What’s the different between a leveling kit and the Bilstein 5100’s?

I’ve decided against a full blown lift kit due to only wanting the look of the truck to be level and I really don’t like spacers due to them being bad on your suspension and giving a bad ride quality. What are the Bilstein 5100’s though? Are they bad on your suspension like spacer leveling kits?

 

There’s lots of info on this if you do a search. But I’m running 5100’s. They are adjustable shocks up front and nonadjustable in the rear. The fronts can be adjusted up to 2.25” lift. They’re better than stock and kind of an entry level upgrade in shocks.

 

So they don’t damage your suspension like spacer leveling kits do?

 

No they don’t. Spacers preload the suspension. The 5100s omit that issue. The ride quality is great. I went from a spacer lift to 5100s. There’s a huge difference you can feel. If you have plans on off-roading, you may want to upgrade from 5100s. I got mine a few years ago and it’s going to be time to upgrade for me soon.

 

Love my 5100s ! Have them set in the middle clip location and stance is perfect for me !The ride is significantly better than the stock shocks.

 

Those Icons look killer on that white.

 

THANKS ! I can't lie, I copied another member, Velocity72 . . .

 

No I don’t do any off roading. So I can just put 5100’s all around and do the middle placement in the front and that’s all? I wouldn’t have to do anything else?

 

You’d be pretty happy with that setup. Our trucks are about 2” higher in the rear. The middle setting on the front 5100’s is 1.57” lift. You can always add a shim on each side and get 2” total and be perfectly level. The ride on middle setting is great, the ride on top setting can be a little rough. I’m on middle setting now and I’m really happy with the ride.

 

You will need an alignment also

 

The TRD Sports are 2 inches higher in the rear than the other tundras?

 

I have the 5100's on the top setting up front. I ended up adding an inch to the back to make it look the way I wanted it to, plus I tow a boat with about 150Lbs of tongue weight regularly and didnt like the back sitting so much lower than the front towing or with stuff in the bed. If you are ok with going with the middle setting up front it will probably ride slightly better than the top setting and you wont have to change the height in the back. perfectly level tends to look nose high.

The rear of all but the TRD Pro's sit 2 inches higher in the back from factory.

*side note, the drivers side usually ends up sitting about 1/4 inch lower than the passenger side up front. you can get a 1/4 inch coach builder shim to fix the minor lean.

 

So I wouldn’t need anything but those 5100’s? And the middle setting would look level right?

 

Or ask the driver to lose some weight, but I guess getting the shim is easier in any case.....

 

Middle setting would LOOK level but actually be about 1/2 inch lower in the front. I wish I had a picture of mine from having the front done and not lifting the rear. measured it was almost perfectly level with the fronts at top setting but it just didn't look right. Either middle setting and leave the rear alone (probably best ride quality and bang for the buck) or top setting and a 1 inch block or new shackles in the back.

There are several posts on here about the truck needing to be 1/2 to 1 inch higher in the back to look level. I also have a tonneau cover that adds a little weight over the bed but not much.

 

LOL, that was my first thought when I heard about the drivers side lean but it leans without anyone in the seat.

Really not noticeable unless you measure though.

 

I guess if you usually ride the truck empty then might need to raise the back.
My thing is, front is engine heavy, while back is mostly empty (expect when we load stuff, if you use it as a work truck then maybe not so much problem) and the front end would be nose pointing to the sky if I lift it too much.
I do, however, like the leveled look when parked, and if cost and everything is considered, I guess two B8 5100's in the front and call it a day. I mean, I ain't gonna take a leveler to measure if it is dead level, I park on a slope at home and work garage is not completely leveled.... Now, that driver side ditch might need attention, either shim or I lose weight, but I think the shim might be easier at this point. lol

 

I ran 5100’s set at 2.5 on my 17 tundra I had. No issues. I had to get an alignment but that was all. I am prob going to do the same thing on my 2500. On the tundra when they were lifted to 2.5 it sat right at level sometimes looked a touch high but when I measured it, it was slightly lower than the rear. My rear measured 40 and the front was 39.5 I think

 

If you don't mind, can you reference the model you installed on your 17 Tundra? Right now all I see is B8 5100, but not sure if I need to go full coil spring set or just the 5100 is fine by itself.
Alignment is always suggested when doing something major, wheels/suspensions and the likes, so that would be in the books to get done.

 

Do you have anymore pictures?

 

Changed my shocks to 5100s in March/ April 2020. Agree with all that the ride is much better. You'll need:

$22 KYB SM5737 - Mount Kit

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0142SLVXK?ie=UTF8

$22 Gabriel 143340 Suspension Mount Regular

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBS4OSC?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LRJ88EC?ie=UTF8

You'll also need a pair of spring compressors to transfer your springs from old to new unless you get full front coilovers. The rear shocks were a breeze to do. The fronts were a PITA and you'll need a 2nd person to help.

 

Mine were just the 5100’s themselves

https://www.amazon.com/Bilstein-0-8...43907236&sprefix=bilstein+5100,aps,123&sr=8-5

I had a shop install mine. After all was said and done and an alignment I spent 600$

 

There is like a metric shit ton of pictures of trucks with coilover lifts on this site.

 

Looks like you did a whole front & back set? With that price actually it is not too bad, that is, without the coilovers.

That labor cost ain't bad, consider the set was $265 and alignment might run ~$100...

 

Alignment was 100 and they charged close to 3 for labor

 

I don’t want to see pictures of coil over lifts I want to see pictures of trucks with strictly just the 5100’s. There’s plenty of pictures with the 5100’s but they’ve also done other stuff and I just want to see it with the 5100’s only.

 

I did do the front and back set. $476 total not including on-hand shop supplies (rags, grease, cleaner, etc.) and about 4-5 hours of my time. I borrowed a set of widow makers from a friend to compress the springs.

 

Right on.

 

Do I need all that if I’m going to get a shop to do it for me?

 

Yes, unless they have any of those parts already on-hand.