HoLeeChit,

First off, all aftermarket spring manufacturer's advertise a lift height for their products but this is an approximation. Actual end results can vary slightly.

1. The Bilstein 6112's are a 2.5 inch diameter shock mated with Eibach springs rebranded with the Bilstein name. The 6112's have 5 different height adjustments advertised from .6 to 3.2 inches by setting the spring perch at different heights prior to assembling the strut. Yes, they can provide 3 inches of lift.

2. The rear of your vehicle is designed with shocks and springs independent of each other. The 5160's are shocks alone and will not provide any lift but they can accommodate up to 2 inches of lift. To lift the rear of your Cruiser you must purchase springs separately. Bilstein offers several different choices but there are many different brands on the market.

3. When lifting the front of your Cruiser 3 inches the geometry becomes radically altered. The ball joints on your stock Upper Control Arms (UCR's) will be at their maximum designed angle. Additionally, at 3 inches of lift and using stock UCA's you will be unable to achieve properly Caster alignment. The vehicle will be drive-able but you will want to eventually change to aftermarket UCA's designed to accommodate a 3 inch lift. SPC or JBA are my brand recommendations.

4. If you measure the height of your vehicle you will discover that the drivers side sets roughly a 1/4 inch lower than the passenger side. This is normal due to the extra weight of the gas tank, battery, starter, all located on the drivers side.

I've had 3 different suspensions systems on my Cruiser to include "Icon" which I regretted purchasing. I'm currently running 6112's each set on the 4th adjustment notch (2.6 inches) with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side. Bilstein rear springs advertised at .9 inches of lift, again with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side. My vehicle sets perfectly level front to back and side to side. I'm completely satisfied with the ride quality and handling characteristics of this setup both on pavement and moderate off-roading.

Bilstein's are a good choice For Their Price Point. There are of-course superior products on the market if you're willing to spend a bucket of money. Search for Bilstein's website, plug in your year, make, model to see their products offered for the Cruiser.

 

HoLeeChit,

First off, all aftermarket spring manufacturer's advertise a lift height for their products but this is an approximation. Actual end results can vary slightly.

1. The Bilstein 6112's are a 2.5 inch diameter shock mated with Eibach springs rebranded with the Bilstein name. The 6112's have 5 different height adjustments advertised from .6 to 3.2 inches by setting the spring perch at different heights prior to assembling the strut. Yes, they can provide 3 inches of lift.

2. The rear of your vehicle is designed with shocks and springs independent of each other. The 5160's are shocks alone and will not provide any lift but they can accommodate up to 2 inches of lift. To lift the rear of your Cruiser you must purchase springs separately. Bilstein offers several different choices but there are many different brands on the market.

3. When lifting the front of your Cruiser 3 inches the geometry becomes radically altered. The ball joints on your stock Upper Control Arms (UCR's) will be at their maximum designed angle. Additionally, at 3 inches of lift and using stock UCA's you will be unable to achieve properly Caster alignment. The vehicle will be drive-able but you will want to eventually change to aftermarket UCA's designed to accommodate a 3 inch lift. SPC or JBA are my brand recommendations.

4. If you measure the height of your vehicle you will discover that the drivers side sets roughly a 1/4 inch lower than the passenger side. This is normal due to the extra weight of the gas tank, battery, starter, all located on the drivers side.

I've had 3 different suspensions systems on my Cruiser to include "Icon" which I regretted purchasing. I'm currently running 6112's each set on the 4th adjustment notch (2.6 inches) with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side. Bilstein rear springs advertised at .9 inches of lift, again with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side. My vehicle sets perfectly level front to back and side to side. I'm completely satisfied with the ride quality and handling characteristics of this setup both on pavement and moderate off-roading.

Bilstein's are a good choice For Their Price Point. There are of-course superior products on the market if you're willing to spend a bucket of money. Search for Bilstein's website, plug in your year, make, model to see their products offered for the Cruiser.

[/QUOTE]

olongapo2

I did not expect to receive such detailed response, you rock!!!! Thank you so much!!!

I have couple follow up questions:

• Is it true that the front coil that come with the 6112 are not replaceble with other coils?
• I under stand that as @ZerosFJ mentioned that the top notch are designed to run on foe load and will give poor ride quality, that is also what I heard from other people not recommend to put it all the way to the top notch. I am trying to run 33" tires, would a 2.5" lift give me issue? I have had different answer to this question..
• So given my price range, $1500 to $2000, what would be some good brand and kit i can look into beside Bilstein? I also looked into Toytec but I know that it is not as big of a brand as Bilstein, so I am having my second thought.

Thannk you all sooooooo much!!!!!!

 

I was going to reply...but @olongapo2 has got it pretty much covered!

I run Icon Overland rear springs which will give you 3” of lift...but...that’s 3” unladen and as they are designed foe load that would give a poor ride. With my standard load which is quite heavy I get about 2.5” with them

 

Hi. Are you running these Icon Overland (3”) rear springs with the 5160s too? I have 5160s now but realized after the fact there only meant for 2” lift. Need heavy duty springs when for towing our camper with a close to 500lb tongue weight. Thanks for any info you could provide.

 

I have the same setup but without the spacers. I followed this Bilstein advice to address the driver side lean (see the circlip recommendation for the driver/passenger sides to be 2 notches apart:

 

So can someone confirm these are the typical/correct heights of each circlip combination? Why is it different from what is on the Bilstein website?

 

As I read through this thread it looks like the bilstein rear springs are too much. the front kit with the clips in position #6/#4 (driver side/passenger side) yields a 2.2" lift to the front
the springs yield a 1" lift to the rear. for leveling doesn't the front start out 2 inches lower ? so with the rear springs...the front would still be 1 inch lower?

 

You’ve basically got it. My TTUE2014 stock started out about 1-1.5 higher rear versus front. It’s basically about how much you want your FJ to lean forward.

 

I am also running the 6112's up front 4th notch , 5160's in the rear with Icons 2 inch spring. I added SPC uca's during installation to obtain proper alignment. VERY HAPPY with ride quality and stance.

I went to a 285/70/17 Toyo AT3 and 1.25 inch spidertrax spacers. I needed to do a body mount chop ( which I did first / before getting the suspension)

You'll read about folks not needing a BMC but I wouldve been rubbing without one.

 

HoLeeChit,

I'm not able to give you precise answers to your questions but I can share my experiences and make recommendations. Your plan to run 33's changes the game and I believe your suspension budget of $2,000.00 dollars is a little lite to set up a proper system that you'll be happy with, around that size tire. Spending a few more bucks on quality products and installing the correct lift the first go around will save you money in the long run. Been there, done that.

When I purchased my Cruiser I spent many hours researching and with pen and paper mapped out my build around 33/12.5's. Since the Cruiser was going to be my daily driver, my goal was to create a lifted vehicle that rode like a Cadillac but handled like a sports car both on and off pavement. An unrealistic goal as there are always trade offs.

I chose a full stage, 3 inch "Icon" system to include their adjustable delta joint UCA's, performed the BMC and pinch weld fold, installed the differential drop kit, sway bar relocation brackets and adjustable sway bar links. Even though I was running aftermarket wheels with negative off-set to push the tires out, I still experienced tire rubbing with the 33/12.5's and had to add wheel spacers. The Icon system performed well in rough terrain but I was not happy with the performance on pavement. Every small crack and bump in the pavement was transmitted into the cabin, in part due to running "E" rated tires and cranking the Icons to their full preload (Height). The rear of the Cruiser was stiff and rode harshly. I experimented with different rear spring and shock combinations but was not able to achieve my desired ride quality. I eventually removed and sold the Icon's. Installed Bilstein's, lowered the vehicle to just a hair over 2.5 inches in front, 1 inch in the rear, and now run 285/70's. My current setup provides very comfortable ride quality and handling characteristics on pavement with moderate off-road capabilities.


To answer a couple of your questions:

-All adjustable struts will increase in stiffness as more preload is added to the springs. Having said that, the 6112's are fairly soft and forgiving and I don't believe setting them to full preload will cause them to become overly stiff. Bilstein offers a stiffer spring for the 6112's for vehicles that have added weight such as a steel bumper or a wench.

-There are several brands of springs on the market that can be used with the 6112's but this will add to your budget and in my opinion not necessary. Attached are links to a California company "Shock Surplus". In their YouTube channel you'll find many videos comparing different shock brands to each other. Very useful information. They can also provide you with advice if you give them a call. Their number can be found on their website, second link.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8z9woEqhVE1pogENICDVg/videos

Shock Surplus - Ride Control Supply - Shocks, Struts, Coilovers

Shock Surplus provides the most extensive catalog of ride control products in the United States. We have a shock absorber for every vehicle on the road today, whether that's for stock and factory replacement, performance passenger cars at the track, or offroad vehicles in the toughest terrain.

www.shocksurplus.com

My advice for you is not to be in a hurry to modify your Cruiser. The more time you spend researching and planning will yield better results. Make a detailed written project plan identifying your goal and all parts and modifications required. Be advised that many aftermarket upper control arms are not compatible with stock rims as the rims do not have the required off-set and will cause the sidewalls of the tires to rub against the UCA's. An issue to note in your project plan. If you decide to perform a full 3 inch front lift I highly recommend the differential drop kit to lessen the angle on the CV joints. Additionally, you don't have to perform all the modifications at once. Do the BMC and pinch weld fold first and have it completed prior to deciding on a suspension system.

Attached is a photo of my Cruiser for your reference. As I stated I went from a 3 inch Icon lift and 33's to Bilstein's, roughly 2.5 inches in front and 1 inch in the rear and now run 285/70 17's. JBA upper control arms, BMC, Diff drop, and adjustable panhard bar to center the rear axle. Alignment is spot-on, I have plenty of tire clearance, and the vehicle rides and handles like a dream. Much better than what I experienced with the 3 inch Icon's and 33's.

 

HoLeeChit,

I'm not able to give you precise answers to your questions but I can share my experiences and make recommendations. Your plan to run 33's changes the game and I believe your suspension budget of $2,000.00 dollars is a little lite to set up a proper system that you'll be happy with, around that size tire. Spending a few more bucks on quality products and installing the correct lift the first go around will save you money in the long run. Been there, done that.

When I purchased my Cruiser I spent many hours researching and with pen and paper mapped out my build around 33/12.5's. Since the Cruiser was going to be my daily driver, my goal was to create a lifted vehicle that rode like a Cadillac but handled like a sports car both on and off pavement. An unrealistic goal as there are always trade offs.

I chose a full stage, 3 inch "Icon" system to include their adjustable delta joint UCA's, performed the BMC and pinch weld fold, installed the differential drop kit, sway bar relocation brackets and adjustable sway bar links. Even though I was running aftermarket wheels with negative off-set to push the tires out, I still experienced tire rubbing with the 33/12.5's and had to add wheel spacers. The Icon system performed well in rough terrain but I was not happy with the performance on pavement. Every small crack and bump in the pavement was transmitted into the cabin, in part due to running "E" rated tires and cranking the Icons to their full preload (Height). The rear of the Cruiser was stiff and rode harshly. I experimented with different rear spring and shock combinations but was not able to achieve my desired ride quality. I eventually removed and sold the Icon's. Installed Bilstein's, lowered the vehicle to just a hair over 2.5 inches in front, 1 inch in the rear, and now run 285/70's. My current setup provides very comfortable ride quality and handling characteristics on pavement with moderate off-road capabilities.


To answer a couple of your questions:

-All adjustable struts will increase in stiffness as more preload is added to the springs. Having said that, the 6112's are fairly soft and forgiving and I don't believe setting them to full preload will cause them to become overly stiff. Bilstein offers a stiffer spring for the 6112's for vehicles that have added weight such as a steel bumper or a wench.

-There are several brands of springs on the market that can be used with the 6112's but this will add to your budget and in my opinion not necessary. Attached are links to a California company "Shock Surplus". In their YouTube channel you'll find many videos comparing different shock brands to each other. Very useful information. They can also provide you with advice if you give them a call. Their number can be found on their website, second link.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8z9woEqhVE1pogENICDVg/videos

Shock Surplus - Ride Control Supply - Shocks, Struts, Coilovers

Shock Surplus provides the most extensive catalog of ride control products in the United States. We have a shock absorber for every vehicle on the road today, whether that's for stock and factory replacement, performance passenger cars at the track, or offroad vehicles in the toughest terrain.

www.shocksurplus.com

My advice for you is not to be in a hurry to modify your Cruiser. The more time you spend researching and planning will yield better results. Make a detailed written project plan identifying your goal and all parts and modifications required. Be advised that many aftermarket upper control arms are not compatible with stock rims as the rims do not have the required off-set and will cause the sidewalls of the tires to rub against the UCA's. An issue to note in your project plan. If you decide to perform a full 3 inch front lift I highly recommend the differential drop kit to lessen the angle on the CV joints. Additionally, you don't have to perform all the modifications at once. Do the BMC and pinch weld fold first and have it completed prior to deciding on a suspension system.

Attached is a photo of my Cruiser for your reference. As I stated I went from a 3 inch Icon lift and 33's to Bilstein's, roughly 2.5 inches in front and 1 inch in the rear and now run 285/70 17's. JBA upper control arms, BMC, Diff drop, and adjustable panhard bar to center the rear axle. Alignment is spot-on, I have plenty of tire clearance, and the vehicle rides and handles like a dream. Much better than what I experienced with the 3 inch Icon's and 33's.


View attachment 1156045

Can you please tell me which springs and UCA you went with. The standard springs for the front are 600lbs. The heavy duty kit has 700lbs springs and Bilstein also sells 650lbs springs. Also for the rear springs, they have two options the .9” lift and the 1.5” lift. Which did you use?

I have got the 600lbs front springs and the .9” lift rear springs on order....hoping to get 2” front lift and .9” rear lift and run 185/70/17 BFG tires on stock rims.
My 4wD shop told me I don’t need UCA or the BMC with that combination.

does that sound correct to you?
I’m thinking I do need the UCA and the BMC

 

That is exactly what I’m after. Do you have a build sheet with part numbers. Also what is welding the pinch seem?

 

outobie,
In addition to performing a body mount chop, there is a seam where two seperate sheet metals are welded together creating a knife edge that can interfere with tire clearance. Attached is a video illustrating folding back this seam. The vehicle owner in this video should have made several relief cuts prior to hammering back the metal but the video shows the procedure. Additionally, the metal should be treated to prevent rust. Paint, and a liberal coat of silicone sealant will prevent moisture from getting behind the folded metal. This seam is not visible as it is covered by the plastic inner finder cover.

 

Thanks for posting seems simple enough

 

You do NOT need UCA's w that setup. The BMC and pinch weld on the other hand I believe you will need. But like i said previously....others have said they pulled off 285 70 17's w out the chop or pinch weld modidfication.

 

outobie,
I spent a bucket of money and went through 3 different suspension systems before finding the Goldilocks system that meets my needs which are a comfortable, controllable, on-pavement ride with moderate off-road capabilities. I have no additional weight added to the vehicle except for roughly 100 pounds of sound dampening material that is evenly spread throughout the vehicle.

My current setup is:

Front
-Bilstein 6112's part number 46-227294 set on the 4th notch with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side to level the vehicle. This yielded roughly 2.7 inches of front lift.
-Body Mount Chop and Pinch Weld Fold.
-JBA Upper Control Arms.
-Cusco heavy duty Sway Bar and adjustable links.
-Differential drop kit and Sway Bar relocation brackets.

The alignment is spot-on. There is very little angle on the front drive axles and plenty of room to run 285/70's. To clear the aftermarket UCA's my wheels have an off-set of negative 12.

Rear
-Bilstein springs part number 36-281817 with a 1/4 inch spacer installed on the drivers side to level the vehicle.
-Fox 2.0 shocks
-Adjustable panhard bar to center the axle.
-SPC control arms.

Remarks:
1. I experimented with many different rear spring and shock combinations. Icon, Sway-a-Way, and Eibach springs, all to stiff for my liking. The Bilstein's are rated at 180 pounds, lighter than any other +1 inch springs I've found on the market. I originally mated them with 5100's then changed to Fox. The Fox's seem to be lighter valved than the 5100's allowing the rear suspension to articulate more freely absorbing all imperfections in the road but without any body roll when cornering.

2. I once ran a Cusco's rear heavy duty sway bar and even though it was adjusted correctly with adjustable links, I discovered it caused the rear suspension to bind, resulting in a stiff ride. I reverted back to the stock rear sway bar which freed up the suspension.

3. Growing older, I no longer do recreational off-roading however living in the tropics, having a monsoon season and several typhoons a year I occasionally need the benefits of a lifted 4x4 to cross washed out roads. My current setup provides a very comfortable and controllable on-pavement ride with the ability to travel moderately rough terrain. My Cruiser is my daily driver and as I stated, this setup meets my needs perfectly but may not be the ideal system for Cruiser owners with different requirements or heavy accessories added to their vehicle.


With your planned 2 inches of front lift, your stock UCA's should be fine and proper alignment should be easy to achieve. There are other Cruiser owners in my area with 2.5 inch front lift's and running 285's without chopping the body mount. They have no clearance issues on-pavement but occasionally experience tire rubbing in rough terrain when the steering is at full lock. I would recommend that you make the decision to do the BMC and pinch weld fold and be done with it. It may appear challenging but is actually a very simple modification.

Good luck with your project.

 

I am running 6112s with Icon 2" rear coils. I initially had the 6112s at the second from top notch, but had to move to the top notch to compensate after I added a winch and bullbar. I also have SPC UCAs, very happy with the setup.

 

Great info guys thank you. One more question. Seems some people do the driver side sag with spring height and others use a spacer. What are the pros cons of each approach?

 

outobie did you get an answer to this? I'm currently debating the same thing, spacer or circlip location.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I figure you've probably decided one way or another at this point and would love your point of view.

 

No I am running Fox 2.5” shocks (Tundra rears). Fully loaded it sits at nearer 2” than 3”

 

Nice! Thanks for the info.

 

I have a 2007 FJ and just installed Bilstein 6112 heavy duty coil overs as i have ARB steel bumper & winch. I had preset at highest possible setting, #4 passenger side & #6 driver side to compensate for factory taco lean. Also installed 5160 rear shocks . Manufacturer advertised 2.2” lift, but I only gained 1” front drivers side & 3/8” front passenger side, not even close to the lift advertised, but almost balanced out the taco lean. I gained zero lift in rear. I plan to fit 255/80R17’s (33”) tires, now I just hope they will fit!

 

Are you sure you got the heavy version? Can you double check the part number? Almost sounds like you may not have got the heavy.

 

"Manufacturer advertised 2.2” lift, but I only gained 1” front drivers side & 3/8” front passenger side, not even close to the lift advertised, but almost balanced out the taco lean."

The "advertised" lift applies to stock vehicles without any significant changes to the original weight distribution. There is no way Bilstein could possibly guarantee what lift (if any) you might obtain on your particular vehicle with lots of added weight way out in front.

 

Just an fyi, i dont think the 5160's come with a limited lifetime warranty

 

Dont forget about extended brake lines, and good luck getting them apart.