Eibach Pro Truck Lift Kit Stage 1 vs Stage 2

Hello y'all,

I am a long time lurker of this forum and now a first time poster. I drive a 2020 SR5 Premium that I am looking to lift my truck with the Eibach pro lift kit.

I haven't found many threads or questions about the differences between the two stages and was wondering if someone could provide me with some clarity on the subject. As far as I can tell, the stage 2 system uses higher rated/resistance springs to accommodate for more weight on the vehicle. Is this the main difference between the two? And if so, is there any downside for me going with the stage 2 system if I don't plan on adding any crazy extras (i.e. bumpers, winch, roof rack, etc.) to the vehicle?

I'm asking because my 4runner is currently my daily driver and I don't plan on doing any crazy off-roading with it (minor trails for camping trips at the most), and I am really just looking to improve the overall ride and looks. If there is an added benefit to the Stage 2 system that improves overall ride I don't mind shelling out the extra ~400 bucks, but if there is no real added benefit then I'll just go with the Stage 1.

My current basic build outline:
1. Eibach Suspension (Stage 1 vs Stage 2)
2. Dobinson's UCAs (I've read most people regret not doing the UCAs with the Eibach at the same time and these are reportedly the lowest maintenance UCAs [other recommendations welcome lol])
3. Wildpeak A/Ts 265 on my current TRD 17" rims

Any help or comments/criticisms of my current thought processes are greatly appreciated. I have very little experience working with cars, so I am fighting an uphill battle into a costly investment that I want to get done right the first time.

The last question I have is for anyone in the NJ area: do you know of any good body shops that can install the lift for me?

Thanks,
Trevor

 

My understanding of the Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 is the Stage 1 comes with springs & shocks. Lift in the front is 2.75", and 1" in the rear. The Stage 2 comes with a threaded front coilover shock, so the height can be adjusted 2" - 4"; it looks like the rear shocks and springs are identical to Stage 1.

I don't know if the front spring rate on the 2 stages is different. You might have to check with Eibach on that.

 

Stage 1 sounds sufficient for your uses. No need for the 2.0 threaded coilover for your situation.

You might want to think about 285's with that much lift......or at least 275's. You can get a lighter P-rated 285 if you're worried about weight and/or ride quality.

 

And I would think an aftermarket UCA would only be warranted if you used the 2.75" front lift height on the Stage 1, but not at the lower lift heights.

 

Since Stage 1 comes with the front lift coil, I think the lowest lift height is 2.75"

 

Didn't think of that, you're right. It seems to use the same shock that you can get to use with the stock springs, so I guess you just don't use the other spring clip settings, just the lift spring on the lowest setting...

 

I think the stage 2 kit springs are different. Supposedly the stage 2 springs are their race springs which can be purchased in different spring rates.

 

I am still wondering if you can change the ride height on the stage 2 front struts once installed.
If not.....well that's a lot of installing and un-installing to get the height you want. Might have to call Eibach and find out.

 

https://youtu.be/nqW3n8oR560

 

I will say reports Ive read say its pretty hard to actually turn the adjustment. Also lots of reports of broken spanner wrenches.

 

https://youtu.be/FRlrm5RO68M

 

And this is true of almost all aftermarket coilover set-ups. Most are really hard to adjust while still on the vehicle. It's usually easier just to take them off and adjust.

 

Correct. Same shock but with 2.75" lift springs.

Stock weight will want it at the lowest setting but some set it to the 2nd setting if they are running a bunch of weight up front and want to maintain that 2.75" lift.

 

Thanks all for the responses and super useful information. Still have a lot of research to do lol every time I feel like I have a good grasp on how the system works there's something else that I didn't even account for that needs to get researched.

 

Hey hey all,

I actually went with the Stage 2. As mentioned before, the Stage 2 is a coilover system. I have mine set at 3" and I don't do a lot of serious off roading yet. The reason for me going to Stage 2 is because I prefer a coilover setup. The ride is firm but still quiet and the truck feels a hell of a lot more stable.

Cheers,

Sean

 

I placed an order through Eibach for the Stage 2 back in March. The front shocks assemblies are backordered and they don't have an absolute estimation on when they'll have stock, but they have been very communicative and upfront with what I should expect.

I don't say this to dissuade anyone, but if you need it immediately, Stage 1 may be your only option at the time of this post.

 

One other nice feature of Eibach is you can start out simple, like others and I have done, and simply order the Stage 1 shocks, use your oem coil springs, and still be able to lift the front and get better rear shocks also. Should I ever get a wild hair and decide I just have to have more lift, I would just need to add the Eibach Stage 1 springs, front and back, without having to order different shocks.

 

Hey all,

I purchased the Pro-Truck Coilover 2.0s, Pro-Truck Sport Shocks for the rear, and the Load Leveling System (+250 lbs) directly from Eibach back in Feb of this year. All my parts were allocated in April and we were able to set-up an install date at their shop in Corona, CA on May 10. The guy I was in touch with at Eibach was Kevin, he was super transparent with me, patient, and answered all my questions with professionalism. What took my order so long was that I was waiting on the rear coils for 400 lbs of added weight and they hadn't gotten in the materials yet. Kevin let me know that they had the rear coils for 250 lbs of added weight in stock and we completed the order right then and there over the phone.

After 8-days with the lift, I have been extremely happy I went with a little more than my current needs. The ride has been night and day and feels way more composed.

 

Great to hear you are satisfied with Stage 2. My friend is looking to get Stage 2 since he prefer the coilover setup. The new tires from 4Wheelonline are on the way and we'll work on it at the same time.

 

I have kicking around the stage 1 kit.

 

I just installed the Stage 2 kit. Was able to dial in the front to take away the lean and level the frame… then the 33” went on (285/70r17 Yokohama)

I’m very pleased with it all around. (This photo doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the only one I have right now.

 

Did you install it yourself? And, KDSS or no?

 

No KDSS.

I did install it myself. I started with the front, and the first side I started took about 1.5 hours... primarily because I started with one technique, aborted it for a different technique, and then went back to the first.

The other side in the front legit took me 20 minutes with what I learned from the first. (Also, none of the bolts gave me any trouble.)

The rear took me about 45min total, with the help of a second person to work the jack on the opposite side of the axle (to get the springs in).

The technique that worked extraordinarily well for me on the front of my 2021:

Unbolt the two outside bolts holding on the lower control arm to the lower ball joint attachment. (There is a third nut with a cotter pin attaching the ball joint itself to that bracket... you can ignore that.)

Those two bolts will release the lower control arm from the wheel bits, and then I loosened the lower control arm bolts where it attaches to the frame, and the whole thing swings down and out of the way. (These bolts are where you adjust alignment, but you should be getting any alignment after the lift goes in anyway... so....)

I didn't have to unbolt any of the brake or ABS stuff, and I didn't have to do anything with the sway bar.

 

FYI, that is the same method I used when swapping my oem front shocks to Eibach Sport Truck shocks. The only other thing I did since I do have KDSS, was with the wheels on the ground and prior to lifting the truck to do the rest, I ratchet strapped the KDSS cylinder in place and unbolted the sway bar brackets from the lower control arms, which would allow the LCAs to drop further down. Upon completion of the spring installation, I lowered the truck back to the ground, reattached the sway bar brackets to the LCAs, and removed the ratchet strap.

I've also read where others have unbolted the upper control arm from the spindle in lieu of unbolting the KDSS sway bar to achieve the same effect.

 

I was in pretty much the same boat as you and I went with the stage 1 kit. It was as easy an install as I could have hoped for (even with my bonehead move of installing the passenger side spring perch upside down and not realizing it for days, so I had to re-do the passenger side shock later).

I ended up going with UCA's because I wanted as much positive caster as I could get to clear 285's, and my wheels have a -12 offset so I was going to rubno matter what. I still ended up doing a BMC after but I think it was the right move all around. I went with the Ironman Pro-forge UCA's because they use a stock ball joint that doesn't require any maintenance, so I don't have to grease the UCA's every 3-5k.

All in all I'm very happy with it. Looks good, lots of flex, much better on the road than stock and more than capable off road.

 

Levels out nicely, and tons of flex with the Stage 1.

 

I went with the Stage 1 and Ironman UCA's too. This is what it looks like now with recently installed, Firestone Destination X/T tires in 285/70/17. No rubbing.

 

I have a 2022 TRD Sport with XREAS. Will the stage 1 work on my 4r? I have Method wheels and Conti TerrainContact tires; 17x8.5 wheels and 265/70/17 tires. Are my tires going to be too small if I go with the stage 1?

 

There are actually three versions of the Eibach's. The stage 1 is very well suited for most people doing mild off roading/overlanding. The stage 2 also fills this niche nicely but gives easy/finite adjust-ability and a bit more carrying capacity. Also a good choice. The last of the Eibach's is the stage 2R. This is the same as the stage 2 but with the addition of rear reservoirs.

The regular stage 2's would have served my purposes well but if I find myself on sustained washboard roads I'll appreciate the extra fluid capacity. That's why I chose the stage 2R. I find the road manors much improved over the stock TRD ORP improving handling with less nose dive on braking, and more confident cornering. On rough roads or off road, they do very well soaking up the bumps and irregularities.

https://eibach.com/us/2251/E86-82-071-05-22-TOYOTA-4Runner-pro-truck-coilover-stage-2R

 

Do you know if the Stage 1 & Stage 2 use the same rear Sport Truck shock?