Looking for aftermarket suspension with OEM longevity

Im sorry I was reading OEM not OME lol. OME and Dobbies are about the same price. Now if you get a quote from mike for leafs and compare that OMEs block lift then yeah theres a big difference, but Dobbies sells a block lift too.

 

Hey @ardrummer292 , @Crikeymike is your man.

 

Yeah, there are a lot of potential complications that come from lifting. Since this truck is my daily driver and only vehicle, I decided that it would be best to proactively swap out problem parts instead of reactively making repairs. I factored in the price of an ECGS bushing, adjustable UCAs, new CV axle boots, carrier bearing drop, axle shims, sway bar relocate kit, alignment, and labor when pricing out my lift. Overkill? Probably, but the alternative is worse. I'd rather not call my boss and tell him I can't come to work because my truck is broken down due to an entirely superfluous modification.

If those can go without maintenance or replacement longer than OME nitrochargers, then I'm interested. If not, I'll have to pass.

 

Honestly, money is no object. I'm a big believer in buy once, cry once. I'll save up for years in order to get the low maintenance suspension setup I'm looking for.

I have been doing quite a bit of searching on Aussie sites myself, with similar results. If you come across any long-term Dobinsons reviews, let me know! If I find anything, I'll do the same.

I was doing an apples-to-apples comparison. I think the coilover assembly fee and $200 "heavy spring surcharge" are mostly responsible for the $400 price difference.

 

I didn't pay for the assembly. The shop I got them installed charged the same wether they came assembled or not so I saved a bit on that. I didn't get a heavy spring surcharge. Did you try emailing mike?

 

I've been in touch with Miguel at Dobinsons Direct, who replied with his recommended setup a short while ago. I'm now picking his brain about the specifics of his recommended spring choice (C59-302) and the pros and cons of his recommended shocks (extended travel GS59-220). I'm also worried that the leaf pack he recommended (light/medium duty L59-110-R) will leave me "nose-up" with a loaded bed, since Dobinsons says double cab long bed trucks get 1" less rear end lift than short bed trucks for the same leaf spring.

I'm ordering everything assembled in order to make the installation process easier on the poor guy I roped into installing it. I would guess that the heavy spring surcharge only applies when assembling the C59-352 and C59-354 heavy duty coils onto shocks.

 

The heavy spring surcharge is for the rear leaf springs. All front coils cost the same and the same labor to assemble them.

 

Let me know if you need a hand with your parts selection. I've been helping a bunch of guys on here and was only just pointed out to this thread today.

 

Oh yeah buy once, cry once...don't have any experience rebuilding but the parts seem available and there's tons of information between here and YouTube. It seems inevitable for the path I'm slowly crawling towards!

 

Will do, thanks!

 

So I'm a little confused. I've been looking for front shocks that run a minimal risk of topping- or bottoming-out during normal highway use, since I imagine that can't be good for the longevity of the shock. This led me to check out the travel specs on a few common models.

Dobinsons GS59-221 standard: 4.4 in travel
Dobinsons GS59-220 extended travel: approx. 5 in travel
OME 90000 or 90021 Nitrocharger: 5.12 in travel
Bilstein 5100: 5.53 in travel

The OME "OSBGC" (Over Speed Bump Goes Clunk) phenomenon is a well documented issue. It's reported to occur when the shock tops out, and it's something I'm really trying to avoid.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...nswers-pictures.258245/page-598#post-18459379

Why is it that OME shocks display this issue? Is it something to do with the coil that is paired with them? Does coil preload play a part? Or are OME shocks just noisier than most when they hit their down-travel limit?

From what I understand, the shock travel distance to wheel travel distance is doubled due to the IFS 2:1 ratio. If the ~10.25 inches of wheel travel (5.12 in x 2) provided by OME coils isn't enough, what will it take to avoid topping- or bottoming-out my shocks when hitting a pothole on the highway?

@crashnburn80 or @EatSleepTacos, do you guys have any insight?

 

I'd say it's the coils that are paired with them. Too much lift on a strut will cause it to risk topping out extremely easily. The topping out of any strut would make a weird noise, been a while since I heard it though.

Also if someone was running a 3" lift with the stock UCA, it could be hitting the coil at full extension causing the "clunk" that people might be describing.

 

Excessive lift makes sense. There isn't really "down-travel" or "up-travel," as far as I understand. There's just travel. Excessive lifts (from high spring rates or long springs) means your shocks are extended further at rest, leaving less distance to extend before the shock runs out of travel. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

I thought it might be the UCA or maybe the sway bar making that noise. That said, it’s a widely-reported issue with OME users, so the variance in their setups makes me look at the one known common factor (OME shocks).

 

To be fair I’ve heard the exact. same. thing. about the Bilstein warranty..

And I still bought the 6112/5160 for all the reasons listed here. Hoping for 60k miles!

 

Curious what you ended up with?? I am in the same boat as well. Though I am leaning more towards the Bilstein 5100's or 6112's if my budget allows.

The reason I am avoiding OME is due to many reviews of very rapid and heavy corrosion in salty environments, in Iowa we see plenty of salt and brine on the roads in the winter. I don't know if the Dobinsons would have the same issue, but it looks like a similar strut to the OME shocks/struts as far as paint and finish.

 

After pulling my hair out for a few weeks, I pulled the trigger on a full Dobinsons setup. It's still sitting in my living room while I try to find the time to get it installed. My setup consists of:

C59-350 coils (short 730 lb springs for my upcoming ARB bumper)
GS59-220 extended front shocks
One PS59-4030 1/4" spacer to correct taco lean
L59-111-R leaf packs, heavy duty because DCLB trucks lose an inch of rear end lift when compared to DCSB

$315 Dobinsons Pair of Rear Shocks Compatible with Toyota Tacoma 4x4 2005-2018 - GS59-940

GS59-940 rear shocks
SP59-001 greasable bolts x2 pairs, to mitigate/correct squeaking in the future

Extra, non-Dobinsons stuff:
SPC UCAs
ECGS bushing
Off Road Solutions ORS-HB201 high angle CV inner boot
SBR-129 sway bar relocate kit
OME carrier bearing drop kit
Headstrong Offroad 2 degree axle shim kit

I'm looking at 2.75" front/2" rear lift with the ARB installed.

@Crikeymike is your guy if you have questions about surface finish and anticorrosive properties. From what I've been told, OME and Dobinsons are similar only in appearance, not performance or longevity. I'm hoping that holds true.

 

I’m excited to hear about how it turns out. I wonder if the lift height on OME Dakar leaf pack on my DCLB will be a little less than what they advertised. I know it’s advertised as 2.75” if it was closer to 2” I’d happy with that.

 

Man, finding a leaf pack that didn't lift more than 2" was a struggle. I was trying to avoid exceeding the factory 1.75" rake, which turned out to be a tall order since most leaf packs reportedly provide right around 3" of lift. That's when Dobinsons originally caught my eye.

 

Dobinsons FTMFW. Always & Forever <3

 

Got any experience with their stuff? Talk to me Goose.