2021 Lariat 60,000 miles - stupid to upgrade suspension?

[2thdr]

Hello all, I have a 2021 Lariat that is my daily driver that has 60,000+ miles, and I've owned it since new. I have a color matched A.R.E. shell, and it's set up for camping with a rack, roof top tent, and 270 awning that is mounted full time. I've noticed lately that the ride feels "wallowy" and not very tight. It's probably been going on for a while, but just now noticeable to me. Do you think it's worth the $1,800 to upgrade my suspension with the Ford Performance Off-road leveling kit with the FOX coil overs? I'm on a limited income now (64 yo) and anticipate keeping the truck for as long as it is a good runner. I keep up with all recommended maintenance. Thanks.

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[Nomad]

2thdr,

I'm in the same general boat with my truck (although I have a little over 100,000 miles on mine). I've also noticed that "wallowing" feeling in the shocks, and I plan on holding onto my truck for the long haul—the goal is to pass it down to my son for his first vehicle in the not-too-distant future.

BLUF-- You're on the right track. The shocks are a common weak point on these vehicles, so an upgrade like the one you're considering is definitely worth it in my opinion.

That said, although Fox is a great upgrade, based on my research and what I've seen from others, I would recommend looking into the Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2 Kit. It's another great alternative that should address the issues you're feeling. Truth be told, I’m on the lookout for a deal for an Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2 Kit right now (shameless plug if anyone has a set they are willing to part with)!

To make the decision a bit easier, here is a breakdown of what I've found comparing the three main contenders (There are definitely more options out there, but to keep it simple, here are three that always come up on the forum) based on manufacturer data (not all encompassing but you get the idea).

Shock Comparison: Fox vs. Eibach vs. Bilstein

Feature	Fox Performance Series 2.0	Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2 Kit	Bilstein 5100 Shocks
Maintenance	Fox recommends a factory service/rebuild every 50,000 miles for mixed use (I believe). Basic service for a full set of four 2.0 reservoir shocks starts at $510 (rough estimate), plus any additional parts if there is damage.	Eibach promotes this as a "set it and forget it" system with no rebuilding necessary. It's designed for durability and long-term performance without scheduled maintenance.	Bilstein also designs the 5100 series as a low-maintenance, "set it and forget it" option with no rebuilding required. They are known for their long-term durability under various conditions.
Load Handling	These shocks are engineered for high performance and can handle significant loads. However, their softer, performance-oriented valving may feel less controlled with a constant heavy load compared to shocks specifically tuned for that purpose.	This system is specifically engineered to handle additional weight from gear like bumpers, winches, and racks, providing a more controlled ride and reducing body roll. The front coilovers have an adjustable spring perch to compensate for increased loads.	The 5100s feature a monotube design with a unique, velocity-sensitive, digressive piston that reacts to changing road conditions. They are designed to be suitable for heavy hauling and towing, often providing a firmer, more controlled ride.
Warranty	Fox offers a 1-Year Limited Warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. Modifications or improper service can void the warranty.	Eibach provides a Limited Lifetime Warranty on their Pro-Truck shocks, covering factory defects in material and workmanship.	Bilstein offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty for the original purchaser, covering defects and ensuring consistent, fade-free performance.
Cost	Generally the most expensive option. A set of four Performance Series 2.0 shocks can range from approximately $1000 to $1,600+, depending on the specific vehicle and features like reservoirs. Rebuild costs are an additional long-term expense.	A highly competitive mid-range option. The Pro-Truck Stage 2 kit typically costs between $1,200 and $1,600.	Usually the most budget-friendly of the three. A full set of four Bilstein 5100 shocks generally costs between $400 and $500.

A Few More Thoughts:

With your A.R.E. shell, camping rack, rooftop tent, and awning mounted full-time, you have a significant amount of constant weight on your truck. That's why I lean towards the Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2 kit. It seems perfectly suited for our kind of setup, where handling that extra weight while improving on-road comfort and off-road capability is key. The lifetime warranty and "set it and forget it" design are big pluses.

As for another option, if you're looking for something a bit cheaper than Fox or Eibach, the Bilstein 5100 shocks are a fantastic choice.

They are renowned in the truck world for being a durable, effective upgrade over stock suspension, especially for handling weight, and come with an excellent lifetime warranty.

If you have the time, take a look at the attached video. It's from Shock Surplus and they test out all three of these setups. It was a big help for me and may help with your decision too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9oqO0_9Gvw

Hope this helps and good luck with the decision,
NOMAD

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

With the topper, RTT, awning, and all your camping gear, I’m inclined to say Yes.

Your OEM shocks might be at, or near, their end of life. I have FOX Performance 2.0 all around and think they’re great but you might be just as well off to go with Eibach or Bilstein. Much cheaper and highly rated.

 

[OCL]

All that weight up top will make it feel wallowy regardless of what shock you have back there. I'm guessing with the topper, the rack, tent, awning, you added an easy 300+ lbs. high up the truck's center of gravity. The truck is probably sitting level all by itself with the rear sag due to the weight. Must ride nice on the highway though.

If it were my truck, I would go with simplicity and value. A set of air bags to keep the truck level when fully loaded with your camping gear in back. Then upgrade the shocks to the Bilsteins. Probably the best value for performance. Done and done for $1k? And keep those tires inflated right. The FOX coilovers would be nice but it won't address the constant extra load on top unless you have the springs custom tuned for that extra weight.

Rooftop campers are all the rage and no doubt they're so much nicer than sleeping on the ground. But it adds so much weight at the very top of the vehicle. Not good at all.

It's absolutely not stupid to upgrade the suspension. If the truck is a keeper, it's silly not to.

 

[OCL]

If you have more $$ set aside, one other thing that will improve stability are wider wheels and tires. Just go one size up on the width if you can. Fit Tremor wheels on it? Or some other aftermarket wheel of choice that's wider. That plus the suspension would go a long way in making the truck feel much more stable. So maybe Bilstein shocks plus a set of wider wheels/tires. That would also make your truck look super cool. But then you're going to end up spending about $2.5k or so.

 

[2thdr]

I was off doing some more research and came back to the great advice you guys have offered. My findings agree with what was said here, that the Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2R kit would be better for stiffening up my "wallow" than the softer FOX kit. Estimated weight up top = rack 50 lb + tent 125 lb + awning 75 lb = 250 lbs . Also, hitch carrier/e-bike/rack 175 lbs + water tank 100 lb + gear 125 lb? = 400 lbs. So, approx 650 lbs total with 250 lbs of that up high when fully loaded out. So the comment about my weight is spot on...I hadn't added it all up before. I had airbags on a Tundra that I had a 4 Wheel slide in camper on a while back. That would definitely help!

All that weight up top will make it feel wallowy regardless of what shock you have back there. I'm guessing with the topper, the rack, tent, awning, you added an easy 300+ lbs. high up the truck's center of gravity. The truck is probably sitting level all by itself with the rear sag due to the weight. Must ride nice on the highway though.

If it were my truck, I would go with simplicity and value. A set of air bags to keep the truck level when fully loaded with your camping gear in back. Then upgrade the shocks to the Bilsteins. Probably the best value for performance. Done and done for $1k? And keep those tires inflated right. The FOX coilovers would be nice but it won't address the constant extra load on top unless you have the springs custom tuned for that extra weight.

Rooftop campers are all the rage and no doubt they're so much nicer than sleeping on the ground. But it adds so much weight at the very top of the vehicle. Not good at all.

It's absolutely not stupid to upgrade the suspension. If the truck is a keeper, it's silly not to.

Thanks! See my reply above. Talk to me about inflation...My tires are non-LT type Toyo ATIII's. I've been running 35 psi...too low? And which Bilstein shocks?

 

[OCL]

I was off doing some more research and came back to the great advice you guys have offered. My findings agree with what was said here, that the Eibach Pro-Truck Stage 2R kit would be better for stiffening up my "wallow" than the softer FOX kit. Estimated weight up top = rack 50 lb + tent 125 lb + awning 75 lb = 250 lbs . Also, hitch carrier/e-bike/rack 175 lbs + water tank 100 lb + gear 125 lb? = 400 lbs. So, approx 650 lbs total with 250 lbs of that up high when fully loaded out. So the comment about my weight is spot on...I hadn't added it all up before. I had airbags on a Tundra that I had a 4 Wheel slide in camper on a while back. That would definitely help!

Thanks! See my reply above. Talk to me about inflation...My tires are non-LT type Toyo ATIII's. I've been running 35 psi...too low? And which Bilstein shocks?

Bilstein 5100's. The last one on the list in the excellent comparison above. I've had these 5100's on my Sierra 1500 and it made a huge difference in stability (unloaded truck). Got rid of a lot of body roll in the corners compared to OEM shocks (not the Z71's). They also have a leveling option up front using a built in snap-ring that positions the front shock a bit higher on the truck's front coil setup. I remember being able to choose from 3 settings (stock, medium, high). I only chose Medium because I wanted a little rake up front for high speed stability.

Your weight...I wouldn't worry about the extra load at bed height. Your truck can handle that. Our trucks have a bed weight limit approximately 1,500 lbs. (Tremors are much lower at 1,300 lbs. probably because of softer Fox shocks? lower GVWR due to added weight of tires?). Your estimate didn't add the weight of the Topper. About 200 lbs. up on top of your bed. Plus another 250 lbs. on top of the Topper. My guess this is why a lot of Overlanders prefer the Mid-height tent/Rack? But then you lose the utility of the enclosed topper. Your setup is pretty sweet. I was considering a pop top camper myself like the Topo Wide Camper. It's about 350 lbs. on top of the bed (excluding the build inside the bed). I'm quite sure I'd have to put Air Bags if I went that route. But not right now. I really love my Hot Rod truck light and fast!

If I were in your shoes, I'd do the Bilsteins plus wider wheels and tires. I know for sure those wider wheels and tires makes a noticeable difference when cornering at speed. Did that on my Sierra and my F150 and both times they made a nice handling difference. But just the shocks makes a big difference in stability especially the wallowing you're feeling. Good damping means bounce only once and done. Not bounce 2x+ after a hit! You're tire inflation is perfect.

 

[TxOTRRanger]

I have the Bilstein 5100s on all 4 corners of my truck, eliminated the dip, dive and wallow in the front end. The back of the truck dosen't have near the bounce that it had before I had the new shocks and struts installed.
It had a 100,000+ miles when I had them installed. Rides and drives better than it did when it was new.

 

[2thdr]

Bilstein 5100's. The last one on the list in the excellent comparison above. I've had these 5100's on my Sierra 1500 and it made a huge difference in stability (unloaded truck). Got rid of a lot of body roll in the corners compared to OEM shocks (not the Z71's). They also have a leveling option up front using a built in snap-ring that positions the front shock a bit higher on the truck's front coil setup. I remember being able to choose from 3 settings (stock, medium, high). I only chose Medium because I wanted a little rake up front for high speed stability.

Your weight...I wouldn't worry about the extra load at bed height. Your truck can handle that. Our trucks have a bed weight limit approximately 1,500 lbs. (Tremors are much lower at 1,300 lbs. probably because of softer Fox shocks? lower GVWR due to added weight of tires?). Your estimate didn't add the weight of the Topper. About 200 lbs. up on top of your bed. Plus another 250 lbs. on top of the Topper. My guess this is why a lot of Overlanders prefer the Mid-height tent/Rack? But then you lose the utility of the enclosed topper. Your setup is pretty sweet. I was considering a pop top camper myself like the Topo Wide Camper. It's about 350 lbs. on top of the bed (excluding the build inside the bed). I'm quite sure I'd have to put Air Bags if I went that route. But not right now. I really love my Hot Rod truck light and fast!

If I were in your shoes, I'd do the Bilsteins plus wider wheels and tires. I know for sure those wider wheels and tires makes a noticeable difference when cornering at speed. Did that on my Sierra and my F150 and both times they made a nice handling difference. But just the shocks makes a big difference in stability especially the wallowing you're feeling. Good damping means bounce only once and done. Not bounce 2x+ after a hit! You're tire inflation is perfect.

Thanks so much for all the feedback...nice to have real world experience isn't it? Something you can rely on. Yes, my fiberglass cap is not light...forgot about that! I do like it though. Everything stays mostly dry and it's secure.

 

[Jamie Jack]

I have a similar setup on my 2021 XLT with a steel canopy and I pack around a 50 pound boat on top all the time. Weight is similar. I went through a similar comparison on shocks and ended up buying the Eibach 2.0 including a 1" rear lift. I did go the opposite way on tires with Toyo pizza cutters becasue they perform better in the ice, snow and mud than wide tires. Very happy with my choices, and you will be too.

 

[specialKody]

FYI the fox 2.0 suspension uses Eibach springs. I would recommend considering the firmer suspension options given the constant weight on your truck.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

FYI the fox 2.0 suspension uses Eibach springs. I would recommend considering the firmer suspension options given the constant weight on your truck.

Yes, it does - I thought that was a bit odd when I first installed mine.

Maybe I should have just bought those.

 

[JohnnyO]

Hello all, I have a 2021 Lariat that is my daily driver that has 60,000+ miles, and I've owned it since new. I have a color matched A.R.E. shell, and it's set up for camping with a rack, roof top tent, and 270 awning that is mounted full time. I've noticed lately that the ride feels "wallowy" and not very tight. It's probably been going on for a while, but just now noticeable to me. Do you think it's worth the $1,800 to upgrade my suspension with the Ford Performance Off-road leveling kit with the FOX coil overs? I'm on a limited income now (64 yo) and anticipate keeping the truck for as long as it is a good runner. I keep up with all recommended maintenance. Thanks.

Honestly I'd say spend half that much and get a set of Bilsteins.
FWIW, my OE rear shocks were shot at 50k.

 

[Frenchy]

I don't see how it would be a bad idea especially if you're planning to keep the vehicle for a long period of time. Suspension is one of those things that's going to wear out regardless. If you saw the amount of money I spend into suspension on my current vehicle, you would probably think I was insane. That said going for a nice good quality ride while on the trail is important

 

[Griswald]

I just swapped 5100s on the back of my 21.

Huge improvement, worth every penny.

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