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Eibach Install
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Eibach Install
1. With the wheel off and the truck supported by the frame, the swaybar needs to be disconnected and the top mounting bolts of the coilover can be removed.
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Eibach Install
2. With some pressure applied to the bottom of the lower control arm with a jack, remove the two lower a-arm bolts that attach the ball joint to the knuckle. You can now remove the jack and the lower coilover bolt.
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Eibach Install
3. With some time and a pry bar, wrangle the coilover assembly out from under the truck and rehydrate yourself.
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Eibach Install
4. Slight compression of the coil spring is required to change the shock. Resist the urge to use ratchet straps or any other ill-conceived method of compressing the springs. We picked up a set of inexpensive compression clamps designed for the job.
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5. Disassembly of the strut can now begin. Remember to keep the parts in the proper orientation and order.
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Eibach Install
6. Turn your attention to the new shocks. The grooves are machined into the body of the shock to adjust the ride height if you wish. To do this, adjust the position of the included snap ring. Reassemble the strut assembly and remove the spring compressors.
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7. Reassembly of the front end is just the reverse of the removal. Make sure to torque all the bolts once the truck is back under its own weight.
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Eibach Install
8. The rear shock replacement was a simple endeavor compared to the front. No special tools or other pieces. We found that adding a little pressure to the spring pack helped us get the old shocks out.
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9. Our hang-up was the rusty hardware and poor design. We ended up with a pair of plyers holding the shock body while the top nut was removed.
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10. The rubber bushings from the original shocks need to be reused so don’t destroy them in the process.
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11. With the new rear shocks installed and all bolts torqued to spec, it’s time for a test drive to reap the benefits of our upgrade!
Story & photos by Bryan Irons, 4WDrive Magazine - @bryanirons
A company we know, trust, and will return to is Eibach. Known for creating some of the highest quality suspension components, you could say that we “like” Eibach, but in truth, we’re devout fans. Our last endeavor was installing a complete All-Terrain suspension kit in a Jeep JK a few years ago. Cliff notes; we loved that kit and it is still running strong to this day.
The focus of todays wrenching shenanigans involves a dead stock 2010 Toyota Tundra TRD and our buddy Mark. The truck has 150,000 kilometres on the factory suspension and the comfy ride we normally associated with the Toyota name is long gone… it rode like a New York City taxi cab shuttling too many patrons to the All-You-Can-Eat buffet. Mark knew it was time for the worn parts to hit a local scrap yard. We typically expect a set of factory shock to last around 75,000 kilometres provided the seals do not weep fluid. The oil formulation eventually breaks down and the valves get weak resulting in poor dampening. This can lead to losses in traction and a poor ride.
After a quick call we had a fresh set of Eibach Pro-Truck Sport rear and Eibach Pro-Truck Sport RHA (Ride Height Adjustable) front shocks sent our way. The “Pro-Truck” and “Pro-Truck Sport” lines differ slightly in their performance, but to be honest, we doubt Mark would notice the difference while ham-fisting the wheel around town with a cup of Timmies; the main reason for us to step up to the Sport and Sport RHA were for the thick zinc coating to fend off rust and corrosion, PLUS the ability to level the front of the truck if so desired.
Changing the rear shock involves a few wrenches and an attention span of more then 20 minutes per side. The front end of the truck requires a more extensive tool kit and a set of spring compressors to be able to swap the shocks out from the coil springs that wrap around them. Plan on a full day to get the job done both front and rear. More if you have to deal with rusty components or if you require more frequent refreshment breaks.
Although we chose to keep the ride height in the stock position in the front end, the Eibach Pro-Truck Sport RHA units have machined grooves built into the shock bodies to allow easy adjustment from 0mm to 50mm above factory ride height. If leveling the front of your truck is warranted, then we must strongly recommend loosening off all of the rubber bushing bolts in the front end of the truck and re-torqueing them once the truck is at the new ride height. This will reduce the additional wear and strain on the rubber components in the front end.
After the install, which we will outline here, the initial results proved most impressive. The new dampers calmed the slight wheel vibration we had from before, and the ride was much improved with less “float” over bumps and imperfections in the road.
- Eibach Suspension - http://eibach.com/america/
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