Bilstein 6112/5160 long-term durability, vs kings, etc

[honda250xtitan]

This is 100% correct.

The 6112/5160 are non-rebuildable nitro charged shocks. They are designed to live their lives and be replaced. Personally I look for a shock to last around 60-80k miles and then I'll look to replace it. Sure they may go a lot longer or less.

Rebuildable options like Fox, Icon and so on. Will never 'last' as long because they are not designed to last 80k miles. 'Last' is also a relative term. Does 'last' mean time between rebuilds or does it mean the total life span.

If you are talking about time between rebuilds, rebuildables will always cost more. If you are talking about total live span, then they may be an ROI at some point.

For example .... You drive 25k miles per year.

Say its $4000 (just a guess) to buy the full Fox, King or Icon setup. Then $500 (just a guess) to rebuild them every year. In 75k miles you'll have spent about $5500. At 150k miles you've spend about $7000. Yes there a lot other factors like downtime while the rebuild is done.

A 6112/5160 combo costs about $1200-$1500. At 75k miles you buy the current offering (maybe an upgrade) for around the same price. Now you are $3000-ish. At 150k miles you buy another new latest and greatest for around the same price. Now you are at $4500-ish. One big thing with this option is you have NO down time. You also have the ability to change things up with no 'wasted' money because you are spending the money anyway.

I was talking to one person the bought Kings and he'll run them until they leak and they buy something else .... OMG. He was hoping to get 60-70k miles out of them. Personally I don't have that kind of cash just laying around.

lolz don't throw numbers out if you have no clue what you're talking about. Full fox 2.0 setup for 1200. thats front and rear. Rebuildable and tunable. Full king setup in the 2.5 flavor will be 2200 or so. Rebuilding is not difficult nor that expensive. Sure if you ship them across country and pay someone it'll be more.

Bilstein monotube design is the "same" as a fox/king. nitrogen/oil setup. Bilstein and ICON run the same valving style too.

Rebuild times vary based on driving and environment. if its a city driven vehicle in say Arizona, they'll last much longer then a toy driven in the dunes every weekend. They also can last the life of the vehicle and longer if you take care of them and rebuild when you need to.

 

[Jono.ful]

^this.

A rebuild consists of new seals and new oil, you're looking at less than $100 per axle for DIY with about a 3 hour time commitment every couple years


Edit: you will need to replace the top and bottom bearings every couple years too, which are about $50 per shock for full stainless steel teflon lined units

 

[Hippestguyever]

Consensus

So what's the general Consensus? 5100s all the around or 6112/5160 vs 6112/5100 ? I'm upgrading my TRD off road prem with kdss and not sure what set up to go With? Comfort ,longetivity are most important right now . (I'm leveling it in case anyone is wondering why I'm upgrading the setup ) thanks guys!

 

[cutty01]

So what's the general Consensus? 5100s all the around or 6112/5160 vs 6112/5100 ? I'm upgrading my TRD off road prem with kdss and not sure what set up to go With? Comfort ,lomgetivity are most important right now . (I'm leveling it in case anyone is wondering why I'm upgrading the setup ) thanks guys!

I have the 6112/5160s paired with Sway-Away 1.5" coils. I am very happy with them and have not had the leaking issues like others have. I don't drive off road very often but I think the dampening/rebound are the perfect for everyday driving. However after reading 1Enginner's post, when it comes time to replacing them, I will likely go with the more well rounded and more reliable 5100s all the way around.

 

[CoolMax]

https://expeditionportal.com/did-bilstein-just-make-the-ultimate-4runner-overland-suspension-system/

 

[Hippestguyever]

Most people have no clue as to what to use and when to use it. Let me help you but be honest with me:

There is a big difference between Baja style high speed desert running and normal off road or even slower speed crawling. For the high speed desert runs ( I'm talking hours at a time, not 20 minutes once a month) you need a large bore shock with remote reservoirs. Why? Two reasons... the remote reservoirs keep your shock oil cooler and the larger borck can absorb the big fast hits and provide a cushion. Raptors are built for this and to a lesser extent the TRD PRO. Are you this guy? Remember every shock made for this application will need a lot more maintenance.

Now let's talk about the second application. Lower speed intermittent desert or normal off road or even mild crawling do not require remote reservoirs or larger bore shocks. This is where the 5100's come into play. Think of them as a really good stock shock upgrade that will let you lift a few inches. There are others as well that fit this profile but the Bilsteins are very inexpensive and last a.long time with no maintenance.

Serious rock crawling is totally unique. Shock travel is very important here and long travel suspension is preferred, which is a whole different animal.

Remember the time you spend on the road. You need a long lasting no maintenance shock that handles well on the road. Only a fool would build something for 1% of the time... thats like carrying three spare tires.

This info is very helpful, thanks! So you would recommend 5100s all the way around vs the 6112/5100 setup? I'm planning on doing light off roading a few times a year and looking for something with longetivity and comfort > offroading capabilities at this point.

Thanks!

FYI - This is the cheapest I found the 6112/5100 setup. Would I need to purchase anything else? Or does this include everything needed?https://www.amazon.com/BILSTEIN-Str...1503901241&sr=8-4&keywords=bilstein+6112/5100

 

[borfoo3]

A happy 6112/5160 user here with +35k miles so far

They've been with me since first few months of my T4R ownership and still going.. They've seen everything from daily trips to work all the way to our Oman expedition last year (fully packed, thru 3 countries, +3000 miles, ~50/50 highway and off-road mainly in dunes and rocks). I ran them through -30c (-22F, in Edmonton, Canada) to +55c (+131F in Kuwait). Still running strong.

IMO they are the best shock within the maintenance-free category (i.e. outside the high-end tunable, rebuildable options) and haven't really felt their limits until I got way better (bolder?) behind the wheel along with the significant truck height/weight gains (i.e. front skid plate, dual battery setup, SSO rear steel bumper, Overland 3" coils...etc.)

Hence why I close with the opinion that they are as close to OEM reliability you can get from an aftermarket shock.

 

[TVA21]

I realize this is probably a stupid question before asking, but will the 5160 rears bolt straight up to a TRD Pro runner with no modifications?

 

[borfoo3]

I realize this is probably a stupid question before asking, but will the 5160 rears bolt straight up to a TRD Pro runner with no modifications?

Yes they do.

 

[cheeser]

I realize this is probably a stupid question before asking, but will the 5160 rears bolt straight up to a TRD Pro runner with no modifications?

When I put mine on last week, I found one of the holes I was supposed to use for the reservoir mount was not threaded. The install kit comes with a bolt for a threaded hole and a hooked type of threaded retainer for a non threaded hole.

Luckily, I had some 1/4-20 rivet nuts I was able to use to fasten the reservoir. The other option is to buy the $45 bracket to fasten the reservoir to the shock.

 

[JD914]

This info is very helpful, thanks! So you would recommend 5100s all the way around vs the 6112/5100 setup? I'm planning on doing light off roading a few times a year and looking for something with longetivity and comfort > offroading capabilities at this point.

Thanks!

FYI - This is the cheapest I found the 6112/5100 setup. Would I need to purchase anything else? Or does this include everything needed?https://www.amazon.com/BILSTEIN-Str...1503901241&sr=8-4&keywords=bilstein+6112/5100

Found the same price for the 6112/5160 combo here:http://mrtmotorsports.net/bilstein/...b8-5160-series-shocks/25227611/i-1975419.aspx


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[1engineer]

This info is very helpful, thanks! So you would recommend 5100s all the way around vs the 6112/5100 setup? I'm planning on doing light off roading a few times a year and looking for something with longetivity and comfort > offroading capabilities at this point.

Thanks!

FYI - This is the cheapest I found the 6112/5100 setup. Would I need to purchase anything else? Or does this include everything needed?https://www.amazon.com/BILSTEIN-Str...1503901241&sr=8-4&keywords=bilstein+6112/5100

5100 = $400. Allows you to level and will last like OEM shocks, usually between 60-100K miles, depending on usage. Throw them away and get a new set.
Light off roading a few times a year is fine for stock shocks. Light off roading a few times a week is fine for stock shocks. Remember to re aim your headlights if you level. And, remember that if you put any kind of load in the back you will be nose high if you level. People forget that the reason the rake is there in the first place is to allow heavier loads without going nose high.

 

[sn_85]

Found the same price for the 6112/5160 combo here:25-227611 - BILSTEIN Truck & Off Road - B8 5160 Series Shocks - Moore Racing Technology - Top Quality Offroad, Outdoor, Overland & Racing Parts


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Except you have to deal with Chas Moore who screwed over a ton of people on his last group buy.

 

[JD914]

Except you have to deal with Chas Moore who screwed over a ton of people on his last group buy.

Ah, thanks for the heads up. I knew there had to be a catch.

 

[JD914]

Not to redirect this thread but what about bilsteinlifts.com? It has the exact same format as MRT but different prices (and selection)?
Just wondering if anybody had any experience with them.


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[honda250xtitan]

Except you have to deal with Chas Moore who screwed over a ton of people on his last group buy.

What happened?

 

[cheeser]

wheelersoffroad.com provides decent prices as well. I chose to have them assemble my 6112s as well...made things a bit faster for the install.

 

[sn_85]

Ah, thanks for the heads up. I knew there had to be a catch.

What happened?

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/group...ee-spanner-raffle-free-delivery-9-9-12-a.html

Here's the thread to the GB he hosted. Basically a lot of members didn't receive items they paid for, parts were missing from certain packages, communication went unanswered, and refunds stalled. He didn't answer calls and emails but he was very active on social media getting ready for SEMA when there were many orders that were still outstanding. Prices might be good but I just wouldn't want to deal with someone of that character.

 

[honda250xtitan]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/group...ee-spanner-raffle-free-delivery-9-9-12-a.html

Here's the thread to the GB he hosted. Basically a lot of members didn't receive items they paid for, parts were missing from certain packages, communication went unanswered, and refunds stalled. He didn't answer calls and emails but he was very active on social media getting ready for SEMA when there were many orders that were still outstanding. Prices might be good but I just wouldn't want to deal with someone of that character.

that sucks. i probably spent close to 2K through him on my titan. him and Mike at ORW used to kill it at TotalAutomotivePerformance. :rockon:

 

[Hippestguyever]

Anyone know where I can get the best prices for 5100s all the way around for 17' 4runner ? Do I need springs with It? Or keep the stock springs with the shocks? Thanks in advance!