How about a Bilstein 5100 Adjustable shock update

[sbsyncro]

Originally Posted by Tundra Truck Driver

aw shucks. you are completely sure DC's are too heavy for these adjustable shocks?

OK, there's two options being discussed:

1) The "Pre-load adjustable 5100 Bilsteins" do not come with springs (they use the factory springs). They have a movable spring perch, and it is my concern that this might be a weaker design (and therefore possibly unsuitable for a 4wd DC) than an integrated "coilover" type unit

2) The Bilstein BTS coilover units - these seem attractive for a variety of reasons, but now it sounds like maybe Bilstein suggests that they are not suitable for 4wd DC Tundras either!

If the coilovers are not suitable for 4x4 DCs, then I would seriously doubt that the "pre-load adjustable 5100" shocks are either, unless they use radically different design than other Bilstein shocks like this that I have seen (and used)...

[Cyberbilly]

Originally Posted by Tundra Truck Driver

So we should keep it at the 2nd level setting to ensure the shock doesn't do any of that clunking business. However, I feel you could jack it up to the highest setting but drive carefully and not while offroading. How easy or not easy is it to change the settings... you would probably have to take out the shocks and redo em probably, right?

I have mine set on the highest setting, and I have no "clunking" what so ever. The only thing I've noticed is a slightly firmer bump when I go over things like speed bumps or potholes, but it does not bottom out.

I haven't tried any off-roading yet (and probably won't except for dirt roads and maybe some mild mud) so I can't say how they'll do. But seriously, if you plan on doing any serious off-roading, you probably want to invest in coilovers and do it right, and not try to take the "cheap way out."

In order to change the settings, you must completely disassemble the coilover unit, change the retainer ring to a different slot, then reassemble. It is a lot of work, so it is best to decide what you want to do ahead of time.

[jmevans_2]

Thats why I want to be 100% sure on how my truck will look and perform at every setting. There is a guy on another thread about these shocks who goes by the name Rick something and he has a black AC step side tundra. He said that his bilsteins are on the second to highest setting in his pics and said something different on his reply to that thread. Well the pic of his truck set on the "second highest setting" makes his truck look way higher in the front than the back. Maybe a one inch block would level it out but others say that the highest setting only requires a 1" block to level it out. Am I just not understanding the concept or Did the rick guy just screw up when he labeled his pics? I need to be 100% sure of this before I put them in..

[jmevans_2]

haha just kidding his name was keithfoo not rick. Anyways my truck is alot like his and if thats the highest setting i could put some 1" blocks in and I'd be happy with that setup

[Cyberbilly]

Originally Posted by jmevans_2

Thats why I want to be 100% sure on how my truck will look and perform at every setting. There is a guy on another thread about these shocks who goes by the name Rick something and he has a black AC step side tundra. He said that his bilsteins are on the second to highest setting in his pics and said something different on his reply to that thread. Well the pic of his truck set on the "second highest setting" makes his truck look way higher in the front than the back. Maybe a one inch block would level it out but others say that the highest setting only requires a 1" block to level it out. Am I just not understanding the concept or Did the rick guy just screw up when he labeled his pics? I need to be 100% sure of this before I put them in..

Don't know what to tell you about keithfoo's set up, but look at my pics, and you'll see what mine looks like with them set at max, with one-inch blocks bringing up the rear.

[Tundra Truck Driver]

Originally Posted by sbsyncro

OK, there's two options being discussed:

1) The "Pre-load adjustable 5100 Bilsteins" do not come with springs (they use the factory springs). They have a movable spring perch, and it is my belief that this is a weaker design (and therefore possibly unsuitable for a 4wd DC) than an integrated "coilover" type unit

2) The Bilstein BTS coilover units - these seem attractive for a variety of reasons, but now it sounds like maybe Bilstein suggests that they are not suitable for 4wd DC Tundras either!

If the coilovers are not suitable for 4x4 DCs, then I would seriously doubt that the "pre-load adjustable 5100" shocks are either, unless they use radically different design than other Bilstein shocks like this that I have seen (and used)...

Does anyone else know if the pre-load adjustable bilstein 5100s use different designs than the regular bilsten shocks? if this is no go, back to spacer/coilover discussion...

[Cyberbilly]

Originally Posted by Tundra Truck Driver

Does anyone else know if the pre-load adjustable bilstein 5100s use different designs than the regular bilsten shocks? if this is no go, back to spacer/coilover discussion...

I believe the "insides" are the same as other 5100 shocks (same construction, materials, dampening effect, etc.) It's the "outsides" with the adjustable retainer ring that are different.

[sbsyncro]

Originally Posted by Cyberbilly

I believe the "insides" are the same as other 5100 shocks (same construction, materials, dampening effect, etc.) It's the "outsides" with the adjustable retainer ring that are different.

I think "Tundra Truck Driver" was referring to my post about other Bilsteins I have used in the past with this design. The way my other "pre-load adjustable" Bilsteins worked was with three machined grooves in the shock body that the spring perch rested on. To "adjust" the ride height, one had to disassemble the front suspension, remove the spring, move the snap ring to a new groove position, then slide the perch back on, reassemble, and reinstall the assembly.

My comment on weakness of the design is due to the fact that the stress of the suspension rides on the spring perch, which in turn is riding on a relatively tiny surface area (the snap ring), and also relies on a very tight clearance between the shock body and the spring perch to avoid "wobble" of the perch. (My experience was that rough usage resulted in an "ovaling" of the inner diameter of the spring perch and subsequent "wobble" which eventually led to failure of the the perch to stay centered on the snap ring. But this was in a grossly heavy application that was used off road a lot). In a coilover, the spring perch is welded to a "beefier" adjustment mechanism, usually adjusted by means of a threaded shock body. Therefore the stress of the suspension is distributed over a larger effective surface area (less "pounds per square inch" of stress).

note that I am not an engineer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night - I'm just noodling this over using common sense and my personal experience and drawing some conclusions as a result.

Obviously Bilstein makes excellent products, and it is very unlikely that they would ever manufacture and sell something that had serious design flaws - I am just pointing out that the application of the 4WD DC is probably significantly different than that for a 2WD AC.

[Bai Qui]

As far as the adjustable shocks not being able to lift the DC, the spring holds the vehicle up, not the shock. Since you're still using the stock spring, you should get the same lift on a DC as you do on an AC. You're just changing where the bottom of the spring sits in relation to the lower control arm. With the new coilovers, you're using a new spring, so I could see not getting the same lift on a DC as you would on an AC since the DC is definitely heavier, especially a 4wd model. That's what I think anyway, just from looking at pictures. Don't have any experience with either one.

[TUNDRA RU]

I guess I have the BTS coilovers. I was not aware of the 3 level Bilsteins. With BTS you can also adjust side to side height and level the truck 2 ways instead of one. I have mine set close to 2.5 inches. I also have the TC UCA's, 1in drop spacers and urethane rack bushings. I have had the set up almost a year now and went off road the 2 days after the install and alignment. I am very happy with the ride and have had no problems so far. I haven't even had to regrease the UCA bushings yet. The truck just handles better. It is stiffer than stock but it's a 4x4.

[sbsyncro]

Originally Posted by TUNDRA RU

I guess I have the BTS coilovers.

Hey tundra ru - do you have them installed on a double cab? (Looking through your pix, I see the install pic of the coilovers, but it is not clear which of the trucks in your gallery it is installed on....

Thanks,

[TUNDRA RU]

The pics with the Centerline's have the lift. I you noitice the side profile you will notice the front is a tad higher than the rear. It has however settled to level now. Not a double cab.

[Cyberbilly]

Has anyone tried any serious (or semi-serious) offroading with these things?

[sbsyncro]

Originally Posted by Cyberbilly

Has anyone tried any serious (or semi-serious) offroading with these things?

I'd like to be soon if I can figure out that the coilovers are good on the DC..

[Cyberbilly]

OK.

After 8 weeks of running on the new lifting shocks, I'm seeing the telltale signs of the CV boot leak. It seems to be coming from the wide end of the inboard CVs on each side.

Anyone else with these shocks having this problem?

I thought the Diff Drop kit was supposed to prevent this.