Bilstein 6112's with winch/bumper???

I have a full front end replacement bumper and winch which added 184 lbs to my front end over the stock setup. I am ordering 6112s preassembled and need to choose the setting I want them set on. I have no intentions of lifting the rear. I want it to sit level or maybe a slight rake to the front. I have a '14 Tundra 4x4 double cab. I was planning on running the 6112s on the 1.9" setting, but now with the additional 184 lbs, I wonder if I should set it to the 2.5" lift setting. Does anyone with a 2nd gen or 3rd Gen tundra have any a winch/bumper with 6112's?

 

Maybe try 1.9in and see how you like it? If it's too low - add a shim set (.5in lift) for $40? Then you don't have to worry about that top setting pre-load if its a concern.

http://www.boss4x4s.com/boss_4x4s_elevated_suspension_strut_top_lift_plates_shims_07_toyota_tundra

 

Thats a good idea. I was more worried about having to disassemble the whole setup to adjust it. I think I will just go with the 6112 at 1.9" and wait and see how it settles. If I don't like the rake, Ill just order the shims then later since those go on the outside of the coilover top.

Also one of my buddys has a 2010 Tundra 5.7 double cab with a different brand coil over set at 2.5" and he has a tough country Apache pipe bumper on his truck (no winch) and with no lift in the rear he said it sat slightly nose high. He had to add a coachbuilder shackle to the rear. Now its 24" from top of the front wheel well to center of front hub, and 24.75" from top of the rear wheel well opening to the center of the hub.

I honestly would like about 3/4" of rake so if 1.9" puts it level, maybe the extra 184 lbs will pull it down 3/4" to give me that very slight rake.

 

I'd also consider Old Man Emu (OME). I think they have coil spring options with higher spring rates designed specifically for the added weight of heavy winch/bumper combos.

 

Ill be honest, I have not researched OME enough to know for sure, but I doubt the OME shocks are 2.5" like the 6112 are. Its not common to see 2.5" shock housing unless you get into much more expensive shocks usually. The other part is, Bilstein has a lifetime warranty. My truck has just barely 20k miles. I fully intend to warranty these shocks with Bilstein once they wear out around 80k to 100k miles. I will probably keep my truck until it hits 180k miles. But when I was huge into Tacomas back in 2008-2011, all the Tacoma guys had nothing but good things to say about OME.

Also the lift that is recommended for my truck by OME for a winch and bumper is said to be about 2.5". It seems they recommend leaf springs and a shackle with the front lift. It makes sense they recommend this because if you simply did the 2.5", the front would ride higher than the rear. Also they dont say if the 2.5" is on a crewmax or double cab. So if its 2.5" on a crewmax, it might be 2.65" on a double cab. This would ensure I would need to lift the rear and I am trying to avoid that. I do use the bed of my truck occasionally and its nice to not have to lift a piece of furniture up any higher than neccessary. Also I have been told if you keep the lift closer to 2" on the front, you won't need aftermarket upper control arms to get the alignment proper.

It does make me wonder though, if the OME setup for a stock bumper nets you 2.5" lift, maybe with a bumper and winch it would be about 2" which would be perfect. The next question would be what is the spring rate then in the OME setup (the one for no winch/bumper) vs the spring rate in the 6112. If the OME is a softer spring rate, would it feel mushy (too soft) with the extra 184 lbs up front?

 

Here's my 2017 CM with 6112's at top setting 2.5" and 5160's on rear with stock height on rear! Slight rake up front but I like it being when I do get a heavier front bumper it should sit just right!

 

Yeah, looks good. The only thing I will say, is Ive heard the double cabs (like mine) will sit even higher than the crewmax in the front due to weighing a little less. If I had a crewmax like you, and planned to do a aftermarket bumper and winch, I would definitely have gone 2.5" like you chose. I honestly hope I have a little rake (nose slightly lower than the rear) so since I read 1.9" usually puts double cabs just a hair nose higher than level (or even if its level), im hoping the bumper and winch will pull it down 1/2" to 3/4" lower than the rear. If the front is more than 3/4" lower, I will probably add a 1/4" shim as was suggested.

What size tires are you running there in the picture?

 

Sounds good!

I do have a set of CB Shackles for the rear I have not installed but I may in the future if I decide to tow or put a RTT and rack on!

keep us posted!

 

Yeah, if I end up nose high or moving to the 2.5" setting, I may have to bite the bullet and get shackles to get the proper rake I want. I'm trying to avoid that though.

How is the ride in your truck at the 2.5" setting VS when it was stock?

What size tires are those in your picture?

 

I don’t know the shock diameter or spring rates on the different coils they offer. You might want to call Toytec or Wheelers Offroad for that info. I do believe they offer three different coil springs for 2007+ Tundras, but I don’t know much else about them. Like you, though, I’ve heard nothing but good things about their suspension products and know they’ve been around a long time.

With the softer spring rate offered on the 6112s, their Eibach coils may be more likely to sag over time with an extra 184 lbs. You can call Bilstein, though, and ask. Many years ago their tech guy, Shane, was very informative and helped me find rear shocks for a 1st gen Tacoma that were better tuned and suited for the weight of a heavy rear bumper with a slight lift from an add-a-leaf. Not sure if Shane is still around, but hopefully they still have someone who knows their stuff and can help you find the right shock and coil spring configuration for the added front weight of your Tundra.

Also, is the 184 lb weight the net gain added after removing the front bumper? I don’t know how much the front bumper assembly weighs, but did you subtract its weight from the weight of your new bumper/winch combo? If not, then it may not be an added 184 lbs but instead would be something less. Just something to think about if you hadn’t taken that into account while trying to find the right configuration up front.

 

Yes it is a gain of 184 lbs over the stock bumper. Stock bumper and its parts are 62 lbs, which I will lose 62 lbs, then add on 246 lbs (winch and bumper), for a net gain of 184 lbs.

I read around a lot last night on OME vs 6112, and I only found one Tundra guy on Tundratalk.net who had OME before 6112s, and he said the 6112s rode a lot smoother on the road than the OME setup. He said offroad the OME and 6112s were about the same. My truck will be on the road though 96% of the time.

Then I searched OME vs 6112s around some Tacoma sites just looking for any info. This is where I found a LOT of guys who had OME and swapped to 6112s. About a dozen of them all said the 6112s smoothed out the ride compared to OME... specifically they said if you hit a speed bump or pot hole, the hit is much more pronounced with the OME. They all felt pretty much the same in saying that on the road, 6112 was superior. Now offroad they all agreed the 6112s and OME were about the same.

 

The ride is amazing in my opinion, It is firm but yet smooth and strong! It handles well and absorbs the bumps real good, I even try to find bumps just to see it handle well! The difference from stock is amazing and very noticeable i every way, ride, handling and with my Nitto Ridge grappler 295/70/18's it hugs the road and handles so much better then stock!

I would advise any one who bought the SR5, TSS or TRD package to upgrade as soon as they can, they'll love it!




Hope it helps!

 

They look good. I was very torn between 18s or 20s. The 20s look too big (not enough sidewall) until you get to 35s. If I was going any smaller than 35s, I would run 18" wheels. In 4 years or so, once the warranty is up, I might even run 37s. So I figured 20s are a better option for the larger tires.

 

I’m a bit of a lurker, although my fiancé is looking for a 1st gen Tundra.

Not sure how they translate over to Tundras but on my Tacoma-1st gen, I got OME 883 coils with Bilstein 5100s. So by that logic you could order them with what ever shock you wanted I think.