Eibach Pro Lift kit rear bad after 40K miles??? (1 Viewer)

[wikdz06]

Hey guys,

I've had my 2004 GX470 for 5 years. At 135K my rear airbags failed so I replaced the entire suspension with the Eibach Lift Kit (part# 369-E80590050122). The truck now has 175K miles on it and the rear end feels unstable at times, like randomly it feels like it swings back and forth like a wind gust hit it. I had Toyota inspect it, they said nothing looks off but assume the shocks are bad. Is this possible? The truck has never been off road, mostly highway driving. I filed a warranty claim with Eibach but still waiting.

Any ideas if it could be anything else? Truck is making no noises, after market wheels and tires (20x9 w/ 275/55/20 at 40 psi).

 

[10sec]

Tires can be a great representation of what the suspension is doing. Cupping on tires is a very reliable way to tell your shocks are not operating correctly. That can cause the car to feel very similar to the way you describe but that would be if just one shock failed. It also could be bushings failing but both of those issues aren't very common.

Tire Cupping: Tire Wear Patterns, Causes & Symptoms | Goodyear Tires

If your tire tread appears worn with scallops or dips, your tires may have a tire wear pattern called “cupping” and could be related to your suspension. Learn causes and ways to prevent it.

www.goodyear.com

 

[wikdz06]

No cupping here’s a pic of both rears.

 

[Banandalorian]

When you say the truck "randomly swings back and forth" do you mean it feels like the body of the truck is swaying side to side on the suspension, or the truck is actually moving relative to the road?
Have you inspected the various suspension arms and balls joints and bushings? If the truck is actually moving around on the road, that will normally trace back to either alignment issues or broken/worn ball joint rather than just a blown shock.

 

[Rednexus]

A 40K lifespan is actually not an unreasonable lifespan for shocks/struts. They rarely function as-new past 60-70K at any vehicle; even if they still feel OK at a higher mileage, you'd immediately notice the difference if you hop in a brand new vehicle or install new shocks. Higher-end shocks like Icons, Kings, etc can have rebuild intervals as short as 10-15K on these rigs.

You can very quickly check if they are actually bad or not. Put your whole weight down on the rear of the rig (such as by standing on the trailer hitch) and hop off. The vehicle should come up, go back down, and then stop moving (basically 1 up/down cycle). If it bounces more than that, your shocks are bad. How this manifests in driving is the back being "bouncy" in vertical motion - like going over a hump/speedbump and having the rig bounce up and down several times. It really isn't a side-to-side motion like you described.

If your shocks aren't bad via the bounce test I'd look for other suspension components as mentioned above. A side-to-side movement from the rear could be a track bar bushing as it locates the axle side-to-side. I had a problem like that on my GX and it was actually the front steering rack bushings - the rack was loose and it made the rear of the GX feel like it was moving side-to-side/wagging since the front wheels were able to wander a bit side-to-side. At 175K I'd be surprised if your steering rack bushings aren't shot.

If your rear shocks are bad they are super-easy to change - if they are past the warranty I'd just throw on a new set or rear shocks.

 

[Banandalorian]

If your shocks aren't bad via the bounce test I'd look for other suspension components as mentioned above. A side-to-side movement from the rear could be a track bar bushing as it locates the axle side-to-side. I had a problem like that on my GX and it was actually the front steering rack bushings - the rack was loose and it made the rear of the GX feel like it was moving side-to-side/wagging since the front wheels were able to wander a bit side-to-side. At 175K I'd be surprised if your steering rack bushings aren't shot.

I agree as I think the steering rack and/or track bar mounts/bushings would be the more likely culprit here if the car is actually moving on the road.

 

[Gxunit201]

Hey guys,

I've had my 2004 GX470 for 5 years. At 135K my rear airbags failed so I replaced the entire suspension with the Eibach Lift Kit (part# 369-E80590050122). The truck now has 175K miles on it and the rear end feels unstable at times, like randomly it feels like it swings back and forth like a wind gust hit it. I had Toyota inspect it, they said nothing looks off but assume the shocks are bad. Is this possible? The truck has never been off road, mostly highway driving. I filed a warranty claim with Eibach but still waiting.

Any ideas if it could be anything else? Truck is making no noises, after market wheels and tires (20x9 w/ 275/55/20 at 40 psi).

View attachment 3468455

Filing a warranty claim seems inappropriate particularly because you have already admitted you have no idea what's actually wrong. Doubt it's the shocks the shocks that are bad as this would not randomly cause a problem

 

[masturv8]

Sounds like a typical 4x4, they handle like bricks. Mine sways pretty good over bumps and with hard braking.

I'd be more concerned with your tires, they are dry rotted and need replaced.

 

[wikdz06]

Thanks for the replies guys, maybe its just a characteristic of the car. Eibach never responded, my claim was sent in based on what the Toyota dealer said. I'm actually selling the truck after 5 years since its a third vehicle and I dont have any use for it.