The Install and Technical information on Fox 985-26-117

I replaced Icons with these. (These measurements apply to the 985-26-117 and also

$273 985-24-117 Reservoir Shock CD Adjuster

985-24-117)





When you are looking at Fox rear shocks, theses are listed for Tacomas with 2.0 to 2.5 inches of lift. The technical data says they extend to 23.8 inches and compress to 14.7 inches.

My measurements were different. This is probably due to me measuring from different points on the shocks than where the Fox techs measured. I measured from the center of the eyelet mount to the center between the two rubber stem mount bushings. This was 25 inches with the shocks fully extend before installing. The technical specifications say 23.8. This measurement would be to the underside of the lower rubber stem mount bushing. My compressed measurement is 15.9 inches compared to technical specifications of 14.7.

This picture is with the shock mounted and a jack holding the tire off the floor.



This is with the tape measure pressed against the truck mounting bracket, which would be the same as between the two rubber stem mount bushing. It is 24.75 inches--if you were looking at a better angle than I could get the camera. This means the leaf springs are holding the weight of the axel 0.25 inches above the point before the shocks bottom out. The brake lines still had plenty of slack.

This shows the truck on a level garage floor after a ten miles ride over a gravel road.



This is 20.85 inches. The shocks are compressed 4.15 inches from fully extended.

This shows how much more shock stem if left before being fully compressed.



This is 4.95 inches. I measured the gap between the bump stop and the frame to be 4.0 inches. This gives 0.95 inches the bump stop will compress before the shock bottoms out.

If you do the math on my measurements, the shock travel is 4.15+4.95= 9.1 inches, which is exactly what the technical specifications says. I'm just 1.2 inches longer on both the extended and compressed measurements.

Other things you need to know. The eyelet bushing that come installed in the shocks are too long. They send shorter ones. This picture shows both.



You can pull the long bushings out with some pliers. I put a little oil on the new bushings and tapped them in with a rubber hammer.

This shows one eyelet with the long bushing and one with the short bushing.




The finished product.





I installed an Icon 3-leaf AAL two years ago. At the time I removed the overload, but replaced the overload two weeks ago.

 

I'm looking at replacing my 5100s with a pair of these. What size tires are you running and what's the measurement from the ground to the fender?

 

Tires are 255/75/17. Ground to fender is 39.25 inches.

 

Perfect. Thanks dude!

 

Curious as to why the brand switch? Currently debating between the two.

 

I do like my Icons, but with the light rear end on our trucks, the Icon were stiff at low speed on washboard gravel roads. If I kept above 35 or 40 the ride was smooth--unbelievably smooth. When below this speed the rear end sometimes wanted to bounce around. I guess this was due to the digressive valving on the Icons. I kept about 100 pounds of firewood in the back. This helped. I stillhave Icon in the front. You should not hesitate getting Icons just from my experience. So for the Fox rear shocks have been better for me, but that is comparing two years on the Icons and only two days on the Fox shocks. Both are really great shocks. You cannot go wrong with either.

 

Just finished installing my rear shock. The eyelet bushing was a pita. figured it will come correct from the factory. Anyway we cut off some tubes and used a vise to press out/in the bushings.

 

I just finished my install today as well!


Did we just become best friends?

 

Sure wanna hold hands and skip around? Lol

 

I searched here on TW for anyone with Fox rears with resi before I bought mine. I wanted to ask for any opinions. Found only two, and one of them had the shocks with the body mounted down and the rod with stem mounted up.

I would like to mount my reservoir differently, maybe horizontally and centered in the wheel opening

 

Don't know why fox wont do it like how kings mount their resi. Way easier to access if you have dsc adjusters too. But if you got fabricating skills might be able to fabricate some frame mounts. But ill imagine that will void your warranty with fox.

I think the one you saw that is inverted are fox 2.5 rears, these are just fox 2.0

 

I recently added these shocks to my truck. I love them but mine only came with about 5 inches of braided Line off the shock, which wasn't a problem at the time of install, but it gave me limited room to mount the resi to the shock without putting to much stress in the line. Couple days after install I wanted to check and make sure that I still had no issues and noticed that my resi was rubbing against the rear brake line (where the metal clip is right off the drum).so I had to make shift a resi mount. Cost me about 10 bucks from homedepot and I was able to mount the resi on the frame.

 

I mounted mine on a bracket from Toytec. Drilled a hole and bolted it on. Strapped resi to bracket.

 

Am I suppose to press the eyelet bushing in, in order to fit the Tacoma?

 

Did you get the eyelet presses in? If not: take out the metal sleeve, put some light oil on the rubber eyelet, and it presses in with a little force.

 

To answer my own question. Yes, you do need to press the eyelet in with the metal insert, in order for it to fit a Tacoma.

 

How do you like the ride and the performance ??? Im looking to upgrade

 

Performance when moving fast is great. 40 mph or faster over washboard is unbelievably smooth. When under 30 mph on city streets it is stiff. I can hit a speed bump at 40 and not feel much. I can hit a sewer cover at 15 mph and feel it very much. I can't tell that the adjuster changes the ride very much. Over all I like the Fox shocks.

 

link to said toytec bracket?

 

These brackets, i assume....?