Bilstein 6112/5160 Installed (6 Viewers)

[Supra88]

5th perch. OME 2721 rear spring.

Bumper, winch, budbuilt skids, and roof rack

20.5" front hub to fender

Wow that's a lot lower lift than I would expect. You should be at 2.6" of lift minus some for the extra weight. You're the 5th perch from the bottom? How's the ride?

 

[25LGT]

Wow that's a lot lower lift than I would expect. You should be at 2.6" of lift minus some for the extra weight. You're the 5th perch from the bottom? How's the ride?

Ride is perfect with the extra weight. Was firmer without the skids previously.

 

[Supra88]

Ride is perfect with the extra weight. Was firmer without the skids previously.

Can you confirm that you're at 20.5" on the fronts and that the perch is at the 5th position from the bottom? If that's the case I may hold off with these fronts. I'm running the same weight as you but have 2723s in the back now, so I was looking to maintain or increase my current OME front lift.

I wonder why others on here with bumpers using the 5th perch are 1"+ higher than yours?

edit: I noticed in your earlier post that your front was at 21.75" initially. Has it settled that much? I may have to add the 10 mm spacer.

 

[25LGT]

Can you confirm that you're at 20.5" on the fronts and that the perch is at the 5th position from the bottom? If that's the case I may hold off with these fronts. I'm running the same weight as you but have 2723s in the back now, so I was looking to maintain or increase my current OME front lift.

I wonder why others on here with bumpers using the 5th perch are 1"+ higher than yours?

edit: I noticed in your earlier post that your front was at 21.75" initially. Has it settled that much? I may have to add the 10 mm spacer.

I remeasured at my home garage (same spot) unloaded probably about 300 lbs of cargo. I got 20.75".

The only real weight i added since initial install is Budbuilt skids (~250 lbs). I also changed from ARB sahara (For sale link) to deluxe bull bar which added the hoops (maybe 30-40 lbs?)

The lift amount is just right for me. I was going for a mild lift and retain oem uca. I do feel like the spring has settled a bit. Maybe others can share their long term observations.

 

[Supra88]

I remeasured at my home garage (same spot) unloaded probably about 300 lbs of cargo. I got 20.75".

The only real weight i added since initial install is Budbuilt skids (~250 lbs). I also changed from ARB sahara (For sale link) to deluxe bull bar which added the hoops (maybe 30-40 lbs?)

The lift amount is just right for me. I was going for a mild lift and retain oem uca. I do feel like the spring has settled a bit. Maybe others can share their long term observations.

Thanks for taking the time to measure the lift. I'll have to see where my 2723s settle and decide where to set the fronts. I may need to run an OEM spacer.

 

[bloc]

edit: I noticed in your earlier post that your front was at 21.75" initially. Has it settled that much? I may have to add the 10 mm spacer.

10mm front spacer? Do we know whether these struts add any down travel? If so you should be careful with adding more. The broken CV thread is starting to make a case for extra down travel being a problem for our CVs, and adding another 10mm at the strut would be a significant amount if the shock already did the same.

 

[Supra88]

10mm front spacer? Do we know whether these struts add any down travel? If so you should be careful with adding more. The broken CV thread is starting to make a case for extra down travel being a problem for our CVs, and adding another 10mm at the strut would be a significant amount if the shock already did the same.

Good question, was wondering about that.

 

[bloc]

Good question, was wondering about that.

For all the people installing these it would be pretty simple to compare the extended length to the stock strut. I know my kings were a little over an inch longer, which means ~2 inches of extra down travel.. puts the CV at a pretty steep angle at the bottom.

If the billies are closer to stock the 10mm spacer may be a great way to augment things.. Actually do they use studs or bolts at the top? If studs, we'd need to see whether they are long enough.

 

[Supra88]

For all the people installing these it would be pretty simple to compare the extended length to the stock strut. I know my kings were a little over an inch longer, which means ~2 inches of extra down travel.. puts the CV at a pretty steep angle at the bottom.

If the billies are closer to stock the 10mm spacer may be a great way to augment things.. Actually do they use studs or bolts at the top? If studs, we'd need to see whether they are long enough.

Looks like the same travel as the OME shock. I'm not sure how that compares to OEM. Bilsteins utilize the factory top hat so stud length should be fine.
Side note: my fresh 2723s show about 24" lift in the rear even with a rear bumper with swing outs. I suspect that will settle closer to 23", so I'd like to get about 22-22.5" in the front. That's about where I'm at right now with my 2701 springs.

 

[ontopofm]

Is there a diy installation guide on Mud I can read before I receive my kit next month? TIA

 

[FerrisBueller]

Is there a diy installation guide on Mud I can read before I receive my kit next month? TIA

This explanation is brief, but was exactly what I needed for when I installed mine:

Here's a link to the approach I used: OME Install - no spring compressor - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

So the method I used to to avoid having to have my coilovers assembled as follows:
Open KDSS valves 3 turns
Loosen lug nuts
Jack up front end and put on jack stands
Remove wheel
Remove top bolt of the shock
Remove nut from the bottom bolt of the shock
Put a jack under the LCA by the ball joint and remove the 2 bolts under the hub
Support the hub with either a 2x4 or ratchet strap. Take time to get this set up, otherwise you can pull the CV out of place.
Lower the jack to lower the LCA from the assembly
Mark your LCA alignment tabs
Loosen you LCA to Frame bolts
Hit the bottom shock bolt all the way out and the LCA will drop, as will the shock and coil
Takes a bit of finagling to get the new stuff in. A person to help is critical. 1 person to hold the shock and coil in place while the other cranks down on the LCA so you can seat the bottom of the shock. Another thing that helped a bit if it feels like to much monkeying around is to put the jack under the spring, jack it up enough that you can put the top nut on the threads to hold it in the top hat, then you're just fighting to get the bottom in. Once that's in and you jack everything up, undo the top nut bolt and add the bushing and washer.
Once the bottom in seated, don't bother trying to put the bolt in
Jack the LCA up till you have enough thread to unscrew the top screw and correctly put the bushing and washer and nut on the top of the shock. Tighten
Once the top is locked in, jack/lower the LCA to be able to fit the bolt through the bottom shock. It takes a little wiggling but it's pretty easy. Hand tighten nut.
Once that's all locked in, jack up the LCA to connect the 2 bolts under the hub assembly. This is another 2 person job. One crouched over the hub assembly guiding and the other jacking it up.
Attach bolts.
Check your alignment tabs and adjust and lightly tighten to hold them in place.
Put wheel on, lower to ground.
Torque Bottom Shock nut, top shock nut, LCA alignment nuts.
Head to the other side

This video is also helpful, but be forewarned that it shows extra steps that you might not need to take (e.g., I did not need to disconnect KDSS linkage or sway bars).

I'm an @OTRAMM video junkie. This tutorial may help.

 

[ontopofm]

This explanation is brief, but was exactly what I needed for when I installed mine:


This video is also helpful, but be forewarned that it shows extra steps that you might not need to take (e.g., I did not need to disconnect KDSS linkage or sway bars).

Thanks

 

[Supra88]

I've installed the rear shocks with new 2723 springs. I'm currently at 24" hub center to fender in the rear. I went through and created a table that shows perch height, bumper vs no bumper, settled vs new, and the lift amount to get an idea of where I want to set the fronts. The heights don't seem terribly predictable with the data I have. I'm guessing there's some measurement variability trying to measure the hub center to the fender. Some people had the fronts settle 1/4" and some were over an inch.

I think my rear springs will settle at 23.5" so I'd like to have the fronts around 22.5". Based on the data, I think that means set the fronts to perch #4 or #5 with the OEM 10mm spacer. With my bumper, winch, skids, rack and sliders that should get me close to where I want to be.

 

[dwhanaman]

Thank you,
There is rubbing at full lock in reverse. There is about a 1-2 MPG hit, which I suspect is more a result of the weight of the tires, rather than the size. I mention this because I am running load range E tires that are quite heavy. But, no issues with the cruise control, transmission, etc. even when towing my 5000 lb travel trailer -- I can easily do 65-70 Cajon Pass with 5 passengers and gear towing the trailer with the LC sucking down gas like no tomorrow. I don't feel the re-gearing is necessary, although I might get some gas mileage back. That said, I will likely switch to lighter forged rims first to see if the weight savings results in a little better mileage.

Thanks, again. Very helpful. I noticed that you are in San Diego. Did you have your suspension installed by Bilstein in Poway?? If so, do you have contact information for them? I would like to buy from them and have mine (2018 LC) installed there.

 

[Nola622]

There is a lot of variability for several reasons. I think one is that people measure right away before getting an alignment and if they didn't loosen their LCA cam bolts there is likely to be significant "pre-load" in those bushings. The measurement is also affected by the angle of the wheel pre-alignment, etc... Some people aren't great with a tape measure or don't measure perfectly plumb, aren't hitting the exact center of the center cap, etc.. Then other variables like not a completely level surface, full tank of gas, vs empty, etc.. It also takes a while for springs to settle if you aren't beating them up a bit.

I wonder if there is any difference in fender profile between pre-2016 and post? Even a small difference in the profile of the fender arches would make the numbers non-comparable.

I've installed the rear shocks with new 2723 springs. I'm currently at 24" hub center to fender in the rear. I went through and created a table that shows perch height, bumper vs no bumper, settled vs new, and the lift amount to get an idea of where I want to set the fronts. The heights don't seem terribly predictable with the data I have. I'm guessing there's some measurement variability trying to measure the hub center to the fender. Some people had the fronts settle 1/4" and some were over an inch.

I think my rear springs will settle at 23.5" so I'd like to have the fronts around 22.5". Based on the data, I think that means set the fronts to perch #4 or #5 with the OEM 10mm spacer. With my bumper, winch, skids, rack and sliders that should get me close to where I want to be.

 

[bloc]

There is a lot of variability for several reasons. I think one is that people measure right away before getting an alignment and if they didn't loosen their LCA cam bolts there is likely to be significant "pre-load" in those bushings. The measurement is also affected by the angle of the wheel pre-alignment, etc... Some people aren't great with a tape measure or don't measure perfectly plumb, aren't hitting the exact center of the center cap, etc.. Then other variables like not a completely level surface, full tank of gas, vs empty, etc.. It also takes a while for springs to settle if you aren't beating them up a bit.

I wonder if there is any difference in fender profile between pre-2016 and post? Even a small difference in the profile of the fender arches would make the numbers non-comparable.

Fender profile is the same but the simple fact that it sort of flattens out at the top, but isn’t level, means small differences in the vertical orientation of the tape measure can have a big impact on the end measurement.

Also I doubt many people are installing these without at least loosening the LCA pivots. Pushing that arm down to get the strut in with them tight at stock ride height requires a whole lot of force. Thing is, whether the LCA bolts are torqued at the new ride height or with the suspension dropped out still on jack stands is another side of your argument, and will definitely impact ride height.

 

[graham5david]

Does anyone sell the front 6112 47-273146 pre assembled.

 

[dwhanaman]

This is a very informative thread. Thank you. Can the Bilstein 6112/5160 kit be installed with my stock (2018 200 Series) rear springs and maintain a stock height/minimal lift? (I want improved performance, but do not necessarily want to lift or run larger tires.). Please advise.

 

[Supra88]

This is a very informative thread. Thank you. Can the Bilstein 6112/5160 kit be installed with my stock (2018 200 Series) rear springs and maintain a stock height/minimal lift? (I want improved performance, but do not necessarily want to lift or run larger tires.). Please advise.

It appears the lift height (center of hub to fender) on the lowest front setting is just shy of 21" based on what people are reporting back in this thread. Measure where you're at now and see how that compares.

 

[777Gage]

Just received my lift and wanted to show a comparison of the new 6112 shock.
On the left is the 5100 from my Tundra RCD 4" & 6" lift and the right is the new LC 200 shock - what a definite difference!

I've run Bilstein on all of my vehicles when applicable, and for the driving/adventuring we do, I find they are more than I'll ever need. And if one ever failed, just remove and install a new one.