Bilstein 8112/8100 combo worth it?

Hi all…am torn between the simplicity of the Bilstein 6112/5160’s, or just going for the gusto w/ the 8112/8100 setup.

I don’t want to have to use collars and want at least 2” of lift (2 1/2 would be ideal). I’m also torn between 255 pizza cutters and 285 fatty’s, but know either should fit. My rig is a stock 2019 TRD Off-road DBCB Long Bed.

Should I Add A Leaf? Swap Upper Control Arms?

Too many questions lol…really looking for feedback on the 8112’s!

Thank you

 

Intended use?

Street
Light duty trail/Heavy duty trail
high speed/low speed

Seems like 8112s are way overkill if it's primarily for street and light trail use. Plus the 6112s handle really nice on the road.

 

Dude a lot to unpack here. Go 255s and you won’t have any issues. Intended use is important on which bilsteins to go.

 

How will you use the truck? The 8112 and 8100 rears are miles ahead of the 6112’s. They will offer much better damping at speed and loaded down. If you are spending that much on shocks then you will definitely want upgraded UCA’s with over 2 inches of lift to get the correct alignment numbers. Definitely upgrade rear leaf springs. Don’t bother with an add a leaf, this setup warrants Dakars, deavers or RCI full leaf packs. If you just want casual off-road shocks the 6112s are a much better option. The 8112’s are possibly the most sophisticated bolt on option available and are ideal for high speed dessert running. Triple external bypass rears and 3 compression zones with an internal bump stop on the fronts. They are also rebuildable. Also I’ve been waiting on my 8112s and 8100s for over 7 months. The 6112s are easier to find if that’s a consideration.

Both are digressive so they will handle great on the street but the 6112s will offer better compliance over really small bumps. NGL the 8112s are awesome but excessive. If you want the best upgrade on a budget I would pair the 6112’s up front with 8100s on the rear so you have 2.5 shocks front and rear. The difference between the 5160 to the 8100 will be more dramatic than the 6112 to the 8112. They also now make a cheaper 8100 option without the triple external bypass.

 

Yes.
I have 20k on mine.

 

This was really helpful and thank you for taking time to share this with me. It seems 6112/8100 combo will likely suit my needs just fine.

The biggest concern I have with that setup is how much lift I can get, and will that setup accomodate 255/80/r17’s or potentially 285/70/r17’s without a colllar to further compress the spring these decreasing ride quality?

 

I’ve had both Bilsteins. 8112/8100s are much much better and I would argue the fronts mske the much bigger difference In overall ride quality than the rears do alone.. Id definitely go with leaf pack annd highly consider hammer hangers if you wanna go all out but I’d skip the AAL options if I could do it over again. Definitely get UCAs with either option imo. 255/80/17 pizza cutters with just above 2” lift front and removed sway bar and literally can’t tell a difference on road with it removed besides a tad more body roll bht it’s controlled feeling

 

Sub'd for info. I currently have the 6112/5160's and it's a solid setup but I do have the 8112/8100's in mind down the line.

What has deterred me from the 8100's is the specs that state they are for 0-1.5" lifts-- does anyone have issues with 2"+ with these? If they're only recommended for 1.5" I most likely will just run 8112 in the front and keep my 5160's in the rear haha.

 

I have the same conundrum…and with the 6112’s too. I want 2.5 inches of lift

 

Thanks for all the information! I’m running 6112’s with 1.5” lift and a top plate spacer for the extra 0.5”. 2” lift is just fine for me in the front.
I have not taken that into consideration for the rear. I would like to keep 2” lift in the rear so it keeps the rake or gets leveled out when I have camping gear in the back. But I take it that can probably be addressed with upgrading the leaf pack? So 1.5” lift but able to carry additional load without squatting while still having decent ride quality?

 

Currently nothing— but I throw everything in the rear, probably no more than 150-200lbs for campouts. I eventually want to run a rack with RTT but that would also be something I would only want to pop on for camping. Is that insignificant enough to not worry about the rear end squatting? And really only aesthetics but I also don’t want it squatting when parked and my wife and I are camping out in the bed.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/blind-shock-tests-fox-elka-icon-bilstein-king.799472/

I'm not a yootoob kind of guy, but I'd recommend watching the videos in that thread. Very interesting stuff.

 

My bad, I forgot to say what I had in the rear. No added static weight— 1.5" icon add a leaf but only gave me 1" so I added 1" eibach blocks for 2" total lift. Front has a 2” lift so it’s even on all four corners and maintains the factory rake.
I want the truck to always have a similar rake to stock for added load since static weight fluctuates.

 

Hi Colton. Thank you so much for sharing this info with us!

 

Colton is a great guy to deal with.. I bought my front 8112s and icon rxts from hotshot

 

you can get the same lift with both set-ups. im sure the 8112 are a better shock....but its over double the price.....will you tell the difference? sure. but is it worth it? only you can make that decsion.

i also went thru all the phases for rear lift. did blocks, then add-a-leaf, and finally a full, new leaf pack. i would highly suggest to save your money and just got for the full leaf pack. my add-a-leaf would bottom out on camping trips. truck being loaded up.

uca....im very skeptical about them. if you get uca, get the adjustable one, like spc. Don't buy the jba, or something that offers high caster. Those UCA just push your wheel into the firewall and you will rub your tires. You can get good alignment with your stock uca. The benfit of an aftermarket uca is the ball joint will allow more down travel. I ran 3" lift on my tacoma and 4th gen 4runner with stock uca. Only issue i had was the ball joint maxing out on down travel.

255 vs 285.
our trucks are not that heavy, so i dont think they need that wide of a tire. Im sure a 255 will preform as great as a 285 for the most part. But i cant deny that a 285 looks so good. But it does rob some power and mpg.
I have to change my tires withing 6 months and cant make up my mind as well. Currently running 265-70-17.

 

If you set SPC’s up properly and get a good alignment tech they wont rub fire wall. Just saying. 6112’s are a solid set up. I will not hesitate to get them again. I’m running 6/6 1/4” spacer on driver side with 650 coils. I have winch , front bumper. Ride is great. No complaints. Are 8112’s nice of course. I personally don’t want to deal with the rebuild of resi’s. 6112’s can handle a lot of stuff that I do. Also get a full leaf pack. Enjoy and have fun