A 2010-2014 FJ Cruiser with a steel bumper and a winch is a lot of weight on a front end built for stock. The nose sits low, dives on the brakes and finds the bump stops on the first washout. Bilstein's heavy-load 6112 is built for that truck: stiffer springs and valving for 150-200 lbs of extra weight up front, the same 2.6-inch monotube and 60mm digressive piston, and 2.1" to 3.1" of lift with the weight on.

Heavy load means heavy load. Bilstein built this kit for 150-200 lbs of added weight up front: a steel bumper, a winch, armor. Bilstein says it's not recommended for a stock-weight truck; without the weight it rides stiff and sits taller than the chart. Stock or close to it? Our standard assembled 6112 listing is the right one.

We take it one step further. The 6112 normally shows up as a box of loose parts: dampers, heavy-load springs, spring seats, circlips and spacer washers, with a note that says "spring compressor required." Bilstein's kit also reuses your factory upper mounts. We build them for you, at the height you choose, with new OE-spec upper mounts, so what shows up at your door is two finished heavy-load coilovers ready to bolt in to your FJ Cruiser.

How We Build Them

Every pair is built to order after you pick your lift setting above. Here's what happens on our bench:

• Set the circlips. The 6112 body has a row of numbered grooves, and where the circlip sits decides your ride height. On the FJ Cruiser, Bilstein sets the driver side two grooves higher than the passenger side to level the truck side to side. We set each coilover to the setting you ordered.
• Fit Bilstein's spacer washers at the top settings. At #5 and #6, the jounce bumper gets the spacer washers from the kit, as Bilstein's instructions show.
• Seat the billet spring perch. The anodized aluminum spring seat sits on the circlip and carries the spring.
• Compress and install the Bilstein spring. We use a mounted, shop-grade strut compressor. This is the step that makes DIYers nervous, for good reason: a coil spring under load stores a lot of energy.
• Install a new OE-spec upper mount. The rubber in your factory mounts has been soaking up every pothole for more than a decade. Reusing tired mounts on fresh coilovers is like putting new tires on bent wheels. New mounts come on every build.
• Torque, check, label. The top nut gets torqued to spec, each coilover is checked and marked driver or passenger, and the pair is boxed together.

Why Buy Them Assembled?

• No spring compressor. Rental "clamshell" compressors are the most dangerous tool most people will ever use in a driveway. You skip that part entirely.
• The right offset, every time. The driver side sits two grooves above the passenger side on the FJ. Ours are set, checked and labeled.
• New mounts included. The loose Bilstein kit reuses your factory upper mounts. Ours come with new ones, which matters more with a winch hanging off the front.
• Faster install. Assembly is the slowest part of a coilover job. With that done, the job is removing two struts and bolting in two.

Bilstein charts four settings on the FJ: 2.1" at #3 / #1 to 3.1" at #6 / #4. Every setting lifts. A lighter FJ sits taller than the chart.

How to choose: Measure from the center of each wheel to the fender lip, front and rear, with the bumper, winch and gear on. Pick the setting closest to your rake plus the lift your rear coils add. Stuck between two? Call us with your measurements and build list: (213) 433-3616.

Matching the Rear: Bilstein 5100 or 5160?

The FJ runs coil springs on four links, so the coils set rear height and the shock only needs the right length. Bilstein tunes this front to run with heavy-load rear lift coils. Plan those first; they set rear height and decide how long the rear shock needs to be.

The Bilstein 5100 (33-313146) is the default. It uses a 46mm digressive piston in a zinc-plated monotube body and covers stock height up to 2" of rear lift. With Bilstein valving at both ends, the fresh front doesn't feel sharp while the rear bounces around on tired stock shocks.

The Bilstein 5160 (25-311211 left, 25-325096 right) is for a rear that lives loaded. The remote reservoir adds oil capacity, so damping stays consistent with a full cargo area, a rooftop tent or a trailer, and on long washboard roads. On a truck heavy enough to need this front, the 5160 is usually the pick.

Run the 5100 if:

• Your rear coils lift the truck 2" or less
• The added weight is mostly up front (bumper, winch)

Run the 5160 if:

• The cargo area is always full: drawers, fridge, water, recovery gear
• You run long washboard or desert roads where shocks get hot
• You tow a small camper or a utility trailer regularly

When you need something else: More than about 2" of rear lift needs a longer shock. Call us: (213) 433-3616.

Shop the Bilstein 5160 Rear Pair (2010-2024 4Runner listing, same parts)

Shop the Bilstein 5100 Rear Pair for the 2010-2014 FJ Cruiser

On the Road

With the weight on, the front stops sitting nose-low and diving under braking, and it settles in one motion after a dip. Without the weight, it rides stiff and sits tall. That's the trade for a kit built for a loaded truck.

Off the Road

The heavy-load springs keep the front off the bump stops with a bumper and winch out front, and the 2.6-inch body holds its damping on long washboard roads. Plan on a rear to match (see above).

The Honest Trade-Offs

• Not for a stock-weight truck. Bilstein says so.
• No factory-height setting. The lowest is 2.1".
• Your height is set when we build it. Changing it later means taking the coilover apart with a strut compressor. Measure before you order.
• Firm without the weight. These springs and valves are sized for a loaded front. On a lighter truck it rides stiff and sits tall.
• Built to order. Every pair is assembled for your truck, so it takes longer to ship than a box pulled off a shelf.
• The top settings work the front end harder. From about 2.5" up, the factory upper control arms and ball joints run at steep angles and the CV axles work harder. Aftermarket upper control arms bring camber back.
• Don't stack a spacer on top. A strut spacer on top of a 6112 pushes the front past what the factory arms and axles are built for.

Install Notes

• Fits 2010-2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser 4WD.
• Built for a heavy front end: steel bumper, winch, armor, 150-200 lbs over stock.
• 2WD FJ: not on Bilstein's chart. Call us.
• Stock-weight truck? Use our standard assembled 6112 listing (47-310025). A 2007-2009 FJ uses 47-311190 for heavy load.
• Removing a strut spacer? Leave it off.
• Get an alignment right after install. Any lift changes camber and toe.
• Recheck the front height after the springs settle in over the first few hundred miles.
• Most people with a floor jack, jack stands, and a basic socket set can swap the pair in an afternoon. The heavy lifting is done.

Who Should Buy These

FJ Cruiser owners whose trucks are built and carry it every day, with no spring compressor in the driveway. Stock or close? The standard build rides better.