Suspension Favorites (shocks)

Was curious - do you have specific favorites when it comes to the shocks/coilovers you use?

Some people will run only Bilsteins - others are Fox fans and yet more are Kings only types.

Does it matter to you?

Which/why?

(Just conversation)

 

Kings were the only ones to perform how i like. on 3.0s

 

I think it was more so what was in stock and ready to ship over the last two years. The same shocks and a slightly different spring rate took 14+ months for some people to get; my brother was one of those people. These took about a week or less.

Overall, I'm happy with my decision and it's better than my old worn out OME setup.

 

I'll just put this here: https://accutuneoffroad.com/fox-vs-king-oem-coilovers/

Tons of options out there with tons reasons to go with one over another.

 

I think the biggest question is what kind of driving conditions will you be using your suspension for?. and then understanding progressive vs. digressive suspension and choosing one for your driving style.

 

Thank you for that - very informative. Have me drooling over the Level4A now...

 

If you're looking to win races and take home trophies, either shock will get you there. I chose Kings over Fox. I literally could have flipped a coin but the blue anodizing looks good under inferno. They also fit my off road driving style which is fast, fast and faster and they're buttery smooth on road as well.

 

you know what would match that orange and #41 plate a lot better?

 

Good looking truck.

Basically I'll use the Taco as a DD with occasional forays into high speed fire lanes, MI off road trails, mud and the like here in WI/MI. Not much for high speed whooped out desert type of terrain. Although there are a couple of places I know where driveways cross the trail and a guy could probably get some good air off that...

25 years ago - I was involved a bit in short course racing but that was buggies mostly and 25 years is forever and a day when it comes to advancements.

 

Yeah my man crush runs Fox on his trophy truck. He gives me shit and I give him shit all the time lol

 

you should challenge him to a race. Have you ran Fox shocks on your Tacoma before?

 

Dig how you rigged up that number plate too. Easy to do? Kit or custom fab?

 

I have not

 

Thanks! I did those myself. Custom fab

 

If we are talking top of line shocks, as in rebuildable and tunable, I really don't think it matters. Pick you favorite color. The differences are minor and the ride quality is mostly determined by the tune/valving you get. And you should really be getting a custom tune if you are looking at shocks like that, especially when places like Accutune will them tune for free.

As a Canadian, my choice was mainly dictated by what was available and able to be serviced in Canada. That leaves Elka as the only option really, not that I'm mad about it. I had Bilstein and Fox before the Elka's. Both blew (cold winters and shock seals aren't a good mix) and there is no authorized service facility for either in Canada. I had no complaints about the ride quality with the Bilstein or Fox tho, well, up until all the oil leaked out anyway lol.

IMO, the valving in each shock is what makes all the difference. Other than that they are all fundamentally the same, it's just a metal tube with oil in it that has a metal piston pushing through. There's a bit more too it once you start talking about monotube vs internal bypass vs remote reservoir, etc. But if comparing apples to apples I would say the brand matters much less than the valving, which can be customized.

 

Sure, yes, kinda. Have you read through the article I posted earlier? Here we are comparing a King apple to a Fox apple https://accutuneoffroad.com/fox-vs-king-oem-coilovers/

There is much more internally that differentiate these shocks. Unfortunately thats all hidden and most wouldn't know any better. Thats where we come in to try and help explain! Valving, yes is a big part of making a shock ride well is the valving. However, you would not put the same valving from one shock into another and expect the same results. There is much more to it. Ride quality from a shock comes from a few things in addition to the valving. Oil volume, piston design, compression adjusters will all play a factor in how that oil flows inside the shock. Quality of parts will also be a big factor. It is NOT just a matter of which color you want, but if thats all that matters to you, then great, easy decision

 

I did read your awesome article yes. And sorry, I didn't mean to suggest there are no other differences... Just that a lot of those things will have a pretty minor effect on the ride quality once they are tuned properly. Like your article mentions, even though some shocks may come with digressive valving instead of linear you change that with the custom valving you do. So even that won't really matter after tuning.

What I meant was if you compared how a tuned King shock rides compared to a tuned Fox shock, both set to similar compression setting if adjustable, I think most people would be hard pressed to really tell a difference. And any difference you immediately notice between off-the-shelf shocks will likely be due to the difference in how it's valved. Again, this is assuming you are comparing like for like and not a remote resi to a monotube or something.

But yes, of course you are right. There are definitely other factors that can affect the ride quality. And once you get a properly tuned setup on the truck you will likely notice those things more. I know I did anyway.

 

True, and for some King shocks we actually have to replace the piston entirely since it comes with a digressive piston. Common example of that would be Tundra King shocks.

 

I always liked going with the less popular brands.
I'm running dobinsons 3 way adjustable mras in the front and couldnt be happier.

 

Anyone ever went from Bilstein 5100s to TRD Pro Fox Shocks or other way around? What are the differences in on road and off road feel?