Find me a better shock...

I just replaced the 6112/5160 setup on my '13; one shock was squeaking and the ride was getting rough after 100k miles of hauling, towing, and high speed dirt roads. My truck is always loaded with about 800 lbs of gear and I town often, so I figure I got my monies worth out of them.

I decided to go with the Eibach 2.0 kit with adjustable coilovers in front. I don't care for a lot of lift in the front, just a slight attitude adjustment that would subtly make one wonder if the truck is stock or not. I ran the 6112's on the lowest perch and ended up turning down the Eibach's to achieve about .75" of lift. The rear is stock with some CB +1 shackles and air bags to take out the sag. I have an Icon 3 leaf pack and a set of take off rear springs with 1000 miles on them that I was planning to build a bit of a frankenpack with.

So why do I want a better shock? And what qualifies as "better" to me? Well, to be honest, I'm not super happy with the Eibach 2.0 kit. They appear high quality and the standard Eibach front struts suit my sequoia well, but they are too soft my application. They allow far too much body roll for my loaded truck (or at least more than I'm used to or want) and seem to bounce more when hitched up to a trailer. I have a TRD rear sway bar and just upgraded the front bar to a TRD Pro Sequoia bar at the same time that I installed the Eibach's. I was actually worried it would make the front a little too stiff, but it appears quite the opposite.

I reached out to Eibach to ask about general valving, letting them know a little of my use case, and they indicated that the valving was designed around a softer ride on a stock, unloaded vehicle. So it appears that I chose the wrongs shocks for my application. I've had them on for about 1500 miles just to give them a fair shake in case the just need some "break-in". They ride MUCH better than the factory TRD shocks - which I didn't think rode poorly - and appear to be very well made. Plus, they are made in the USA, which I like.

What I loved about the 6112/5160 combo was a very controlled ride in both low speed and high speed applications. They cornered AMAZINGLY well - especially for an "off-road" oriented stock shock (ya, I know all of you running Kings or long-travel kits and such are turning up your nose at me calling the 6112's off-road oriented). Roundabouts were just another turn in the road and mountain passes are confidence inspiring; you point the wheel, load in to the corner, and throttle out without that tipsy feeling body roll. On dirt roads (I often travel loaded with gear and/or a trailer to sites that have unpaved roads that don't get maintenance fall to spring - and very little maintenance other times of the year) the stock TRD shocks were happy at about 30-35 mph; the 6112/5160 was happy on the same road at 45-60 MPH and felt buttery smooth. Bigger bumps were well controlled and absorbed without upsetting the vehicle. I can't comment on the Eibach's as they haven't seen anything but pavement. In short, the vehicle felt planted. Everywhere. With virtually all of the loads I use the truck for. If there was a con to them, unloaded, they could feel a little tighter on junky paved roads. That's about the only place I see the Eibach's surpassing the Bilsteins.

I also tried Fox 2.0 rear's a while back and they certainly "float" over the road. They float so much that they never settle and the back end is continually floating and bobbing. I'd almost get motion sick on longer stretches of road. I liked them even less than the Eibach's.

So... any suggestions? Anybody had the 6112/5160 and upgraded to something they felt was better and more controlled? IIRC, Toytec revalves the Eibachs - any idea what kind of handling changes they make compared to off the shelf Eibach's? Is it worth trying to find something with adjustable rebound and compression? I'm thinking I will prolly order up another set of 6112's and 5160's, remove the Eibach setup, and sell it. I would like to stay under $2k but might be willing to up the budget a little more if I can recoop some monies from the Eibach kit.

I'm running stock size LT tires and factory wheels; I don't plan on running anything else except perhaps stepping up to a 275/70 again if that's the only tire size available (like the Cooper AT3 XLT). The truck is a daily driver that earns it's keep, so reliability and towing/hauling capability are paramount. It has to get me where I want to go and home again.

 

Arent the bilstein shocks digressive valving? If so that explains the cornering.

Sorry i dont have suggestions in that price range. Ive tried the eibach shocks that use the oe springs. I thought they ride well on the road

 

Fox or kings, custom valve or the DSC is your best bet

 

Thanks. Yes, the 6112’s are digressive. The 5160’s are linear. And I was under the impression that the Eibach’s were the same, but maybe I’ve crossed up my facts. Now that I look at their website, it lists them as a ‘Variable Force Valving’ which I suppose could mean anything..

Forgot to mention Dobinson’s IMS setup. I see a little bit of feedback here but not much. Well, a thread with a whole 43 pages or so but only one or two folks who actually run them. They appear similar to the 6112’s up front but with an internal reservoir. The rears are a larger diameter shock than the 5160’s, which is attractive.

 

I run the ADS shocks. Very nice setup, though you won't stay under $2K. Fully rebuildable and tunable. Something to think about if your budget increases.

 

Ya, they look nice. And with a price.. Same with the King's @Winning8 . However - and don't this wrong way - I see those types of shocks on trucks that are used for play, not much on trucks that used for work and towing.

As for Fox's, I didn't care for the 2.0's I had. Almost pulled the trigger on the 2.0 or 2.5 coilovers when I bough the 6112's, but unless the valving is significantly different, I know I wouldn't agree with the ride.

Custom valving is also probably out of the budget unless somebody knows where I can get all four corners with valving done for $2k?

One other shock setup I was looking at was Falcon; they are only a few hours away from me and I travel that way often enough that I should stop by and see. They have an adjustable rear shock for towing; they say NOT to use the Tow setting with an empty bed, so I suppose it should make a significant difference. However, I can't find very much info about them - valving, reviews, etc. I know they are 2.0 shock, so same as the Eibachs, Fox 2.0, and 5160's (but smaller than the 6112's) but that's about it. I contacted them a while back and asked if they had any comparisons to 5100's or 6112/5160's. Their reply was pretty unenthusiastic in that they said it's basically a 2.0 shock with a rear adjuster.

 

I used to run 2.5 ifp icons. They are really nice. Rough for daily driving, but cornering and high speed dirt wow. Over 2k though.

Bummer about the eibachs. The soft ride sounds nice to me lol. Can they be run with thicker oil to stiffen them up i wonder?

 

I think I'm leaning towards Falcon shocks right now... 3 stage compression adjuster on the rears, larger 2.25" shock body on the rear even though the front is a tad smaller than the 6112's, billet machined floating piston and internals, 3/4" shaft vs 5/8", and made in house by TeraFlex. Stage3MotorSports and Summit have the kit on sale to put them within spitting distance to a 6112/5160 combo. I would just need some coils to go with it..

Anybody know parts numbers for Eibach coils in the factory size that come in a 600 lb/in or 650 lb/in flavor? I'm thinking that might be a part of the equation.

 

all other brand used #700 lbs, don't know how to read the eibach ero spring. but you could order anything just measure the diameter, length, rate and type you want.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't run ADS for a work/towing set up, at least the way I have the truck set up. While you certainly could, the valving is not optimal for those types of activities. I am running Deaver leaf packs which help with the added weight of steel bumpers, etc, but I rarely tow, so don't have a lot of experience with the set up and towing. Good luck with your search!

 

Maintenance is a thing. Race parts require race maintenance. True coilovers are amazing, but there are trade offs. I prefer rubber bushings for the street now

 

Get a shock with compression adjusters, then you just crank it when towing and you have significantly more damping.

 

Those were only on the front Falcon shocks...I love the rear shocks and they do offer what they advertise when towing, etc. Hard to beat their prices too...

 

I'm not seeing a whole lot of negatives on the Falcon's. I've read through another 20 pages or so of Falcon threads here including the group buy. I see a squeak from one of the front shocks but no followup from the OP, a blown shock that replaced under warranty, and another blown front that needed to be returned to TeraFlex in order for warranty (the OP being in Alaska made it a PITA). Am I missing anything? All else seem to be overwhelmingly positive.

 

Stock coils are 16" long, 3" ID, and 700 lbs - yes? I'm asking cuz I don't really know except for the 700 lb/in spring rate. I suppose I could dig out the factory coilovers in the shop and pull them apart to measure them..

 

Have any pictures of the setup? and towing with it? leaning towards going the same route of the 5160/6112 with 275/70r18.

 

So I went out in the shop and pulled out my factory coil overs; I didn't bother pulling the top hats off, but springs mounted to the shock but the shock not mounted to the vehicle, they measure a little over 14" with an OD of around 5". So I'm guessing the 16" length with 3" ID springs from Eibach should work. I also happened upon one of the coil selections on ToyotaParts that actually spec'd a length for the coil - well, it actually just gave product dimensions. The coil was 16.2" so I'm thinking that an Eibach coil with dimensions 16"L x 3"ID should work in place of an OE spring.

I would love for somebody to verify this or provide feedback on using Eibach's coils in place of the factory coil. I would also love some input on the 6112 spring rate; I was under the impression that they were 600 lb/in when I bough them, but was later told they were 650 lb/in. I've seen BOTH as being stated factually correct on the interwebs.. The powder coating on my 6112 coils has deteriorated and flaked off so I don't have a factory part number for those (I know they are made by Eibach, but given a Bilstein part number so cross referencing is difficult).

I was also able to find some part numbers for different spring rates:

16 x 3 x 600 lb/in - 1600.300.0600S
16 x 3 x 650 lb/in - 1600.300.0650S
16 x 3 x 700 lb/in - 1600.300.0700S

Pretty easy to interpret their part numbers... Incidentally, I know that the 650 lb/in spring above is what is used on the Eibach 2.0 coilover kit. I should have just started there as I already looked up the part number listed on the spring a while back.

So, now I'm thinking of trying the Falcon shocks with a softer coil. From what I've read, the official word from Falcon is "we've only tested them with factory rate coils and can't say how they will behave with different coils". With the 6112's being a lighter coil I was worried I would get increased brake dive and poor handling, but the opposite seemed to be true. And I think the lighter coil added to a better feel over the bumps and jitters. I don't plan on adding additional weight to the front of the truck except for a few lights (old bull was getting tired and rusty holding up some Hella's; but that's about all I would add). One thing to note about using lighter coils is the the total load at block height (coil compressed completely); it is 4,978lb , 5,292lb , and 5,575lb for the different spring rates. I would lose total capacity up front, but that is per coil. And neither of the is less than the total front axle capacity listed in the owner manual so I think it's a moot point. But maybe I'm missing something... Anybody have any input there?

Do you think I should play it safe and go with 700 lb/in? Put one foot over the fence and go with the 650 lb/in springs? or just throw caution to the wind and try the 600 lb/in? Like I said, I liked whatever was on my 6112's and I see quite a few other setups with spring rates between 600 and 700 lb/in so going with a softer spring doesn't look like I'm pushing the limits of safety or capacity. Thoughts?

 

Forgot to add that I will prolly be setting them on the 2nd notch height - about an inch above stock. A softer coil should gain a little less height, which is just fine with me.

Also, as a related aside - does anybody make a billet tophat for these trucks? like what comes on the Eibach 2.0 kits and others like fox and kings? I have a small issue with the KYB ones even though I prolly shouldn't care. Just curious...

 

I wonder if the overly soft ride you're getting from the Eibachs was the result of lowering them to .75" of lift. I believe, out of the box, they come set at about 2" and Eibach probably tuned them for that ride height. Maybe try to raise them back up and drive it on the problem roads (minimal as alignment will be off affecting tire wear) to see how they do.

 

Ikr don’t know why he want to try different brand and setup, when he already known what work for him.

 

I thought about that; while looking at other shock options, I contacted several manufacturers to ask specifically about running the height adjustable shocks at stock height. Ironman, for example, recommended against it. Eibach, Bilstein, and Falcon all said it wouldn’t be an issue. As noted above, I don’t want much more than an inch of lift in the front. I haul and tow often and I hate the soggy diaper Cali lean look. Not only does it look bad but it adversely affects handling.

Also, most of the bob and bounce is from the rear, not the front. To be clear - the shocks ride very well. They are well built and high quality. Probably the smoothest highway ride I’ve had in the truck. But I’m a little more aggressive in the corners and there are several windy mountain roads that I frequent. The constant additional load in the truck exacerbates the more cushy ride. I think they would be perfect for most daily driver / weekend warriors.

 

Bilstein 6112’s and 5160’s were all on national backorder earlier this year when I was looking at shock options, so they weren’t an option earlier. And it still appears to be hit or miss as I’ve contacted retailers to verify stock with mixed results. Most who will actually run out to physically look for the boxes come up empty.

So I went with the Eibach kit because they were in stock and the fact that I could dial in the front height exactly as I wanted with the adjustable coilover instead of a clip that requires shock disassembly. Also, they are made in the USA and have a good reputation. But - and I’m not blaming Eibach or claiming they make poor quality shocks or that they are a poor design - they just don’t suit my needs as well as I’d hoped. That’s my bad.

Since I figured I’m already over budget on suspension (I originally did the 6112/5160 setup for less than a grand and was hoping for the same bang for the buck this go around) I might as well explore other options to see if there was something to suit my needs even better. Hence this thread. The Eibach’s aren’t worn out like the 6112’s, so I’m in less of a hurry to get them swapped out. But the cold weather is coming soon and I don’t want to be fighting that. And the snow turns everything to muck so my chances of getting these off the truck in near pristine condition for resale is much higher.

So, to answer your question simply: my preferred option was unavailable when I needed to replace my shocks, so I chose option b, which turned out to not meet my needs. So I’m looking for an option C.

 

Then I'll probably be happy? -- I have a set of Eibach 2.0 sitting in my garage.

I have Fox 2.0 in the rear and the rear rides so nice when empty, which is probably 90% of the time. It's a little too cushy when towing my trailer, so I believe a Road Active Suspension setup is in my future to try to get the best of both worlds.

I plan to leave the Eibach's at the 2" setting and either use the RAS (seems 1" lift is typical) or a short block on the rear to keep a little rake.

Truth be told, I probably should have just gone with the Rancho RS9000x setup and used shim/spacer for a little lift. I had those shocks on my Ram and the ride was really good.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/bilstein-6112-kits-in-stock-at-hotshot-offroad.113733/

@memario1214 has stock of 6112s if you want to go that route.

 

What psi in the front tires?

 

Yes, I see that 6112’s are in stock. Now. But I’ve already gone down the rabbit hole so we’ll see if I get them again. Or find something more awesomer…

33-47psi. I’ve tried several different pressures.

 

This is my exact setup and I’m real happy with the ride. I had Ironmans not long ago and these ride way better. Not nearly as stiff.

 

Don’t buy anything Teraflex trust me

 

For why? Asking honestly.