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Icon Stage 4 Install Detailed Instructions

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by DrSpaceman, Jan 2, 2012.

  1. Jan 2, 2012 at 7:34 PM
    #1
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    David
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    2011 DC 4x4 TRD Sport Mag Gray
    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats
    Well, I decided to jump into this thing head-first. So over the Christmas holidays I installed the Icon Stage 4 Extended Travel Suspension on my 2011 DC all by myself out in the cold.

    Perhaps this has been covered before, but I thought some of you might be interested to see the complete process from start to finish. So I did an install write-up...see the attached PDF. (Part II for the rear is forthcoming.)

    Here's what she looks like so far...

    IMG_0964.jpg
    IMG_0934.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Jan 2, 2012 at 7:37 PM
    #2
    johnw

    johnw Well-Known Member

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    well you asked for specs..... 06 trd sport speedway blue 5.3l v8 4.0 camburg lift spindles extended travel icons total chaos lowers allpro 4" leaf pack 17" xd hoss rims 37/12.5/17 mickey thompson baja atz Allpro hybrid bumper grill craft grill wicked flow muffler inside i have..... wet okole real tree camo seat cover blue oznium dome light stealth sub box with 2 10" kicker comp subs kicker 400 watt amp weathertech floor mats
    thats an awesome write up
     
    SandyTaco4x4 and Tacomamike mike like this.
  3. Jan 2, 2012 at 7:42 PM
    #3
    jjw1

    jjw1 Well-Known Member

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    sticky?
     
    jtweezy likes this.
  4. Jan 2, 2012 at 7:50 PM
    #4
    himmy33

    himmy33 Well-Known Member

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    Jelly
     
  5. Jan 2, 2012 at 8:04 PM
    #5
    907taco

    907taco Alaskan Assassin

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    ultimate lift kit ( toytec ) ome dakar leaf pack , w/ extended length billies, LR uca's, Pro comp 7089s, KM2's 285 70 17, neoprene seat covers, weather techs, CBI sliders w/kickout, URD ss, cab mount chop, VHT night shade tint>tails,3rd B-light. Debadged. Grillecraft grille, rear diff breather mod. CBI Moab front bumper, warn M8000 winch, HID kragens 7", Hella's micro fogs. retrofit headlights HIDS, LED solutions maps/license! 886 back up light mod,
    Props to you man, so how do you like them so far? I am thinking of getting some icons or kings but not sure which way I want to go.
     
  6. Jan 2, 2012 at 8:08 PM
    #6
    SocalMan22

    SocalMan22 Well-Known Member

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    What Mods!
    Very Nice!!
     
  7. Jan 3, 2012 at 7:39 AM
    #7
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats
    Hey, thanks to everyone for the encouraging words. Sticky on my first post. Well I'm flattered. I'll get Part II posted as soon as I can.

    As for the Icons, I'm pretty happy with them. Unfortunately, I've got to get the alignment sorted out. I took it to a local, well established shop but went through a three-hour ordeal trying to get it aligned. The tech didn't think he needed my explanation as to how to adjust the UCAs. "Our guy's worked on this kind of setup before—no problem."

    So after over an hour he comes out and says he's finished but that he couldn't get the camber in spec and that there was "no way to adjust the UCAs". This is when I whip out the pics I took of the UCA before I installed it and explained to him and the shop manager just exactly how they work. "Oh, I get it now."

    So then another eternity passes and they tell me the alignment is complete but that they had to set caster over 3.0 to get everything straight. Geez! If I had the
    equipment, I'd align it myself. It wasn't a surprise though, as I had anticipated problems. Now it doesn't drive quite as well as it did before the "alignment" and I've got a little bump steer from the excessive caster.

    I'll be in Virginia Beach later this week and plan to take it to a good 4x4 shop that actually knows what they're doing (Eastern Truck & Accessories). I'll get them to verify the alignment and reduce the caster.

    Long story short: Other than the alignment fiasco, I'm really happy with the Icon setup and the new Duratracs. Bring on the snow!
     
  8. Jan 4, 2012 at 9:57 AM
    #8
    docjake

    docjake Well-Known Member

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    Very well written you should see if you can sell those to ICON. I do have some questions though:
    I have seen others that had to cut the coilover bucket to make room for the line on the reservoir, it looks like you didn't have to do that am I correct?
    I have seen options for "extended coilovers" did you get these or could you explain the difference. I had the 2.5's on my last truck but didn't have the reservoirs I plan on getting them this time I am just trying to decide which ones I need.
    Thank you and beautiful truck, makes me want to go down to Houston and look at those bumpers again when I get home.
     
  9. Jan 6, 2012 at 1:31 PM
    #9
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats


    1. Thank you.

    2. You are correct, there was NO CUTTING of the upper coil mount required. It was an exact fit.

    3. The Icon Stage 4 Kit that I bought includes the "5-8735 - Extended Travel Remote Reservoir Coil-over Shocks". So yes, I do have those installed. My understanding is that (don't quote me on this) they are basically the same shock, but that the extended travel version is assembled differently so that it is "allowed" to travel further. In other words, the regular shocks are physically limited (internally) from further travel whereas the extended travel versions are not. Make sense?

    I think that there is probably only 1" more travel on ther extended travel shocks. Somewhere I remember seeing 10.5" (Don't quote me on that either).

    Another note about the "kits" for the different stages: As I found out, they aren't really kits, but just a collection of separate parts, shipped separately. (I found out the hard way when my coilovers arrived a week and a half later than everything else). However, the "kit" was cheaper than buying everything individually.

    4. Shrockworks did an amazing job on the bumper! BUT, the bumper mounts and the Icon reservoir mounts conflict with each other. Arggh! I had to cut the Icon reservoir mount (which sandwiches between the sway bar mount and the frame) to get it to go on. It works for now and is secure, but I intend to come up with a better solution one of these days.

    Stay safe over there. Cheers!
     
    REDdawn6 likes this.
  10. Jan 7, 2012 at 7:40 AM
    #10
    docjake

    docjake Well-Known Member

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    The way the bracket for the reservoir mounts interferes with most aftermarket bumpers. I have seen a number of people that have had to cut the mounting bracket for reservoir just so they could squeeze it in there. I think I am going to fab up a bracket that would stiffen the top of the coil bucket andallow me to mount the reservoir there. I am not sure the reasoning behind the extra "droop" that is allowed behind the extended version of this shock. I have read the it is 7/8ths of an inch but I would think this would cause even more binding in your CV when it is down that far?
     
  11. Jan 7, 2012 at 7:52 AM
    #11
    Shiftytaco

    Shiftytaco Well-Known Member

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    Great write up
     
  12. Jan 9, 2012 at 1:32 PM
    #12
    DTaco55

    DTaco55 Active Member

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    That's a great write up, Thanks!!
     
  13. Jan 9, 2012 at 1:40 PM
    #13
    gtec913

    gtec913 Well-Known Member

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    nice looking suspension..looks beasty
     
  14. Jan 15, 2012 at 10:06 AM
    #14
    stunt man hans

    stunt man hans DISPLACED VIKING LIVING IN WYOMING

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    nice set-up doc those control arms are crazy :eek:
     
  15. Jan 15, 2012 at 10:17 AM
    #15
    hellrazor004

    hellrazor004 Well-Known Member

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    Nice job OP. My alignment shop was stumped on how to do this! They finally got it within reason after 4 hours! (They didn't know they could loosen the nuts so they took the damn bolt out every time they wanted to make adjustments).
     
  16. Jan 17, 2012 at 5:43 AM
    #16
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats
    Here are my answers to a PM I just got in case anyone else had the same questions...


    "OK, well the kit ran me $3200, but total installed cost was higher because I purchased a few quality tools to make the job smoother. I got quotes for anywhere from $800-$1100 for the install labor, so I figured I could just invest that money in tools that I could use again and again.

    As for rubbing, well that depends on tire size of course. If I had left the stock size tires on, then there wouldn't be any issues at all. Icon recommends 285/75/16, but I wanted to continue using 17" wheels (don't ask me why, I just felt like it) so I went with a 285/70/17 which is effectively the same size tire but with a slightly larger rim.

    As expected, the tires did rub. There was absolutely no rubbing in the front since I had already replaced the bumper, but there was rubbing in the back. So I removed the mud flaps and tested it a bit at different steering angles in forward and reverse. (Hint: Dirty wheel wells make it easy to spot rubbing.) The only issue I had was about a 1.5"X3" strip of plastic that I had to cut from the inside of the fender. After removing that, I have no issues at all. This it at the factory set lift of 2" on the coilovers. I suspect that if the lift was slightly higher then there would be no rubbing at all.

    The lift height issue is still open. I am running the factory set height on the coilovers because my spring compressor was not compatible so I couldn't adjust them before installation. Out of the box, I did get a few inches of lift on the front end, but that heavy bumper compresses it down much more than on a stock truck. As soon as I get that damned spanner wrench that I ordered almost two months ago, I gonna set the final ride height that I want!"
     
  17. Jan 17, 2012 at 6:02 AM
    #17
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats
    You're absolutely correct and this is the only part of the write-up where I used a bit of "artistic license", shall we say. Of course, there was no way that I could have gotten a torque wrench up there in the wheel well to do that. You can't properly use a torque wrench with a swivel either. So the truth is, I tightened them until it "felt" like it was around 50 lb•ft, based on experience.

    I noted the factory spec in the write-up because it's not a particularly high torque value and shouldn't harm the bolt or the threads in the shock. However, it is an incorrect instruction and needs to be fixed. It's certainly not a valid checkpoint that can be performed. Thanks for not letting me get away with this!

    I'll make the correction in Rev.2 when I also correct the glaring sequencing error that so far no one has caught. ;)
     
  18. Jan 17, 2012 at 6:44 AM
    #18
    DrSpaceman

    DrSpaceman [OP] Member

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    Icon Stage 4 Suspension, Shrockworks Bull Bar, Slee Rock Sliders, PIAA Driving and Fog Lights, sPOD Electrical Controller, Kenwood DNX-9980HD, Weathertech Mats
    Not a surprise—horror stories abound. I spoke to Icon about this beforehand and they seemed to be under the assumption that any "alignment professional" would be able to deal with the somewhat exotic turnbuckle sleeved Heim joints on the control arms. I really didn't think that this would be a likely scenario. These things look like they came off a damn spaceship! Why wouldn't they be confused?

    So I actually made a video of the adjustment mechanism and operation before the install. I could see the relief wash over the tech's face as he watched it on my phone and discovered how it worked. His pride was left intact and in the end I got a decent alignment.
     
    TheMailman521 likes this.
  19. Jan 17, 2012 at 6:47 AM
    #19
    hellrazor004

    hellrazor004 Well-Known Member

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    It had me stumped for a moment also. Do you mind posting the video you took? It might be helpful to others with this setup.
     
  20. Jan 20, 2012 at 6:51 PM
    #20
    Doomsday

    Doomsday Well-Known Member

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    Lights, Tires, Wheels,...more to come!
    Nicely done!
     

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