Level/small lift rabbit hole…

Was just gonna do 5100s on stock coils up front and call it a day but have now gone down the rabbit hole of 6112s, Eibach’s since they’re adjustable on the truck with the scanner, or going Dobinson’s at that point. I like the potential of improve handling on road too, but off road minimally at best. Previous trucks I’ve only put leveling spacers on so anything would be an upgrade, but am I just wasting money at this point? 5100s on stock single rate sport coils and be done?

 

I am kinda in the same boat as you. My truck Tundra was a 2wd TRD Off road which made to sense, I had only a spacer level on it. It worked fine for the road. Second Tundra was a 4x4 SR5 with a 6 inch Pro Comp lift with upgraded suspension, 37" tires and I took that beast everywhere including MOAB with no issues and it rode just fine on the road. I am on my third Tundra. A 2024 Platinum TRD Off Road bone stock. I do not think i want to go as big as the last truck not do I want the price tag of 37s so I am looking at the Eibach stage 2R with 35s. I feel like these are the best bang for the buck. Until I want to drop 10k for a dobinsons or ADS kit. Ive heard Icon has gone downhill and ADS is local so I may end up going with them anyway. To answer your question I dont think any suspension upgrade is a waste of money. Just buy the best within your budget.

 

6112's aren't really a rabbit hole at all.
Both are digressive and 6112's are basically 5100's built heavier and include a vehicle specific spring. That included spring is the reason i'd never buy 5100's to level a vehicle again as I wasn't a fan at all of the ride of a preloaded 5100 at mid position. 6112's at the same lift are considerably nicer riding IME.

 

I've also been looking at 5100's versus 6112's. I've heard reports that the spring that comes with the 6112 is stiffer than stock and might result in a rougher ride unless you've added additional weight up front like an aftermarket bumper. I'm not sure if the actual spring rate is documented or not.

A 5100 with a stock spring should not provide a worse ride than factory unless you're running them at the top setting and running out of down travel. Preload alone won't make it ride worse. See here: https://youtu.be/l1tTelhdEiM?t=526

 

i went with roughly 2" in both applications, just a level and it was less than 2 months before i dropped the perches down on the 5100's to 0" of lift and bought/installed Eibach springs to do the lifting. I bought my 6112's in 2017 and have been on them since because they work.
Video or not, there is a reason they include a tuned spring with 6112's and also a reason people even buy them to begin with when 5100's are still available. Good luck.

 

This is confusing for my puny brain.

Preloading the coil-over doesn't make the shock any longer (taller) but it does hold the truck higher due to the spring no longer compressing as much under the weight of the truck.
If preloading the coil spring holds the truck up higher, wouldn't it stand to reason that the preloaded spring has to be stiffer?
Wouldn't it now take more force to compress the stiffer spring? Which would then give a firmer ride.
The idea of a coil spacer (strut spacer) is that it does not require pre-loading the coil spring and keeps the factory ride firmness intact.
https://www.readylift.com/2-front-leveling-kit-with-diff-drops-toyota-tundra-2022-2024.html

 

This feels like where I'm at too. My wife liked the ride of the TRD Off Road package better than the Sport but the sport had more features I wanted and I knew I'd mess with the suspension anyways. I feel like with the coil being single rate on the Sport that I'm better off going with a coil over vs. retaining the stock spring, but I've never driven a truck with a coilover like the 6112 or the Eibach 2r, so...I have 0 idea if I will. I've always liked nimble sports cars, and would like a more planted feel on the ruts and bumps of some of the backroads I drive on, but 95% ish of the time I'm on a normal paved road of back road, so...if the 6112 or Eibachs are worse on the road, I'll keep the sport springs and just add the 5100s to give me the height I want.

I know I'm rambling, lol, but having not driven a nicer off road setup, I really have no idea if I need the 6112s or higher or if I wouldn't even notice the difference? Or, if its a complete waste due to my on road percent of driving anyways.

Is there a 5100 up front / 5100 in the rear, and adding a better coil with the 5100s? I haven't seen anyone really do that though.

 

One thing you'll have to make peace with... you are no longer driving a nimble sports car.
Tall sidewalls on the comparably massive tires, higher center of gravity, a ton more suspension and the 6000lb curb weight of these are all reasons why its going to work against that style of driving... but those are also the reasons you're going love your new truck.
Power, towing, room and comfort and all qualities that add up to me still having no desire to drive a sporty car... well that and the 5+ months of winter we get that may have some influence haha.

 

I'm still figuring out what I'm going to do with my Gen 3 suspension. I'm leaning toward doing something similar to what I did with my Gen 2.5 and matching Toyota TRD PRO specs. I've been thinking about the TRD PRO Fox front coilovers. On my Gen 2.5 I have Eibachs on the front set at +2 which is the TRD PRO height of a Gen 2.5. I've been happy with them.

 

TBH your breakdown is essentially how i see and have experienced it.
The spring sits on a perch held in place by a snap ring. The higher the perch is set up the higher the truck will sit as the lift height is dependent on the springs to lift it but it's a bit of a give and take. Along with the lift you gain you will modestly lose ride quality as the springs no longer have the ability to compress and extend how they did stock.
The "rougher ride" is incremental and many (myself included) actually prefer the ride as it also seems to tame down body roll slightly as well.
At 2" i wouldn't necessarily call it rough but also understand that is subjective and others may feel differently.
The other consideration is the higher you lift this way the more you throw the normal angles of driveline components and upper control arms out of whack and at 3" the angles become problematic enough that aftermarket UCA's are recommended or premature wear of parts is inevitable.
Long story short, if a modest lift is what you're after then these are an inexpensive and decent solution.