Softer suspension setup recommendations

How about start by seeing if we agree on what is a "plush" ride or what the OP calls a "comfortable ride"? I've always been good at providing the wrong answer so consider this the first "the bad example" of what is a plush or comfortable ride...

When sitting in the driver or passenger seat, and/or the left or right back seat, the ride is:

• Quiet: the word quiet speaks for itself but typically not of function of suspension, more tire selection and cabin sound proofing.
• Firm: tires stay planted doesn't nose or ass dive when you break or accelerate or lean when navigating curves.
• Smooth: road imperfections don't make force your ass to leave or move around in the seat, or doesn't jarr your teeth or snap you neck.
• Comfortable: no surprise oversteer or understeer on dry roads without driver error (i.e. predictable) and tires stay planted; ride is quiet, firm, and smooth.

 

I have always heard good things about King; even more so than Fox or ICON. I had 5100's on my 2007 Tacoma and now I have ICONs. There is no doubt in my mind that my ICONs provide a better ride but I don't know that I would say it is a night and day difference. Do you really think King is really that much better than Fox or ICON or is your example just a "figure of speech"?

Either way, before I buy anything else, I think I owe it to myself to drive a truck that has Kings

 

You will never get everyone to agree

• Quiet - the shock bushings and uniballs aren't making noise, or you can't hear the bypass tubes clicking.
• Plush - feels like a an old Cadillac with soft springs and even softer shock valving. You can jump this bish over some railroad tracks and you don't feel the bump stops engage.
• Smooth - a shock and spring working as designed in which the wheel stays in contact with the road and you do not feel the bump transmitted into the cabin.
  
• Firm - a shock and spring working as designed in which the wheel stays in contact with the road but you feel the bump transmitted into the cabin.
• Stiff - a shock and spring not working as intended in which the wheel leaves the ground because the spring rate and/or shock damping are not tuned correctly resulting in a harsh ride
• Comfortable: no surprise oversteer or understeer on dry roads without driver error (i.e. predictable) and tires stay planted; ride is quiet, firm, and smooth at the appropriate times.

 

My wife noticed the difference pulling out of our driveway and my sister who had only been in the truck 2 or 3 times said "this rides better" without knowing anything changed. I had 5100's and 5160's and it's a remarkable difference. The 5100's were a huge improvement over the stock Hitachi shocks that came on my truck but the Kings were a giant leap above them. I have couple washboard bumps at the bottom of the hill to my house and stock the truck would kind of bounce and skip across them all. The 5100's were better but there is one big one that the truck still got light feeling on and the back end would skip across it. With the kings you barely notice the small ones and the biggest one the bump is transmitted through the chassis but the tires stay in contact with the road. I think there are a lot of really good options out there and everyone has to figure out what works for them. I jumped on the Kings cause I found a set well below market price and have been very happy that I did.

 

^^^^^^^ This. Hell, anything 20 or under.

 

In a way its probably a good thing that they have to be compressed with a press

 

After settling isn’t it less than 2 inches

 

It was closer to 2.5" and settled to 2" so far.

 

If you can find a low mileage set of Pro takeoffs, those would be worth considering.

 

Look into these

 

I didnt even know there was a 5125

 

The OR stock suspension is really nice to me especially compared to my 99 Prerunner.

 

What is the BST section?

 

Buy-Sell-Trade

 

Here you go:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/3rd-gen-tacoma-parts-marketplace-2016-2023.202/