Another leveling question

I have a 2016 SR5 Crewmax with the TRD package and 92000. I pull a trailer and just put a front mount reciever hitch to put two e bikes on when traveling. I plan to put a pair of 5100 on the front. With the lite amount of tongue weight I also plan on a pair of air bags to help with loading up the bed of the truck and not to sag even though we do have a WDH. What shocks would you use in the back? The 5100 with the bags or cheaper and the bags. Will I loose height on the real with a cheaper shock? I went out and measured the ride height from the ground to the lowest part of the wheel well opening and this is what I have. DSF 36.25 PSF36.75
DSR 38.75 PSR39.25
Stock TRD rims with Arroyo Tamarock AT 275/65/18
it is what came on the truck.

Thanks in advance!
Scott

 

Terraflex Falcon Two/Haul shocks for front and rear. The RAS System for the rear.

 

RTV, Thank you for the heads up. I will check that out. Much appreciated!

 

If you are doing 5100’s in front, 5100 rears will pair well on a budget. I’ve used 5100 rears with air bags for towing for about a year and found them to do an admirable job.

The Falcons that @Rodtheviking mentioned should be an improvement over the 5100’s if for no other reason than adjustable rear damping. I have a set waiting to go on one of my vehicles so I believe in the system but have no experience with them yet. But they are a fair bit more expensive.

To muddy the waters a bit for you, Bilsteins 6112/5160 combo is an excellent setup for towing and is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the falcons. I have well over 100k miles on that setup - also with airbags - with LOTS of towing and hauling, as well a good smattering of dirt roads thrown in. For the money, they are very difficult to beat.

The adjustable rear damping of the falcons may be worth the extra coin, though.

I have looked at the RAS several times, but I tow heavy on occasion and have not seen them do well in that situation. So I’ve retained my Firestone airbags.

 

6112/5160 over the 5100’s

Just a better ride IMO, the 5100’s feel harsh if the road gets rough with any sort of pace, perk of the 6112’s.

With that if you stay on pavement and you have decent local roads where you live, either will do.

 

5100 will be here in a few days. Next question. use a spring compressor or drop the shock and reinstall without using a spring compressor? and then the last I am as we all were two inch's lower in the front. I am thinking of the middle setting and not the highest as I do tow a travel trailer but also will have air bags for the rear drop. Does this sound correct? Yes it still will have a small amount of rake but not 2 inch's of the said rake.

 

You will need to pull the entire assembly, then compress the spring, disassemble and remove the shock, then reassemble with the new shock and reinstall on the vehicle.

As for how much rake you would like, that's subjective and up to you. But I to frequently and also have airbags; a tongue-heavy trailer will cantilever off the hitch and rear axle to raise the nose of the truck even when airing up the bags. If you are basically level before adding the trailer, you will be nose high after airing up the bags to restore ride height in the rear. The factory rake combats this cantilevering to keep more weight on the nose, but leveling will exacerbate it. It's not so much that the rear is squatting, but that the nose is raising.

I prefer to run about 1" of level in the front. I ran one set of 6112's on 1.9" for about a year and didn't like the look when pulling a trailer. But, again, I tow frequently and always have a load in the bed, so you may fare better especially with the intermittent towing.