Assembled Bilstein 6112s - great all around buy for the leveler in us all?

Thank you @Sip82!

The interesting thing I didn’t realize until looking into all of this is tire price is not based on size but popularity of the size which could really factor in extra cost if you use a more uncommon size. I really like the look of the 305/65R18 but it not as economical as slightly changing size.

An example of some commonly used sizes for the nerds like me:
Cooper Discoverer AT/3
275/70r18 $185 each
285/65r18 $242 each
285/75r18 $266 each
295/70r18 $250 each
305/65r18 $288 each

 

Thanks man, Bilsteins at 1.9 it is!

 

Just noticed your post about towing and concrete in the bed. 1.9 inches in the front is completely level with no payload. You will be nose high when you tow/haul.

You might need to also add an inch to the rear for some rake, which would come close to level when hauling. Call Boss 4x4... the guy awesome and can advise on that.

 

That wasn’t me, I don’t tow and hauling is when i take junk to the dump.

However, I was thinking about doing a slight raise of the rear. Totally on the fence on whether I do the Toyotec leveling kit and adjust the rear shocks (for a true 3/1) or just the Bilsteins in the front at 1.9.

 

My bad, you are right, wasn't you!

Leveling kit = spacers = not great. Guys run them, but they are less than ideal when compared to a 5100 or 6110. The rear lift would need to be achieved via blocks or shackles, the rear shock itself doesn't lift it.

Something else to consider - you go "true 3/1", you might also need aftermarket UCAs to get alignment in spec. So you would be saving money on the front shocks/coils, hurting ride quality, then spending that money anyway to upgrade UCAs. If 3/1 is your ultimate goal, I'd consider Toytecs Eibach offering - . But go into it knowing you might need UCAs afterwards. In my digging, that seemed to be a good option for 3/1 on a budget. I was turned off from it by the potential need for UCAs, which I didn't want to mess with.

6112s at 1.9in were the set it and forget it option for me. Bought them already assembled, installed in driveway in 2 hours, alignment, done. No more messing with the suspension and it looks good.

 

Hows the ride at the top setting?

 

Easy enough. Now if I could just find them somewhere!

 

Thank you for your advice!

What size tires are you running? Still using stock rims?

 

Yeah, stock wheels and tires. Will move to a 285/70/17 Nitto Ridge Grapper once the stock tires wear out.

 

Just saw an FB post that Darren of Boss 4x4 has more of these in stock. 750 assembled and shipped!

http://boss4x4s.com
http://boss4x4s.com/bilstein_6112_series_lift_kit_assembled_2007tundra_will_ship_week_july_25th

 

So I am going to order these assembled, and I have to figure out what setting to have them put on. My DV8 bumper and winch weighs 184 lbs more than the stock bumper... I was originally planning on running the 1.9" setting with the stock bumper, but now I am wondering if I should bump it up one more click since I have an additional 184 lbs on the front. I am not lifting the rear at all, I ordered new 20x9 wheels with +25 offset and 35x12.50r20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. I know I do not want the front to sit even a little higher than the rear, I personally hate that look. I either want it level, or even a slight rake forward. I heard that 1.9" usually either makes a double cab perfectly level, or sometimes even a hair high in the front. If this is true, then with the extra weight up front, if it dropped it down about half a inch, I would be perfectly fine with that. I just don't want to overload the springs so much that the truck rides like crap (too stiff). Anyone have any experience with a winch and bumper on the front with 6112s or even 5100s?

 

I'd be interested to know how much 200 lbs. will drop the front. I have a new 6112/5160 setup, with my fronts at 1.9. Loaded down for a recent camping trip, nothing very heavy, just a big cooler and gear and clothes, I was noticeably nose-high. May give me an excuse to put on a new beefy bumper rather than mess with shackles or leafs in the rear!

 

I also go nose high if it load the bed up. Downfall of being level.

 

Can anything be done to prevent it or reduce it?

 

Shackles or blocks

 

I like your thinking!!! Well I will have 184 lbs added to my front end and I will take some measurements here in a week to let you know how it sits. Just to be clear, the factory bumper and its parts are 62 lbs. My winch weighs 89 lbs and the bumper is 157 lbs (246 lbs total) but the after losing the 62 lbs from the stock bumper, you only gain 184 lbs total. So when you say you wonder how it would sit with 200 lbs, do you mean an extra 200 lbs, or a 200 lb bumper (200 - 62= 138 lbs gain)?

 

Anyone heard of these? Spoke with tech, he said they would work

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...ft-front-rear-shocks-2007-2015-toyota-tundra/

 

He said they would work for what? If he said they will lift your truck, he is full of sh!t. Those are simply longer shocks designed to be used WITH a RCD 4" or 6" lift. Here is the link to the lift they work with:

http://racecardynamics.com/suspension/4-10-42409.html

 

I have a 6" lift, I bought truck used, it came lifted it's OEM front he said it would eliminate the front spacers and replace the ones in the rear that came with the the kit

 

You can also install airbags in the rear if you tow or haul a lot. Thats what I will do if a day ever comes that I tow or haul a lot.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ChassisTec...-Compressor-and-Push-Button-xzx-/152645039761

 

?

 

It sounds like maybe you have a 3" spacer and springs that give you another 3"? So I guess he is attempting to put a bilstein style coilover lift with your longer or higher rate springs to keep the 6" of lift while eliminating the spacer? If that is what he is talking about, I have no clue. It sounds pieced together... Ive never lifted a Toyota over 3 inches to have to deal with that. I believe most lifts larger than 3" are usually drop arm lifts. Seems like they choose to go that route for a reason rather than stacking different pieces of lifts to get 6". But maybe it can be done. Maybe a guy with more experience with larger lifts will chime in.

 

Yeah I didn't know what I was getting into when I bought it, did research, the kit I have is a spacer lift, with a large spacer and a thin small preload spacer up front and blocks in rear with crossmembers and extended knuckles, and large rear shocks, but I spoke with RCD and the tech told me these shocks for rear are same size as the kits and for the front it would eliminate both large spacer and preload spacer

 

Is this tech someone who works for RCD? If not, you could contact RCD directly in a email and ask them if those shocks would work. I have had spacers in the past on both a Tacoma and 1st Gen Tundra. They are not as bad as some make them out to be... or maybe I just got lucky. I offroaded my Tacoma and Tundra pretty hard with those spacers. I only broke the bottom of the shock mount off on the 1st Gen Tundra after 40k miles and a lot of offroading. Just to clarify my type of offroading, I regularly would pull the front tires off the ground coming up steep wash outs or hill climbs and slam down. So one broken part out of over 120k miles between both vehicles, I feel like the spacers gave me very little trouble if any at all. Now my new (new to me) 2014 Tundra, I am going straight coil overs this time.

 

Thanks for the detail man! I was just saying roughly adding 200 lbs (your 184 lbs), but wasn't taking into account losing the stock bumper. So basically you will be adding 138 lbs net, correct?

 

Yeah - a forward rake like they come from the factory. Unless you are riding on concrete blocks as shocks/springs, they will all compress to a degree with load. .5-1 inch higher in the rear would let it drop while towing and still achieve that level look. As someone else mentioned, you could also play with bags, but thats next level shit for people who actually tow a lot.

I don't haul a lot, and didn't want to mess with the rear - so I sit within a few millimeters of perfectly level. So it looks amazing 98% of the time, and a little nose high when I load the bed.

-Jim

 

In my case, because I am running a winch and bumper, it will ultimately add a net weight of 184 additional pounds over the stock configuration. If I was to only run a aftermarket bumper without the winch, it would be a net weight gain of only 95 lbs over stock configuration.

 

So I measured the front and rear from bottom lip of the fenders, to the center of the hub. The front was 24" and the rear was 26". I then installed the winch and bumper and I only lost 1/4" on the front. I am installing the 6112s later today at the 1.9" setting. Since there is a 2.25" difference between the front and rear, I figure the 6112s at 1.9" will put me at about 1/3 of a inch lower in the front which is perfectly fine with me. Ill measure everything after I am done and snap some pictures as well after the 35x12.50r20 are on.



By the way, these things are built way more heavy duty than I expected. The shocks are massive. I am a certified welder and the welds look VERY good on these. I know people have had issues with the 5100 series shocks breaking at welds, but I can't see that happening with the 6112s. Bilstein definitely made these more heavy duty.

 

So yeah I got the 6112s on. They are set at the 1.9" setting... and guess what... with a DV8 winch bumper, and 12k winch with steel cable... I gained 2 3/8" between the bottom of the fender and the center of the hub. I don't understand it. I added 184 lbs to the front end. I can see it settling maybe a 1/4" over the next few months, but I highly doubt it will settle a 1/2" or more. If I didn't have all that extra weight up front, I'll bet it would have lifted a full 2.5" on the 1.9" setting. I verified the ring is in the 2nd from the top position too.

Now, let me say, this truck rides like a dream now. Especially with having had that heavy weight added to the front... it felt very "squishy"... lots of body roll. Now the body roll is gone and the steering feels much lighter for some reason. These 6112s have exceeded all my expectations. Now to get the 35s installed tomorrow.

Has anyone ever measured the exact length of area to chop off or bend up the sides of the skid plate?