks previously made; tighten but DO NOT TORQUE YET. Reinstall sway bar, sway bar end links, skid plate, etc.

17. Install wheels (torque lugs to 85 ft/lbs) and lower the truck back to the ground and torque the LCA Cam bolts (torque spec 100 ft/lbs) You may need to drive up onto ramps to access the LCA bolts to have clearance to actually torque them down.

(**do not re-torque LCA until vehicle is on ground; could pinch and damage bushings**)

3-Leaf Progressive AAL with All Pro "Ubolt Flip Kit" install:

Process is the same for both sides. Do it one side at a time and the axle will at least retain position from the opposite side. I did mine this way without loosening opposite side and got my thrust angle better than factory spec when I aligned it. Make sure the shop checks the thrust angle first. There is a tolerance and if it's in range, I wouldn't worry about it. The computerized alignment software knows correct spec'd range. Take note of the bed shift in relation to the axle, or tire edge to bed spacing as many have mentioned in the forum. One side may stick out more than the other. This way, it won't be a complete shock after the install.

1. Chock front tires. Jack up the rear of the vehicle (I used rear diff)

2. Place jack stands about 8 inches in front of the leaf hangers on both sides of the frame

3. Lower the jack slowly allowing the rear end to droop. You can use another set of jack stands to support the rear axle with jack under rear diff (tires just barely above the ground)

4. Position a floor jack under the rear diff to support the rear axle. You may need to use the floor jack to raise and lower the rear diff at a few points during install. Weight ofthe vehicle should be on the jack stands at the rear frame

5. Remove wheels/tires

6. Here I removed the bolts from the brake lines where they attach to the OEM leafs (believe there are two for each side but cannot recall size 10, 12 or 13mm?)

7.Remove the lower shock bolts (the rear axle may need to be lifted a bit in order to remove tension on shock bolts) and place a couple C-Clamps on both side of leafs then remove U-bolts.

8. Slowly lower the rear axle away from the springs and then remove the factory centering pin and the factory over-load spring. They will stay together because of the c-clamps

9. Here I used energy suspension grease. Clean up as much of the flaky or loosened up paint and grit in between each of the leaf springs and slather a ~1/8" thick coating making sure to recognize where the springs actually contact as indicated by wear patterns. Put on about a half inch wide bead with a popsicle stick or your gloved finger down the center. You want to also go around the center pin bore to minimize water intrusion that may cause the center pin to rust out later. Do this for every spring, then coat the center pin a bit (avoid the portion you need to thread the nut back on). Details for this procedure thanks to @GPsevinSixx can be found on Post #18 here. Also lubed between leafs on new leaf pack. You can use the nylon pry tool if needed.

10. On the new AAL pack remove the center pin bolt (discard the protection sleeve) and pack retainer bolts and protection sleeves. I threw away the sleeves but used the pack retainer bolts. Some chose not to use the pack retainer bolts. Not sure of the pro/cons here but they seem to function fine without the bolts for @GPsevinSixx.

11. Now if you hold the new 3 leaf pack up against the existing OEM leafs (Longer end of 3 AAL to the rear) you will see they will come in contact with one of the factory spring pack retainers. This is where your angle grinder comes in as you will need to remove this rivet and retainer. Use the angle grinder to grind into the rivet head using care not to damage factory leafs. Then use a pipe wrench or another tool to pry off the retainer clamp. Once ground smooth you may elect to spray paint the exposed metal and let dry (I didn't). Images and details can be found in post #4 here.

Why you need to grind it off here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheelers-progressive-aal-install-issue-solved.246367/

12. Add 3 leaf AAL to the bottom of the factory pack by sliding the new center pin provided through the holes in the leafs. If reusing the Overload leaf it will be added to the bottom of the AAL pack; the overload leafs should always be the bottom leaf. I DID NOT use the overload leaf as it will ride too harsh for me, I don't haul a lot of extra weight very often. NOTE: Be sure to install the 3 leaf AAL so that the longer side (distance from center hole out) goes towards the rear.

13. With the 3 leaf AAL in position and all leafs clamped together, add and tighten the provided center pin nut. NOTE: You may need to cut the center pin down should the pin extend up further than 1/2” beyond the center pin nut. If pin extends up too far it can interfere with the reinstallation of the bumps stops.

Pic here shows center pin has been cut, U-bolt excess not yet cut

8. Jack up the axle and guide the spring center pin head into the hole on the axle perch. Once in position install new SUPERBUMPS that go with the All Pro Kit u-bolts provided and tighten (you will torque to spec [75-80 ft-lbs] once truck is back on the ground). Use a deep socket to install The All Pro Flip Kit nuts –they are 7/8” but a 22mm socket may work too. Tighten down Ubolts counting the turns or keeping track of threads showing, alternating from nut to nut, this helps ensure axle stays in alignment.
http://www.knowyourparts.com/technical-articles/understanding-thrust-angle/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-leaf-packs-causing-steering-wheel-shift.459248/

9. Re-install the 3 leaf AAL leaf retainer bolts and tighten.

10. Use Angle Grinder to cut down excess Ubolt length to about 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch is remaining

11. E-brake Bracket this is a source of debate but @GPsevinSixx and I both ended up using heavy duty zip ties to reattach the line bracket to the bottom hole of the new AAL guide clamp/retainer. This doesn't allow the cable to kink at all. If you mount with the bracket bolted up higher to the clamp bracket on the AAL, it WILL lift and kink the cable. You DO NOT want these lines to kink.

May want to flip bracket like the above photo however.

12.Install rear shocks (5160s).

ATTENTION: RETORQUE ALL NUTS, BOLTS AND LUGS AFTER 100 MILES AND PERIODICALLY THEREAFTER.

5160 Install Notes

These come with somewhat decent install instructions and shocks are fairly straight forward but a couple of comments on this. You'll need to lower the Spare tire a ways so you can get access to install the reservoir mounting brackets.

1. The lower mount can be a bitch to get in, definitely helps to LUBE the bushing up and use a pry bar to guide the lower mount into the boss angled from the bottom up as opposed to inserting from a top down angle of approach. Have either a large punch (that fits somewhat loosely in the bore) or the bolt ready. The punch is easier as the bolt requires an exact lineup as bolt thread diameter is the same as the hole diameter. Once the punch is in location, you can wiggle it around and insert the bolt from the opposite side. Just make sure it's the same as factory orientation.

2. The top nut is a nylock nut and I just tightened it down as much as I could holding the shock body with my other hand, I did not see any torque spec for this and it is near impossible to hold the shock any other way as there is no place on the upper stem to hold it (if you use pliers to hold it you will damage the threads voiding the warranty!)

3. Do not place a shock boot over the 5160s, I emailed bilstein about this and they said it WILL void the warranty as the boot will trap moisture and debris. Instead Wheelers sells a plastic Roost Shield made by Fox that can be easily modified (I used a dremel grinder) to secure to the bottom of the 5160. You only need one for the passenger side if you want to do this and wheelers will sell them individually. Bilstein tech did say the 5160 is triple chrome plated, sealed yadda yadda designed to protect the shock without use of a boot but I opted for the Roost shield as I have heard others use it. To install the Roost shield I bolted the shock in first and then finessed it on, it was a bit of a pain.

4. Retorque all wheel lugs to ~85ft/lbs

Pic shows Fox Roost shield installed

Superbumps install notes:

-Used a big pipe wrench to unscrew the OEM bump stops or some fairly large channel locks could work too.

-You’ll want to install these while you have the suspension apart for obvious reasons and ease of access.

-On the fronts I had to cut down the hex key (allen wrench) included with these as it was too long to access into the front bump stops for tightening down… when you get to this point the problem will be obvious.
Click to expand...

Hi did you use 6 tones jack stand in this video?

nDub · Nov 4, 2018

Vjtrey1 said: ↑

Hi did you use 6 tones jack stand in this video?
Click to expand...

That guy is no longer on this forum.

I think 6 ton jack stands would be more than enough.

I use 2-ton when rotating my tires...

I’m going to get beefier ones though soon.

ejewels · Nov 4, 2018

What happened to smitty?

nDub · Nov 4, 2018

ejewels said: ↑

What happened to smitty?
Click to expand...

He sold his truck and asked to be erased from the forum.

He’s apparently made dupe accounts though and has been banned from those.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/banned-members-memorial-thread.115215/page-1846#post-19052580

ejewels · Nov 4, 2018

nDub said: ↑

He sold his truck and asked to be erased from the forum.

He’s apparently made dupe accounts though and has been banned from those.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/banned-members-memorial-thread.115215/page-1846#post-19052580
Click to expand...

Why is that? Seemed like a good dude but what do I know. Wonder what he ended up buying

Governor · Sep 8, 2019

thank you smitty

veedo · Oct 3, 2019

Anyone here install the 6112's on clips #2 and #3? Not looking for much lift, as I don't plan to do anything with the rear. Bilstein says .5 an inch, just wondering if anyone has real world results. 18 off road double cab short box.

Comb · Oct 3, 2019

veedo said: ↑

Anyone here install the 6112's on clips #2 and #3? Not looking for much lift, as I don't plan to do anything with the rear. Bilstein says .5 an inch, just wondering if anyone has real world results. 18 off road double cab short box.
Click to expand...

No personal real-world results here, but I seem to remember Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road indicating that the measurements shown in the chart were pretty accurate.

veedo · Oct 3, 2019

Comb said: ↑

No personal real-world results here, but I seem to remember Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road indicating that the measurements shown in the chart were pretty accurate.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply.

HeadStrong Off-Road · Oct 4, 2019

Comb said: ↑

No personal real-world results here, but I seem to remember Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road indicating that the measurements shown in the chart were pretty accurate.
Click to expand...

Usually most people report seeing more lift out of the gate but they tend to say that they settled in near the height listed on Bilsteins guide.

nate_scarbrough · Dec 10, 2019

Just received my 5160’s in the mail and was checking the parts and what not and noticed the *left shock came with a brake spacer/bracket. I view the left being drivers side but others might view it as passenger. That’s the only difference between the 2 shocks is the one side (either driver side or passenger) has a brake line spacer. Looking for clarification please! TIA!

Comb · Dec 10, 2019

nate_scarbrough said: ↑

Just received my 5160’s in the mail and was checking the parts and what not and noticed the *left shock came with a brake spacer/bracket. I view the left being drivers side but others might view it as passenger. That’s the only difference between the 2 shocks is the one side (either driver side or passenger) has a brake line spacer. Looking for clarification please! TIA!
Click to expand...

The rear left (driver side) gets the brake line spacer.

'16goingon'17 · Nov 8, 2021

smitty99[OP] initial post: ↑

3. Do not place a shock boot over the 5160s, I emailed bilstein about this and they said it WILL void the warranty as the boot will trap moisture and debris. Instead Wheelers sells a plastic Roost Shield made by Fox that can be easily modified (I used a dremel grinder) to secure to the bottom of the 5160. You only need one for the passenger side if you want to do this and wheelers will sell them individually. Bilstein tech did say the 5160 is triple chrome plated, sealed yadda yadda designed to protect the shock without use of a boot but I opted for the Roost shield as I have heard others use it. To install the Roost shield I bolted the shock in first and then finessed it on, it was a bit of a pain.
Click to expand...

I made this little video on how to install a Fox Roost Shield "Shinguard" on a the passenger-side rear Bilstein 5160 shock.

Edit 2021-11-08: The mudfest at Rendezvous in Ozarks rendered this shield a mud collector. I will be drilling multiple holes in the bottom to mitigate the issue.

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Write-up: 3rd Gen Bilstein 6112/5160 with 3-Leaf AAL for 1.5" lift

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