Toyota Tacoma Shock Selection Guide

Welcome to The Ultimate Toyota Tacoma Shock Selection Guide.

Note: You can download a PDF version of the guide by clicking here.

CHOOSING SHOCKS FOR YOUR TOYOTA TACOMA

With over 400,000 miles on our Tacomas here at Shock Surplus, our goal is to bring you experience and feedback from the trails and highways of America. We've ran many different brands at all levels through our own builds, which stretch from being the daily driver to the adventure tourer, seeing every kind of terrain possible. Here we will explore the different options available, what they mean for ride characteristics on your Tacoma, and hopefully guide you into something that makes sense for your truck.

THE VERSATILE TRUCK

With the Tacoma being one of the most popular light trucks on the market, the amount of options for shocks and suspension can be dizzying. We know Tacoma owners are into more than just the daily commute, because we've got our own that see everything from the Southern California deserts, to the Colorado Mountains, and everything in between.

You want a great ride on the road, but be able to handle the weekend or lifestyle activities.

We're here to help you understand what all the suspension jargon means to save you time, and ultimately, help you figure out what to run on your own Tacoma.

With a couple Tacomas on staff here at Shock Surplus, we've ran the gauntlet of shock options to get a true butt-feel for what these shocks offer you - the driver - in terms of comfort, handling, and performance.

Definitions

Comfort - Subjective to the driver, some drivers find comfort in confidence, knowing what the vehicle is going to do. Others find comfort in softness, plushness, a pillowy feel. These aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, higher end shocks can achieve both.

Handling - How tight or loose the vehicle feels on the road or dirt comes into play when thinking about driver behavior and preference. Nose dive, rear squat, side to side body roll, are all under the umbrella of Handling.

Performance - Control and traction. When we talk performance, this encompasses how the Tacoma maintains composure offroad in tougher terrain, at various speeds, and the focus is to maintain traction and control.

LSC - Low Speed Compression; this is shaft speed, not vehicle speed. A vehicle doing 50mph down the highway is categorized as low shaft speed, and inputs to the shock are LSC.

MSC - Medium Speed Compression. A vehicle going down a rocky trail or through terrain that cycles the suspension through 50-75% of travel is categorized as MSC.

HSC - High Speed Compression. Those hard hits that bottom out the suspension, hit the bumpstops on the frame, send your knees into your chin.

Travel - The amount of distance; usually measured in inches, that the suspension and shocks cycle through. On a stock Tacoma, the front suspension has about 8.5" of travel (4 up, 4 down), while the rear has about 9".

Bottom-Out - When the shock and suspension hit full compression (collapse).Top-Out - When the shocks and suspension max out travel, full droop (fully expanded).

Leveling Kit - Tacomas come from the factory with a nose-down rake, leveling the truck, or a leveling kit, will raise the front of the truck to be level with the rear. This is accomplished with

Adjustment / Adjustable - by default most people mean compression adjustment to the shock's damping. Present on Fox, King, Icon, Falcon, and others.

Compression - When your Tacoma hits a bump, the suspension compresses; driveways, small rocks, baja-sized whoops. What if you could adjust how soft or firm the shock responds?

Coilover - The shocks, springs, and top cap create a single unit of higher performance than the factory length shock and spring combination. These not only unlock more suspension travel, but also ride height adjustment, and features impossible with a stock Tacoma.

Rebound - When you go off a curb or large rock, the shock is slowing down the rate of travel that your tire droops away from the frame. Its how much the shock reacts to the compression force - there's lots of cases to speed up or slow down the rate of rebound, especially carrying loads on the trail.

Internal Bypass - When oil is allowed to flow around the main active piston in the shock, generally providing a softer ride zone to the suspension, seen on shocks like the Old Man Emu BP-51, and King 3.0.

External Bypass - Similar to internal bypass, but not constrained to the main shock body / package size, and allows oil to flow through external tubes around the main piston, usually seen on rear Tacoma shocks like the Bilstein 8100.

Leveling Kit - Any suspension modification that raises the front of the Tacoma to be level with the rear. This can be a top shock mount spacer, a spring spacer that goes on the actual spring in the front shock tower, an adjustable height front strut, or a full coilover. spacers on top of the factory shock tower, through adjustable height shocks, or through coilovers.

DAILY DRIVER

We know most people are daily'n their Tacomas between the fun stuff. Road manners are important since that's where we spend a lot of time behind the wheel. Shocks like KYB and Monroe are very factory-feel oriented, while shocks like Bilstein have a sportier tune, increasing handling and road feel - but to some - a sacrifice in comfort.But if you ask us, confidence through control is what we're after, you may be the same.

The yellow shocks that come standard on a lot of Tacomas are indeed Bilstein, but they're not the 4600s available in the aftermarket. They're a twin-tube design from the factory, while the 4600 are monotube. Whats the difference? Less moving parts, more consistent ride in the 4600, and you'll get way more miles out of the 4600s with higher performance.

This is where linear tuned and digressive tuned shocks make a difference for the Tacoma.

  • Digressive shocks like Bilstein will have firmer LSC feel; more road feedback from bumps, potholes, dirt roads and gravel chatter.
  • Linear shocks have a bit better bump compliance in the LSC range; soaks up bumps a bit better, subdues the potholes and dirt road chatter.
  • Unfortunately a lot of brands dont state outright if their shocks are digressively or linearly tuned, but that's why Shock Surplus is here - to break down those information-walls.

Bilstein is one of the most popular options for the Tacoma, the 5100 Ride Height Adjustable shock serves as both a factory-shock replacement and a leveling-kit in one. If you're aiming to fit larger tires, such as 33s, then the 5100s are a popular option to refresh the shocks and give you that additional clearance.

Fox 2.0 and Eibach 2.0 are also popular entry-level performance shocks, which produce softer and more comfortable road feel compared to Bilstein, and can easily tackle any easy and moderate offroad terrain. We tested this triple header on a Tacoma, Silverado, and Ranger.

Other popular options for factory replacement shocks, for those that just need to get back on the road, or stay on the road, are KYB's Truck Plus shocks, or Monroe's Quick Assembly shocks - both of which come completely assembled for easy installation in the front for those looking to DIY.Otherwise there are inexpensive coil spring compressors available to rent or buy if you want to save money on the shocks, and still DIY. An auto-repair center or 4x4 shop is capable of assembling the springs and shocks during the installation.

TOW & HAUL

These shocks specifically speak to better handling, with comfort as a secondary consideration. Shocks like Bilstein are superior in the handling department, and will increase or decrease comfort depending on what the driver is used to, or their preference.

Having adjustable shocks for your Tacoma goes a long way in adjusting the vehicle's handling and comfort when loaded up. If you're towing a trailer, or hauling a ton of work gear, being able to adapt the rear suspension to be tighter will give you more confidence.

BILSTEIN 5100 MONOTUBE ADJUSTABLE STRUT & SHOCKS SET FOR 2005-2015 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD RWD W/0-2.5" LIFT

Bilstein is hands down one of the best options for towing and hauling a trailer or extra gear. The 5100s are appropriate for leveling the vehicle, along with tow/haul requirements, otherwise you can run the 4600s if you're sticking at factory height.

Pros:

  • Leveling-kit ability for certain apps
  • Great off-road capable shock upgrade
  • Durable, long lasting
  • Improved handling on & off-road
  • Heavy Duty, Tow, Haul capable

Cons:

  • Firmer than stock-like shocks
  • Performance Shock, higher price

Shop Bilstein Toyota Tacoma shocks.

EIBACH PRO-TRUCK LIFT SYSTEM STAGE 1 KIT FOR 2005-2015 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD RWD W/2.5" LIFT 6 LUG

Eibach has a balanced approach to comfort and handling. Where some brands like Bilstein lean into handling and that sporty feel, there's sometimes sacrifices to comfort. Eibach's approach balances the handling improvements while maintaining road comfort.

Pros:

  • Height adjustable shocks allow for leveling your truck
  • Monotube design provides consistent fade free performance
  • Perfectly matched springs and shocks in a single package

Cons:

  • Still requires coil spring compressor

Shop Eiback Toyota Tacoma Lift System.

TERAFLEX FALCON SPORT 2.25" TOW/HAUL SPACER LIFT SYSTEM KIT FOR 2005-2023 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD RWD W/0-2.25" LIFT

Teraflex's Falcon shock systems have a 2.25" shock body, which is a step up in oil volume and piston size compared to competing shock options. The digressive piston within these shocks means significant improvement in handling on the roads while loaded or unloaded, along with off-road capabilities that keep the tires planted in hard terrain.

Pros:

  • Reduced Body roll and bottoming out action
  • Leveling Height capability
  • Exceptional build quality, aluminum shock body
  • All-in-one Kit
  • Ride Control adjustment, soft / firm response
  • Serviceable & Rebuildable

Cons:

  • Not budget friendly
  • Not much else

Shop Teraflex Falcon Sport.

TOYOTA TACOMA SHOCK SELECTION - ADVENTURING OFFROAD

Do you need special shocks to hit the dirt? Absolutely not, the factory shocks are fully capable of hitting fire roads, rocky trails, and the wide open desert. Where the factory shocks start to lag behind is when speeds start to pickup, or loads get added to the Tacoma.

We're going deep here, as performance shocks and offroad oriented shocks offer the greatest selection.

Offroad is a very broad term that could mean many different environments.

  • Forest service roads, graded or not, relatively easy, scenic
  • Rocky Jeep trails, through the forests or mountains, lots of chatter, lots of medium obstacles to crawl/climb over.
  • Sand Dunes / beaches, while seemingly smooth, unexpected washboard / whoops exist that can turn very harsh very fast.
  • Desert terrain that sees washouts, washboard roads, heavily trafficked trails. Lots of visibility gives you that 'lets go fast!' feeling - but encountering obstacles or large changes in terrain unexpectedly will ruin a day pretty fast.

Now overlay driver behavior and preferences over those environments, do you want to go fast and have shocks that can perform the task, or do you want to keep it chill and comfortable?

KEEPING IT CHILL / WEEKEND WARRIOR

Eating up the trail chatter, small rocks and bumps, and irregularities on trail makes for a much better experience. Drinks that aren't violently soaking the center console is a win in our book. A good set of shocks can even dampen the chassis noise that penetrates the cab. We noticed this when going from factory shocks to the Fox 2.0 on our own Tacoma.

PRO-TIP - Air down your tires to 20psi to have a significantly more comfortable trail ride for the day, or weekend.

Some of our favorite trail appropriate shocks include the Fox 2.0 and Eibach 2.0, both of which subdue the trail chatter and rocky surfaces, while keeping the Tacoma composed and not flopping around on bigger obstacles. Both of these shocks can also level the vehicle, and handle spirited driving in all offroad environments - all on a reasonable budget.Keep it Simple? A set of Bilstein 5100 are inexpensive, near bulletproof, and can level the front of your vehicle for the inevitable larger tires. They're not the softest shock on the block, but they handle like a pro.

OLD MAN EMU NITROCHARGER SPORT GAS STRUT & SHOCKS SET FOR 2005-2015 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD RWD W/0-2.5" LIFT

Old Man Emu's Nitrocharger and nitrocharger sport shocks are developed in some of the toughest off-road conditions around the outback of Australia. Old Man Emu and ARB have developed a comfortable daily-driver ride, with the ability to eat up washboard roads, rutted trails, and unpredictable terrain.

Pros:

  • Exceptional durability
  • Excellent for adventure vehicles
  • Improved handling and performance

Cons:

  • Not a smooth riding shock
  • Firmer than factory replacements

Shop Old Man Emu.

FOX 2.0 PERFORMANCE SERIES COILOVERS & SHOCKS SET FOR 2005-2023 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD RWD 6 LUG

The Fox 2.0 IFP high performance shocks are for a go-fast attitude offroad, providing significant handling improvement on & off road over typical street-shocks. These shocks excel in aggressive terrain and the dirt, and are a great performance upgrade over factory or Bilstein.

Pros:

  • Coilovers provide Leveling-kit ability
  • Excellent High Performance entry level shock
  • Handles hard hits well
  • Improves handling and traction in all terrains
  • Rebuildable / Serviceable

Cons:

  • Higher price point compared to similar offerings
  • Requires servicing for optimal performance
  • Firmer than factory and other factory-like upgrades

PERFORMANCE FOR THE LONG HAUL / SERIOUS OVERLANDER

Living out of your vehicle? Crushing trails on the weekend? Investing in the best there is for your Tacoma?

The performance shock scene is the best and most advanced it's ever been. The Tacoma platform lends itself to suspension packages at the forefront of damper design. With internal bypass, 2-way and 3-way adjustable shocks, and electronic options, there's a dizzying array of packages for the Tacoma - we've driven most of em.

But lets get into why you may or may not need all those advanced features, and remember, the more you save on suspension - the more miles off work.

PERFORMANCE-LANDING

We unapologetically tout Old Man Emu's BP51 shocks as one of the most versatile overlanding shocks; internal bypass keeps it plush, compression & rebound adjustment keeps it controlled. Make no mistake - your Tacoma can fly to its outer limits on these shocks.

King, Fox, Icon, all get lumped into the same bucket - but they have significant and noticeable differences in ride quality.. If you've heard of custom tuning, that's not in the scope of this guide, the brands did substantial ride tests in the dirt to tune specifically to the Tacoma you're driving.

  • King gets the hype - its warranted! Great customer service, reliable product, their components and hand-built shock program is one of the best in the game. Through the availability of thousands of different components, they're the leader in custom shock packages.
  • Fox has a more balanced approach between comfort and handling, then providing the Dual Speed Compression adjustment feature for those that want more control over the Tacoma's suspension behaviors.
  • Icon is known for using a digressive piston, which has an advantage in the handling department over the other two. The beautiful thing about Icon is that they also manufacture the rest of the suspension components the rest of the industry uses. They've got the full package, which goes a long way for a high performance kit.

Running sway bars in the front and rear of the Tacoma go a long way in producing handling performance, reducing body roll, and handling loads. Some drivers prefer not to run sway bars to improve offroad performance through increased suspension articulation.

Currently one of the best Tacoma suspension options is Suspension Direct, aka SDI, delivering one of the few electronically controlled shock systems, allowing in-cab adjustment. Icon has a similar system, that they also wrap other components around like upper control arms, leaf springs, and external bumpstops for race-level performance.

Being the most advanced in the industry comes with a price to match, around $4900 for the set. From our experience so far with the SDI system, having a mid-travel system that can hang with the long travel guys - while not sacrificing the daily and weekend vehicle needs, is killer.

ICON 0-3.5" SUSPENSION SYSTEM STAGE 1 KIT FOR 2005-2015 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD

Shock Surplus has ran Icon systems on our own Tacomas for over 100,000 miles with flawless experiences. Meant for the sportier and aggressive driver, these shocks get smoother the faster you go. Icon is a great option for heavier vehicles, overlanders, and those that want a sportier on-road ride, while also pushing hard offroad and needs that tight handling when the terrain gets tough.

Pros:

  • Complete systems front to back, numerous stages for increasing needs
  • Sportier / Firmer on-road ride, but not harsh - excellent handling

Cons:

  • Requires servicing for optimum performance
  • Off-road focused, may be too firm for daily-driver only

Shop Icon Suspension System.

OLD MAN EMU BP-51 BYPASS COILOVERS + REAR INTERNAL BYPASS SHOCKS SET FOR 2005-2023 TOYOTA TACOMA W/0-3" LIFT

The rebound and compression adjustment is already class-leading features for OE fitted shocks. Add in the internal bypass ports of these shocks and coilovers, and you can see why these are some of our new favorite shocks. The BP51 achieves the ultimate in both comfort and offroad control through the massive amount of ride control tuning.

Pros:

  • Compression adjustment to handle varying vehicle loads or tough terrain
  • Rebound adjustment to pair against compression for comfort control
  • Internal Bypass addresses comfort in every-day driving conditions

Cons:

  • Compression/Rebound Adjustment is slightly tougher to change than competitors

Shop Old Man Emu Bypass Coilovers.

BILSTEIN 8112 COILOVERS & BYPASS SHOCKS

The newest damper from Bilstein has arrived to challenge the top race companies in the offroad space. These coilovers feature high tech internals such as jounce cutoff and rebound stops within the primary coilovers, giving a huge improvement to all forms of ride control needs on the trail or in the desert.

Pros:

  • Premium german engineering, USA manufacturing
  • 60mm piston with high tech internals
  • Height adjustment up to 3.5"
  • Top of the line offroad ride control for the Tacoma

Cons:

  • Limited rear shock lengths, not a good idea to run with 2.5" rear leaf packs

SDI E-CLIK SHOCKS - 05-23 TOYOTA TACOMA

Until now, there wasn't a "Best Shock" - it always came down to use case for the driver, there was always compromise between comfort, handling, and performance. With SDI's EClik system, the driver has direct and immediate control over damping profiles according to terrain or use-case, delivering onroad comfort, tighter road handling, or high speed offroad performance.

Pros:

  • No compromise between comfort, handling, or performance like other brands.
  • Custom modes to suit driving style or needs, controlled in the cab.
  • On-the-fly automatic damping according to vehicle signals and terrain input.

Cons:

  • Cost is the only drawback here - to have the best, it'll cost you.

FOX 2.5 PERFORMANCE ELITE COILOVERS & SHOCKS

Fox 2.5 Performance Elite features dual speed adjustment to address various terrains and speeds.Turn those settings soft during the week, then adapt them on the weekend for more gear, more speed, or a little of both.

Pros:

  • Adjustability for more gear, more speed, or both.
  • Custom Tuneable; more comfort for the daily drive, or more performance for offroad activities
  • Serviceable for exceptionally long life and investment

Cons:

  • Haven't found any, these are one of the best deals around for the Tacoma

KING 2.5 COILOVERS & SHOCKS

King Shocks are unique not only in their blue color, but also in their valving and response. Known for being both comfortable with good handling, these shocks are meant for high speed offroad performance. The beauty of these shocks are the ability to custom tune to the Tacoma's driving style, which Shock Surplus staff gets into upon ordering.

Pros:

  • Unique valving that delivers good comfort, support, and performance
  • Custom Colors and Tuning available
  • Top Tier of Offroad Performance
  • Serviceable and Rebuildable for long life and investment

Cons:

  • Not every driving style is suited to run Kings
  • Requires servicing and rebuilds to run their best, between 20-40k miles

EIBACH PRO-TRUCK STAGE 2R COILOVER KIT FRONT COILOVERS + REAR RESERVOIR SHOCKS FOR 2005-2015 TOYOTA TACOMA W/0.7-2.7" LIFT

Eibach's Pro Truck shocks have delivered a balanced feel we didn't know existed when compared to other brands. Through our own staff tests these shocks have performed great, not too firm, not too soft, but just right.

Pros:

  • Leveling ability, typically with greater height gain than the competition
  • Comes with a spanner wrench to adjust height while on the vehicle
  • Million Mile Warranty, excellent durability
  • Great comfort without sacrificing handling

Cons:

  • Haven't found any, these are one of the best deals around for the Tacoma

BILSTEIN 6112 LIFT SYSTEM – 05-15 TOYOTA TACOMA 6-LUG

The Bilstein 6112 thicker body and piston is aimed entirely at offroad performance. Meant to take bigger hits and handle more aggressive driving compared to the 5100s.

Pros:

  • 60mm piston gives improved rebound handling compared to the 5100s and other 2in shock options
  • Meant for the more aggressive offroad driver, these are high performance shocks
  • Various heights available for vehicles with different gear loadouts or height requirements

We're not here to tell you what to run, we're here to help you figure out what to run.

With a wide range of budgets, use cases, and future plans for so many different Tacoma drivers, we're distilling all this different information on shock systems so Tacoma owners can understand the real world benefits to their ride.

www.shocksurplus.com provides all of these options based on use-cases and budget