Eibach Stage 1 Question

Howdy y’all! I’m looking at the Eibach Stage 1 kit with shocks and springs (non-coilover) for only

$672 Eibach Pro-Truck Lift System Stage 1 E80-82-079-02-22

$671 on Amazon. Trying to improve the ride because my current setup is 20x9 fuel vapor rims with the +1” offset (weird that they measure it in inches, but that’s how they’re listed), 305/55 Toyo AT3s, and only 2.5” rough country spacer lift up front. Very light off road and mostly a pavement princess, so I don’t necessarily need the off road performance Billy’s give you and think I want the smoother ride from the Eibachs. Question I’ve got is if the springs will force me into a 2.75” lift (wouldn’t be opposed to that as I still get some very minor rub when backing up and 75-80% hooked), and if so, am I still within geometric tolerances to not need UCAs, diff drop, etc?

Not sure it matters or might require more mods, I also have the TRD Pro cat back exhaust and Pro grill with the OEM TSS sensor window.

 

I'd recommend hitting up @memario1214 at https://hotshotoffroad.com/collecti.../products/pro-truck-lift-kit-4wd-14-21-tundra

Reputable vendor and if anything goes wrong he will be a lot easier to work with than Amazon and whatever seller they used (currently seller at the price you posted only has an 86% rating). At 2.75" lift you should not need UCA's or a diff drop, BUT Tundras are a bit odd and there is variations between similar vehicles so there is a low risk (but still there) that the alignment shop might have issues. The general rule is under 3" lift you can run the stock UCAs.

Are you doing anything to the rear? Sounds like you currently have 2.5" lift up front but you mentioned nothing in the rear. This should have you nose high, but if you currently have no issues with the sensors i would hope another .25" wouldn't make a difference. But that would be my only concern with the TSS sensor and lifting the front more than the rear.

 

Thanks for the advice! 4WP said it was leveled with the spacer lift, but I’ve always thought there was a slight squat. I think adding that inch to the rear with this kit would fix it.

 

So the Eibach Stage 1 (and in general most rear shocks) don't provide lift in the rear. You will see some with a rating for additional lift since they are set up for the additional travel, but you have to gain the lift in the rear via different methods.

 

Any recommended method to get that little bit of lift then?

 

theres usually a little 1” block the Eibach has aswell so you could do that.. or shackles

 

Will kinda come down to budget, @memario1214 will probably also have some good recommendations. But the cheap option would be blocks under the leafs springs. I used RAS (RoadActive Suspension) but that's another 500-600 in cost, adds lift and helps with squat when the bed is loaded.

 

Oh! I forgot about shackles, they are another good option.

 

I just installed the Eibach stage 2 kit and it’s amazing. Only a few hundred more than the one you linked. I will add the 20s aren’t doing you any favors in terms of comfort.

 

The Eibach stage 1 comes with coils that will net around 2.5" of lift on 4wd, or 2.75" of 2wd. The shock bodies themselves are grooved for an adjustable circlip to adjust ride height so they can be used with a stock coil to achieve stock ride height, but with the included coils, will give you 2.5" of lift set at the bottom clip. Technically, you can go up a groove for 3" of lift, but it's not necessarily recommended.

2-3" of lift is the gray area for new UCA's. Like @RobertD noted, some trucks are fine at 3" of lift on stock UCA's, some are not. When I had my truck at 2" of lift, it was right on the edge and would have needed new UCA's if I'd have gone any higher. New UCA's are usually dictated by alignment and the ability of a shop to properly align the vehicle. Lifting/leveling it changes the suspension geometry, particularly the camber and castor. Since those two are interdependent, when you adjust one you automatically adjust the other. New UCA's usually include some additional castor, allowing you to dial in camber without sacrificing castor. My truck was just above 2* of castor to get camber correct. ~3* is preferred.

Also as noted, the rear shocks don't provide lift. Our trucks look slightly squatted when leveled out due to the design of the cab and bed. If you measure the fender height, it would be leveled right around 3", but visually look a little bit squatted, so most guys run either 2/0 lift or 3/1 to keep a tiny bit of rake. Shackles are a decent option for adding a bit of rake while maintaining a smooth ride. @Archive Offroad offers a beefy 3/4" lift shackle that is reasonably priced. Coachbuilder offers more sizes, but they are $$$$. Also, a more aggressive (taller) shackle will/can weaken the leaf springs and cause excessive wear.

Add a leaf is another option if you had a constant load like a shell or toolbox, but if you are completely unloaded, I think smaller shackles are usually better. A new leaf pack with 1" of lift is also an option, but will run you over $1000 easily. I'm not a huge fan of blocks, but they work. I've seen a few fail, but I'm sure it's simply an aversion on my part. And honestly, a 1" block is much safer, IMO, than a 4" or 6" block. But by the time you get new u bolts and spend the time to fight the spring pack and droop the axle, I think shackles are almost as friendly to the wallet, and even friendly on the back and clock.

 

Great advice, @blenton !!!! I think you’re right that it’s technically leveled but looks squatted to me so shackles are going to be the way to go for that extra lift/rake.

@Shanet421 , besides the adjustability of the stage 2 coilovers, are there any additional benefits of going that route? Are the shocks or springs higher quality, more “progressive”, etc.?

 

That is a good question and probably better answered by a pro. Here is what I did for reference.

https://a.co/d/0lt22WE