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Bilstein levelling shocks w/lift coil springs done

313K views 706 replies 111 participants last post by  Gidstol 
#1 ·
Hi there folks, just thought id share my latest mod to the d40 4x4, or navara as its known on this side of the pacific :hi:

I got some bilstein 5100 levelling shocks from greg at PRG and fitted them with 1.5in HD lift springs instead of the original springs. The results were rather unexpected but very interesting and welcome none the less so i thought id share this as i know you will be interested in this.

I used the 2nd from the bottom ring on the shock body to mount the spring cup which is supposed to result in 0.5 inches of suspension lift over OEM with stock springs. I figured with 1.5in lift springs i would end up around 2inchs overall but for some reason i got about 3inches overall. The reason this is interesting is that i now have 3inches of front suspension lift with NO COIL BUCKET CONTACT due to the levelling shocks not increasing the suspension droop like a spacer setup does. :fantastic:

Even more interesting, is that ive only used the second from bottom ring on the shocks so there is another 3 notches above this that could provide even further lift however i will not be trying this as im already having wheel alignment problems even with the cam bolts i have.

Bang for buck, the bilstein shocks with lifted coil springs is hard to beat IMHO, much better option than spacers. The ride quality is better than standard, not what id call brilliant but still a noticeable improvement for everyday off roading. Anyone else done this?
 
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#49 ·
So..just so that I understand...I have an 06 CC LE and I just want it level. I have Bilstein HD on all four corners. Would the HD's support leveling the truck with just the Light Duty Coils? Or did I make a mistake in my purchase of the HD's and have to just eat it and buy the 5100's?

These are the light duty coils I am asking about here

Any helpful advice is appreciated.

and I have aready learned to just say No to spacers.:laugh:
 
#51 ·
For those looking into using the OME springs I would say go for the 607's (light duty). My 608's (medium duty) are on the stiff side even with my heavier bumper. But the 608's take the rough terrain at an increased speed quite nicely. This is after 2k miles on them.
Good luck
 
#53 ·
Here's the setup im running:

*Titan adjustable bilsteins at the highest setting
*2" spacer
*Nismo 4x4 coils (higher spring rate)

The result is about 4" of lift and a very nice ride. It has plenty of travel too. Keep in mind, I"m running this setup w/ the titan swap so coil bucket contact isn't an issue.
 
#54 ·
Hey bwarren228, what size tires are you running? And are they still the BFG Mud Terrains? Also, if I have the NISMO model then does that mean that I don't have to worry about switching my coils if I put on the adjustable bilsteins?
 
#56 ·
#58 ·
Hey guys I am hoping you can help me answer a simple question about the 5100s. I am currently sporting the PRG UCAs and the 3" spacer kit in the front. The back is lifted with 2 inch block w/ Bils (5125 I think). I am happy with what I got but I am looking to replace my front shocks with 5100s. I am thinking of doing the following and I was hoping I could get some feed back from some folks who have done the same.

Option 1: Add the 5100s and adjust them for additional .5 inch of lift (keeping the spacers), giving me 3.5 inches of total lift in the front. (And maybe my tires will stop rubbing when I make tight turns)

Option 2: Throw on the 5100s at their lowest setting and keep the spacers I have now, 3 inches

I would like to get this done before the fall semester starts (2 weeks) so any advice/feed back you guys can offer on this is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 
#60 ·
I've been looking at options for a long time on lifts and this seems like a good way to go. If you're putting an AAL in the rear would it not be better to put extended length shocks in the back? I looked at a couple kits that AC has on their website and it seems like this option would have everything. Would I need to extend the brake lines?

Ride Height Adjustable Bilsteins, AAL & Extended Length bils rear shock ($375 total) https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/deluxe-suspension-package-p-5854.html

Lift Coils ($145/pair) https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/frontier-light-duty-front-coils-p-5932.html

Camber bolts ($67.50) https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/genuine-nissan-lower-aarm-camber-alignment-kit-p-4194.html

Total Setup: $587.50

Any comments or suggestions would be great. Thanks.
 
#61 ·
You could probably get away without getting the Bilsteins in the rear....someone please correct me if I'm wrong, because the new AAL would give you 2.5"....
 
#64 · (Edited)
DWW:

I went with the longer shocks in the rear, Bils, much, much better than the stock shocks. As far as the brake lines, my 05 had plenty long front and rear lines. The rear lines use a type of spring clip that attaches them to the axle, its simply there to take up slack. Hope that helps

Bimmernut:
Whats the benefit of the AC coils? Will the setup you suggest still allow me to sit at 3"?
 
#67 ·
Thanks again Bimmer, if I can just pick your brain once more. I have the PRG UCAs and have never had coil bucket contact issues. So can you let me know what you are running right now? AC coils, Bil 5100s... and you are sporting around 3" of lift?
 
#69 · (Edited)
I like the idea of this set up. I'm aiming more for a street truck with 4X4 off road capability. I happen to like the look of the rake we have from the factory. I dont want much of a lift, if at all and dont want to go larger tires either.
Did the lifts and whatnot on my old Jeep, dont want to do that mess again on a vehicle that I take off road that much.
What I want is an upgraded suspension that will not affect the street application.
Since I installed the traction springs, the rear appears to ride a little higher. The half inch those Bils provide would be great.
Anyway, how much improvement is there over OEM with this "upgraded" set up?
 
#70 ·
Anyway, how much improvement is there over OEM with this "upgraded" set up?
The greatest improvement with this setup will be the lift you get for the price! I'm not sure, but I would assume the ride might be a little smoother if you put the bils up front.
 
#71 ·
Not really looking for a lift. I checked out the PRG stuff and it looks pimp. But the price tag (while not bad) is not what I need from a primarily street vehicle. I'm not going to be rock crawling or serious off roading anytime soon that requires streetabilty robbing suspension and tires.
So the mild upgrade to stiffer coil springs, ride height adjustable fronts and better shocks out back may do the trick for me.
 
#75 · (Edited)
wow, seems ive started somthing here...

Ok ill add a few more things for those that are still a little confused.

The adj bils in conjunction with 1.5in lift coils can provide MORE THAN 3inches of lift in the front end without coil bucket contact. THIS CANNOT BE DONE with spacers or you WILL have coil bucket contact, thats one benefit of going this way.

The other benefits are you get a better ride, as opposed to a worse ride with spacers... and more travel compared to a spacer setup as the spacers limit your upward travel compared to stock.

Dont try to use spacers WITH the adjustable bils!!! or your defeating all the advantages outlined above, and you can get more than enough lift without them, use the lift coils, NOT SPACERS! In fact you could lift your truck over 4inches using the lift coils and bils with the perch moved upto the highest setting, although your ride would be way too harsh and your CV`s would be destroyed in no time.

And for those who are interested, ive also lifted the rear of my truck 2inches with lift blocks (should have used new lifted leaf springs) and used the longer 5125`s shocks as i was totally unhappy with the stock shocks and their performance espcially when carrying a decent load in the back, the thing used to bounce all over the road. I also installed some airbags in the rear end to help with carrying the loads and i can control the rear height (within reason) by varying the pressure in the airbags.

Im not going to do a write up on this install for those who have asked, because all the info is already contained within this forum, your simply swapping out your front shocks, nothing more than that.

For those that want to replicate my install for 3inches of front lift, simply use the 1.5in lift coils, and the spring perch on the second lowest setting, or depending on the springs to get, you might want to use the middle setting. The end result is a 3inch lifted truck with a better ride than stock, not alot better, but still a noticeable improvement and i would definatlely do this again when i upgrade to a new truck.

:noworries:
 
#82 ·
just whated to see if you have got any pics with the lift installed
 
#77 ·
Not 100% sure but chances are that they won't ship by USPS because it's not as convenient as shipping by UPS or FedEx. If they do use UPS or FedEx, you'll probably get dinged big time on the customs brokerage fee as you may or may not know. To avoid this you could get it shipped just south of the border to a shipping/receiving depot and go pick it up yourself.
 
#78 ·
I found a local shop that could help me with some of the installation and I was wondering if I got rock sliders, could I install them before installing the lift or would that cause problems for when I go install the lift?
 
#80 ·
Alright, just ordered the new leaf springs and new cam bolts from Greg over at PRG! Will be ordering the new shocks and coils in a week!
 
#81 ·
just got my ac coils today, got one hell of a deal on a pair still new in box from another member on here, $75 shipped to my door :thumbup:. can't beat that! still need to get everything else though.


 
#218 ·
how would i now witch one i have there is no Part # on them. the ones i bought have 8 rings on the coil if that helps they look like this ones in the pic
 
#84 · (Edited)
you shouldn't have to if you're just doing this lift. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!
 
#86 ·
I was thinking, if I get the ride adjustable shocks in the front, that would provide a maximum lift of 2". The PRG rear leafs will provide 2" in the rear. With just those 2 upgrades, it won't run level but it will be a small amount higher in the rear still just like stock does. Do you think it is worth it to spend $150 extra dollars just to get .5" in the front with the AC coils just to level it out? Or should I just get the Bilstein ride adjustable shocks and save the $150? Or should I get the coils for $150 then also go ahead and get PRG blocks for the rear and get 3" all around level? Or do you guys think 3" is too much lift on for a 4wd frontier with stock tires? I'm in need of suggestion and still don't want to spend that much more (don't want to get new wheels)! Thanks in advance!
 
#87 ·
u should definatly go with the deluxe package from 4x4 parts and then the lift coils too, might as well get what you want the first time, for $520+shipping you cant go wrong. I spent almost double that and all i have done is the front end. Wish i would have thought of doing my lift this way.
 
#90 ·
Thanks for the quick replies and great info. Do you think 3.5" in the front is too much? I can easily go 3" or 3.5" in the front with the adj bils and AC coils. Since I already purchased the 2" leaf springs from PRG, I think I want to go level and 1" more in the rear. 3" lift in the rear and 3.5" in the front would be level! (right) What would be my best options, blocks or shackles?
 
#94 ·
3" lift in the rear and 3.5" in the front would be level! (right)
Just addressing this part of the question....Not sure about the Pro 4X model, but my SE sat about 1 inch lower in the front stock. I only raised it 0.5 inch higher in the front than in the rear...and to me, the rake is not noticeable anymore unless you're really looking for it.
 
#95 ·
Yeah that is what I was thinking. So do you think I'll sit level with that though? My rear is already .5-1" higher stock, never actually measured it though. Or should I get some AC shackles for .5" more in the rear?
 
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