help with Bilstein 5100 and ready lift level kit

[krprice84]

So I need some advice here please. First some background, I needed new front shocks on my 02 tundra, so I got the Bilstein 5100 that are height adjustable. Went to put the springs on the shocks and found that there was no chance in hell I could compress the springs far enough to get to the 2 inch lift position. This made me wonder though, how does raising up the bottom of the spring make the truck lifted? It should just compress the spring more, shouldn't it? Or do these shocks somehow adjust their height depending on the static spring force? Something seems odd here....

Anyways, I decided screw it I will just install the shocks at stock ride height and put the level kit in that I had bought a while ago instead of u using the adjustable ride height feature. So much for selling t the level kit.....

So I put the spacers on, and now I find there is absolutely no chance in hell that the shocks will fit into the truck. No matter how much I push with a crowbar pushing down on her upper or lower control arm, can I get e enough space.... What the heel? Can someone please give me some advice I'm about to just lose it. Ben working at this all day and am just pissed right off now.

Thanks

[SuckersWalk]

you are doing it wrong. yank that level kit back off and only use the 5100s. did you find the step-by-step tutorial using the search feature?

[CoachRon]

I'm going to make this short. You can research the details yourself if you want.
Take the "leveling kit" off the top of the 5100s. The whole point of the 5100s is to eliminate the need for a "spacer lift", and using both is stupid/pointless. The spacers can be dangerous depending on what size they are, especially if the 5100s are set to anything other than stock height (with the spacers on there). The 5100s use the spring to lift the truck (don't worry about why/how, it just does). The 5100s are going to be a little hard to squeeze in there, but are designed to work without damaging the truck (if your springs won't compress, try harder). Don't feel comfortable with that? Buy uni-ball UCAs or put the spring perch on the 3rd notch instead of the 4th or 5th.
If you have a 4WD, use the diff drop and save yourself from future problems.
There is a market for spacers, it's called the trash can. If you want to sell them to somebody who doesn't know better, try Craigslist or Ebay.

[Remmy700P]

You need someone with a wall- or floor-mount coil compressor. The cheapo rented ones from Vatozone are made for automobile coils and are not up to the task of compressing truck coils. Trying it with those is unduly dangerous.

[krprice84]

Thanks for the responses sho far, this place is a great wealth of knowledgeable people!

So where I am at now is I have the shocks on the truck with no spacers, with the ring set at the stock ride height. My issue here is, at the stock spring height, my truck front end is now raised up from what it was at before. It used to have a slight slight rake to it, now the front end is noticeable higher than the back.when parked on a level road you can see the tilt on the box....I'd say it went up about two inches or so. Any idea why? The stock shocks where the blue and yellow Bilstein ones, but I suspect they may not be the original. The truck has 275k on it and I noticed that the springs had been sprayed black (I could see over spray on the shock body so I know they were s sprayed. Possible that they are stiffer and thus the front end is higher from that? That still would not make sense to me because that should have still been the case with the old ones. I do know that the lower bushing was so worn out that it was at least 3/8 inch up from being in the centre of the mount.....maybe that plus the added height of the New shocks caused the height change?

Also, when I was putting the spring on these shocks I found that there was absolutely no way I could compress it enough to get anywhere past about the middle setting.....even on the second from bottom setting the coils were so tight that I had to wack the spring compressor hooks out with a hammer

Everyone else deal with this much hassle? Or does it look like my springs may not be stock?

Also can anyone link me to the step by step for these? I can't seem to find it, I can only find the newer truck step by step and then just a bunch of help me or question threads but nothing that is a step by step tutorial


Thanks so much again everyone!

[kanaduh]

krprice84, do you have the top plate on upside down? Check the instructions that came with the 5100's. There have been others who have done it, so don't feel bad if it is. This may help. You can also do a search "5100 install" for more results. Don't forget the alignment when you are done. Get DJ's specs from the DIY section. Good Luck, and Welcome to the Forum. Pictures are required when you are done.
DIY: Installing Bilstein 5100's on the front of the Tundra
Help with Bilstein 5100 install

[krprice84]

I am pretty sure I do not have the top plate on upside down, but what plate is it that you are talking about? the little steel washer looking things are facing so that the cupped side is facing towards the plate with the 3 studs, and the rubber compressable bushing-type things are on the inside (on the cupped side) of each, with the little ridged part going right against the 3 studded plate. the 3 stud plate is in the middle of this sandwich, with the bolt on the top...

i'm just boggled by how tight that spring has to be compressed to make it on there, i mean if i wanted to put the height adjusting ring on anything but 1 up from stock, almost all of the coils are damn near touching each other, and i actually had to use two sets of spring compressors rented from autoValue, they are the ones with the machined blocks with the hook piece and the large threaded rod between, to compress the hooked pieces together. i dunno but i'm just amazed with how much effort it took to even get to the stock position.

a secondary question... i've seen sites suggest that the rear 5100 are height adjustable too... how can that be so? i just ordered a pair for the rear but i'm wondering if they really are height adjustable, or will i need a set of blocks to level out my ride now that the front is up higher than the rear?

krprice84, do you have the top plate on upside down? Check the instructions that came with the 5100's. There have been others who have done it, so don't feel bad if it is. This may help. You can also do a search "5100 install" for more results. Don't forget the alignment when you are done. Get DJ's specs from the DIY section. Good Luck, and Welcome to the Forum. Pictures are required when you are done.
DIY: Installing Bilstein 5100's on the front of the Tundra
Help with Bilstein 5100 install

[krprice84]

SON OF A *****!!!!!

I just realized what i did wrong.... i put the spring retainers on the bottom... UPSIDE DOWN!!!

I'm going to take some pics of this, because if i'm going to pull it all apart again and fix it, i sure as hell better have some pics to show off my stupidness!!!

[kanaduh]

krprice84, I'm sure that it's been done before, and I'm sure it will be done again by others. We can't wait to see pics. Bilstein install directions. Bilstein Instructions.pdf

[Remmy700P]

It's easy to put the lower spring perch on upside down if you aren't careful. Sounds like that's what happened. No big deal; you caught it in time. There have been those who have headed down the road with it like that and then have the entire assembly collapse causing all kinds of havoc.

The spring perch rides over and encapsulates the c-clip. See attached.

[SuckersWalk]

SON OF A *****!!!!!

glad you figured it out. those "ah ****" moments can be priceless.

[krprice84]

lol this was an example of one of those who has headed down the road like this, though the whole thing did not collapse, thank god!!!

when i put it together last night, i tried to compress the spring again when it was all together, so i could move it up one notch or two, from stock, and i guess when the spring force was not totally even on the clip, it actually popped it down a hair, thank god the compressor caught the spring or it would have blown it right down and into my man-parts :O

i ended up driving with it on stock height, though upside down, to and from work, out on lunch to get some materials for the site, back home, realized what i had done after i got home, but still had to pick up my daughter and grab a good spring compressor.... that was a scary drive once i realized what i did!!!! :O

but i did make it back, and when i had a decent compressor it all went like butter, one hour per side or so, and i threw on the diff drops from my spacer kit because i noticed today (after just driving today) that my cv boots were starting to throw a little grease...one side threw a fair bit

does this mean i need to start screwing with cv boots or joints, or now that i have the drop spacers on the diff should it be ok? can i replace the grease somehow with minimal work, or do i have to pull the whole shebang apart??

thanks for all the help

oh and about pics... my daughter was harrassing me to come play with her, so i rushed the first side so i could play, then i had to get the second side done before 11pm when i can't run a compressor any longer... so sorry guys, i totally forgot to take pics in the rush! but you can imagine how dumb it looked!!! the clips were starting to bend outwards a hair, so i'm very thankful that they didn't blow apart!

thanks again for all the help and suggestions, great bunch of guys on here

It's easy to put the lower spring perch on upside down if you aren't careful. Sounds like that's what happened. No big deal; you caught it in time. There have been those who have headed down the road with it like that and then have the entire assembly collapse causing all kinds of havoc.

The spring perch rides over and encapsulates the c-clip. See attached.

[SuckersWalk]

do the "cv boot mod", even if you don't end up going with the diff-drop. don't forget about a good alignment using "DJ's alignment specs".

[CoachRon]

Glad you got it figured out!
Also, the rear 5100s are not height adjustable. They can accommodate up to a 1" rear lift, whether it's from an add-a-leaf or a block. Rear shocks do not add lift.

[krprice84]

So does this mean that I can not use a 1.5 inch add a leaf or block set? I am pretty certain I have seen other members doing just that or Ann I mistaken?