TRD Pro Fox vs Aftermarket Fox

'21 TRD Pro with stock Fox suspension. About 55K miles currently, so the stock shocks are probably due for a rebuild. I'm planning on lifting with larger wheels/tires, so my options are:

1. Keep stock Fox shocks and add Eibach springs to get another 1.4" front and 1" rear. No rebuild, so risk shocks eventually crapping out. $400 for springs

2. Send stock shocks out for rebuild and add Eibach springs. Truck sits inoperable until shocks come back. Maybe 3+ weeks. $400 for springs + cost of rebuild ($126 per shock) = $900

3. Purchase OEM Fox shocks and use Eibach springs. No downtime. $3,400.

4. Purchase aftermarket coilovers. About the same prices as #3 but I gain more adjustability, custom tuning/valving, spring rates, etc. $3,200 - $4,000

I figure for the same prices as new OEM Fox shocks and Eibach springs, I can just get aftermarkets. But with the OEM shocks, it's just simple. No fuss. No guesswork. I know what I'm getting. I know they fit. I know they are reliable.

What would y'all do?

 

I've learned...buy once, cry once. It's not always true, but more often than not.

 

For sure. But the real question here is stock Fox shocks with Eibach springs or aftermarket Fox. The former is known to be reliable. I have 55K miles on them and they've been fine. Aftermarket is an unknown.

 

I'm the wrong guy to respond as I took my brand new 23 ORP and replaced the factory suspension less than 1k miles into it. But it wasn't a Fox setup, and I ended up with Bilstein 6112's front with 5160's rear, and added Bilstein springs to gain height as well. Absolutely love the ride and look of my new stance, so I would vote new Fox with springs if I were you. Of course you could always wait until it starts to show its age and then replace as well.

 

If your going to lift and upsize tires go option 4 and buy whatever setup meets all your needs and budget. Fox is good but also other great options.

 

If you have an extended warranty, replacing your stock shocks may be covered.

If not, then I would go with a different combo. There are lots out there for way less than you’ll pay for aftermarket Fox shocks.


If there is nothing wrong with the stock shocks, then I would add the Eibach springs until the shocks crap out. Once they do, you can look for a full suspension replacement. By that time you’ll have a better idea of what height you like, armor you’ll run, extra weight, etc.

 

Nothing currently wrong with the stock Fox shocks that I can tell. Other than on paper, they're due for a rebuild. I can go the route of just new Eibach springs, but then when the shocks do crap out, I'll have to go through the same process and labor cost to remove and replace/rebuild. So I'm like... might as well just upgrade now.

That said, I could buy fresh OEM replacements and use Eibach springs. And then also send the old ones in for refab. Then when the new ones need to be rebuilt, I just swap 'em and there's no downtime. Rinse/repeat every 50,000 miles.

 

Is there a common pattern people use when shocks need to be rebuilt? I haven't had to yet but am thinking it thru. Seems like easiest is to have a shock on the shelf to swap while rebuild is happening. Not sure if this is just the nature of going down the rebuildable shock route.

 

Maybe other 2020+ Pro owners with higher mileage can chime in with how the OEM Fox shocks are holding up.

 

Buy what you actually need and if you've been on a stock Pro setup without issue, it's probably not a Pro suspension and it's definitely not new 2.5s. They are a street tune from Toyota and horrible off road compared to properly tuned 2.5s. I'd rather have a Bilstein 6150/6112 setup than the stock Pro suspension but if you care about them being Fox, just rebuild.

If you don't want fuss, you don't want 2.5s... you'll need to know what kind of tune you want someone to do and you'll need to be able to give feedback to dial them in. Otherwise you're just wasting money.

 

I have a 2020 pro with Fox shocks and Eibach springs with 44,000 miles (work from home - no commuting). I do a fair amount of off-roading and have a lot of weight on my 4runner when I’m on trails. I’ve been assuming my shocks are taking a lot of punishment. I took my truck into my off-road shop last month to get new break pads and rotors and asked them to look at my shocks and springs. They looked them over and told me I have a ways to go before needing a rebuild- said maybe 15-18,000 miles left depending how hard you drive.

 

Not sure what to tell you lol

 

Based on those numbers, I'm probably right around time to replace/rebuild. It would be inefficient and financially wasteful to remove the shocks to install new springs right now, only to have to remove them again and replace/rebuild in a few months or within the year. So it makes sense just to do it all now and go with an adjustable aftermarket setup I suppose. The price is about the same.

I don't off-road or wheel. But I put a lot of miles on the vehicle in the snow and mountains up in B.C. and Alaska and around the U.S. every winter. Other than that, it's my daily driver on the roads.

 

Do you plan on going offroad often? Is Baja in your future? Do you need custom valving/ and more adjustability?

Just get eibach springs and aftermarket bumpstops(wheelers, perry parts, etc.) and call it good.

 

Nope.

Nope.

Possibly. I'm installing larger wheels/tires and need to make sure I can lift high enough. That's really the catalyst for this entire thing. Running high-offset wheels with 285/70/17 rubber. Eibach springs on stock Fox shocks net 2.4" front and 2" rear lift. So not sure if that'll do it. Aftermarket coilovers will get me up to 3", if not 3.5". I could always try the springs first and see what happens. Accutune, for example, includes a custom tune so that's just icing on the cake.

 

This has probably been posted 100x but shocks typically last about 50,000 miles before needing to be replaced. More performance based shocks need to be replaced or rebuilt MORE often, not less. They are made to perform, dampen better, not longer.

Many, not all, stock shocks are lower quality (even when they have the company logo), compared to non-OEM shocks. So, if you have OEM "big name brand performance company" shocks, they are not typically identical to the non-OEM variant. That may not be the case with the OEM Toyota/Fox-branded shocks. However, often shocks are "performance company" branded shocks.

I would never buy OEM shocks if I wanted better performance. The only reason I would buy OEM is if I wanted stock performance with stock longevity (50,000 miles).

 

Right, we are on the same page. I'm not gonna be launching off sand dunes in Baja. It's my daily driver and I take it on long road trips (for example, around B.C to do the powder highway in the winter). My first priority is reliability. But I need a proper lift and the ability to adjust that lift so I can run the wheels/tires I got: 9x17, -38 ET and 285/70/17.

My 4Runner has 55K miles. The stock shocks are probably near the end of their service life. If it makes more sense to stick with them and Eibach springs, I'll do that. I'm just trying to make heads or tails of it. The price of new stock shocks is $3,000. Or I can send mine in to get rebuilt but that's a few weeks of downtime and I'd be paying storage fees to have the vehicle inoperable at a shop.

I do 20k miles per year easy. So I don't want to have to be rebuilding my suspension annually.

 

I’ve heard great things about Eibach springs on the pre ‘23s. @RusPro17 can advise.

 

What I'm getting at is that if you needed more, you'd know it. 2.5s are a huge commitment and unless you want the ability to hit the desert at speed, they're wasted money. They're reliable in that they're tough but you will get as many miles out of a $300 set at Napa as you will a $3000 set of Kings or Fox. They're designed for race and to be rebuilt frequently whereas Bilstein will get you 75k or more with typical use.

The problem with the stock Fox is you don't get adjustment so dialing a lift is trial and error. Yes you can get close but even a standard 2" Eibach will vary a little and you're likely to get the famous Toyota lean since the left side is heavier. It's a pain in the ass vs something like even Bilstein 5100 which has adjustable spring landings. Add anything with weight? Start over. It is by far the path with the biggest headache factor.

Based on your replies, I'd sell your Fox stuff and go buy Bilstein 6112/5160 with new springs. The 6112 is also a 2.5in emulsion shock and the 5160 is a 2.0in remote resi so similar form factors, but the road performance of the Bilsteins is much better and you can have a shop dial in ride height to what you want. It's by far the least headache option but you lose the bling.

 

Buy some dobinsons mrr’s wait till they come in, install them, then sell your pro shocks on here. Someone will buy them and refurb them. Dont forget your uca’s!

 

You’re happy with the stock Fox shock performance and it would be $600 for a rebuild vs $3K for a new set?

Rebuild at 55K seems like a no brainer to me, unless you have a specific need for something more.

 

While I did say the above, I’m not sure fox shocks need rebuild after 55k miles…unless you are running them hot in the dunes every week. Drop the Eibachs on there.

 

The real ones certainly would but not sure how that translates to OEM (it does apply to Ford, but not sure on Toyota or Jeep JT Mojave). The 50k figure they provide on their Factory 2.5 series is for 100% street use - if it's half street, half hard off-road, they recommend like 10-15k so I'd guess most OEM are different.

When I said 2.5s are a commitment I wasn't joking. I still have the nitrogen setup from when we used to race because we were servicing two sets every race and a couple other sets for the crew every year two. The parts are built to be abused short term but they need to be inspected and serviced regularly.

 

OP have you done the bounce test? Or are you just assuming your shocks are done?

Or, are you just bored and want to switch it up? (No shame in that, just curious).

If you don't offroad, and don't plan to offroad, your shocks are likely fine.

 

I would do number 1. Then if you are not happy with the ride then buy new Fox shocks and add the Eibach springs since you will already have them.

 

Am I understanding this right that I can just replace springs and keep Fox shocks on my ‘24 TRD Pro to get some more lift and performance? I do take mine to the desert often to Offroad on it. Not rock climbing, but some challenging trails. I am looking at doing 285 tires for, both, looks and performance.

 

Yes either Eibach springs or westcott lift on the Fox shocks.