Bilstein 5100 question

[4runnerAzGuy]

I installed mine yesterday with just stock springs and I set them on their highest setting. I was doing some reading and it seems like most weren't using the highest setting on the 5100s. Why is that? Am I going to run into issues having them set at their highest?

I tried searching around but I just kept finding people asking about 5100s with FJ springs.

 

[miller92063]

I'm sure people with much more experience will jump in here, but for a quick answer:

Most people believe (mostly from experience from what I have read) after you go to/past the 3 inch lift point you will run into issues in the suspension. I believe mostly effecting the UCA. As I'm sure you read the FJ springs can add and inch by themselves so if you go 2.5 plus the fj's you are over 3. From what I have read you will be fine as many people here are running the daystar 2.5/1.5 with no other modifications.

 

[carcrazysammy]

It depends on your 4runner. Mine is set on the highest setting but I have Bud Built skids Shrockworks bumper and winch (400 extra lbs).

The cv boots and joints will have more work to do but other than that it should be OK. Alingment could run out of adjustment as well.

Let us know!

Sammy

 

[4runnerAzGuy]

Yea I heard about the issue with going over the 3" of lift but I think since I kept my stock coils I should hopefully be ok because the top setting is supposed to be 2.5" of lift.

I'm pretty much at the point where I need to replace all my ball joints anyway so I may just try and find an affordable set of UCAs with more adjustment so I'm not close to the limit.

 

[zopperman]

Yea I heard about the issue with going over the 3" of lift but I think since I kept my stock coils I should hopefully be ok because the top setting is supposed to be 2.5" of lift.

I'm pretty much at the point where I need to replace all my ball joints anyway so I may just try and find an affordable set of UCAs with more adjustment so I'm not close to the limit.

I really like my SPC light racing UCA's. Worth it for 370 shipped amazon prime when I got them. I only have the DS 2.5 and FJ coils. I'll be upgrading soon though so it'll be great to have the UCA part done. Not to mention I won't be limited in my down travel by the UBJ and they are a hell of a lot beefier and have easily replaceable ball joints and my caster is like 3.9 on both sides and the steering is very tight.

 

[zonarunner]

I have light racing UCA and we can try to meet up if you want to have a feel and look at them before buying your own.

 

[ebg18t]

I am one of the non LR UCA people.

I opted for DSM - Desert Products uni-ball UCA's. They are burly and corrected my caster properly.

 

[4runnerAzGuy]

I have light racing UCA and we can try to meet up if you want to have a feel and look at them before buying your own.

Yea I'll probably go with the light racing ones just because the price isn't too bad. I'd love to meet up though and be able to take a look at them before I actually order them.

 

[GLP]

I got a set of 5100s installed a couple weeks ago and kept the stock springs. I told the guy that did the work to adjust the ride height so the front was level with the rear. To do that he had to put them on the highest setting (2.5" lift). On level ground the front is maybe 1/8" higher than the rear so for me the 2.5" setting produces the most level lift. One thing the guy told me was that the stock setting for my vehicle was second from highest (1.75" lift). I'm not sure if he was correct about that because that would mean to level mine would have only required .625" lift. Seems like it should have at least required 1", unless there was some slight amount of lift produced in the rear by putting 5100s in the rear too?

 

[4runnerAzGuy]

Ok we'll everything looks good so I'll end up replacing the lower ball joints here soon and hopefully upgrade the uppers also.

Tomorrow I'm installing the rear spacers and then going down to get my tires. I got the poly spacers from Toytec, are they supposed to go over that rubber cone or is the cone supposed to go above the spacer? I've seen kits that are both ways and nothing came with the spacers saying anything about install.

It's this kit.
Rear 1.5" lift Black Spacers Poly for FJ/4Runner

 

[zopperman]

Yea I'll probably go with the light racing ones just because the price isn't too bad. I'd love to meet up though and be able to take a look at them before I actually order them.

Long drive!! lol

Ok we'll everything looks good so I'll end up replacing the lower ball joints here soon and hopefully upgrade the uppers also.

Tomorrow I'm installing the rear spacers and then going down to get my tires. I got the poly spacers from Toytec, are they supposed to go over that rubber cone or is the cone supposed to go above the spacer? I've seen kits that are both ways and nothing came with the spacers saying anything about install.

It's this kit.
Rear 1.5" lift Black Spacers Poly for FJ/4Runner

It *should* only fit one way. My daystar kit is for an FJ, it goes spacer - bump dtop - spring but the kit designed for the 4r goes bump - spacer - spring. I would try it that way first

 

[4runnerAzGuy]

Ok I'll just have to mess with the springs when I get them out and see how they fit with the spacers.

 

[Tooltime19]

If you can, I suggest going with lift springs over the rear spacer kit. I had the spacers for a while and couldn't wait to pull them out. With the added spacer lift front and rear, the truck was all over the place with far too much body roll. The off road ride was terrible. Always hitting the rear bump stops over the slightest bit of rough stuff. With normal gear, coolers, food and passengers, this thing rode terrible.
I switched to the Bilsteins and that helped quite a bit. Lastly, I switched to the OME 2" rear coils and this thing works 100% better on road and off road. Plus, the on road ride really feels safer.
If you can, try to avoid the spacers and go with new rear springs and the adjustable bilsteins at minimum.

 

[AKmoney]

I didn't want that much lift. I set the 5100s at the 0.85" setting and along with FJ springs I got a net lift of about 1.5" on the front axle (I have a V8/4wd). Net lift on the rear was about 0.5" with FJ springs alone. The truck sits nearly (but not quite) level. I figured if I load the truck down with people/gear/mountain bikes on a hitch rack it may even sit higher in the front, so a little rake is OK with me.

 

[Tooltime19]

Hey, sorry bout that. I must have missed the fact you had the FJ springs. The FJ springs I hear are far nicer than the T4 springs. Good luck.