All Those Running 5100's w/ Tundra Fronts

[WrexHAmm]

I recently made the switch from the stock Tundra billies to the adjustable 5100s to go with my Tundra coils. I sitting at 37 1/4 front and about 39 in the rear with OME 890s. I have them set at the second perch and love the ride. Here are my questions:

Are people running top plate spacers with the Tundra 5100s?

If so what size spacer are you running?

Finally, if you are running a spacer how difficult was it to get them in with the spacer? I had a hell of a time getting the existing ones in on the second perch.

I don't mind a little rake but I would like to level this out a little more.

 

[hungryeddy]

Dude i made this switch on saturday too... and i'm in the same dilemma too. i have the 5100's on the middle setting tho with the LC 7.5/8 coil in the rear. i have some 3/4 spacers laying around now (since i had those on top of the stock billies) but i don't think i should run them. if i run spacers it would be the 1/2", i'm still waiting on the back to settle to make a decision.

and i had to trouble getting everything in on the third setting... not sure if that'll change with the top plate spacer.

i was thinking at first that i should put mine on the second setting and run with the top plate spacer but i ended up putting it in the middle setting. i'll give you my spacers for $40 if you want to try them out, i had them in for a whopping one week before i switched to the 5100s. you'd have to get some extended studs for them tho because i decided to keep them. someone on here wanted to get them from me but i rather no ship if i don't have too.

 

[WrexHAmm]

Thanks. I already have the extended studs so I am good there, I am not sure about the size of those however. I just had a set that I was running with my billies as well but I sold them. I tried to use those with the 5100s on the second perch but couldn't get them in. I am think you need to go smaller if you are going to run a top plate. I'd like to hear from some others regarding this.

 

[TacticalSR5]

Ive had my TRD 5100 combo for a few months now and did lots of research beforehand so I may be able to help out. But before I can start.. if you wouldn't mind, Please measure from the center of the hub to the fender. And I would do this while keeping the tape measure as parallel to the body line underneath the doors as possible so I can understand exactly what you are working with. A floor to fender Measurement does no good (for me). :snacker:

:jump:

 

[Zachpins34]

hows the ride for you on the 3rd setting hungryeddy?
im thinkin ill put mine up if it still rides ok

 

[hungryeddy]

rides great! i think you should put yours up. its smoother than the rear i'll tell you that much... but i have crap monroe shocks ($25/ea) so that might not be saying much.

 

[rickashay]

I dont see the point of running a top plate spacer if you have the adjustable Bilsteins... If you want it higher, then just adjust them to the next notch up. I have LC 8 wraps and I am at the 2nd notch upfront. A fair bit of rake but the only reason I will even go up one more notch is when I do a front bumper and winch. Too much lift, and you will start to diminish your returns in terms of ride quality, stability, and reliability on the drive train. I personally, would never go higher than the 3rd notch and would never run a top-plate spacer with these shocks/coils.

 

[WrexHAmm]

Ive had my TRD 5100 combo for a few months now and did lots of research beforehand so I may be able to help out. But before I can start.. if you wouldn't mind, Please measure from the center of the hub to the fender. And I would do this while keeping the tape measure as parallel to the body line underneath the doors as possible so I can understand exactly what you are working with. A floor to fender Measurement does no good (for me). :snacker:

:jump:

I am sitting at 22 1/4 in the front and just shy under 24 in the rear.

I dont see the point of running a top plate spacer if you have the adjustable Bilsteins... If you want it higher, then just adjust them to the next notch up. I have LC 8 wraps and I am at the 2nd notch upfront. A fair bit of rake but the only reason I will even go up one more notch is when I do a front bumper and winch. Too much lift, and you will start to diminish your returns in terms of ride quality, stability, and reliability on the drive train. I personally, would never go higher than the 3rd notch and would never run a top-plate spacer with these shocks/coils.

I guess the point of the top plate spacer for me would be so I wouldn't have to go above the second notch to the third to maintain my ride quality and so I wouldn't have to disassemble my fronts yet again. I can very easily add a top plate (already have the longer studs in for this reason) without having to disassemble. I am just looking to maybe gain an inch or so, wondering if anybody went the top plate route or did everybody just do the third notch approach.

 

[hungryeddy]

i might toss the spacer in tonight on top of the 3rd notch just for sh*ts and giggles so i'll take pics and drive it to check out the ride quality. i have to swap them because i put the driver side on the passenger side so why not? will it throw my alignment way off do you think?

 

[WrexHAmm]

I don't think it will throw the alignment "way" off but from what I have read you'll want to do an alignment again. Let me know how it is, I would be curious to see the pictures.

 

[SCRunner12]

One of the reasons to avoid a top plate is they can cause you to over-extend your CV's. The top plate causes the front to droop further than stock and this can cause some issues. A 1/4" spacer isn't horrible, but I'd rather just put the 5100's up a notch.

Hungryeddy, how much lift did you gain from the 3rd notch? How are your CV's?

 

[rickashay]

I may be incorrect, but doesn't adding a spacer to the same thing as move the struts up a notch? With the top plate spacer, you are effectively pushing the entire strut downward, like SCRunner said, cause the struts to have more droop. When you move the coil up a notch, are you not doing pretty much the same thing? Raising the coil on the body of the strut and therefore pushing the shock further down, increasing droop? Either way you end up having your coil springs compressed more at a static height, decreasing ride quality. I think.... someone school me if I am out to lunch.

 

[SCRunner12]

I'm not sure if it is the same. Isn't putting the perch up a notch just compressing the coil more and thus achieving the more lift? The actual shock isn't getting any longer, but the coils is more compressed thus the vehicle gets lifted higher. Adding the top plate will push the entire shock assembly down the size of the spacer, which causes the extra droop.

I don't really know much about suspensions, but that is what I see when thinking about it in my head. I might be wrong.

 

[hungryeddy]

I'm not too sure. I didn't measure because I put them on wrong so it would have been im inacurate.i will measure once I get it switched.

 

[binhsterbinh]

I may be incorrect, but doesn't adding a spacer to the same thing as move the struts up a notch? With the top plate spacer, you are effectively pushing the entire strut downward, like SCRunner said, cause the struts to have more droop. When you move the coil up a notch, are you not doing pretty much the same thing? Raising the coil on the body of the strut and therefore pushing the shock further down, increasing droop? Either way you end up having your coil springs compressed more at a static height, decreasing ride quality. I think.... someone school me if I am out to lunch.

Top plate spacer sits directly above the top hat of the coilover assembly and will not pre-load the spring any more at static height. The spacer is wedged between the coil/shock mount and the coil assembly itself. For example: If you jack your truck up after installing a 1/2" top spacers, your front tires will droop an additonal ~1/2" than it would without spacers before your tires lift off the pavement.

On the other hand with the Tundra 5100's, each spring perch step setting in upward direction increases the the pre-load on the coil further. If you set the perch setting to the top most level, you'd have to compress the heck out of the coil to even put the top hat back on. Since the length of the shock when fully extended never changes, the droop at full extension does not increase compared to if you were on the lowest perch setting. The way it goes is that the more you pre-load, the stiffer/harsh the ride becomes. Increasing the perch setting is just like adding a coil spacer between the spring and top hat.

 

[rickashay]

Top plate spacer sits directly above the top hat of the coilover assembly and will not pre-load the spring any more at static height. The spacer is wedged between the coil/shock mount and the coil assembly itself. For example: If you jack your truck up after installing a 1/2" top spacers, your front tires will droop an additonal ~1/2" than it would without spacers before your tires lift off the pavement.

On the other hand with the Tundra 5100's, each spring perch step setting in upward direction increases the the pre-load on the coil further. If you set the perch setting to the top most level, you'd have to compress the heck out of the coil to even put the top hat back on. Since the length of the shock when fully extended never changes, the droop at full extension does not increase compared to if you were on the lowest perch setting. The way it goes is that the more you pre-load, the stiffer/harsh the ride becomes. Increasing the perch setting is just like adding a coil spacer between the spring and top hat.

Your totally correct. I must have been thinking of a coil spacer, not a top plate spacer.

 

[Zachpins34]

Ok, I'm gonna sound straight re****ed, especially since I have 5100s myself. I know when you put it on a higher perch, it will lift the truck but also compress the spring tighter. I'm having a hard time understanding how it will lift the truck up. the spring is compressed further while sitting on a higher notch, how is it lifting it, if it is just getting compressed, creating a stiffer ride? I know it does lift it, but I cant figure out how or the science behind it...again, yes, im stupid

 

[WrexHAmm]

Ok, I'm gonna sound straight re****ed, especially since I have 5100s myself. I know when you put it on a higher perch, it will lift the truck but also compress the spring tighter. I'm having a hard time understanding how it will lift the truck up. the spring is compressed further while sitting on a higher notch, how is it lifting it, if it is just getting compressed, creating a stiffer ride? I know it does lift it, but I cant figure out how or the science behind it...again, yes, im stupid

Trust me, you don't sound straight re****ed, it's better to ask than not know.

In the case of the 5100s by setting them on the second or third perch you don't have the shocks fully extended. By raising them up a perch you are essentially raising the height of the install. The height comes at the the height of the base of the shock. When you assemble the coils and shocks they will be slightly higher because the shocks will need to extend to the top of the coils but at the same time the lift will come from the bottom setting of the shock. So when you do the install they at a higher perch you reducing the travel of the shocks thus giving a harsher ride. Don't think that makes much sense but I hope it helps.

 

[Zachpins34]

Trust me, you don't sound straight re****ed, it's better to ask than not know.

In the case of the 5100s by setting them on the second or third perch you don't have the shocks fully extended. By raising them up a perch you are essentially raising the height of the install. The height comes at the the height of the base of the shock. When you assemble the coils and shocks they will be slightly higher because the shocks will need to extend to the top of the coils but at the same time the lift will come from the bottom setting of the shock. So when you do the install they at a higher perch you reducing the travel of the shocks thus giving a harsher ride. Don't think that makes much sense but I hope it helps.

yea thanks man i totally get all that, but I just don't understand the science of how the spring being compressed can lift the truck...I know by raising the perch it compresses the spring, but the top of the spring is stuck under the top plate that does not move, so its not getting longer, so its hard for me to understand how its lifting it. i have mine installed already and they feel great. on the 2nd notch right now. I just cant seem to grasp how it works. lol

 

[hungryeddy]

think of it as the compressed spring not lifting it... but not letting it compress down with the weight of the truck, since its already compressed. that's how i make sense of it.