Bilstein 6112's Installed!

[alia176]

I also have 6112s in the front... I've used them on two pretty substantial road trips which both include off road trail. The 2nd picture was a trail near Grand Teton... we ended up flying though it with average speeds of about 20-40 MPH.

I haven't tried anything higher-end than the 6112 yet, but its been about the smartest and most worth while upgrade I have done to my 4runner.

I have the standard 600 lb spring and its set to the 2nd from the highest lift setting.

2" OME 2895 lift springs in the rear and its sitting almost perfectly level, with just a tiny amount of rake when empty. Pretty much just what I was hoping for.

My center of wheel to fender heights were:
23" Front
24" Rear

For those talking about the 5100, I highly recommend a better shock... On road I very much enjoy the drive from the 5100 but they don't seem to pair well with the front 6112 setup.

Its a noticeable difference in performance off-road. I have already decided to swap out the shock because off-road it feels like I'm just dragging the tail end of the car as the 6112 soak up a lot more and feel very balanced and damped. For example I did get a lot of chatter from the rear when the fronts were just breezing though some rocky coble stone road on that Grand Teton trail.

I thought of getting the Bilstein 5160 mentioned here as it seems like a good match, but after getting a taste of what a 2.5" shock has to offer... its hard to keep my eye off the higher end hardware. I really want to rears to feel like my fronts or better... I may end up dropping some serious coin just to see what the fuss is about...

That said, I would highly recommend the 6112 to anyone looking for something better than the norm, without having to spend King, Fox, or ICON money. It was a solid middle ground that met all my expectations and then some.

The hard part for me is now I am asking the question, what can those guys do that the 6112 cant... suspension is addicting.

This is an EXCELLENT feedback, using facts, well as near as you can provide facts w/o using a shock dyno and sophisticated sensors!!

I'll save up my money for the 6112s and 5160s. Given that one can buy 5160s one at a time, this makes it more enticing/plausible for a resource limited guy such as myself.
I do have a set of Bilstein 7100 remote resi shocks but they're 10", don't think I'll be able to squeeze them in this space where 8" seems to work better. This is for the rear of course.

Would you mind terribly copy/pasting this post in this thread for 6112 reviews? http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/192772-any-reviews-new-bilstein-6112s.html

 

[milehigh05]

Bumbo and milehigh05....just to be clear, you are running the 5100 rears and NOT the 5160 remote reservoirs shocks, correct? I'm looking at this front setup but with 5160 and either Icon or Superflex rear with Airlift bags as I tow at times and want that added insurance of bags. Thanks!

correct. currently running 5100's rear. I'm trying to change that very soon. Going to Icon 2.0. Just read enough on a few forums about 5160's not being that much different than the 5100's. I realize the heat and extra oil factor, but like someone else said, I feel I didn't get good advice from a certain vendor on that rear setup I'm running now. That's enough doubt for me to just get Icon's and call it a day.

 

[V8Limited4wd]

Curious about the chain hanging n locked up to your hitch?

It looks like he has chain locked his spare to his tow hitch. A necessity since he lives in Chicago where there has been a high incident rate of 4th gen spare tires being stolen.

 

[Bumbo]

Bumbo and milehigh05....just to be clear, you are running the 5100 rears and NOT the 5160 remote reservoirs shocks, correct? I'm looking at this front setup but with 5160 and either Icon or Superflex rear with Airlift bags as I tow at times and want that added insurance of bags. Thanks!

Correct, all my comments and pictures are with 5100 in the rear... I haven't ordered my replacement shocks yet.

Personally I am going to skip over the 5160 series of shock... I too hear they will drive very similar to the 5100 just with added fade resistance. They may be sightly improved, but it sounds like the valving is probably going to be pretty similar...

From a technical standpoint I learned the 5100 dont really play well with a 2" lift, they are better from stock to 1.5". For that reason alone, I would assume the 5160 would work better? I dont know for sure. I also hear they work well softer spring rates and I very much like the feel of my stiffer 260lb spring.

Speaking of spring rates... Towing really complicates the equation, but personally I would opt for a stiffer spring before I went with bags. What type of tongue weight are we talking about here? I love the way the OME 2895 feel, even unloaded in the city as I prefer something stiffer in the rear with less body role, and I do load up in an "overland" style of kit so I like the weight carrying and headroom for bottoming out.

The key take-away from my post I was trying to highlight was how different a 2.5" body shock felt. I've never owned a large diameter shock until I tried the 6112 I cant really describe it that well with words, but it just feels different. The ride is very plush, smooth, controlled, dampened. Things that should give you "pucker factor" it just handles no problem...

I have plenty of friends with lifted trucks, but none went big on the shocks, and none felt like the 6112. Just my personal opinion, but I think there are ride characteristics a 2.5 can give you than a 2.0 just cant... and i'm not just taking about fade resistance.

Unfortunately for me and my wallet... I cant take my eyes off the ICON 2.5" series shocks. I may not need it, or it might be exactly what I am looking for... All I know if that every time I dont do it right, it ends up costing me even more...

Dont rush into it... Take you time and research... if you tow, you really need to ask yourself how much weight, how often, and much of a compromise do you want to make. Its going to be different for everyone.

 

[Bumbo]

This is an EXCELLENT feedback, using facts, well as near as you can provide facts w/o using a shock dyno and sophisticated sensors!!

I'll save up my money for the 6112s and 5160s. Given that one can buy 5160s one at a time, this makes it more enticing/plausible for a resource limited guy such as myself.
I do have a set of Bilstein 7100 remote resi shocks but they're 10", don't think I'll be able to squeeze them in this space where 8" seems to work better. This is for the rear of course.

Would you mind terribly copy/pasting this post in this thread for 6112 reviews? http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/192772-any-reviews-new-bilstein-6112s.html

Thank you sir... I try.

Depending on budgets, I would absolutely opt for something better than the 5100 if you plan on going higher than 1.5" of lift.

If I decided to stick with 2" and not go 2.5", my top two shocks picks right are are the 5160 and the ICON 2.0 Remote Rez.

They are almost the same price, I personally would lean towards the ICON shocks. I have no data to back this up, but I just have a feeling they have a better handle of valving for the type of driving I do with my 4Runner.

If the 5160 valving is anything like the 5100, it will have a more street-centric feel.

Most of my friends have 5100s on their road trucks. Very light off road, generally a fire road or light trail to get to a camping spot. The shocks do fine for that, and the on-road drive is quite pleasurable. I would very much take a 5100 over anything else as an on-road OEM replacement.

 

[flipflopnfly]

Lift spindles. Keep your factory geometry and it'll ride better.

I like that idea, not that I've tried it but after pulling the front suspension apart to install some BOSS coilovers it does look like lift spindles would be the way to go. I could be wrong, don't have any experience with runners, Tacos and Tundra only.

 

[flipflopnfly]

Bumbo and milehigh05....just to be clear, you are running the 5100 rears and NOT the 5160 remote reservoirs shocks, correct? I'm looking at this front setup but with 5160 and either Icon or Superflex rear with Airlift bags as I tow at times and want that added insurance of bags. Thanks!

I went through this in this thread http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/222897-my-experience-towing-travel-trailer-4-000-miles-wtih-mildly-built-toyota-4runner.html#post2435484 trying to figure out which suspension is the best for towing/cargo (without a WDH) and still good offroad.

Toytec first said 5100's, but only with 1.5" lift springs max in the rear - as people noted the 5100's aren't meant for more lift.

They then recommended ICON Stage One full kit for the stiffer rear springs and matched shocks, but being cheap, and maybe making a mistake by not going "Buy once complain once" as Bumbo recommends, I went with the BOSS full kit. I imagine 6112 front, Icon coils/shocks rear would do fine but I was thinking a matched kit front and rear was what I wanted.

I'd have the BOSS in by now and be able to give you a good review, but I pulled a muscle in my shoulder trying to get the fronts in by myslef. It's not super difficult, but nice to have an assistant. Now I'm waiting for my assistant, drinking some beer and posting here!

I googled around and it doesn't appear having airbags affects the offroad articulation at all, and as you said good insurance over stiffer rear springs for heavy cargo, heavy tongue weight. Just get the correct length airbags for the rear lift springs, or don't cut the rear cones down to the puck like one would do for stock coils.

 

[FolsomT4R]

Thanks to everything in this thread for the feedback on the 6112's. I got mine installed a couple days ago, both at the 4th setting but have about 3/4" of drivers side lean. Thinking of moving the driver side setting to #5 to level things out. Has anyone done that with the 6112's? Are slightly different spring rates OK?

The 6112's are amazing and I highly recommend anyone thinking about buying them to get them. When going over speed bumps before the front would bounce up and down and now it just pops back without a fuss, no bouncing.

For the rear, I put Icon 2.0 and Wheelers T12 rear springs. Everything feels more planted and a bit firmer in the rear but the lift is a lot more than I wanted. I'm hoping these come down to the advertised 1.5" lift because right now I'm sitting at about 2.5". With both lifted right now I have about 2.25" or rake so if the rear doesn't come down I can always try the stock FJ springs or OME 2895E.

All of this is on a 2008 Limited with V8 and 275/70R17 Falken Wild Peak AT3W's.

 

[alia176]

Thanks to everything in this thread for the feedback on the 6112's. I got mine installed a couple days ago, both at the 4th setting but have about 3/4" of drivers side lean. Thinking of moving the driver side setting to #5 to level things out. Has anyone done that with the 6112's? Are slightly different spring rates OK?

The 6112's are amazing and I highly recommend anyone thinking about buying them to get them. When going over speed bumps before the front would bounce up and down and now it just pops back without a fuss, no bouncing.

For the rear, I put Icon 2.0 and Wheelers T12 rear springs. Everything feels more planted and a bit firmer in the rear but the lift is a lot more than I wanted. I'm hoping these come down to the advertised 1.5" lift because right now I'm sitting at about 2.5". With both lifted right now I have about 2.25" or rake so if the rear doesn't come down I can always try the stock FJ springs or OME 2895E.

All of this is on a 2008 Limited with V8 and 275/70R17 Falken Wild Peak AT3W's.

What, no pics? COME ON now, let's see some pics. Also, if you took measurements before and after,what are your #s? Did you get the updated 6112 with more staggered grooves or the older 6112s with less # of grooves? On the updated 6112s, Bilstein suggests putting the snap ring one groove higher on the driver side than the pass side.

 

[jrm]

Same here

For the rear, I put Icon 2.0 and Wheelers T12 rear springs. Everything feels more planted and a bit firmer in the rear but the lift is a lot more than I wanted. I'm hoping these come down to the advertised 1.5" lift because right now I'm sitting at about 2.5". With both lifted right now I have about 2.25" or rake so if the rear doesn't come down I can always try the stock FJ springs or OME 2895E.

My t12s are on the shelf b/c i, like you ended up with way to much lift.

Anyway after the t12s i went the new FJ route and they work well combined with the icon 2.0s. Since then ive installed icon 2.5s up front and now the rear seems under sprung in comparison. So im thinking 895e which i think will be trier to the lift estimate of the t12s...

 

[FolsomT4R]

What, no pics? COME ON now, let's see some pics. Also, if you took measurements before and after,what are your #s? Did you get the updated 6112 with more staggered grooves or the older 6112s with less # of grooves? On the updated 6112s, Bilstein suggests putting the snap ring one groove higher on the driver side than the pass side.

Will post pics soon, I swear!

I have the newer Bilsteins so that's great advice on the grooves, I'll redo the drivers side and put it on clip #5 to even things out.

For the front, with my new 265 70R17 tires, my numbers look like this.

Before:

FL: 33.50" FR: 33.75"

After:

FL: 35.50" FR: 36.25"

There may be some settling but so far drivers side was lifted about 2" and passengers side about 2.5". Drivers side lean of about .75".

 

[FolsomT4R]

My t12s are on the shelf b/c i, like you ended up with way to much lift.

Anyway after the t12s i went the new FJ route and they work well combined with the icon 2.0s. Since then ive installed icon 2.5s up front and now the rear seems under sprung in comparison. So im thinking 895e which i think will be trier to the lift estimate of the t12s...

Great info jrm, thanks!

Do you happen to have lift numbers after the T12's settled vs the FJ spring route? Also, did you get OEM FJ springs or Moogs? the 2895e seems like a good option as well as long as you get the advertised 1.25" of lift (according to Wheelers).

 

[jrm]

I didnt have the T12s

Great info jrm, thanks!

Do you happen to have lift numbers after the T12's settled vs the FJ spring route? Also, did you get OEM FJ springs or Moogs? the 2895e seems like a good option as well as long as you get the advertised 1.25" of lift (according to Wheelers).

on long enough to settle b/c they were putting strain on the brake lines so i removed um wit the new OEM FJ coils once i received um in the mail. The icon 2.0s with OEM FJ center to fender lip measurement is 22". If the 895e do yield 1.25"s of lift that would be perfect since i have the front icons set @ 2.25"s. The only thing about the 895es im not sure of is the 260# spring rate impact on ride....

 

[FolsomT4R]

on long enough to settle b/c they were putting strain on the brake lines so i removed um wit the new OEM FJ coils once i received um in the mail. The icon 2.0s with OEM FJ center to fender lip measurement is 22". If the 895e do yield 1.25"s of lift that would be perfect since i have the front icons set @ 2.25"s. The only thing about the 895es im not sure of is the 260# spring rate impact on ride....

Thanks for the numbers with the OEM FJ's. Those seem like the best option to me if the T12's don't settle. 260 lbs on the 2895e's would be a deal breaker for me. The T12's at 201 already feel firmer. Looks like the OEM FJ's are 190 vs the standard 180 so that should work.

 

[FolsomT4R]

Here is a picture of the 4Runner from this weekend. Bistlein 6112 on the front with Wheeler T12 and Icon 2.0 on the rear. I'm going to give the T12's a month or so to settle but so far the rake is more than I would like.

 

[hawk-i]

Just as a comparison,

I used bilstein 6112's at middle notch with a 1/2" spacer on both sides up front.
And then 5160 + T12's + 1" spacer on back left for the driver side lean.

I ended up perfectly level front to back, which is too bad as I wanted some rake. I think I forogot to adjust for the V6 vs V8 when I added the spacers up front (I have a V6 4wd).

Oh, and with 255/75r17 load C KO2's and the 1,25" spidertrax I got some pretty good rubbing until the Caster was aligned properly (took 2 tries). Had to heat the front fender liners and push them in, and when I flex I'll still have rub.

This picture is BEFORE the Ko2's went on (stock duelers 265/65r17's)

It has settled a little more since the pic I think.

 

[hawk-i]

Here is a pic with the new tires for reference. It snowed about 30cm Christmas night - Santa was kind this year

 

[alia176]

Just as a comparison,

Oh, and with 255/75r17 load C KO2's and the 1,25" spidertrax I got some pretty good rubbing until the Caster was aligned properly (took 2 tries). Had to heat the front fender liners and push them in, and when I flex I'll still have rub.

This picture is BEFORE the Ko2's went on (stock duelers 265/65r17's)

It has settled a little more since the pic I think.

I was under the impression that 255/75/17s will not rub with a 2" lift. Since you were rubbing, do you think it was mainly due to the spidertrax 1.25" spacers?

 

[hawk-i]

I was under the impression that 255/75/17s will not rub with a 2" lift. Since you were rubbing, do you think it was mainly due to the spidertrax 1.25" spacers?

Yeah, I'd say if I took off the spidertrax the rub would probably go. At the same time, with the spacers and narrower tire, the tire is about as perfectly flush with the side of the car as you could get (in my opinion).

Getting the caster into alignment did get rid of the majority of rubbing and anything remaining only occurs with some form of flex and at the very front. I haven't flexed it fully by any means, but as what I have heard is quite minor I'm sure a little more shaping and trimming up front on the inner liners will get rid of it, so I plan to keep the spacers.

 

[FolsomT4R]

Just as a comparison,

I used bilstein 6112's at middle notch with a 1/2" spacer on both sides up front.
And then 5160 + T12's + 1" spacer on back left for the driver side lean.

I ended up perfectly level front to back, which is too bad as I wanted some rake. I think I forogot to adjust for the V6 vs V8 when I added the spacers up front (I have a V6 4wd).

Oh, and with 255/75r17 load C KO2's and the 1,25" spidertrax I got some pretty good rubbing until the Caster was aligned properly (took 2 tries). Had to heat the front fender liners and push them in, and when I flex I'll still have rub.

This picture is BEFORE the Ko2's went on (stock duelers 265/65r17's)

It has settled a little more since the pic I think.

Good looking 4Runner Hawk. Did your T12's settle after a couple weeks of them being on your truck? Mine are still quite a bit higher than I would like after a week.