Kings vs Fox vs Eibach vs Bilstein vs Icon

I've looked and I can't find a thread that compares these shocks in a single location. There are a bunch of one-off comparisons, but it doesn't make it any easier to make a decision. So, here it goes.

I've been debating on leveling vs lift. Leveling is cheap and an easy way to get the ride height, but I've heard differing opinions on potential long term damage to components. The alternative is the more expensive shock upgrades, but there are a bunch to choose from. I see a lot of Fox and Bilstein references, but don't see a ton on King and even less on Icon. Then you can toss Eibach in there to round out what I guess would be a top 5.

So, if I do light offroading (think dirt roads and some creek crossings on a hunting camp). Most of my travel is surface roads and highways, so I want the most comfortable ride possible. Also thinking 2.5-3 inch lift in the front with 1 inch in the back. Would consider doing shocks all the way around with some shackles in the back for height.

I know that cost will dictate some of the decision making criteria, but don't let that hold you back.

Thoughts on shocks?

 

Best Bang for Buck: Bilstein 6112/5160 combo. 6112s on middle notch. Will be lower lift but better ride than top notch.

Best Ride: King or Fox 2.5 remote resi with dsc adjusters to dial in. Going 3.0 is complete overkill for you and so are 2.5s for your offroading needs but you stated “best ride possible”.

Icon is good and there are plenty of fans. I personally along with most would go fox or king before icon.

Quick very high level response but it gives you an idea.

 

I’ve read up on the Eibach setups, the stage 1 most closely compares to Bilstein 5100’s. Most reviews say they aren’t as harsh as the 5100’s tend to be and the price is comparable. I’m planning to go with the Eibach stage 1 to level mine when the time comes. Like you I don’t off-road much, just washboard gravel and poorly kept dirt roads on occasion.

 

I run a full Icon kit on my truck and love it. It rides a little stiffer than say a Fox or King kit but in my opinion I think the truck handles better. Plus with the way Icons are tuned, they take the big hits well without sacrificing too much of the small bump compliance. But like I said they ride a little bit stiffer than Fox or King.

 

I would say how much you want to spend and where you live would matter most here. Not all of these shock bodies hold up well, up north with all the road salt. Every one of the top 3 brands will need to be rebuilt around 20,000 at the earliest.... some later. I'm sure some will pipe up on here and say they've gone 60,000+ miles on their (insert name brand shocks) without any issues, but you don't know there is an issue with your seals, most of the time until you open them up. So OP..... maybe give us more detail on what the budget is and what state you live in.

 

I’ll go ahead and convolute your deliberation even further with Toytec. They offer a very solid, all around type of setup that many people enjoy. I’ll be going with their Boss/Aluma setup with SPCs uca’s in the near future.

 

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I live in GA. I really haven't determined budget. I was moreso going to make the selection, figure out the cost, and then figure it out from there. But, if I had to assign a number, I'd say around $1500, but it probably wouldn't be hard to convince me to spend more if it meant I got a quality stock upgrade with better ride quality.

 

For $1500 I would do Eibachs or Toytec (had bad luck with Bilsteins personally). Get front and rear shocks, and get some UCAs. For $1500 that's the price of just some coilovers from King or Fox, imo you'd be better off getting the whole package with good arms. I had Eibachs for a long time and thought they rode really good, my current Kings feel almost identical until you start getting into deeper bumps.

 

I dont have any experience with the higher end shocks, but I put Eibach Stage 2s on recently. Have about 2k miles on them so far. They are great for my needs and were only $900 shipped with no lead time. They were also preassembled and made for a quick install.

 

Yeah, looks like the Kings are around $1500 just for the fronts. What are your thoughts on running Kings on the front and keeping stock shocks in the back? I really want the front to be level, but willing to spend the extra $$ if it means I get the height and a better ride quality than stock up front.

 

For what you plan to do with your truck Falcons set at the leveled height and Coachbuilder +1 shackles will give you excellent road manners and the off-road capability you need. Won’t be overkill and won’t break the bank.
No need to spend extra money on UCAs which all the big name 2.5s require.

 

How do you like them compared to stock? Are you seeing an improved ride quality?

 

I'm just looking to replace shocks but not interested in leveling or lift (want to still be able to use garage have a couple inches to spare)

..was thinking new oem platinum or trd blue shocks and CB +1 mainly for the poly smoothness. Are the Eibachs, Falcons, or Billsteins or others make a stockish ride height and proven better than oem ?

 

Falcons have a setting for factory height and will be far more comfortable riding than anything OEM.

 

Man the best advice is buy once cry once. Save and get to $3,000 get 2.5s with adjustable dampening and guarantee you get the ride you want. With anything else you chance it doesn't work for you. Cannot state that enough. Patience and more money pays off with suspension. Ask me how i know. If you are not that picky with the ride then sure go Bilstein 6112/5160, toytec etc and call it a day. If you are I think you will find any of the more budget priced suspension rough or for sure not best possible ride.

 

Makes sense. I'm looking to upgrade my wheels and tires, so maybe I do the level now and then upgrade to a new shock system later. So, if I were to spend $3k, are Fox and King interchangeable at this price point?

 

I have Kings on my Tundra, and Foxs on my 4Runner--imo the Foxs are better, and for one reason alone: materials. They both feel great, but the Foxs have held up a lot better against corrosion than the Kings. Not that the Kings are falling apart, but they have more pitting/rust spots on the shafts and corrosion on the bodies than the Foxs and I've had the Foxs at least twice as long as the Kings. The Kings still function plenty fine, we're not talking any serious issues, but the rate of decay if you will of the Kings seems to be double that of the Foxs. Additionally the Foxs have more options, and staying in the 2.0-2.5 range of shock size, the Foxs have fancier adjustment options than the Kings. The off the shelf Kings really only have two options, with or without adjusters, where as the Foxs have options from 2.0 without resis to 2.5s with dual zone adjusters and everything in between.

Apples to apples of Kings and Foxs with the same options, they'll be 90% the same everywhere, with the Foxs edging out just due to handling the elements better in my experience. Can't go wrong with either though honestly. Also keep in mind, King lead times are like 60+ weeks last I heard. Not sure of Fox lead times.

 

Pretty close. Fox tends to be a little more. I have fox but have ridden in rigs with all of them. At that level they are all pretty dang good setups

 

I went with the 6112/5??? combo. Left the rear alone and put the front to 1.9. It is great for what I do. Capable off-road, allows for bigger tires, rides way better than stock, doesn't break the bank. I've often thought since I have the lift/tires/wheels paid off, what if I just went Kings and took a few more months to pay it off? Was that the move? But I don't think so. I would feel cool looking at the Kings, but man, I don't off-road enough to make that make sense. I would feel kind of dumb.

 

That's where I am with it all. Want it to ride better than stock, get the leveling in the front, allow for bigger tires (33-34 inch), and do some not so crazy off-roading. Oh, and not break the bank. But, if money were no object, then I would go with nothing but the best of the best.

 

6112's all the way. I have ADS on the Tundra and Kings on the Sequoia. I personally thing the Kings ride nicer but that may just be due to the spring rate and extra weight (SC and bumper) on the front end of the Sequoia. They ride nice but it's hard to say they are worth the $3500-$4000 paid.

 

I currently have a 3/1 Pro Comp leveling kit on my 2018 Tundra. So far no issues. Been a couple years since I've had it installed. I've done quite a bit of offroading. No jumps or anything crazy, mostly cruising on medium rated trails. Been looking at upgrading though, either FOX, Kings, Elka. Haven't been able to pull the trigger though. If you want to stay on the cheap side and do easy trails, then leveling kit is the obvious way to go. If you have the money, then I would upgrade the suspension for sure.

 

All 4 corners ?

 

Up front, 5100 out back