Suspension...so many options!

DavidR1

DavidR1

New member
I've been researching suspensions for quite some time now. I just can't make up my mind and keep finding more and more options.

I'm sure my needs match many on this forum. My '14 Limited sees the road for 95% of its miles, unfortunately. It's my daily driver. The Xreas is OK, but the front is starting to sag and I know it's only a matter of time before it dies. When I go off road I see many miles of fire road with some fairly technical features here and there. I'd like around 2" in the front and 1" in the rear to help me through some of these features. As this is a daily driver, I'd prefer to stay away from shocks that require regular maintenance (IE: King, Icon, etc...)

So, I think I've narrowed my search to the Bilstein 611/5160 combo with an Eibach rear spring or a Fox 2.0 coilover with 2.0 rears and Eibach spring. The Fox is $4-500 more expensive and at about the limit of what I'd like to spend.

UCA...can this wait or should I do it all at once? It seems that I will get an extra inch or so of front flex with the addition of this piece, but at a decent cost. I'm also concerned this will creak and be more maintenance.
 
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DavidR1 said:
I've been researching suspensions for quite some time now. I just can't make up my mind and keep finding more and more options.

I'm sure my needs match many on this forum. My '14 Limited sees the road for 95% of its miles, unfortunately. It's my daily driver. The Xreas is OK, but the front is starting to sag and I know it's only a matter of time before it dies. When I go off road I see many miles of fire road with some fairly technical features here and there. I'd like around 2" in the front and 1" in the rear to help me through some of these features. As this is a daily driver, I'd prefer to stay away from shocks that require regular maintenance (IE: King, Icon, etc...)

So, I think I've narrowed my search to the Bilstein 611/5160 combo with an Eibach rear spring or a Fox 2.0 coilover with 2.0 rears and Eibach spring. The Fox is $4-500 more expensive and at about the limit of what I'd like to spend.

UCA...can this wait or should I do it all at once? It seems that I will get an extra inch or so of front flex with the addition of this piece, but at a decent cost. I'm also concerned this will creak and be more maintenance.
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Are you able to find someone local who has the 6112/5160s? My 4R is also my daily and we do quite a bit of road trips with it so comfort was key and test driving the different options was super helpful. Didn't want a too stiff set up so Fox was out for us. Was also considering 6112s at the time but after trying it, we also found them a bit too stiff to our liking so we ended up with a simple lift from Dobinsons with rear shocks valved for comfort.

Regarding UCAs, you shouldn't need them for a 2 and under. If you want the extra flex, that it might be a good idea to do it all at once. I didn't and ended up paying more for the extra labor lol
I also didnt want to deal with maintenance and creaks (not that maintenance is difficult) so I just opted with the OEM-sealed-like Dobinsons too.



...yea I sound like a Dobinsons shill lol. Just try to see if there are any other T4R members around you who would be willing to let you test drive the options you're considering. Go from there!
 
Considering you are not wheeling heavy.. Best bang for your buck will be the Eibach pro kit and no UCA. Prob the best ride out there. There is a whole thread dedicated to the lift I suggest giving it a read you could get away without UCA's too (anything over 2.5 tho really should to get it tracking right).

I do wheel fairly heavy but, I also daily, and have back issues. I will be getting this kit and swapping the rear coils for wheelers T13 for some extra height/rake.

Eibach Pro-truck lift
 
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I know there are really great small body shocks out there but there is no replacement for displacement.

The 6112 is ideal for your needs… the price to performance ratio is great, a really nice value and the ride is significantly improved over the typical small body / regular body sized shocks like the 5100.
 
Another vote for Dobinsons.
Very happy.
 

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SpeedyKevin said:
They definitely are priced well but best ride is subjective!
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It is but I've read pretty consistently about eibach ride quality with no complaints. I definitely cannot say the same of OME, Dobison, ICON or any other company. Other then toyotec (which I believe is related to eibach anyways).

My 2 cents based off the seemingly endless reading I have done on suspension setups for these trucks over the last year/half.
 
I will add another vote for 6112 but with a different rear shock, I got Icon 2.0 for the rear. None of that is installed yet. I am on Dobinsons 1.25 front and Eibach 1.0 rear coils and stock shocks and the improvement offroad is massive already. I can go faster, the ride is more comfy,and I come down rocks and steps more gracefully.

I also like the Eibach suggestion but with Dobinsons front springs for a smaller front lift. If your roads do not allow more than, say, 30 mph for one or another reason, getting anything more than the Eibach will be an overkill.

Say in Montana visibility due to trees is low making higher speeds a bad idea in spite of comparatively smooth surfaces.

In AZ, CA, NV, UT the 6112s make more sense.

I do NOT like the Fox Performance2.0 idea. They are less capable than 6112s, read the Shock Surplus article, they are built with lower-grade materials than Fox Factory, per the Accutune article, and they have a rep for being very harsh on roadon an unloaded vehicle.
 
The Eibach's ride really nice. Absolutely love them on my truck.

Dobinsons gets really good reviews as well.

Can't go wrong with either of these.
 
DavidR1 said:
I've been researching suspensions for quite some time now. I just can't make up my mind and keep finding more and more options.

I'm sure my needs match many on this forum. My '14 Limited sees the road for 95% of its miles, unfortunately. It's my daily driver. The Xreas is OK, but the front is starting to sag and I know it's only a matter of time before it dies. When I go off road I see many miles of fire road with some fairly technical features here and there. I'd like around 2" in the front and 1" in the rear to help me through some of these features. As this is a daily driver, I'd prefer to stay away from shocks that require regular maintenance (IE: King, Icon, etc...)

So, I think I've narrowed my search to the Bilstein 611/5160 combo with an Eibach rear spring or a Fox 2.0 coilover with 2.0 rears and Eibach spring. The Fox is $4-500 more expensive and at about the limit of what I'd like to spend.

UCA...can this wait or should I do it all at once? It seems that I will get an extra inch or so of front flex with the addition of this piece, but at a decent cost. I'm also concerned this will creak and be more maintenance.
Click to expand...


Bilstein 6112 > FOX 2.0. Its a 2.65" shock vs a 2.0" shock, the Bilstein will provide a better ride and be able to absorb bumps better compared to the 2" FOX at the trade off of having to use Bilsteins height settings vs a threaded shock like the FOX.

UCA's are not required when under 2.75" of lift, or with the FOX 2.0 or Bilstein 6112 systems.

For what you are doing, youd be riding great with:
Bilstein 6112 front
Bilstein 5160 rear
Bilstein B12 rear springs (1.75 or 2.25" lift)
$1140 Delivered. Hard to beat!
 
I was in this boat, its a little overwhelming for some reason picking the correct suspension for a 4Runner.

I went with Bilstein because they are a tried and true setup. I chose the 6112/5160 with the wheelers t13 rear springs. I also chose to go with JBA UCA's due to the fact they are made in the USA, well respected, and the ball joints are easily replaceable and super easy to source at any local auto parts store near your house.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

A local guy to me suggested 6112/5160 with Dobinson springs for a smoother ride. He is a Dobinson dealer and suggests that they offer a broader range of springs to tailor the ride a bit better. This seems like a pretty good idea to me.
 
Grug556 said:
I have a 16 limited. Went with Kings and kept rear springs stock. They are going on this weekend.
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The maintenance on Kings would drive me crazy. I don't have time to have my truck down for a couple weeks every 30k miles or so.
 
DavidR1 said:
The maintenance on Kings would drive me crazy. I don't have time to have my truck down for a couple weeks every 30k miles or so.
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Maintenance on the shocks or non king UCAs? I dont see why the king shocks would last less longer than comparable other shocks.
 
Grug556 said:
Maintenance on the shocks or non king UCAs? I dont see why the king shocks would last less longer than comparable other shocks.
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The Kings (along with Icon and Fox) are made to be rebuilt. It's relatively cheap to have this done, but must be performed every 30k or so (that is the interval they recommend at least). King states you can either send it in or order the kit and do it yourself.
 
DavidR1 said:
The Kings (along with Icon and Fox) are made to be rebuilt. It's relatively cheap to have this done, but must be performed every 30k or so (that is the interval they recommend at least). King states you can either send it in or order the kit and do it yourself.
Click to expand...

To do it yourself what does it involve? Using correct strut compressor than changing orings, seals and refilling with oil? Is there much beyond that?
 
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