Another Bilstein 5100 thread (1 Viewer)

[CrotchMonster]

Hopefully this hasn't been answered - I searched for a little while and came up short.

My GX has nearly 200k on it. I can't find any information in the maintenance records indicating that the air suspension has been updated. From what I can tell, it must have because it works perfectly still. That said, my struts and shocks are blown. The primary driver for the truck right now is my wife. We have a toddler and one on the way.

For the time being, i'd like to retain the stock ride height so it will be easy for her (5'2") to load and unload the children. I am thinking of installing 5100s front and back using the stock springs up front and the existing air suspension in the back with the option to later lift the car with new springs and coil conversion using the 5100s.

Has anyone had experience running 5100 on stock springs/air suspension? If so, what can I expect in terms of ride quality? Would putting them on a stock height truck wear them prematurely? Any other notes or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[DRANGED]

interested in more 5100 info, so watching this progress.

 

[Burner01]

I'm sure others will chime in here but here's my two cents.
The suspension on my '06 was tired and one air bag was starting to leak, so I swapped out everything about 10 months ago for 5100's all around, stock front springs and 2" super flex rear springs. In short this was a complete was of time and money for me. From my experience the GX is too heavy for the 5100's and while the ride was ok the truck was unsafe in panic stop situations. It scared the hell out of me three times and enough was enough.
I recently upgraded to Icon 2.5's and it made a MASSIVE improvement.
The 5100's are a good product for many applications, I just wouldn't recommend them for this platform. Spend the cash up front and be safe.

 

[CrotchMonster]

I'm sure others will chime in here but here's my two cents.
The suspension on my '06 was tired and one air bag was starting to leak, so I swapped out everything about 10 months ago for 5100's all around, stock front springs and 2" super flex rear springs. In short this was a complete was of time and money for me. From my experience the GX is too heavy for the 5100's and while the ride was ok the truck was unsafe in panic stop situations. It scared the hell out of me three times and enough was enough.
I recently upgraded to Icon 2.5's and it made a MASSIVE improvement.
The 5100's are a good product for many applications, I just wouldn't recommend them for this platform. Spend the cash up front and be safe.

Oh that doesn't sound good. I'm already experiencing way too much dive in emergency stops. Was it even softer than your tired front suspension?

 

[Burner01]

In that situation I believe that it may have been worse as the 5100's really aren't made to handle the weight of these trucks.
There's another active thread about coil-overs etc... where 6112's (I think) were mentioned as a step up from the 5100's, maybe give them a look?
My advice to anyone considering new/replacement shocks for the GX would be to go with a larger shock body at the very least up front.
Don't waste your money like I did!

 

[half k cruiser]

When I read your initial post my first question is, why are you making so many panic stops ?

 

[Bluetribal]

Because everybody drives like A$$H@Le$ now.

One of my improvements this year is to try and take it down 5mph, stay in my lane and let these idiots blow past me and not react to them anymore. But damn it’s like they go out of there way to do stupid stuff around me.

 

[CrotchMonster]

Can anyone second his experience?

 

[Burner01]

When I read your initial post my first question is, why are you making so many panic stops ?

Well that was helpful...

 

[DRANGED]

Because everybody drives like A$$H@Le$ now.

One of my improvements this year is to try and take it down 5mph, stay in my lane and let these idiots blow past me and not react to them anymore. But damn it’s like they go out of there way to do stupid stuff around me.

And everyone needs to put the damn phone down! The primary focus of driving is...driving. It's just too easy to be distracted now!!!

 

[half k cruiser]

Well that was helpful...

Well I could have said pull your head at of your @$$ and pay attention, but I was giving you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Burner01]

Oh clearly my mistake. Maybe next time I’ll ask the deer on the road to be more considerate.
* edited after I realized that I stooped to his level

 

[Arailt]

Can anyone second his experience?

I had 5100s and OME 884 coils on my Tacoma. I had zero issues and I pushed them pretty hard on a regular basis. People run them on 4Runners with hundreds of lbs of armor, so other than maybe not getting as much height vs. a stock V6 4Runner, I can't imagine they're unsafe on a GX.

 

[Formations]

@CrotchMonster I recently put 5100s all around on my 2005 GX with 115k on it. I have them on the third setting up from the bottom in the front and I have tricked my airbags to level out the vehicle. I think the ride is comparable to my factory suspension , but I haven't had the vehicle since new so I don't have frame of reference for how worn my factory stuff is. I hit the brakes hard a few times today, after reading this thread last night, and I don't think the dive is excessive. I have had a lot of trucks, lifted and stock as well as a number of sport tuned suspensions on cars and this obviously rides more like a truck so it can be a little spongy. All in all, I think it's a good quality ride for the money. If cost was no object, I don't think there would be so many threads on 5100s , but alas, these things are cheap and hard to pass up! Anyhow, I don't have any complaints ( other than about 4wheel parts' s*** installation) One more thing, the ride improved noticeably when I pumped up those rear airbags to level it out about 1 inch above stock. I have seen others on MUD express the same sentiment.

 

[Addiction33]

I'm sure others will chime in here but here's my two cents.
The suspension on my '06 was tired and one air bag was starting to leak, so I swapped out everything about 10 months ago for 5100's all around, stock front springs and 2" super flex rear springs. In short this was a complete was of time and money for me. From my experience the GX is too heavy for the 5100's and while the ride was ok the truck was unsafe in panic stop situations. It scared the hell out of me three times and enough was enough.
I recently upgraded to Icon 2.5's and it made a MASSIVE improvement.
The 5100's are a good product for many applications, I just wouldn't recommend them for this platform. Spend the cash up front and be safe.

Could this be due to worn out stock springs? How many miles on them? Others have noted the stock springs not pairing well with stock GX springs after a while but once swapping them out for better springs like OME or Toytech/Eibach they were much better and provided a great ride.

To the original poster I know you asked about keeping stock springs so maybe that's not the best idea. No personal experience on the GX. They worked great on my FJ with stock springs though.

I was considering going with Tacoma TRD off road take off coilovers. They are a suppose to be a higher spring rate and progressive so I was thinking they would be a nice match and just level out the front. 4th gen 4runner v8 guys were getting about 1" lift from them.

I'm about to install 5100's with Toytec springs. I'm sure Icon's or another quality coilover would be better but for the cost and the fact that this is my DD and will see at least 95% of the time on-road, I think they will suit my needs. Keeping the 5100's on the stock setting until I can get better UCA's as well.

 

[Formations]

I forgot to mention , I am running my stock springs. I don't think they were particularly worn, at least they weren't sagging noticeably.

 

[Burner01]

As per my previous post, no where did I say that Bilsteins are not a good product I just don't think that there are well suited for this application. I also previously ran them in my Tacoma and was happy.
I described my first set up with the 5100's as using the stock springs, likely my mistake. If I could do it over again I'd use new springs as others have mentioned, or maybe the 6112's AND new springs but I ended up with Icon's and now I'm happy.
It's hard to figure out what to buy sometimes, there are many options and many, many opinions out there...

 

[GXO]

Just a side note: If you have stock GX springs with more than 100k and over 10 years old...they are sagging. I got 5" of lift (measured) out of a 2.5" lift kit when I lifted my GX in 2010. Springs were only 70k old with 98k miles at that time.

 

[half k cruiser]

Oh clearly my mistake. Maybe next time I’ll ask the deer on the road to be more considerate.
* edited after I realized that I stooped to his level

Come on down to the level ! What I probably should have said is your coming onto this forum and bashing on a product that has literally hundreds if not thousands of happy customers and reviews across the Toyota platform. Your imperative evidence is that you had to panic stop three times for a deer and it scared you. According to your post you have new suspension all the way around with the exception of stock front springs. Before that though you stated your stock suspension was worn out with one leaking air bag. Despite that, somehow you have determined that its the damper's fault and not your springs. You also stated that they don't "appear worn," but the GX has a natural rake to front, so unless you had some factory fender to hub measurements to go off of, I'm not sure how you could tell.

 

[chiz45]

Can anyone second his experience?

I have used 5100s and stock fj or 4r springs. Soft, floaty and when we carpool with a 100lb kid in the very back we hit bump stops.

My options:
1) replace coils with Better product (Toytec RCC, OME fronts? Or Dobinsons $350+shipping);
2) buy a Dobinsons kit for $900 shipped;
3) get in on the Fox group buy on t4r ($2500ish?)

Dobinson 120 Series Suspension Kit

FOX Suspension Group Buy (with extras) - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum