Shock Talk Ep. 4 The Dynamic Duo: BILSTEIN's 6112 and 5160 Shocks Explained

In this episode, our knowledgeable hosts dive into a common question that BILSTEIN frequently encounters: Why does BILSTEIN pair their 6112 shocks with a 60mm piston in the front, and 5160 Reservoir shocks with a 46mm piston in the rear? Join them as they demystify the science behind this unique combination and shed light on the factors that contribute to a well-balanced and high-performing suspension system. From understanding piston sizes and oil displacement to exploring the benefits of reservoir shocks, this episode promises to enlighten and empower both off-road enthusiasts and everyday drivers with a newfound understanding of this winning combination.

[@jacobhinkston6804]

Just installed 5160s + 6112s on my ‘23 F150 Tremor. Absolutely love the end result, big difference off road and on road. Worth the money.

[@adamgonzalez3998]

Need the 6112/5160 in the gray coating like the 8100s.. I'm sure it'll hold up better for us northeast guys.

[@thedude828-ed2nn]

I put a Bilstein 5100 lift kit from all dogs off-road with their in house coil springs and add a leaf on my Nissan frontier and ive heard people say they are stiff on the road and its quite the opposite for me they are awesome. My truck only has 32k miles on it so my oem suspension wasn't shot by any means but im impressed with the on road and off road capability of my suspension now night and day difference!!

[@scootypuffjr.]

I've got 6112's (heavy load kit for bumper and winch) and 5160's still in the box for my FJ. . Seemed like the best option for the money. Still deciding on wheels and tires.

[@TheNewps]

What up Shane! Just installed some 5160's on the rear of my son's 2005 Toyota Tacoma X-Cab 4x4. Waiting for your 6112's and your upper control arms to arrive!

[@71tattooguy]

Thanks guys for the great info. Been running 6112’s /5160 for a while. Love the set up. Followed Bilstein specs went top settings with appropriate spring for weight of bumper and winch , rides very nice on and off-road. I will not hesitate to run these shocks again when needed 😃🤘🏻

[@JL-fly7]

Just curious what adjustable height you put on 6112 to accommodate your bumper and winch. Thanks.

[@71tattooguy]

@@JL-fly7 I’m running a new suspension now. When I had my 6112’s I was top settings for 2” of lift with 1/4” spacers on 650 coils with bumper and winch to keep lift. I lost 1/2” of lift when installing bumper and winch. That’s why I used the 1/4” spacers to regain lift. Hope this helps Dino

[@JL-fly7]

@@71tattooguy Certainly! That makes perfect sense. Thinking getting a steel bumper after suspension. Winch, not sure cuz don’t want to go too crazy on over landing. But 2 in. Set up upfront shall accommodate for bumper and long term settle down. Curious what is ur new suspension setup.

[@71tattooguy]

I’m running Kings now super stoked

[@JL-fly7]

@@71tattooguy That's awesome!

[@OscyJack-]

2018 Silverado. 5160s installed, 6112 on order. B8 UCAs as well. Rears only, holy goshdarn crap, what a massive freaking difference. Changed the whole truck.

[@Amokof]

How comfortable are they on the highways?

[@OscyJack-]

@@Amokof comforts kind of subjective. They are firm but compliant. They soak up high speed stuff really well, and bigger stuff. On small road stuff you'll feel it like any Bilstein.

[@NoLimitsCommemorativ]

This setup is being installed on my Ram 1500 next week set at 2" in the front. Paired with a set of Timbren bumpstops, I'm going to see how the truck performs with both 275/70R18 and 285/75R18 Goelandar G015's. 20 mile highway commute to a steel mill with horrible potholes, gravel roads, and train tracks- then a 1,500lb slide-in camper on weekends. It was these or the Eibach kit- I chose these because of the 6112 size, but I really wish they weren't zinc coated steel because of where I work + salt and snow. Hope I made the right choice.

[@sckirbyc1]

Answered all of my questions! Great pod. You guys sold me on a 6112/5160 setup. Only thing i'm concerned about is my F150 is a powerboost and with the extra weight is it still tuned for my f150?

[@FreedomAtRisk]

Just ordered 6112s and 5100s for my 120k mile 2015 TRD Pro!

[@vegastoyotaoffroad9690]

What would like to see is you take out your Tundra shocks and do a Dyno test comparison to a new out of the box 6112. As Junior said before you could’ve lost some damping but don’t even notice because you got used to it. Only way to really know is Dyno numbers. That would make for another video. I’ll be calling Junior tomorrow. I talked with a few times. Mahalo Mason

[@kookertech]

Do you factor in suspension frequency with your calculations?

[@Mark-ch5bb]

Hey guys, I need to hear from the experts. I have a 22 Ram Rebel 1500 eco diesel with factory Billy’s. I’d like to upgrade to this set up. Will they work on my eco diesel to level or lift front end to fit 35’s? Would I use my factory coils on the front or is there something Bilstein offers? If getting up to the 2.5” 3” level/lift what UCA would you recommend? I also tow a 7500 lbs travel trailer in the summer months, is there a rear coil that Bilstein offers to help with towing along side with the 5160’s? Any information would help! All the information I find is for the gas trucks. Thanks and very informative video.

[@AKBRONCOSFAN007]

Bilstein I use your products exclusively when I upgrade from OEM. I’m considering purchasing the newer Nissan Frontier. I will be looking at the S model which is essentially the base model. I looked online and it doesn’t appear Bilstein offers an aftermarket option for the front shock for the truck. Is this correct or is your website inaccurate? I’m not looking for anything fancy just a simple 5100 for the front. Do you make a 5100 for the front of 2022-2024 Nissan Frontier? I live in Alaska and need a shock that will perform in the extreme cold weather.

[@BrandonAgpaoa]

Extremely informative. I've learned so much about suspension. I was thinking of getting this setup for my 2020 Tundra Limited TRD Off-road. I would like a 3" lift though on the front and rear though. Truck is a daily, but will be used for overlanding, and occasional hauling of a trailer-RV. What is your best recommendation? This setup of 6112/5160, or the 8112 series? Also, will upgrade the UCA and springs, but debating between a few brands as well.

[@SvonSeggern]

Really depends on your budget, but 6112/5160 gets you a great ride on and off-road and can handle all but the most high-speed desert running.

[@BrandonAgpaoa]

@@SvonSeggern thanks. I will not be using my daily truck as s high speed desert runner. Eventually I'll buy another truck specifically for off-road and desert fun.

[@MrCruiserdude]

I have a 2017 Silverado 1500 4WD, need to replace these old Ranchos ASAP. Truck is fairly stock, daily driver. I do some mild off road, but mainly want the best ride and handling on road. Is there much difference in the 5100 vs 6112/5160 as far as on-road performance is concerned? Im very budget minded but understand value. I appreciate the advantages for off road in the higher end setup, but its outside my budget so i would really be disappointed if i spent the extra without noticing a difference on the road...

[@OscyJack-]

Can you run progressive leaf springs with 5160s?

[@joeldoxtator9804]

Where are the 8112's and 8100's for the F150? I see that they were made at one point, but no where has stock anymore. Was this product line canceled?

[@scottpomygalski6078]

I have a 2017 Tundra CrewMax with the TRD OFF Road and Bilsteins. I found the Bilstein to ride too stiff on the road in general. Will the 6112 be a little more soft or forgiving on road like potholes or highway cracks?

[@stevevonseggern6934]

6112s are very plush on-road. We tune our aftermarket dampers to our spec's; Toyota specifies OE damping ride and handling.

[@nostrajoshmus]

Just got the new 8112 dsa's and 8100's for my tacoma🤘🏼

[@bilsteinUS]

Fantastic! We are super excited about those. Let us know your thoughts once they’re installed and you get some time with them!

[@nostrajoshmus]

@bilsteinUS any update on the new B8 Terrasports for 2019 3.6l outback? I lent my car to you guys last year to fit and develop the new shocks and I'm hoping to snag a set soon..

[@stevevonseggern6934]

@@nostrajoshmus Do we still have your car?

[@nostrajoshmus]

@stevevonseggern6934 negative lol.. ryan crane got what he needed and returned the car pretty quickly

[@scootypuffjr.]

Hey, do you guys know what the original off-road package Bilstein shocks on my '08 FJ Cruiser are the equivalent to in the current Bilstein offerings? Mine have 107k miles on them and the thing still rides and handles great on and off road. I hope the 6112/5160 combo I have ready to go in are just more of the same.

[@bilsteinUS]

Hi, we actually had two different shock setups for the FJ depending on year. There was a silver shock that was a smaller 46mm diameter with a non-reservoir shock in the rear so that would be comparable to our 4600’s front and rear. However, there was also a larger 60mm front shock and that was coupled with a reservoired 46mm shock in the rear which would be most comparable to our 6112/5160 combo. The best way to tell which OEM setup your car has is to check if the rear shock has a reservoir, if so you essentially have 6112/5160’s. If your shocks are all non reservoired, you have 4600’s. If you are currently rocking the 4600 equivalents, then installing the 6112’s and 5160’s will net you a huge upgrade to offroad performance! If you already have the reservoired stock Bilstein’s, then performance will be similar with the new shocks as it was when the truck was new, but after 107k miles, I am sure your ride quality has decreased slightly as the shocks have aged so a fresh set will also be an upgrade for you!

[@scootypuffjr.]

@@bilsteinUS I have the oem non-reservoir rears. Can't wait for the upgrade.

[@eazybrah]

I'm considering 6112/5160 for a 5th gen 4runner. Are the 5160s tuned for the OEM coils in the rear?

[@bilsteinUS]

Yes, that’s correct.

[@dobblejay]

i just got my 6112 and 5160 installing them on my 2020 gmc sierra.

[@wolma47]

How is it? I'm waiting on mine to get here.

[@dobblejay]

Amazing! Dirt king upper control arms added. Stock 20’s with 285 65 20 Ko2. My truck rides like a Denali or a high country.

[@scootypuffjr.]

On the 2500HD tie rod discussion. The tie rods ARE a weak link in the front of those. Ask any truck puller or drag racer. They will bend like butter.

[@bilsteinUS]

Yes, Junior corrected himself at 40:02

[@desert4seat]

I'm an enthusiasts and I like spirited driving.

[@TroyPitney-md7vq]

Why are the 6112/6100s suggested front and rear for the Bronco?

[@SvonSeggern]

Broncos are coilover front and rear

[@404_unavailable_69]

Will 5160s keep up with 8112s ?

[@rickguell2971]

I need some guidance... Why do the instructions on the 6112 say not to use the top 3 notches for an 02 Tundra, 2wd AC ? What specifically will actually be damaged? I have Camburg uniball UCAs. The reason I'm going down this road is because I recently installed Solo Motorsports LCAs and they are engineered to push the two front wheels forward 1" to give more caster and allow a bigger tire size. As a result it has lowered my front end about an inch. So my real question is, what harm could occur to my truck if I were to go up to one of those "do not use" notches in order to get my truck level again? Also, hypothetically, what can be damaged if someone with my truck (without the aftermarket LCAs that i have) used one of those "do not use" notches? Thanks for any help you can give, I haven't been able to get a straight answer.

[@stevevonseggern6934]

Using those notches will only result in too much spring pre-load without any additional lift or usable travel.

[@rickguell2971]

@@stevevonseggern6934 how could I safely achieve mote lift?

[@stevevonseggern6934]

@@rickguell2971 Actually with more research we found you're fine to go all the way up because of your uniball upper. It won't allow the knuckle to contact the spring.

[@rickguell2971]

@stevevonseggern6934 that's amazing news! Since the bilstein instructions don't give numbers for the top 3 notches, what would the very top notch get me to? (Well... get a truck with stock LCAs I should say) From what I can tell, for my truck, each notch goes up .4 of an inch. But that's just me trying to understand it. What would be a good notch for me to get level given my situation? (5100s at the very top with oem spring got me level before the LCAs install) By the way thank you so much for looking into this for me. I've been desperate for help

[@stevevonseggern6934]

@@rickguell2971 It’ll be about 2.7 over stock height

[@douglasdever6134]

Get busy and release the front 5100 series for the 3rd Gen (2022-2024) Nissan Frontier. Right now, you do not recommend the 2nd Gen shocks for the 3rd Gen but no explanation as to why.

[@eazybrah]

"mollay panels" 😂

[@richardpowell1389]

Let's hear about the 8112's and 8100's