Access Cabs and 6112 lifts, 1” only?

Hey Tundra people, long time reader first time poster. I have found many answers to my question, many different answers, but no first hand experiences.

Have you, or someone you know, installed Bilstein 6112 front struts (part#47-310049) on a 2000-06 access cab? 2wd or 4x4 doesn’t matter to me. I want to know what clip setting you used, and lift gained. A picture would be great too.

on Bilstein’s website they say not to exceed the #6,#4 clip position on a 4wd v8 access cab. They also say that the max setting #6,#4 position will only allow 1” of lift- but that the same setting on a double cab will provide more lift. I don’t understand how that works with identical struts and a heavier cab. Looking for first hand experience and real world numbers. I just want a good 2” lift that is a decent $ to performance ratio, need to fit 255/85r16 at4w tires under it. Hunting in Montana the roads get really rough but I won’t be rock crawling. There’s aren’t any 6112s in stock, no you can’t buy 255/85r16 at4w’s yet, and this lift isn’t even for my current truck. Hoping to sell my 05 2wd and buy a 4x4 soon, love it but need more tires to spin.

 

It makes no sense they way they won’t include lift spring options for the 6112s given what they cost. I don’t understand why anyone would want those to preload the spings to achieve lift like the 5100s do. At least with the 5100s you can run a lift spring and keep the clips at the bottom notch.

 

Exactly, somebody out there has worked this out. Eibach does make a 700lb spring for 6112’s, who knows where that puts it. Seperate companies out there are offering 6112 lift kits with all the same parts and some say max 1” and others never read the Bilstein instructions and say 2” on the same setting. I would love a taller spring to reduce preload.

 

You can’t trust anything online retailers are saying anyway, everything is targeted towards whatever cab and drivetrain they’ve had experience with installs on. Which overwhelmingly tends to be double cab. Based on before/after results folks on here and other 1st gen Tundra forums have seen. I feel bad for anyone who fails to check lift threads here and see what results others have gotten out of their respective lifts while hoping to buy the same equipment.

EDIT: But it is odd if Bilstein is showing different taller results on DC than AC. Or maybe I read that wrong.

 

If it's just for minor offroad stuff the 6112s are gonna be overkill. The toytec ultimate kit I have would be just fine for that at around $1500. I did some decent offroad with them and they're not bad. I also have 255x85xr16 coopers and 1.25" spacers and have a slight rub due to bad alignment. With a good alignment and a hammered pinch weld it would have 0 rub. Just my .02.

 

The 650lb springs are 15.6" long, the 700lb springs are 16" long.

I have the 650lb springs mounted at the bottom setting & i think its perfect. Not quite leveled, but it rides great on the highway & some roughish utv trails.

 

Nice wheels Mr Bee, unrelated but FYI MBWheels has discontinued those wheels. I found out when trying to buy a replacement after smashing one into a curb. Maybe unimportant but I figured I would let you know anyway.

 

For the right price, you could have four spares...

 

Yes I thought I was reading it wrong also. I still can’t believe it would be true so I’m checking out what others have seen.

 

Bmf4069, that’s good to hear about your tires. Toytec is what I’m probably looking at if this fails, I just like the idea of 60mm struts. I drive 60% highway and 40% dirt roads, never in town, and I thought that the 6112 would be comfortable for hours both on highway and washboard roads, maybe even last longer also.

I’m trying to avoid spacers and found what I think are decent wheels to mount. They appear sturdy and ugly, Outlaws Dune 16x7 0-offset. Only 19lbs and can support 4000lbs. My calculations show that from stock (17x7.5-+18mm offset) they should move the inner wheel edge +24mm(1”)out away from the truck and the outer edge +12mm(0.5”) out. I wanted the narrow width for extra seal when airing down. I believe that the 05-06 had larger brakes but still came stock with some 16” wheels, does anyone know how to check if a particular wheel would cause interference?

 

On the right track, however where the tire edge is vs where the wheel edge is will be different ; not by much. So you have a good idea on clearances. Just don't be surprised by a little extra meat

 

I’m pretty sure the 255/85r16 will be less than or at most equal to stock tire width, I’m hoping the extra inch of inside clearance will help me use chains when the passes require them.

 

Thanks Mr.bee, I would be super interested in where it sits on the #6,#4 setting compared to the lowest setting you currently have. Please report your findings if you ever try it. Did you use clip #3,#1 to accommodate for the lean or just set them both at #1?

 

Both sides are #1, and i load my tools & stuff on the passenger side to compensate for any lean. Also removed my front swaybar.

no regerts, theres a little extra lean on long fast corners, but not enough to cause problems.

 

Well. As @Shifty mentioned....make sure you read up beforehand. I purchased a set of 6112's from a Jeep shop NIB for around 560-$600 shipped just to find out Mr. Billy does not recomend or warranty use on RCLB applications.

I messaged @shifty` about this and we speculated weight or maybe Billy did not due R&D bc not many RCLB V8 4X4 SR5 where sold?

I finally emailed bilstein and they said :

"Standard cab and AC cab vehicles have a shorter driveline then DC and encounter suspenion and driveline suspension and geometry issues quickly when lifted. "

** please note this is just off memory, i did send shifty Bilsteins email too. But this was their (billy) justification to limit to 1" of lift on non- DC body styles.

Now , i personally think its a weight or clearance with spring to factory UCA thing as the 6112's are beafy. I have spoken to two shops that have installed them no problem on 2002+ RC and AC and both stated to use same circlip unless DC and that 05+ DC (crew cabs) have more weight on fuel tank side. I was told for RC and AC #2=1", #3=2" and to not go any higher without aftermarket UCA or clearance could become issue.

* please note this is all non-first hand experience , but a few guys witg AC and RC do run them on here and dont post a ton. If I could sell the 6122's i would prob go toytec. But have come to like to KYB ride quality for my use. The whole lifting IFS thing and different circlips is weird to me as well, but, plenty of people love them. Sorry for long post.

 

Thanks BlueGrape! I really appreciate your input. I’m open to throwing some UCAs on to make it fit/ride perfect. Hopefully someone with an AC 4x4 and Billy 6112’s can chime in with their results. I don’t understand the different clip settings either, did our stock shocks come specifically for the right and left side? does the lean not exist if not lifted?

I’ve been watching Tinkerers Adventures on YouTube and feel like I’m getting a decent understanding of how to make the right decisions with lift geometry. He doesn’t talk about first gen’s specific mechanics, but doesn’t seem to be a fan of dif drops in Toyota IFS. Maybe there is something different about our CV angle in the RC/AC vs DC, I hope Billy will tell me what failed at higher lifts to set their recommendation at 1”

 

The original springs are side specific. And every set of leafs i've pulled off have had a bit of difference in height it seems like if i'd bought mine with the springs assembled 1/3 or 2/4 it woud have added a lean that wasnt there. But my truck lived a pretty easy life before i got ahold of it.

 

No prob email this dude from Bilstein.

Smith, Joseph <Joseph.Smith3@thyssenkrupp-automotive.com>Smith, Joseph <Joseph.Smith3@thyssenkrupp-automotive.com>

 

Not sure if its the ramps but it looks like you got 3" on bottom clip lol. Did you happen to measure?

 

It was over an inch the first day, but settled fairly quickly down to about 1/2", and thats about how far my stock bushings had collapsed, so i'd call it 0" lift.

 

Well things are moving along, when I started this post I didn’t have a white AC with blown struts. Now I’m gathering pieces for this lift. Got new EBC rotors (USR7158) and pads (ED+ redstuff ED91657) to stop the heavier tires. I installed yellowstuff on my other tundra and have had great braking and lifespan of both pads and rotors. They do make the wheels dusty. I Have some fancy 05-06 stock 16x7 wheels for the 255/85r16 at4w tires. Stock offset should help me tuck better with less rubbing. Going to start by buying them, 255/85r16, first and seeing where I actually need lift, Ideally a low center of gravity 1” lift would suit me fine, but the tire sticky thread says I need more lift for 33”s.

what shops did you talk to? maybe I could call them and hear what their customers said afterwards. How much lift did you put on your RC with the 6112’s again? I don’t know why but I’m feeling hellbent on the 6112/5460 combo. I will get the 700# spring on a lower c-clip setting if that helps me. Will probably want SPC UCAs but they are expensive now!! More than 2x other brands. Still worth it?

if you or a love one have been exposed to an AC on 6112’s, you may be entitled to compensation. please report your findings on this thread

 

Still happy with mine. I have since found out the 700# springs are longer, like a full 16" where the 650# springs ar only 15.6" or something. So if/when i get a bumper i might step up to the 700's instead of moving my clips.my ubj's are holding grease fine, gonna give the uca's a couple pumps today to see what comes out, but the grease came out clean last month.

 

It’s been stated elsewhere but you don’t need to buy them under the SPC brand. You can get actual SPC UCA under other brands for cheaper. I paid around $500 for mine and they came in an Eibach box. There’s more info on that here in the forum. Search for SPC Eibach Mevotech, and filter based on my username.

 

You're gonna want spacers too. With the stock wheels and 255s, they'll be tucked in pretty far. Here's how mine sits with stock wheels, 255s, and 1.25 spacers:

 

I’m with you. spacers, clips, and increased spring length all reduce available up travel, but for some reason the longer springs seem like the “right” way

I had not heard of these, thank you I will look into it, I also got an offer from a member here to buy their SPC uppers.

Dang you’re probably right about the spacers. I prefer function over looks so it’s more important to me that it fits without rubbing, but also I still care about looks haha. My new truck also has those stock flared fender flares (FFF) compared to my old metal trimmed ones. I found some 0 offset wheels that will move the outside edge +.5” and I can try spacers. Thanks for the pictures that really helps me visualise it

 

Now I'm at a real keyboard, part numbers here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/mevotech-ucas-same-as-spc.60435/page-6#post-2996791

Proof (on Eibach at least) here, from my order: https://www.tundras.com/threads/mevotech-ucas-same-as-spc.60435/page-6#post-2996775

Someone on here that was lucky enough to actually find both the Mevotech arms in stock online (they sell left/right separately, which makes it a PITA) showed theirs were SPC also.

Note the picture at Eibach's website shows a generic UCA. Don't be fooled.

 

Lift Outcome with 6112 + SPC UCAs on Access Cab — Advice?

Howdy everyone,
First-time poster here I recently picked up a 2002 Tundra SR5 Access Cab 4WD TRD with 273K miles here in Utah.

I’ve wrapped up a bunch of mechanical work and I’m now diving into the axle and suspension phase.

Here’s what I've gathered so far:

• Bilstein 6112 Strut & Spring Assembled + 5160 Reservoir Rear Shocks
• SPC Adjustable Upper Control Arms
• OEM Lower Control Arms
• OEM Lower Ball Joints (with knuckle arms)

I’m considering adding a diff drop and maybe high-angle or HD CV axles depending on how steep the CV angles end up.

---

Main questions:
- How much lift have folks actually gotten from this setup on an Access Cab at the max clip setting?
- What tire sizes are realistically fitting without major trimming?

@Bed Tundy — did you go through with your lift?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s run this setup or something similar, especially fellow Access Cab owners.

Thanks in advance for the insight!

---

—
Taha in Utah
2002 Tundra SR5 4WD Access Cab TRD
Bilstein 6112/5160 | SPC UCAs | OEM LCAs/LBJs | 273K Miles Strong

 

From Utah? Is it a rust-free frame? I take it you've read this, right? https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/unread

You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone that knows how to work with the SPC uppers, unless you happen to really be well-versed in them. Hopefully you bought the Eibach-branded version, and saved yourself hundreds of dollars. Be sure to double-check torque on the top nut of their UBJ after every alignment, and after 20, 50, 200 miles from install.

The rest looks great., hopefully you got new bolts for the LBJs too. Props for buying OEM. Smart man.

As you'll see in the suspension/wheel/tires thread I linked, diff drop is a gimmick. Unless you're spending big bucks on CV axles, the high angle/HD axles are an absolute fucking joke. OEM axles are extremely, and I mean extremly stout. But, again, as mentioned in the thread I linked, coming from multiple member experiences here, you may sling some grease after lift, and may need to replace the OEM oetiker boot clamps with rolled-edge worm drive clamps from NORMA.

DO NOT use the max clip setting. Bilstein specifically says DO NOT use clip #5 or above on passenger side, or #7 and above on the driver side (edit: For AC/4WD, at least).

Sadly, there's a big fucking typo (again, this is mentioned in the thread I linked above!!!!) in Bilstein's documentation for the 6112, so please reference what our community has found to be closer to truth, as linked in that thread, THIS CHART HERE.

If you actually needed more than 2" of lift - which, I can tell you as a fellow V8/4WD access cab driver who also has near-33s, is very substantial in our trucks - then you bought the wrong equipment by choosing 6112. Rather than risk damaging your shit, I'd recommend buying the correct lift, but also understand that, with the access cab, once you get above 3" you run into risk of fucking your shit up, LIKE THIS GUY, who made the unfortunate mistake of trusting Old Man Emu's literature.

Nobody, and I mean nobody can answer that question for you. There are too many variables.

• Wheel backspacing and width
• Tire width and diameter
• Whether you're able to get +2.5 caster or more
• Whether you have armor up front
• Whether you're running road tires, A/T tires, or M/T tires, AND how aggressive or protrusive the treat/lug pattern is.

A lot of this is explained in the suspension/wheel/tires section of the thread, see my 1st link above. That content is NOT me talking, I just posted that thread (someone has to). That info is basically this community digging back 5-10 years, compiling info, so you don't hafta run around and find it on your own.

But the casual answer?

I know access cab 4WD guys on here running 285/70r17 (basically 33") and only kissing the frame a hair, when at full-lock.

I have ~2.5" lift up front and ~1.25" out back, Toytec coilovers up front with SPC arms, with 275/70r17 that are 32.5" and I rub the pinch weld like a motherfucker, I've ruined my fender liners, and damaged one set of (thankfully used) tires already when the pinch weld started eating into them. I could probably fix this if I added +1 lower caster (not caster created using the SPC uppers) to push the wheel forward, away from the pinch, or removing the fender liner, hammering the pinch weld back, and taking a heat gun to re-form the fender liner. (Note: I had to trim the shit out of the OEM mud guards, and still rubbed the liner/pinch).

YMMV. Don't expect anyone to hit your numbers or speak to your point. The collective info we have is essentially in that thread I linked, which, if you haven't pored over every inch of your frame, if your timing belt hasn't been changed in the last 10yr/100k miles with authentic OEM (Toyota/Aisin) parts, you have bigger things to take care of than lifting.

 

Wow @shifty` thanks so much for such a quick and incredibly detailed response.

I'm thinking I should start a build thread, because I am doing a lot to Scout (what I've named the truck). I'm learning how to use these forums, the master thread you provided is super helpful as well as the link showing that the 6/4 positions is actually a 2" lift.

Let me know if I am wrong, but I do believe a build thread would be appropriate for this as I'll have a lot more to explore as I proceed with my build process.

Here’s what I’ve tackled so far on the mechanical front:

- Knock sensor and harness replacement
- Starter replacement
- Timing belt + water pump
- Crankshaft and camshaft seals
- Drive/serpentine belt
- Tensioner and idler pulleys
- Valve cover gaskets + spark plug tube seals
- Oil + coolant service

Everything was OEM.

Got some major discounts from Toyota's website with in-store pickup.

Mostly yes, I'll need to look at the thread you linked to perform a more detailed inspection. Will do that shortly, and perhaps post in a build thread.

I got this one:
https://www.shocksurplus.com/produc...-control-arm-kit-25485?variant=39350265249841

Yup got got OEM Lower Control Arms, LBJs with Knuckle Arm, and about to get all new bolts from Toyota. Got a great deal with July 4th sale and their website discount sales.

So I got a pre-purchase inspection on mine, and it said that the cv axles are flicking grease already. I'm wondering if I need to reboot or replace. I'll share pics and updates in a build thread shortly.

This is super helpful, I got the 6/4 clip setting



In regards to tire, I need to go check what I have on there now. I'm just hoping for sufficient clearance when loaded with my gear for overlanding, camping, sometimes with a trailer and side by side.

 

Hard to quote on mobile while I’m sitting here waiting in the truck, but …

You can get the same SPC arms in an Eibach box for about $200-300 less.

Build threads work great, but I’d leave it over here in this forum if you want maximum attention for help. Note: You can give a thread any title you want, then use the “Thread Tools” button (see just above the top-right corner of your first reply) to change it later if you want. So you could theoretically change the title to this thread to support your needs, if you want.

Based on what @FirstGenVol is running with his lift, and not rubbing, I suspect you’ll be fine if you heed the alignment numbers and use a smart wheel backspace and tire combo. May need to pull the mudflaps. It may take a couple of alignments to get there. It’s not an exact science. Tire size/choice plays a big factor, and also really impacts your road comfort/noise.

Props on the service and parts choice!

CV Axles: Sling is normal after lifting, and sometimes before. If (1) the axles are OEM, (2) they aren’t clicking and popping, and (3) the boots aren’t torn, no need to reboot, just reclamp, ideally with the NORMA clamps that work super well. If torn, there is an OEM reboot kit, that comes with grease. Aftermarket axles are extreme shit in comparison. It’s almost better to get low-mile junkyard axles in great shape and reboot if needed.

Frame rust-wise, that’s a long story, pics would help. Post more pics. We’ve seen a ton of frames cracking at the upturn, between the firewall and front strut, both on the inside of the rail and outside. Or rotting out totally under the rubber splash aprons, and the apron hides it. Probably from salt getting hung up in the apron.