Is it necessary to relocate my shock mounts?

About a year ago I installed the Eibach Pro-Truck Coilover Stage 2 kit and set my front suspension at ~2.5 inches of lift.

This approximately leveled the truck out. But increasingly I'm doing my camping/wheeling with 400-500 pounds of weight in the back, so I'm getting a negative rake.

I'm pretty sure I want to use the Icon RXT Leaf Pack set to Option 2 so I end up with something like a 1 inch lift under my typical load.

In talking to my local suspension shop, they recommended I get the shock mounts relocated as part of installing the Icon leaf pack because my Eibach shocks can only handle ~2 inches of lift over stock. They said when off road, I might over-extend the shocks even under 500 pounds of load when at full droop/articulation.

Initially this made sense to me since the Icon advertises the Option 2 setting as providing 3 inches of lift over stock unloaded. But then I called Toytec and Icon to get their take and they said I would be fine with the shocks in the stock mounts.

Any opinion about whether the shock mount relocation might be necessary? It's not terribly expensive (~$90) so I'm leaning towards following my local shop's advice.

Thanks!

 

My rough estimate of my minimum static weight is ~300-400 pounds (camper shell, ~11 gal of gas, recovery gear, etc) and then when I load up to go camping a few hundred pounds more.

The Icon RXT Option 2 says it provides 3 inches of lift unloaded and 2 inches of lift with 250 pounds. So I'm guessing I'll be safely under 2 inches most of the time, perhaps about about 1 inch of rear lift.

 

Get some RAS back there and problem solved for cheap. You get a sway bar, a lift, control and stability. Done.

 

FWIW, the RXT's will likely have too much downtravel for your current shocks. I ran OEM main leafs with a Deaver mini-pack mated with Fox 2" resi's for years and they matched up perfectly for up and down travel.

When I installed my RXT's at Option #2, they were ~1-5-2" too short at full droop. I ran them like that for a few months until my RXT shocks came in, I just tried to not run them too hard. Another option would be to install limit straps...

 

Fox 2.0's, sold for 1.5-2" lift. They're in my garage now if an extended length measurement would help?

 

I snapped quite a few shocks before I figured out I needed limit straps
All it takes is a quick shift in the body roll (left to right/right to left) like when you crest a mound or little sand dunes.

 

Sure, I'll try to remember and measure them this weekend. They're certainly old NLA models, I bought them in Dec 2011 and they were on sale as a closeout model then. They're 2" piggybacks.

 

I do offroad and overland and I have not found them to limit me in any way. Granted I don't do anything that requires a crazy amount of articulation most of the time. I think for most guys here they would be fine for the majority of the time.

 

@memario1214 is on point, as is @MadMaxCanon .

I have found my shocks to be the limiting factor in rear suspension articulation without any issues or blown shocks. I don’t flex it that hard or at speed. I do drive forest service roads at speed, though. 50-60 mph and most of them float I have a topper and about 5-800 lbs in the bed at all times. I ran a +1 shackle, then added bags, then an icon 3 leaf pack. All have worked well for me but I find the leaf spring upgrade best for static weight, with airbags for my varying loads and trailering (which is often). I’ve used factory bilsteins, fox 2.0, Eibachs, and Bilstein 5160’s in the rear. All have worked without issue.

With icon 3 leaf AAL, though, it appears my brake lines are much closer to being the limiting factor. I chose to run airbags and cradles vs something like RAS as I feel they are more versatile, tune-able, and less restrictive off-road. Many will say that they are susceptible to punctures and and as soon as you go off pavement they are going to pop. Mine have lasted almost 5 years and 100k without issue.

 

They measure 25.5" from center of eyelet to mounting surface (middle of rubber bushing sandwich)

 

Thank you all for the advice and input! So my local suspension shop ended up recommending I start with the Icon RXT at Option 1 due to both the length of the Eibach shocks and because I was getting enough net lift at Option 1. With ~170k miles on my OEM leaf pack, I apparently didn't need to go to Option 2 just yet.

I'll keep things slow when wheeling to see how things go. Perhaps longer rear shocks or limit straps are in my future.

 

If the RAS is installed while the suspension is at full droop then how would it limit down travel?

 

Did you mean that they limit up travel? That would make sense. I've been really interested in testing the articulation with a RAS on.

 

Very good explanation. Thanks