Leveling a 2016 Tundra crew cab SR5 4x4

Hello all.
Need some help and advice. I want to get a levelling kit that will perfectly level the front end of my truck with the rear. I have been in contact with Rough Country and they suggest I get the spacer kit that is 2.5-3 inch. But when I read the reviews, many say the 1.75" levels their 2016's perfectly and then there are others that say use the 2.5-3" like rough country is telling me. Others say the 2.5-3" kit results in the ass end of the truck being higher than the front. I don't want the front of my truck to be higher than the back and with the mixed reviews, I am not sure which one to go with on this. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Every truck will be different even same year and trim. Heck, they vary from driver to passenger side.

Your best bet and most versatile will be Coilover shocks.

Spacers are widely regarded as not as safe and a rougher ride.

I went with Eibach Stage 2R Coilovers.

Lots of info here, you just have to read a bit.

https://www.tundras.com/forums/suspension.19/

 

I have thought about the shocks option. If I am just going to level the front end with the back, I don't see how some small spacers would be dangerous up front. I just keep getting conflicting information. When I contacted Rough Country today, they told me I needed to use their 2.5-3" leveling kit in order to get the front perfectly leveled with the rear. Then I called my local authorized Rough Country installer and they told me that all I would need is the Rough Country 1.75" kit. But if you get on and look at the reviews, the suggestions are all over the map. Some say the 1.75 is the perfect one, and others say 2.5-3". Some then say the 2.5-3 will result in the front being higher than the back. i can't get a clear answer and I don't want that won't be correct and have to deal with trying to correct it.

 

The problem is, you are asking Rough Country what to do. Of course they are going to tell you they are fine and it's what you need.

Expand your search.

If you are set on Rough Country, go with your local installer. If they confirm what you need and scrwe up, the correction will be on them.

 

You make a good point. I didn't think about it like that. I am sure I can do the install myself, but if it's not right then I'd be the one dealing with it. I think I'll have the local installer make the suggestion and then if not right, they will have to fix it. Thanks for the advice.

 

I have a 2016 as well. 2 inch lift in front will level the truck. Our trucks have 2 inches of rake.

For the money spent and install, I would suggest skipping a spacer kit level and look at a coilover, Eibach Pro truck setup is not expensive and will be a huge upgrade over a spacer level. You will get new adjustable assembled front coils w shocks and rear shocks. Out of the box they are set at 2 inches lift, so will be level.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Which stage did you get or would you suggest? Looks like they have serveral choices. Also, I have the Firestone Airbags in the rear of my truck so I'm wondering how that would work with the Eibach setup since you mention the set comes with rear shocks. Does the Eibach's have adjustability so you can change the heights as you wish at any time?

 

stage 2 is the adjustable units, adjusted w spanner. Part #: E86-82-067-01-22
0-2.75 lift, out of box they are set at 2 inches. Firestone bags are not shocks, those airbags will not be an issue, you still have rear shocks.

 

Thanks for your input on this. I like the idea of the adjustable shocks. Regarding the firestone airbags, I am still wondering if i would need some sort of spacer for those with the setup you are suggesting, because the airbags are between the leaf springs and truck frame. If I add any distance with the Eibach shocks, it will increase the distance between my leaf springs and frame where the firestone airbags/brackets are connected. Make sense?

 

No, shocks do not increase ride height or support the truck, they are just dampers of suspension movement. Your springs support the truck, and the airbags assist in that.

 

I am confused now. I understand what normal shocks do, but I thought the suggestion to go with the Eibach adjustable struts was to be able to have adjustability on the springs which would in turn allow you to adjust the height of the truck both front and back. Is this not the case? And if it is the case, then I still am questioning if it would cause an issue with my current firestone air bags in that it would increase the gap the firestone air bags would need to span between my leaf springs and frame (hence my question regarding the need of a spacer to take up that space). Sorry for all the questions. This is all new to me and I am just trying to learn/understand. I like the idea of the Eibach adjustable coilover struts if they do in fact allow for adjustability in truck height.

 

The front shocks are the only ones adjustable in height. Rears are a fixed height.

You can get extended rear shocks if you ever decide to add blocks, shackles or replace the leaf springs. But the standard shock we are talking about here is simply a stock rear shock replacement with no adjustability in height.

 

Many people are idiots. The 2.5-3" people would fall into this category...

The actual front to rear stock difference is ~2.2"... on average. When Toyota decided to level the TRD Pro, they gave it a ~1.75" lift. You can keep the stock UCAs and it will still be reliable. It's also enough lift to mount 37s. You will also need to do other things for clearance, but you won't need more lift.

It's better to install shocks that use a combination of greater length along with a little more spring force to get that lift, rather than spacers which are only length.

 

Thanks for your input. I'm sold on going the route of coilover shocks as you and others have suggested vs the blocks. Def seems the best way to go. You had mentioned that going this route would allow me to have enough lift to mount 37's, but mentioned I would have to do some other things for clearance. Can you expand upon that? Would 37's hit something inside the fenderwelds or something?

 

A 1.75" lift should give you adequate vertical clearance, but you may need to extend your bumpstops. I drove mine stock with 35s and never had a vertical fender touch, and I tried. So a 37 with a 1" lift and bumpstops extended wouldn't have hit either.

On Tundras the hard part is fore-aft clearance. 37s will require a body mount chop, moving the bumper and liner forward along with heat gunning the liner (or just get an aftermarket front bumper), swaybar removal, skid trimming (easy), and of course losing the mudflaps. That's with +25 offset (which sticks out 35mm more than the +60 stock rims). The farther they stick out the worse it gets for fore-aft clearance; tire outer edge arc when turning. If you put 37s on the stock rims you will be able to avoid rub more easily, but I only know of one guy who did with his stock Rock Warrior wheels, and they are +50. Anyway, I don't think the tucked in 37 look is very popular...

You can fine-tune the fore-aft position of your tires using the alignment cams (caster). Say if you are still rubbing the body mount in some situations and have extra room in the front.

If you get a bracket lift of 5+ inches then that will give you more fore-aft clearance, since the tire will no longer go into the wheelwell very far... at the expense of anything performance related.

 

Yes... and unlike some, they sanction adjusting them while they are still mounted on your truck.

From what I've heard the Eibachs have pretty soft damping, if you like that.

 

I leveled mine with RC M1 coilovers. Gave me a little over 2 1/4” up front. Added CB +2 shackles in the back and that put me almost 3/4” higher out back. I decided on 285-60r20 ridge grapplers and really like the look and ride so far. Tall enough for my liking, no trimming needed and my speedo is off by 1-2 mph. Will be getting the OTT tune next to help with shift points