Choosing Lift Components & Bilstein 6112 First Impressions - Lifting My Toyota Tacoma Part 2
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- In this video I talk about my first impressions of the Bilstein 6112s and 5160s after having them installed along with Old Man Emu upper control arms and an Icon add-a-leaf kit to lift my Toyota Tacoma for off-roading and overlanding. I also talk about what gear you should consider when lifting your truck, and why I chose these particular shocks, upper control arms and leaf springs.
0:00 Intro to My Suspension Lift
0:55 Gear Guide
2:16 Lifts and Truck Stance
3:33 Choosing the Right Shocks
6:16 Add-a-Leaf Kits
7:05 Upper Control Arms
8:15 Bilstein 6112 & 5160 Ride Outcomes
Although I'm not sponsored, big thanks to www.shocksurplus.com/ for all the amazing customer service and communication.
My Suspension List:
Bilstein 6112s and 5160s: www.shocksurplus.com/products...
OME Upper Control Arms: www.extremeterrain.com/old-ma...
Icon Add A Leaf: www.shocksurplus.com/products...
Corrections:
I listed the Icon add-a-leaf as $250 in the video but they're actually $225 as of this upload.
Turns out the Bilstein 6112 is serviceable and the 5160s are not
__________
Truck Gear:
Air Compressor: amzn.to/3euZ1nA
Socket set: amzn.to/3gucjDI
Hatchet: amzn.to/3nd5I1Q
Paracord: amzn.to/2QNgjV0
Tire deflators: amzn.to/3tLw39L
Camera Gear:
Camera 1 - Sony a6400: amzn.to/3v8tKO6
Lens - Sony 16-50mm: amzn.to/3awxktp
Microphone - Rode VideoMic: amzn.to/3ngC383
Camera 2 - GoPro Hero8: amzn.to/3ep6tAV
GoPro Media Mod: amzn.to/3avgNGn
Gimbal - Zhiyun Crane M2: amzn.to/3sUu3Lb - Авто та транспорт
Thank you for the breakdowns on all the gear! Considering a lot of the same components for my 3rd gen. Great vid!
Glad it was helpful!
Your video/edit quality is much better than it should be!!! Great content! You sir deserve more along the lines of 1 million subscribers. That’s what I exited before I saw the 200+. Keep it coming friend! From one taco driver to another, keep rocking!
That made my day! Thank you! Feel free to share the vids on FB or reddit or wherever you socialize on the internets to help me hit that 1 million mark :) More content is in the works 🙌
Underrated channel
Awesome video bruv🤟🏾
Dude… thank you for these videos! They’re so helpful!
Nice breakdown of your final choice. Great vid, cheers, Bob.
Thank you!
Awesome video! Very informative and helpful 👍
Truck mods coming along nicely!
This was a great video and very informative
Very similar to what I chose but I went with 5100’s on the rear as I don’t need the bypass reservoir, and my 6112’s set at the 4th notch eliminates any real need for the aftermarket UCA’s. Looks good, performs well on intermediate trails, excellent on road performance, and saved some money along the way. You did a great break down of the components that work best for you and your situation. A lot of people buy systems way beyond their and the trucks capability and need.
Thank you! I almost bought a kit that was wayyy beyond what I needed. Glad I started with this one. Love these Bilsteins for the terrain I ride
Even though this video is now over 2 years old, this has been super helpful as I'm in the market of upgrading my suspension. I've been looking for something that doesn't break the bank but provides better overall ride quality. My taco is my daily, 85% on road, 15% off road.
Subscribed!!! I love the way you go into it with each component! You’re like the first UA-camr who discusses this in a good amount of time! Not too long not too short!
Thank you!! Trying to cut to the point without wasting people's time 🙏
Just ordered 6112’s to upgrade from 5100’s. Thank you for the great video. Definitely looking forward to the upgrade 🤙🏻
Nicely done! You won't regret it 🙌🔥
@@unpavd 🤘🏻
What are you upgrading, I have the 5100s..... hate them. Basically I’m asking if it’s worth it to go with the 6112
@@petemedin9698 Bilstein are digressive How are your 5100’s set up? Oem spring or aftermarket?
Man, thank you so much I was debating on what route to go and just ordered billsteins and I’m glad I did. Thank you for clearing this up. Old man emu is definitely a good end goal... or kings 🤔
Happy to help!
Excellent video!
I did same thing only spc upc and 265 75 r16 with two inch lift. love my setup. live in Louisiana don't need crazy instagram setup. love the belstein over stock.
Thanks for sharing, sir.
Great video. I have the total chaos UCA’s. they what they say but they did get squeaky and creeky after only a few months. You have to be super on cleaning them or just accept the sounds. The balls in mine lasted about a 120,000 km before needing to be replaced and let go about 20,000km past that out of sheer laziness. I have the old man emu Dakar springs paired with bilstien 5100 struts as well. Both rears blew ok a cold snap in the winter at about 100,000km. But the fronts are still fine at 150,000. I pit the cheaper old man emu on to replace them and they’re just fine. I role on a 2010 Trd off road.
Awesome explanation about the different setups. I’m currently in the same position, about to pull the trigger on a suspension kit. I’m leaning heavily towards the 6112/5160’s. How are they holding up for you now?
I had 5100s on my 17 SR5 4x4 Tacoma and loved them but the rears went bad real quick cause of the weight I was carrying. I had an RCI steel bed rack and a CVT tent so it’s good to know now.
Great feedbacks, I too went with Shock surplus, 6112 5160, + icon add-a-lift, but SPC for uca.
Yea, I wanted one more inch rake in back? Not sure which direction?
Thank you
Great video helped me out a lot i have a 2018 Tacoma i just bought the bilstien 6112 s and old man emu upper control arms i want to raise the front 1 inch and also install the 1.5 add a leaf also the 4 x4 shop assembled my shocks and springs 4 me they put the pass side on number 2 and drivers at 3 to accommodate the taco lean iam running bfg ko2 265 70 16 hopefully it will sit right want a little bit of rake but not to much . Thanks for your video cheers
Awesome rig you have. I think the Bilstein 6112 gives the most bang for the buck I have the same coil over and shock set up for my 3rd gen 4RUNNER. However, I went with the Icon UCA because of the design. I did not want a uniball.
Nice video, One topic I don’t hear lots of people talking about when choosing suspension is rebuildabe vs. throw away shocks. Getting higher quality shocks that are rebuildable one should take into consideration time down for the truck do to service intervals vs. just ordering replacement one. Also manufacturer valving set ups are different , some are stiff and good off road but not so good on asphalt. One thing I learned about suspension set ups is that everything is a compromise.
Great point! That’s another topic I’m still a little fuzzy on. For example, are “serviceable” shocks also “rebuildable” or are those two different things? I also wonder - what happens to your vehicle when you’re getting shocks serviced? I imagine I’d need to ship the shocks off to the manufacturer (let’s say it takes a week total to send, service and receive) so your car would be just hanging out without shocks for a while right?
@@unpavd BTW the Bilstein shocks You’re looking at are serviceable but manufacturer keeps it on the low down for some reason, I wonder how many people disposed of their old shocks not knowing they could be serviced..
Nice choice on lift kit! Hey, I live in the PNW, just curious, who installed your lift? Thanks
Awesome video, I just got the 6112 and 5160s, if I did the 6 notch driver side and 5 notch passenger side for the front, would that level it out or would I still need a small lift for the rear to level?
I've heard/read mixed results from lifting a TRD off-road. Some say when you upgrade the shocks/struts you loose the pre-lifted 1" front and .5" rear, while others say your after market 1.5" will add to those. 🤷♂️
Great insight. I have Camper shell with prinsu racks on both cab and shell with couple of gun cases. I plan on getting RTT which i will be mounting whenever i go for camping so it will not be permanently on the camper. Given that i am carrying lots of extra load do you think this will be a good setup with 33's? I don't want to spend too much money because i do offroading less than 10% of the time. Thanks
very helpful video as im researching doing very simular lift and suspension upgrade to my sr5, exactly what components i need and are required to make it all come together, thanks
Glad you found it helpful! I just published another vid that walks through those components in greater detail.
This is my third taco owned all gens just bought my 2021 other two where lease. Want to lift this one and set it up kinda like your, mostly street but weekend outdoor adventure thanks and great video plus just subscribed
Glad it helped out and thanks for the sub! 🙌
Wow that OME UCA looks good! but does have max caster adjustment? What did you pay for that?
'Suspension for Dummies' is an underserved segment for sure. Thank you.
😂 happy to help!
great content my man
Thank you!
@@unpavd do u have an ig account?
@@comment_below yeah but it's in a pretty woeful state since I spend most of my time shooting and editing vids for UA-cam so set your expectations low 😂 it's unpavd_offroad
@@unpavd thanks! and no worries! just wanted to see more angles of the truck
Old man emu bp51 is 51mm piston so its close to 2.0...lift height above stock 2" max
Very well made, everything is machined aluminium no visible welds. Well engineering
The bilstien 6112 is 60mm piston
Lift height 2" to 3" shock body looks longer than the old man emu BP51 although it does have the remote res it would be interesting to know the amount of oil in each shock . More is better for cooling
Hi could you take a picture of the rear shock for driver and passenger side
How much did your lift end up settling? Thinking of this exact setup thanks!
Will it make a difference if I use stock shocks or is it better to get aftermarket?
How did your Tacoma feel with the rear shocks compared to the original ones? Is it more rigid? jump too much on bumps? I have some blistein 5100 rear raised about 1.5 inches I think that's how I bought it but in reality the rear part is very rigid I feel that the whole bed moves when going through bumps and I'm fine if the 5160 are better softer than the 5100 I'm looking for something that It is not rigid, perfect for day to day and that it also serves me for off road
Are you using wheel spacers? I heard 85’s on stock sr5 wheels rub on the uca’s.
dope ass video. THANK YOU.
Thank you!
I’m sure someone has mentioned it but the bp51’s are a 2.0 piston. They run an internal bypass which makes them ride nice which how they bleed oil around the piston but that’s why they are so large. If you want to go hard I reckon your better off with the larger piston in the shock
Greats videos, one question, how did you get that lift 😂I’ve been trying to order 6112’s for months and they have been out of stock
Haha that's prob my most frequently asked question 😂 I was able to pre-order from Shock Surplus.com check them out on UA-cam too. Super informative vids on all things shocks
Nice hat Segway!
Good eye!
Enjoy your videos! I’m doing a similar setup, 6112/5160, 1.5 AAL and UCA’s. Was initially thinking I’d go with 265/75r16’s, but considering the Coopers after seeing your videos. You said you went with the 5/4 setting on Bilsteins for 1.5 lift. I’ve been considering this setting as well as the 6/5. Any thoughts on one vs the other now that you’ve had the setup awhile? I’m seeing mixed reviews on the Tacomaworld forum.
For what it’s worth, I talked to the guy that will be installing my lift and he recommended the 5/4 setting when using a 1.5 aal, so I will be going with that. Still curious on your thoughts after running this setup.
First off thanks for watching! Glad you were able to figure out your settings. 5/4 has been great so far. You can tell it’s lifted (looks are everything haha 💅) but keeping the rake in the back was important for me because of my RCI rack and iKamper, which with that constant weight sort of makes the truck look level. Met another Tacoma guy at a gas station with 285s, 3 inch lift and stock UCAs - he said he had alignment issues big time so also good to hear you’re upgrading the control arms as well. Enjoy that setup!!
Do you I need to change the uca?
Two years later you still rocking the 6112?
Anyone knows what bed bars those are?
So what shocks would provide the smoothest ride off-road let’s say 30-35 mph in Arizona washboard and protruding rocky roads?
Good question! The TLDR answer is: it depends - haha i know, anti-climactic. Here's the long answer. Let's look at a few key variables that will inform your purchase decision:
1. Weight - how much will you be hauling in general? Do you have added static weight like a tent or bed rack or front bumper? If so, you'll need to consider whether you need heavy springs
2. Are you leveling or maintaining the truck's rake (see my vid "What to know before lifting your tacoma"). If you're leveling, you may not need an add-a-leaf kit depending on static weight you've added to the truck. If you're lifting front and back (like I did) then you'll want to look at an add-a-leaf kit at the very least.
3. Shock diameter - I'm a big fan of the 2.5 diameter. My truck feels way more stable now than it did with my stock shocks. In that category you've got the Fox 2.5s, Kings, ADS, Dobinsons. Depending on your budget and how much adjustability you require, I'd start with those brands. I think ADS is based in Arizona so you might start with them!
Hope that helps 🤙
@@unpavd sweet thanks man this is awesome!
did you take the overload leaf spring out or leave it in? I bought alol of the same parts and not sure if I should leave it in or take it out
Hrmm good question. I left all the leafs on plus the add a leaf
how long was the wait for your setup think im guna do the same deal for my 21 offroad
I think I got lucky on the timing and arrival of my suspension gear compared to some folks who’ve commented on the channel. It took about 1-2 weeks for me to get my pre-ordered Bilsteins and after that I had them installed almost immediately. I’d say the suspension build took me about a month.
How long did it take to get your Bilstein's from Shock Surplus?
I think I got lucky and placed my pre order a week before they got a new shipment so in total I think it took me two weeks from pre-order to receiving them at my house
Nice video!! Did you consider the spc upper control arms?
thanks! i didn't consider spc in particular, but i like the fact that they have a rubber boot on them to prevent particulates from getting into the joint, so they get a thumbs up in my book.
Buy all pro’s expedition full leaf spring pack!
what circlip location did you have your front shocks set to?
also what were your lift measurements? front and rear
Can you utilize a 1inch spacer to achieve a total of 3 inches?
You can but I prefer not to use spacers. They're cheaper and achieve the height but aren't as performant as full suspension
The ome bp51s aren't rebuildable or serviceable and the piston inside the shock is equivalent to a 2.0 shock. I say that for the price you should get fox or king
really?! good to know! wow - seriously, for the price and the hype around them, not to mention the terrain they're developed for, you'd think they'd be serviceable ... but hey, learned something new today
I noticed you do not utilize shock boots.
As a matter of fact, most shocks these days
don’t even come with boots. I would think as
an off-roader protecting the shock from the
harsh environment of dirt and rocks would be
an issue.
Great stuff, May I know how much lift you have in front?
Brought it up 1.5 inches
@@unpavd thanks.
Honestly, without bias. How does it drive on the street. I’m a every other month trail guy and the taco is my highway monster daily. And the bilstein 5100 are just WAY to firm. So what’s your opinion with the 6112, firm? Stiff, soft? Etc
Good question. I don’t have a basis for comparing the 5100s - never ridden them before. However, compared to the stock 2019 SR5 suspension (made by Hitachi) the Bilstein 6112s ride more firmly, but that’s not a bad thing. In the vid I compare the stock suspension to a very cushy, marshmallow-y feel where the whole truck just whooshes when i braked. IMO - and after driving several hundred miles along both i-5 and i-90 as well as dicey Seattle roads, I can say that I’m happy I switched up to the 6112s. They handle potholes and uneven paved road pretty well which makes sense considering they’re almost twice the size in diameter as the stock shocks. There’s just way more fluid (and gas in the case of the 5160s) to handle both on and off-road driving. Hope that helps.
Tundra owner with the 6112/5160s on, personally I think they ride better than the stock TRD off road bilsteins, but they are extremely harsh, I've got the preload set to 2.5" lift up front but even the back on large bumps jitters, partially due to my 35s as well they are 10 ply tires which contribute but washboard roads, you're gonna rattle your retinas off if I were to do it all over again, which what I want is a plush off road shock and street cloud it's not the 6112. But body sway and control of the truck is really solid. I just don't like how harsh the ride is
@@Millirawk that’s great feedback! I’ve got 10ply tires as well, but I don’t feel a whole lot of rattling. Wonder if the stiffness in your ride could be attributed to the type of tires you’re running (are they mud terrain by chance?) also possible that 2.5” preload is contributing with all that spring compression? Wish I had more Tundra comments on the channel - I’m waiting for the 2022 gen to roll out. Maybe I’ll get my hands on one and cross-compare the Taco. If you’re looking to replace your Bilsteins, check out some of the adjustable shocks from Dobinson - just flip the switch for city vs off-road.
@@unpavd I've got Toyo AT3s in 285/75/R18 (so actually 34.8 shh) but I think most of the roughness is from me maxing the preload, but even in the rear it's pretty rough with no weight in the bed, definitely gonna be replacing the bilsteins with the Fox 2.5 DSC. the bilsteins just don't perform the way I would like being a digressive valved shock, and also yeah I'm super excited for the new tundra! Really considering trading in my '14 for the new one. I think I'd get good value for it with only 56k miles 😎
@@unpavd also my type of off road driving is entirely different, I am in the dessert in AZ so a lot of the trails are compact dirt with rocks and whoops that makes Me wanna be a mini baja driver lol so completely different use from your type of trails where you are as well
I like 👍.
Thank you!
Did you install them yourself or did you have them installed? If you had them installed, where did you take your tacoma? Thanks
Didn’t trust myself to install even after watching quite a few how-to vids on UA-cam. On Chloe Kuos channel, she installed the front and rear shocks herself (props Chloe) but since I was getting upper control arms installed at the same time I thought it better to take the truck to a suspension specialist vs. a general mechanic so I went to TrueLine suspension in Seattle
@@unpavdWhat size tires and wheels were you able to fit witj the lift? I'm thinking I will be going with the same bilstein setup. Thanks for your help
@@10raygon I stuck with my stock 16” wheels because I liked the look and went for 255/85/16 Cooper ST Maxx tires (also called Pizza Cutters). I talk about these tires in greater detail in my pizza cutter vids on the channel. Love these tires because they give you 33” of height without the need to do a cab mount chop
@@unpavd Perfect, thanks again
Been looking into upgrading from my 5100s. Just curious why you only wanted 1.5" of lift? almost seems not worth the effort for so little of a goal.
why do you want to upgrade the 5100s?
@@igoldin74
I was just wanting a beefier bilstein shock.
Now, I've come to the conclusion that I want something that can be adjustable and rebuildable down the road as well as provide more lift.
@@mitchelodeon thank you, in your opinion is it worth paying more for 6112/5160 if I what I am after is just a ride height.
@@igoldin74
really depends on what you want to use it for.
Mostly street driving and the occasional trail? 5100s are great, cheap and reliable.
5100s are great for majority of Tacoma owners. Alot of people go above and beyond and its not completely necessary.
If you just want a little lift to help clear bigger tires, 5100s are great.
@@mitchelodeon thanks for the response!
Lol i bought the bp51 for my 4runner to find out the rears dont fit right.
yikes
@@unpavd yikes!
I wanna order this. How do you like them?
Love them so far 3k miles later!
@@unpavd awesome! Just ordered a set
@@alexgarcia3900 🙌🔥
🤙🤙🤙🤙
Yeeeeeee buddy!! 🙌🤙
You didn’t cover the shock valving and that’s the biggest difference between vendors. Choosing the correct valving for your application is the first filter you must have, followed by price/performance. If you are rock crawling at 1 mph, you can do that with stock shocks honestly. The benefit of the larger bodies is more oil and better heat dissipation. But if you’re not overheating your shocks from extended washboard or woops then you don’t need that either. Remote reservoirs give more shock travel by relocating the air/oil separator. When do you need more travel, when you’re going 50 mph over rough terrain.
Where are you ?
First comment!!
On a roll! 🕺
@@unpavd yes! What shop did you go to instal this setup? I am planning to do this once I have a bit of saving!
@@iamalemontree i got the shocks installed at Courtesy Tire in West Seattle. Also check out Tru Line Wheel and Tire - their whole focus is suspension.
@@unpavd ahh thanks much!! How much did they charge to put on the shocks if ya don’t mind sharing 😀
@@iamalemontree this install was around $1300 for just the front and rear shocks. Doesn’t include the add-a-leaf install
First mod is rear disc brakes, like all other trucks
No
haha but i want my Taco to look like a Lambo 😝
Just ordered our 2021 TRD Offroad and am shocked it has drum rear brakes... sad.
@@lylekelley4293 why? The majority of braking is in the front, I went thru 2 sets of front pads and back were still okay
@@titirititiri6360 Ever see any off-road custom vehicle use drum brakes.. no. They get wet and muddy and don't do anything. Disc brakes clean off much easier and you can apply more force. Drums are so 1950. They could have used the same disc brakes from the 4Runner or tundra without additional tooling. Plus changing Disc brakes is like 100x easier than drum.
Great video!
Thank you!