Bilsteins with coils

[Lewis&Clark]

I'm planning to buy Bilsteins 5100 ride height adjustables this week. Need to replace the front and rear struts.

Can I buy them anywhere with new coils, bushings, etc. already mounted/attached?

 

[jrm]

toytec & sorenson

I'm planning to buy Bilsteins 5100 ride height adjustables this week. Need to replace the front and rear struts.

Can I buy them anywhere with new coils, bushings, etc. already mounted/attached?

offer assembly for around 100 to 150 for both. I paid $100 for mine to be assembled locally in oakland

 

[yosh2000]

why? do you not have the tools? too scared to mount the springs yourself?

if you have the tools and are not scared, search around for the no spring compressor method. i recently swapped my coils out this way for the first time and it was very easy and saved a lot of time over the spring compressors from vatozone (which always made me a little leery).

if you dont have the tools, forget my post.

EDIT: maybe try wheelers or sonoransteel if you need everything assembled, but be prepared to pay probably over $800 this way for new 5100, springs, tophats, bushings and assembly

 

[S p a r k y]

you probably can't buy it all preassembled. You need a few of the stock parts to make it work. Assembly hat specifically

 

[nicheel8]

I was about to the post a similar question and I found this video on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6u7dC7EHg

Has anyone else done this?

 

[yosh2000]

^ thats what i did, very easy if you know what your doing and respect the stored energy in that spring!

 

[4RunninMD]

Glad i came across this. Now i wont rent a spring compressor this weekend [emoji1360][emoji1360]

 

[Morphyne]

how mych lift are you going for?
here is a three inch lift already assembled.

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...-5100-coilovers-for-toyota-4runner-2003-2009/

if you go to toyteclifts.com I believe they sell pre-assembled lifts. But most shops will assemble them for a fee.

But there is a "no spring compressor" method and I have used it. its not hard.

 

[Lewis&Clark]

how mych lift are you going for?
here is a three inch lift already assembled.

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...-5100-coilovers-for-toyota-4runner-2003-2009/

if you go to toyteclifts.com I believe they sell pre-assembled lifts. But most shops will assemble them for a fee.

But there is a "no spring compressor" method and I have used it. its not hard.

None for the time being. That's why I like the 5100 adjustables; I can leave at factory height and lift later when I'm ready to spring for larger tires.

 

[t-man]

I've got to be honest, I find it SOOO much easier to pull the strut out and use compressors to change it out on the bench. Less things to mess with and as long as you make sure the teeth of the compressor are fully seated you don't have to worry about anything. I rented the spring compressor for $50 and I would get back like $30 or something but I decided to keep it. Quality tool and I have no complaints or worries from it.

 

[Dylan]

Or go to the local mechanic and pay $40 total for both coils to be mounted. Let your fingers do the walking with a phone call. That's what I did. Whoever is charging $100-$150 is getting the last laugh.

 

[t-man]

Or go to the local mechanic and pay $40 total for both coils to be mounted. Let your fingers do the walking with a phone call. That's what I did. Whoever is charging $100-$150 is getting the last laugh.

Good point!


Also, buy new tophats! They are cheap on Amazon and worth it. I had my original ones fail and they tore some serious crap up!!! They almost broke my shock shaft too. It's worth the $50 to just replace them and then you have all new components top to bottom. :trophy:

 

[Dylan]

Good point!


Also, buy new tophats! They are cheap on Amazon and worth it. I had my original ones fail and they tore some serious crap up!!! They almost broke my shock shaft too. It's worth the $50 to just replace them and then you have all new components top to bottom. :trophy:

What exactly failed? I used some from the FJ coils I put on and ditched mine.

 

[t-man]

What exactly failed? I used some from the FJ coils I put on and ditched mine.

The bushings completely failed and this resulted in the shock wobbling around grinding into the washers and such. For a cheap part it's just worth it if the ones you are using have some miles on them.

 

[yosh2000]

thats a bushing issue, not a tophat issue, no? a bushing set can be purchased separately from wheelers.

 

[t-man]

thats a bushing issue, not a tophat issue, no? a bushing set can be purchased separately from wheelers.

Wheelers provides the bushings, but it's just the bushings, not the rubber isolator that goes between the spring and tophat. Also, if your bushings wear out unknown the shock will rub into the tophat messing it up as it did on mine. I guess the point is, you get all new parts, you can assemble your new shocks and coils and just swap them out for the new ones which can be less hassle. Also, the original ones on mine were rusted and I had to beat them out with a 5lb sledge.
Wheelers bushings: Front Strut Stem Cushion and Washer kit
New tophat components: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...qid=1456363966&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Here's what my tophat looked like.

 

[T5RUNNER]

There is no reason to replace top hats unless they are broken like the ones above. They are not a wear item.

The problem with buying preassembled kits is they use toyota parts that are stupid expensive. But if you want to save the hassle, Amazon has assembled 6112 kits for just under $800.

Also, 4runners don't have struts. I'm not sure why that bugs me so much...I'll see myself out.

 

[t-man]

There is no reason to replace top hats unless they are broken like the ones above. They are not a wear item.

The problem with buying preassembled kits is they use toyota parts that are stupid expensive. But if you want to save the hassle, Amazon has assembled 6112 kits for just under $800.

Also, 4runners don't have struts. I'm not sure why that bugs me so much...I'll see myself out.

For 50 bucks or less, I'll replace them. Chapter than buying bushings and the spring isolator. Pre-assembled is stupid expensive.
Technically, it is a strut. It's a coil mounted on a shock. They aren't separate so it's not a shock, and it doesn't have adjustment threads to make it a coilover.

 

[T5RUNNER]

Technically, it is a strut. It's a coil mounted on a shock. They aren't separate so it's not a shock, and it doesn't have adjustment threads to make it a coilover.

They are coil-over shocks. Adjustment threads have nothing to do with it, they are called coil-over because the coil is mounted over the shock. Most struts are also coil-over, but that is not what makes them struts. Its a minor pet peeve of mine, but its not good to reenforce the misnomer.

 

[RonJR]

So, educate us. What does make a strut a strut?