Bilstein 6112/5100 Kit vs Eibach Stage 1 Kit. Which One Should I Go For?

[Elgin]

These two kits are both within my budget, and I’m not sure which to pick. I was originally leaning toward the Bilstein 6112/5100 kit until I came across the Eibach Stage 1 kit.

My initial plan was to go with the 6112 kit, level the truck, and run 35x11.5R20 tires. I have a RTT and a bed rack, so I actually wanted a bit more lift in the rear, but getting the rear coils would break my budget this time, so I decided to add them later.

Then I saw the Eibach kit. I like that it comes with rear coils, giving me roughly a 1-inch rear lift. On the other hand, I know the Bilstein 6112 shocks are superior to the shocks included in the Eibach Stage 1 kit.

In terms of ride quality, I actually prefer the Eibach setup based on what I’ve researched online, though I don’t mind the 6112 being a bit stiff (it has a lot of positive reviews as well). Of course, these are all internet opinions, and everyone has their own perspective.

The prices are almost the same, but if I have a shop install everything, the rear coils on the Eibach kit might add a little extra labor cost. So, I’m kind of torn between the two.

Please help! Share your thoughts.

 

[Namelama]

Billsteins

 

[Elgin]

Billsteins

Reasons please? Thank you!

 

[Namelama]

Ride, Quality, variety of settings, handling is great, and versatile for both on & off road. If you were going to do the majority of your riding off-road, Eibachs would be more comfortable. Seals on both are fantastic and both have limited lifetime warranty.

 

[Namelama]

Check Amazon or Rock Auto for best pricing.

 

[boogielander]

honestly they are not that far apart in terms of ride.
but with RTT and weight in the back the eibach kit will not hold the weight, you will need rear springs regardless because despite advertised lift, the spring rates (what actually holds the weight at ride height) is not enough.

and i am going to tell you what I tell everybody: if you can't afford it right now, you don't need it now. Save up, get the rear springs and do everything together.

 

[Ready Go]

View attachment 209840
View attachment 209841

These two kits are both within my budget, and I’m not sure which to pick. I was originally leaning toward the Bilstein 6112/5100 kit until I came across the Eibach Stage 1 kit.

My initial plan was to go with the 6112 kit, level the truck, and run 35x11.5R20 tires. I have a RTT and a bed rack, so I actually wanted a bit more lift in the rear, but getting the rear coils would break my budget this time, so I decided to add them later.

Then I saw the Eibach kit. I like that it comes with rear coils, giving me roughly a 1-inch rear lift. On the other hand, I know the Bilstein 6112 shocks are superior to the shocks included in the Eibach Stage 1 kit.

In terms of ride quality, I actually prefer the Eibach setup based on what I’ve researched online, though I don’t mind the 6112 being a bit stiff (it has a lot of positive reviews as well). Of course, these are all internet opinions, and everyone has their own perspective.

The prices are almost the same, but if I have a shop install everything, the rear coils on the Eibach kit might add a little extra labor cost. So, I’m kind of torn between the two.

Please help! Share your thoughts.

The Eibach kit is 2" F & 1" R coils and will give an excellent ride.
Set the Front circlip on #2 (0.6") and you'll be leveled with the 1" Rear coils.

 

[Elgin]

honestly they are not that far apart in terms of ride.
but with RTT and weight in the back the eibach kit will not hold the weight, you will need rear springs regardless because despite advertised lift, the spring rates (what actually holds the weight at ride height) is not enough.

and i am going to tell you what I tell everybody: if you can't afford it right now, you don't need it now. Save up, get the rear springs and do everything together.

Thanks for the info. The Eibach kit comes with rear coil springs, but I’m not sure about the spring rates yet. Do you mean the coils can’t handle the extra weight, or something else? In theory, shouldn’t they be an improvement compared to the stock rear coils?

 

[Elgin]

1" R coils and

The Eibach kit is 2" F & 1" R coils and will give an excellent ride.
Set the Front circlip on #2 (0.6") and you'll be leveled with the 1" Rear coils.

Is circlip #2 2.6 inch? How about #1? Thank you

 

[Ready Go]

Is circlip #2 2.6 inch? How about #1? Thank you

If you buy the kit that comes with the Front 2" coils and Rear 1" coils, then yes, Clip #2 is 0.6" lift (2.6" total).
Clip #1 is 0.0" lift
Clip #2 is 0.6" lift
Clip #3 is 1.2" lift
Clip #4 is 1.8" lift
Eibach is dead on with those Clip measurements..I can tell you from experience.
I used a +1" ORP..and at Clip #1 was exactly +1", at Clip #2 was exactly +1.6", and at Clip #3 was a fraction shy of 2.2"..I can also tell you, an ORP springs DOES NOT like being preloaded to Clip #3..the ride quality did deteriorate noticeably. Clip #1 was fantastic..OEM like but without the sway. Clip #2 was just very slightly less compliant, but barely. Clip #3 is very noticeably less compliant..and the spring is noisy in cold weather..it is a known fact the OEM & ORP springs do not like heavy preload..and it's true! The +2" Eibach on the other hand is slightly barrel shaped and will handle Preload much better. I'd be better with a 2" Eibach at Clip #2 (2.6") than my current 1" ORP at Clip #3 (2.2").
Instead though, I do have Eibach Stage2 COs that I'll swap in when my shoulder/rotator is fully healed in another month..then I can dial the height exactly.

**Side note...
--My OEM Front springs and equivalent ORP springs have a spring rate of 492lbs/in.
--Eibachs Stage2 COs use a 16" 500lbs/in spring, and I'm fairly certain the Eibach +2" Front spring is also a 500lbs/in spring.
--Eibachs +1" Rear spring is a dual rate spring with 150lbs/in initial rate, then 300lbs/in secondary rate. OEM is ~225-250 initial rate. The Eibach rear spring is softer than OEM initially, then stiffer secondarily. Forum members have reported the Eibach rear spring to be more comfy than OEM on the highway/on-road, but a bit too soft for off-road, but take that with a grain of salt (and my insight also, we all have different opinions, but I'm super picking on ride height, perfect level, ride quality, etc..suspension dialing-in is my thing!).

 

[Ready Go]

Thanks for the info. The Eibach kit comes with rear coil springs, but I’m not sure about the spring rates yet. Do you mean the coils can’t handle the extra weight, or something else? In theory, shouldn’t they be an improvement compared to the stock rear coils?

If you carry a lot of rear weight or trailer often, the Eibachs are soft and will sag.
Here's a great Posting on Rear springs that you should check out...

Thread 'Cargomaxx HD coils'

Apr 19, 2024

So after finding virtually no feedback, posts or anything about the Dayton cargomaxx HD springs, I figured I'd be the ginneau pig and check them out for myself and for you guys.
for the full install and iverview, please check out the video i made!

Here it goes.

So let me clear up why I went with them and not the Tufftrucks or any of the others, the only reason is because they're the only coils that I could find that offer enough lift for what I need. I needed exactly 1" of rear lift which my Eibach springs gave me but the eibachs didn't have the extra load capacity. So...

• gomango392
• Replies: 134
• Forum: Suspension

• 

 

[Elgin]

If you carry a lot of rear weight or trailer often, the Eibachs are soft and will sag.
Here's a great Posting on Rear springs that you should check out...

Thread 'Cargomaxx HD coils'

Apr 19, 2024

So after finding virtually no feedback, posts or anything about the Dayton cargomaxx HD springs, I figured I'd be the ginneau pig and check them out for myself and for you guys.
for the full install and iverview, please check out the video i made!

Here it goes.

So let me clear up why I went with them and not the Tufftrucks or any of the others, the only reason is because they're the only coils that I could find that offer enough lift for what I need. I needed exactly 1" of rear lift which my Eibach springs gave me but the eibachs didn't have the extra load capacity. So...

• gomango392
• Replies: 134
• Forum: Suspension

• 

Great, great info. Thank you. I’ve decided to go with Stage 2. I didn’t realize the rear coils aren’t very different from stock. Since I carry a bed rack and RTT all the time (probably around 200–300 lb), does that mean swapping to the Eibach rear coils won’t really help with sag issues? Aside from the height, will the function basically stay the same? Am I understanding that correctly?

Since I carry about 200–300 lb regularly, what kind of rear coils should I be looking for to help with sag? I mean it’s some weight, but it’s not like a 500 lb heavy setup.

Last question: when you mentioned clip positions 1–4, does that refer to the Stage 1 front shocks? Because the Stage 2 setup doesn’t have clips, right? It only uses the threaded adjuster with a wrench. Correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[Elgin]

Would it make sense to buy just the Stage 2 front shocks and 2 rear shocks, then get heavy-load rear springs from another brand separately?

 

[Ready Go]

Yep, the Circlips are only on the Stage1 struts..the Stage2 is a threaded collar CO and is adjustable to any precise height that you want.
I think going with Stage2 F&R struts/Shocks is a good idea and then use some other rear spring, such as in the Post I linked.
Gren71 has a great update on that Posting of the numerous rear springs that he used..you'd probably use one of the entry level springs with low (+1") lift.
The Eibach rear spring probably isn't gonna be the best for your rear weight, but that is subjective somewhat.
How does your truck ride now with that weight?
You could use rear spring spacers if you want a little rear height lift. But if you need better weight carrying ability, with or without some rear lift, those springs from the linked post sound very intriguing to me.

 

[Elgin]

Great, great info. Thank you. I’ve decided to go with Stage 2. I didn’t realize the rear coils aren’t very different from stock. Since I carry a bed rack and RTT all the time (probably around 200–300 lb), does that mean swapping to the Eibach rear coils won’t really help with sag issues? Aside from the height, will the function basically stay the same? Am I understanding that correctly?

Since I carry about 200–300 lb regularly, what kind of rear coils should I be looking for to help with sag? I mean it’s some weight, but it’s not like a 500 lb heavy setup.

Last question: when you mentioned clip positions 1–4, does that refer to the Stage 1 front shocks? Because the Stage 2 setup doesn’t have clips, right? It only uses the threaded adjuster with a wrench. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Would it make sense to buy just the Stage 2 front shocks and 2 rear shocks, then get heavy-load rear springs from another brand separately?

Yep, the Circlips are only on the Stage1 struts..the Stage2 is a threaded collar CO and is adjustable to any precise height that you want.
I think going with Stage2 F&R struts/Shocks is a good idea and then use some other rear spring, such as in the Post I linked.
Gren71 has a great update on that Posting of the numerous rear springs that he used..you'd probably use one of the entry level springs with low (+1") lift.
The Eibach rear spring probably isn't gonna be the best for your rear weight, but that is subjective somewhat.
How does your truck ride now with that weight?
You could use rear spring spacers if you want a little rear height lift. But if you need better weight carrying ability, with or without some rear lift, those springs from the linked post sound very intriguing to me.

It does sag sometimes, but not too bad—nothing I can’t live with. However, there was one time when the rear tires hit a small step, and the truck started swaying side to side like a boat.
Should I just do a level for now without changing the rear coils? The coils plus labor would probably cost $500+ lol. But if I do it later, I’d have to get an alignment again.

 

[Elgin]

Yep, the Circlips are only on the Stage1 struts..the Stage2 is a threaded collar CO and is adjustable to any precise height that you want.
I think going with Stage2 F&R struts/Shocks is a good idea and then use some other rear spring, such as in the Post I linked.
Gren71 has a great update on that Posting of the numerous rear springs that he used..you'd probably use one of the entry level springs with low (+1") lift.
The Eibach rear spring probably isn't gonna be the best for your rear weight, but that is subjective somewhat.
How does your truck ride now with that weight?
You could use rear spring spacers if you want a little rear height lift. But if you need better weight carrying ability, with or without some rear lift, those springs from the linked post sound very intriguing to me.

It does sag sometimes, but not too bad—nothing I can’t live with. However, there was one time when the rear tires hit a small step, and the truck started swaying side to side like a boat.
Should I just do a level for now without changing the rear coils? The coils plus labor would probably cost $500+ lol. But if I do it later, I’d have to get an alignment again.

 

[Ready Go]

It does sag sometimes, but not too bad—nothing I can’t live with. However, there was one time when the rear tires hit a small step, and the truck started swaying side to side like a boat.
Should I just do a level for now without changing the rear coils? The coils plus labor would probably cost $500+ lol. But if I do it later, I’d have to get an alignment again.

Maybe stay with your current springs but add Airlift Bags to your rear springs and add a stiffer 25mm Rear swaybar..that way you can pump the bags a bit if needed, and the bigger swaybar makes a huge difference in handling (if you don't have one already).

This basically what I've done..but I added a 1" spacer under the LR and 0.5" spacer under the RR to help balance the side to side lean of Rams, and to get about 0.75" rear lift.