Why EVERYONE is Using Bilstein 5100's | The Ultimate Guide

Everything you would want to know about Bilstien 5100 Shocks and Struts for Off-Road and Overland applications, lift kit, level, or just a simple suspension upgrade. If you're looking to get into off-roading and have some kind of Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, 4runner, or Sequoia, the Bilstein 5100 is a great shock/strut/coilover for off-roading and overlanding on a budget.

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[fortyfourrobo]

I’ve had Bilstien 5100 on front and rear, a month ago my rear shock after 7 years broke. I called Bilstien support and once I showed a receipt they overnighted a new 5100. They recommended to change the other side so I ordered one and had my mechanic install them. Keep your receipts. Bilstien has great customer service that is USA based . I will never buy another brand. Btw the one that was still good is now a spare in case I need it or someone on the trail. I put 80 to 90k on the shocks. That’s the limited lifetime warranty. Excellent

[AnilSagar]

Informative video on the 5100s, but your advice from 4:30 to 5:30 is pure gold. That’s the kind of wisdom and encouragement the overland community needs and I appreciate that you did that.

[shootinbruin]

A hidden benefit of 5100s is that they extend suspension downtravel by over 1.2" with the Toyota IFS, which is a fairly big deal for certain types of off-roading. No other modifications required. This has been confirmed by Kai over at Tinkerer's Adventure.

Great video man! The Bilstein's really are some of the best bang for buck options out there.

[carmageddon]

Bilstein shocks are the perfect suspension for someone that knows you aren't going off-roading every day and its your daily driver, I've driven multiple vehicles with them and all of them are amazing for day to day use with off-road on the side!

[xuShh]

I love seeing these normal looking trucks out in the wild, especially when you see one like this and know it’s tastefully modified

[CatRacerAA]

I replaced the worn out Rancho 5000's on my 89 Suburban 2500 with the Bilstein 5100.
It was a Revelation! Washboarded trails no longer beat me to death.
With 10, 000 miles and a 3rd of that overlanding, I love these shocks!

[thediddlefiddler]

Dude this video just stopped from spending a dumb amount of money for no reason.

[XBLHAX]

I stand by Bilstein. I replaced my crunchy front stock struts at about 56, 000miles with some Bilsteins on my 2014 Chrysler 300. The shop said "wow I haven't ever seen someone put Bilsteins on a Chrysler 300 before." #3 or 4 years later my car is at 103, 000 miles and rides like a DREAM, no crunch at all!

[Joe]

Great video! "Economical and value based solid option" is a great way to describe the Bilstein 5100's. I run them with Eibach springs on my Tacoma.It's definitely a stiffer ride on the road, but it gets me to my occasional off the grid camp ground. While most of my family members are running Kings on their jacked up trucks they do a lot more "wheeling" than I do. 30k in and I'm happy with them.

[tomandhistruck]

I'm on my 3rd set of 5100s. Not because they broke. But because my rig keeps changing and they have suited all my needs along the way. What a fantastic shock!

[albertlert]

Dude,
You packed delivery style of info, and great info at that, is greatly appreciated and such a breath of fresh air in YouTube-edia!

[GOATHartt]

When I first got into the Toyota crowd and began to look for advice at the usual internet hangouts. I was instantly overwhelmed by info on what your truck NEEDS to be able to go off-road.

I found this overwhelming as it was posted everywhere and all Youtube videos were screaming the same thing.

In enters overland outfitters and Braeden. They said some great things about going out and finding what you wish to have your truck set up to do. I did just that. I now know that I do not need to dump 10's thousand into my suspension and body mount relocates, or strut relocates. I need to have a solid footprint and to stay between .5 - 2 inches of lift. I will be also replacing the needle bearing for future-proofing reasons.

After spending a good 4 months of the last year off-road in a stock Tacoma sr5, I now know that the truck is already quite capable at the base level. It gets me everywhere I want to go solo currently, and has taken me and my sons to some spots we never thought we could make. Again all stock! However, I have made some friends along the way that like to do some more technical trails here in BC, Canada. They have assured me that they have all tried the suspension combo I am going to be going with and loved it. They only have gone upwards from here due to vanity and hobbyist reasons. I have opted for the Bilstein 6112/5160 combo. I like the raw look of the struts and the black coils. simple and easy to look stock still.

I have also gone down a rabbit hole recently about pizza cutter tires, which will potentially eliminate the need to mess around more with the UCA debacle. Them Cooper STT Pro's in 255/85/r16 or 255/80/r17 are looking pretty great!

This video had great advice. Many enthusiasts should be more open to starting at the beginner's level. If they move upwards and want to do more, they most likely will get a second vehicle to work on and abuse. This works well because if you do wanna upgrade after trying these lower-cost options, you can pull them and toss them onto the other rig.

Happy adventuring everyone!

[scottymac]

I bought a set of Bilstein 5100's five years ago to replace my 04 Toyota Tundra OEM shocks, also Bilstein's. Yes, the extended travel is a huge plus. the cheapest, most effective way to get up to 2" front lift. But the real deal is the ride. My truck just feels so much better on the road.
I just installed a new set of front/rear custom bumpers, with a winch. The 5100's plus the stock OEM coils are now just a little too soft. Upgrading to the Bilstein 6112's with a stiffer coil spring. Just got them today in the mail. IMO the 5100's are probably the easiest, most simple mod to upgrade your stock Tacoma/Tundra.

[scottbollinger]

I’ve owned over a dozen Jeeps in my lifetime. Had many different brands of shocks on everything from stock to fully locked with 6” lift and long arms. I now own three jeeps…a TJ, XJ and an MJ. And they ALL have 5100s on them. Love them.

[TangoTangoAlpha]

Had a 4Runner with Dobinsons, 5100's, and 33's. The best offroader I owned to that day. It did everything I threw at it and rode spectacular on the road. Of course, I didn't have the ICON or KING brand stickers, but that didn't matter. It was perfect and I genuinely miss that vehicle except for the MPG for the lack of power. (12mpg and barely any torque).

Now I'm running a TRX (11.8mpg @ 650lb-ft) with stock e2 Blackhawks by Bilstein and upgraded to 37's. Rather than change out the suspension, I have an FMI perch collar to add preload and keep stock geometry. The truck is nearly perfect OEM and 37's with reduced rake give it the design the engineers seemingly intended it to be. However, there are a few TRX owners in the forums ditching the BHe2 struts, coils, links, etc. and comment as if they are worthless and spend tens of thousands on all new aftermarket equipment that isn't compatible with Rams onboard suspension management and control system. Fingertip suspension control to buying another product if what they have is too stiff or too soft and lots of dash lights and stability control issues. Practically breaking the vehicle. I don't understand their line of thinking as to how this adds capability or value. They bought a purpose-built OEM offroad enthusiast halo vehicle, paid for advanced suspension and capabilities, scrap them, and pay for it again? Just get a normal 1500 and upgrade it! The TRX was built by engineers whose sole focus was on off-roading abuse and power. I'm keeping to the original as possible and see negative value in replacing any suspension component. I'll certainly stone toss on this one unless they are sponsored and taking the vehicle to SEMA. Same issue with TRD Pro owners who scrap their suspensions and effectively throw away everything they paid for except TRD emblems. To each their own I guess, but it's financially silly to those who understand suspensions.

[kennybrown]

I had 5100' s on my last taco and I loved them for the daily drive, occasionally off road. Camping and fishing. Probably gonna get the same on my new one 👍 great video bro. Straight to the point

[johnforonda]

Love my 5100s on my 1st gen Tacoma. Put my first set to the test driving all types of off road terrain. Eventually had to replace them which cost was well under the cost of the kings I purchased for my 4Runner. Easily could buy multiple sets and still be under the cost of a high end CO. What it comes down to is that these will do the job without having to spend an arm and a leg.

[jonsager]

I've used bilstein for over 35 years on my corvettes and trucks. Nothing better for my usage.

[Piratedavessaltylife]

I have 5100s on my 2016 Tundra. They are great! Such a smooth ride!

[howabouthetruth]

I bought my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 brand new. About 9 months ago, I finally bought the shocks I always wanted: the Bilstein 4600 series shocks. These are the same shocks that came on the top-of-the-line 1st gen Tacoma's with the TRD performance package. Let me tell ya, it's the single best performance upgrade I've ever done to my Tacoma. Not only do they handle rough, uneven terrain much better and offer a significant improvement in overall ride quality, but the major difference is the Bilstein 4600 series shocks eliminated virtually all body-roll. Going around tight turns, making sudden/abrupt directional changes, lane changes, etc, the truck now stays planted and level. No more "tilting your head" going into tight turns, and the truck literally feels much safer when negotiating tight turns & twisty roads. They are quite amazing actually, and are much cheaper to buy nowadays vs way back in 2000. Back in the early 2000's the 4600 series Bilstein shocks for my Tacoma were anywhere between $150 to $175 EACH, and that does not include the price of installation. I recently bought mine brand new from an authorized Bilstein distributor online for just under $90 counting installation cost of course. That is a significant price reduction. My Tacoma drives much more like a sports car now. I fell in love with my 1st gen Tacoma 4x4 all over again, only it's even better now. Highly recommended.