Bilstein 2/1 leveling kit

[Wackym8]

Going to eventually do the Bilstein 5100 2”/1” leveling kit. I’ll either use 1” rear blocks or an AAL in the rear and just the shocks set to 2” in the front. I asked for a quote and was recommended new upper control arms which adds around $1000 with labor. What’s the deal with the UCAs with a 2” lift? If I do the 3rd or 4th setting in the front (1 or 1.5”) instead of 2” will the need for UCAs change? I have 265/70r17 on 4Runner TRD PRO wheels. Not sure of the offset. I’m new to IFS trucks so go easy on me.

 

[drizzoh]

Basically, the higher the front goes, the more caster you will need to be able to add to correct the geometry. At some point, you run out of available factory adjustment and will need to change additional parts to get the alignment back in spec. IMO you don't want to lift the front higher than about 1.65" anyway or else it starts to ride very harsh because you lose too much down travel. A lift under 2" is supposed to be able to be adjusted to be in spec still, but I put high caster arms when I did my lift kit because I wanted to increase the caster for wheel clearance at the cab mounts with my larger tires and negative offset wheels. Also, most of the time with the 5100's, guys will opt to have the driver side set 1 ring higher to fight against taco lean.

Blocks in the rear are fine if you don't need any extra weight capacity over stock. Adding a leaf will make the rear end stiffer. Generally, it's best to swap leaf packs vs an add-a-leaf setup for overall ride quality but will depend on your needs and budget.

 

[Mrcooperou812]

On a third Gen at 2 inches front lift (23" wheel hub center to fender edge), on stock size tires and I believe, a modest positive offset like +4, +10 on TRD Pro wheels, I would stick with your stock UCAs and max caster angle from the LCA cams first, and feel how it steers. And if then, drop it a notch to 1.5" before getting new UCAs.