Bilstein 5100 Install on 2021 OR - Lift height surprise.....

I've been waiting for a good time to install the Bilstein 5100's that have been sitting in my garage for about a month and yesterday was the day - day off from work and no other plans with the family.

I had never replaced front coil-over shocks before so had read how other forum members had done it and also watched the YouTube install video posted by "MikeC" that is available on the BilsteinLifts.com site. I did not change the springs but used the factory ones. I'll have to say that the install went smoothly and took right at 4 hours from start to finish. That said, my 68 yr old lower back is sore from the twisting and pushing at odd angles but nothing that a couple of brewskies at the end of the job didn't solve...

Before the install on my very stock 2021 OR, I measured all 4 corners from center of hub to fender to get the "before" measurements to compare to the "after" and was surprised with the results. I set the Bilstein circlip on the 2nd ring from the bottom of the front shocks to get what was advertised as 0.85" lift. However, after installation and a short ride, I remeasured and the rear stayed the same as expected but the front measured a 1.5" lift on both driver and passenger sides.

This was not what was expected and I'm curious if anyone else has had this experience with the Bilstein 5100's? Should I expect some settling of the shocks after some use? Note that I used the factory springs so spring settling should be nominal. Thoughts???

Since everyone likes pics, here's the "Before" pic followed by the "After" pic....

Before...


After...

 

Two things come to mind. 1 check your spring seats and make sure they are not upside down.

2. Are you certain the retainer clip is on the 2 clip and not 2 from bottom meaning 1.75 of lift.

most likely it’s the first one since that is a very common mistake.

 

I also think your perches / clips are upside down. The perch should be at the bottom of the spring with the body of the perch inside the spring, not under it.

I got the advertised .85" back when I had 5100s on the front.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Below is a pic of the spring installed on the Bilstein front shock before releasing the spring compressor. I was carefull to install the spring seat per the directions so tell me if this doesn't look correct and I'll go hide my head....
The circlip is on the 2nd ring from the bottom and there are 4 rings for the clips. I just slid under my OR and can see the top 2 ( 3rd and 4th) visible above the spring seat and the 2nd and bottom are hidden by the spring seat.

Additional thoughts??

 

Not sure why you are measuring 1.5" of lift. The springs will settle some. Also, if your spring perches looked like this after installation, they should be right:



On the correct clip groove, of course, not as pictured...

 

Hmm, looks okay to me. Dunno!

The springs shouldn't settle though, they are OEM. They have already been in use on the truck.

 

Have you had an alignment yet? Mine dropped at least half an inch after the alignment.

 

No, I haven't had it aligned yet. Planned to get that done this weekend so maybe I'll see some change..

 

What spring compressors did you wind up using? Do you have a link if they worked well?

I'm thinking about doing the same when my '22 shows up.

 

I used the Specialty Products Compressors #40260 purchased from CARID. They worked easily using a ratchet wrench and I felt safe using them. I can recommend them as a good choice.

https://www.carid.com/specialty-products/spring-compressor-mpn-40260.html?singleid=82332156

Cheers...

-Bob

 

Thanks! Finding something that won't break and mangle me is my top priority.

 

i think the saddle is on the wrong way in the picture

 

I concur- the spring seat looks upside down. It should drape over the circlip, with the spring seat itself lower than where the circlip is. You have a lot of spring tension (compression) now- do yourself a favor and use the "no spring compressor" method to fix it, or at least to unload the spring.

 

If it was wrong, you'd see the spring and 2 additional inches or so of the cup. I don't think the perch is upside down. advertised .85 and you are at ~1.5. A good way , which I do, is take ride down a road, not to fast, and hard left and right, like your doin a slalom. It seems to expeditide settling. Then measure. I rarely have gotten advertised level on my vehicles.

 

Can you take a picture of where the top of the coil seats to the coil bucket? Might as well get another shot of the coil perch at the bottom of the coil as well.......just to rule that out.

 

Gentlemen,

I am going to share some additional pics of the shock/spring assembly both before installation and after installation in hopes that the question over whether the spring perch is on correctly or upside down will be resolved in everyone's mind. I'm confident they were installed correctly but we can let the pictures speak to the issue...

First pic is of the shock/spring assembly while still in the spring compressor right before installation. Note that the spring sits inside the spring perch and the end of the spring is properly positioned in the perch. Also note that there is one circlip groove visible above the spring that you can see in the pic. There is another visible but not seen in the pic. The circlip is positioned in the groove 1 up from the bottom and 3 down from the top (or, 2nd position to give .85" lift).


Second and third pics are of the passenger side after installation. On the third pic, you can clearly see the 2 visible unused circlip grooves above the spring perch and you can also clearly see that the spring perch is in it's proper mounting position. Driver's side was installed similarly...



I would be happy to hear that these were installed correctly (that's what I think) but feel free to share your thoughts if you disagree...

Cheers,

Bob

 

They're on there correctly. I don't know why those who kept saying they weren't persisted in saying so. I also don't know why you got more than the advertised lift height, though...I don't think the truck looks bad, to tell you the truth. Does it drive ok, and did you get an alignment done?

 

Thanks for the confirmation.....

Yes, drives fine as is. I have not had the alignment done yet but will in the next couple of days and anticipate some settling afterward. I am also at a loss as to why I got more lift than advertised. I'll share a recap after the alignment to see if anything changes...

-Bob

 

I guess the only other thing that comes to mind is to make sure you actually have the correct part number 5100s... Tacoma ones will fit but there will be differences in the lift. I assume some other similar models will also likely fit. Otherwise, I got no idea. To reiterate my above post, I don't expect you will see any sag since the coils used are "pre-sagged" from previous use... and I doubt highly an alignment is going to get you a lot lower... maybe 1/4 inch +/- but certainly not the number you are looking for. Assuming all part numbers check out I guess it's time to contact Bilstein (good luck with that!) to ask.

 

One question raised was whether or not the shocks were the correct ones for the 4Runner. Right after I installed, I threw out the boxes they came in with the trash and I had already put the trash containers at the end of the driveway for pick-up. Well, I thought about it about 5am this morning (pick-up is usually by 6) and walked out to the end of the driveway and dug through the trash until I found the boxes with the stock numbers. As it turns out, BilsteinLifts.com sent me the correct parts based on matching the stock numbers from the boxes to what they show as the right part number on their website. I attached a pic of the stock numbers on the ends of the boxes and a screen grab of the part numbers from the BilsteinLifts.com site (attached just to prove I can still read).



I also had the 4Runner aligned yesterday at a local shop (Butler Tire) that is known for their high quality work on off road vehicles and high end cars. The alignment was off a bit from the lift but they easily set back to factory specs and it drives like it should. I remeasured the lift height after the alignment and is settled about 0.25" so I'm still sitting on 1.25" lift with the circlip set for 0.85". I guess that I'll just live with it as I do like the stance it gives and I'm tired of fooling with it.....

Time to move on to new tires, skid plates, front bumper and a winch.....

 

Well the good news is if you go with a front bumper on those stock coils you won’t be at 1.25” of lift anymore. The bad is you’re going to have to mess with the bilsteins again and switch them out for something better or swap the coils out. I’d get a whole new setup at that point but that’s just me.

 

I'm glad I was wrong about the assembly. It does take a bit of time for them to settle in, and maybe being a brand new truck means the springs are that much spring-ier. Once you add all the armor, it will drop a bit more.

 

And, I’m aware that the weight of a bumper, winch and skids will probably require new springs and heavier shocks but for now, I’ll enjoy what I have…

thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions..

-Bob

 

I don't know why you'd need new shocks. You'll just want to go with another spring to provide the desired lift and that can handle the extra load. I've used 5100s on Jeep JKs wrapped in steel from front and rear bumpers, fully skidded and winch with zero problems. I have Dobinsons on my 5100s at the stock height setting. A Greenlane bumper is on order so I can put my Smitty X2O to work. I've got full faith in the 5100s because of the Dobinsons.

 

I’m puzzled by your issue with the 5100 series, there has to be an explanation. Most brands do install the base the other way to keep the spring centered so it will not slip over and make contact with the lower tube; If it is wrong, your vehicle should be sitting 1-1.25" or so higher than normal.

It seems Bilstein would just make one side flat so as not to have this problem. With a 5100 series on a workbench, the wrong way looks as almost correct as the correct way.

Another debate about this is the pigtail of the coil, which needs to be in exactly the same position as seated originally, you can also see that initially the left and right side are not seated the same, supposedly this might also affect and make a difference in height.

 

Dumb question, maybe, but did you do them at the same time or one side at a time? I ask because if you did them at the same time you may have put the wrong spring on the wrong side. The driver's side and passenger side springs are different to compensate for the lean.

 

They were installed one at a time so the springs went back on the same side they were removed from. And, the pigtails were snug against the end of the perch with no gap.

I think I’ve established that they were installed correctly from the pics that have been shared and confirmed that they were the right parts.

Since I’ve only got 2,700 miles on the odometer, I’ll assume that there may be some settling as I put more miles on it and the big take away is that 0.85” is not guaranteed as every vehicle is different.

I appreciate all the comments but this will be my last post on this thread as I’m tired of talking about it!!!

Cheers,
-Bob

 

My apologies for bringing back an older thread. Just installed the front 5100's this week on my new 2024 with less than 5K miles and have encountered a similar surprise.

I haven't gotten it in for an alignment yet, but I am looking at about 1 1/4" lift in front using the .85" inch lift circlip position. Will get it aligned after vacation and have installed the rear 5100's with some Firestone air helper springs.

Drove it about 30 miles on a local winding road to let the suspension "set in" as it's common to sit higher when first taking trucks off the work stands. Double checked my work, instructions, and even the part numbers to ensure it is correctly installed. While not a professional mechanic, far from a newbie wrenching on or modifying vehicles. Definitely installed correctly.

Curious if the original thread starter Bob ever saw his front settle in. I suspect this may be due to both of our vehicles being nearly new, springs haven't settled. Be great to hear if Bob's ever settled, or if others have had a similar experience. Not critical, I've certainly experienced "variations" with springs and lifts before.

New to 4runners. Purchased this 2024 new to enjoy the last of the 4.0 6 cylinders, and not a turbo 4 the 2025's will come fitted with. It's replacing my 1999 Land Rover D2 I've owned for over two decades, looking to own this 4runner just as long, and wrench on it less.

Going to be a much milder build than my Land Rover was, might not even mount my winch or a bumper this time. At this point, its just going to be the 5100's, stock springs, and helper bags in the rear. Already mounted a ladder, an awning, and will be building a sleeping platform in the next couple of weeks. The helper bags are for when I'm carrying the extra weight of a dirbike on the hitch and camping gear for the weekends (it's primary purpose, not a daily driver.) Or for loading up three guys, their gear, and trailering bikes down to Baja from NorCal.

Still vacillating on tires. Going with C rated this time, and not E rated as I had installed on the Land Rover. Unlike the Land Rover, would like to keep the stock size and the better ride quality of the C rated tires. Not sure if I can hold out until the BFG KO3's come out later next year in the C rated, or just go with the KO2's now in the C.

But back to the original topic, surprised at the "extra" lift I got with my install of the 5100's. Will report back after getting it aligned and putting a few more miles on it. I will say that with just the front 5100's installed, the handling on the winding roads has gone from what the heck did I just buy regret.... to within the ball park, and acceptable. It's not a sportscar and never will be, but the stock SR5 shock valving was terrible.

Looking forward to finishing up my "light" build and learning from all of you experienced 4runner owners.

 

Just checking that the coils are clocked and seated properly?

Also that the lower spring perch is not upside down?

 

It's a fair question, and certainly possible that folks could make the mistake when installing. In my case, coils are clocked correctly, seated properly, and the perch installed as designed. Triple checked.

If the perch was upside down, I'd have even more unintended lift. I suspect this is due to both Bob's and my truck being nearly new with so few miles, the OEM springs haven't sagged or perhaps fully settled yet from the factory. Dunno.

Only drove it 30 miles after the install, so perhaps it will settle some more, and or after the alignment. Installing the rears soon with some helper air bags, and then will drop off for an alignment.

I would have been seriously bummed if I went to "level" it in the third from bottom 1.75" lift position clip, and then came out with a nose high stance, as it's "nearly leveled" in the 2nd clip, or .85" setting. Which based on Bob's and my experience would have happened I suspect.

Not the first time I've encountered "lift kit" variation. Will post update after the alignment and a few more miles.