Eibach Pro-Truck Coilover 2.0 Lift Kit + Load-Leveling System

Introducing the Eibach Pro-Truck Coilover 2.0 Lift Kit Paired With the Load-Leveling System for the 5th Gen 4Runner

As part of the winter 2020 edition of YOTA Magazine, I did a story on a new product by Eibach, their Eibach Load-Leveling System. It’s a great product that’s designed to grow with your build as you continue to ad weight. Covered in that article was the new system’s technical specifications, end-to-end installation steps, and a final review. The story also went into a bit of detail around having a well-laid-out plan when starting a build.

While I’m still not convinced that anyone has the perfect formula for building an overland rig, having a plan and associating a sequential timeline with that plan is a good step to avoiding costly mistakes and rework down the road. And, that brings us to this story and my need for yet another suspension swap; the Eibach 2.0 Coilover Lift Kit (Stage 2). This is Eibachs new coilover kit with a threaded shock body that allows ride height adjustments per your exact requirements. This is becoming the go-to in the Eibach line of lift kits for the 5th Gen 4Runner, 3rd Gen Tacoma, and 2nd Gen Tacoma as well because it’s offered at around the same price as their stage 1 kit but offers much more flexibility in ride-height control.

Find it online:

• Eibach Pro-Truck Lift Kit (Stage 1): Check Price
• Eibach 2.0 Coilover Lift Kit (Stage 2): Check Price
• Eibach’s Load-Leveling System: Check Price

Eibach’s Load-Leveling System

Before we jump into the Eibach Stage 2 Coilover kit, let’s look at Eibach’s Load-Leveling System, another new game-charging product offered for the 5th Gen 4Runner.

In full transparency, I wasn’t really sure what to expect when it came to Eibach’s load-leveling system. When I used to think of Eibach, my mind went to motorsports like NASCAR and Formula 1. Little did I know that Eibach has been in the off-road performance space for years, started in the 1950s and is considered the world market leader in suspension components. They manufacture springs for/partner with some well-known companies including ICON, Bilstein, Fox, and King.

If you follow Eibach’s social media accounts, you’ll also see that their R&D department is constantly designing, testing, and pumping out new products to serve the Jeep, Toyota, Lexus, Chevy and Ford communities. After six months of running the load-leveling system with roughly 400 lbs of added weight, I’ve found it to be the exact solution for my (truck’s) sagging rear end.

As an official “fanboy”, I knew when the time came to change out the rest of my Toyota 4Runners aftermarket suspension, Eibach was the only way to go. You’ll notice on Eibach’s website that for a lot of makes and models, they offer two different lift systems.

Eibach Lift Kit Options for the 4Runner

• The Pro-Truck Coilover System (Stage 2) shocks come with threaded adjustments on the bottom allowing you to tune the ride height with the included spanner wrench from stock up to 3.5” depending on your application. Adjustments can also be made while the system is already mounted to the truck. Additionally, the spring and shock mounts are already assembled to the shock, so installation is as easy as swapping out your OEM setup.
• The Pro-Truck Lift System (Stage 1) is in no way a lesser setup, it’s just not as “plug-and-play”. The shocks in this setup come with “clip” spring perch grooves that also allow you to adjust the ride height from stock up to 3.0”. These adjustments must be made with the assembly off the truck, unlike the coilover system. The biggest difference with this system is that the components are not pre-assembled, meaning if you buy the shocks, you’ll either need to leverage your OEM springs and spring mounts or purchase them directly from a retailer and assemble everything prior to installation. Linked in this post is a link to YotaMafia.com where you can have those shocks assembled before you buy them. And trust me, this is something that you want someone to do if you have never done it.

With the never-ending list of mods I had planned for my vehicle at the time, the less work, the better. As such, I opted for the Eibach Pro-Truck Coilover System and Sport Shocks in the rear to swap out the Dobinsons suspension.

Over the years, I’ve added significant weight including a winch, a low-profile front bumper, a heavier performance CSF radiator, roof rack, rock sliders, a Boss Strong Box drawer system and a dual-swing steel rear bumper with a full-size spare. What once was a 2.5” lift all the way around turned into something less than 2.0”. I attempted to compensate for the difference with 1.0” spacers all around, but the Dobinsons springs and shocks just weren’t rated for the added weight. So, it was time to upgrade…and that is why having a build plan is critical!

As with any suspension installation, you’re going to want to ensure you have all the tools and wherewithal to get the job done right, or, leave it in the hands of a qualified mechanic. Having a vehicle lift will cut down the install time significantly and result in fewer headaches. However, a suspension upgrade is something a driveway warrior can tackle with the right jack, jack stands, and safety measures in place.

Eibach 2.0 Coilover Lift Kit (Feature #1): Ride Height Adjustments

Assuming you’ve already installed your coilover system, you may want to either raise the ride height to level out with the rear, compensate for added weight in the front (bumper, winch, armor, etc.), or lower it for a more raked stance.

As I had mentioned, one of the biggest features of the new Eibach coilover system is that ride height adjustments can be made fairly easily while the coilovers are already installed on your vehicle. The Pro-Truck Lift system can also be adjusted, but you’ll need to remove the assembly from the vehicle and make adjustments once the spring is compressed.

Shy of pressing a button to lift your truck, you’ll need to consider your vehicle’s motion ratio when raising the ride height. Motion ratio describes the precise amount of shock travel for wheel travel. More simply put, motion ratio is the leverage that the wheel has on the spring.

You’re going to want to find out your vehicles exact motion ratio before deciding how much height you want to add. This can often be found in the owner’s manual, but it may be easier to do a Google search or research further on a forum.

While Eibach includes a spanner wrench with the front coilovers, they are in the works of releasing a newly designed spanner wrench that connects to a ½” socket extension; this will definitely provide better leverage.

Feature #2: Fully Assembled Kit

For me, the best part about the Pro-Truck Coilover System is that everything was pre-assembled.

Again, building the strut assembly isn’t a challenging step in the process, but it does add to the total install time. Knowing that everything was assembled and tuned by Eibach gave me way more confidence than doing it myself and swapping everything out was done in record speed.

Feature #3: Clean Finish with Durable Components

It only takes a few hours to get your new shiny suspension completely caked in mud. Depending on where you’re adventuring, certain muds can harden like concrete making clean-up a pain. The ERO off-road race spring is powder-coated in Eibach’s iconic Stardust Silver II finish and the 6061-T6 billet aluminum mounts are anodized black. While there are no guarantees, especially if you hit the trails hard, Eibach backs this all up with a limited lifetime warranty.

Final Thoughts

As you can imagine, swapping out rear springs for the Eibach load-leveling system followed by a complete Eibach 2.0 Coilover (Stage 2) suspension upgrade should lead you to believe that I’m a pretty satisfied customer.

This rig is a daily driver, so it was important that the new suspension stand up to being both a commuter and a weekend warrior. I didn’t want to spend an absorbent amount of money upgrading the suspension and for it to feel too rigid with where it spends 80% of the time (highways and city streets). After all the upgrades and added weight, the suspension now handles as it did back in its stock days, which was the ride comfort I always wanted to get back. Simply put, the ride is back to being comfortable.

When it comes to handling and feel on the trails, performance was a completely different story. The new suspension has now been through snowy trails, moguls, sand, mud, and crawled over a handful of trail boulders. The ride feels comfortable with no hard knocking or slamming and the truck trails significantly better over the Dobinsons.

With any increase in ride height, you’re going to feel “lifted”, but that simply translates to better obstruction clearance and less scraping. Both the front and rear wheels now have significantly more travel and nothing felt “springy” or “bouncy”. Even with a rooftop tent mounted to the top, the center of gravity shifting issues I had in the past are virtually nonexistent now. At the end of the day, I’m left clueless as to why there aren’t more Eibach upgraded rigs on the trails…maybe I’m just hanging with the wrong crew!

Off-road and on-road, the new Eibach Stage 2 kit is where it’s at. Be on the lookout soon for more options for different makes and models, including the rumored Stage 2R which will replace the rear shocks with new Pro-Truck Reservoir shocks!