Dobinson IMS vs Bilstein 6112

Dobinsons offers black springs as well. I kinda like the teal myself though…but I understand the OCD on certain things.

 

I don’t see the point of dropping money on Fox that is not adjustable and resi.

if you do 6112
1. It can be taken out and sold later
2. It can be kept as a spare to keep the truck driving to swap in if you ever get Fox for when it’s due for mail out rebuild

 

I agree with the money point about Fox…to be fair, I found these brand new for $1000 so thought I would try them. Now after reading a bunch of reviews, it kind of sounds like they suck, regardless of price. I’m trying to do this on a bit of a budget, so thinking Dobs or 6112’s might be better than this discount Fox’s

 

is 6112 the best? Maybe not. They might have a couple competitors.
But they are likely the cheapest for a decently reviewed kit that has a rear with reservoirs to match and has the credibility of having been used on TRD pro in the past.

front 6112 can be had for as low as $750.

 

I ran the 6112’s before I upgraded to 8112s and 8100s in the rear (unbelievably good setup). My 6112s lasted me over 100k miles. IMO bilstein makes some of the most reliable shocks on the market. The 60mm piston is more than enough for the average person, you won’t be able to get them to fade on a Tacoma. The digressive valving lends to great on road handling. Very little body roll and brake dive. They are awesome at highway speed. That same digressive valving means they are stiffer and have less small bump compliance at low speeds. At crawling speeds however this isn’t really an issue. It’s more the 15- 30 mph range. They really work well above 40 mph, and feel great going faster on mild dirt roads. Keep in mind they were originally specifically designed for the 2nd gen pro with has more of a desert running emphasis so they are perfect in the dessert.

To get 2.5 shocks in king and fox or other competitors they will be more $$$ hands down. These easily outperform the fox 2.0 and similar budget setups off-road. Also consider other setups like fox and king will need to be rebuilt every 40,000 miles. IMO these are some of the best performing shocks you can get at the price point, while still being very reliable. Highly recommend for budget oriented buyers.

 

I don't want to derail this thread, but how would you compare the ride of the 8112/8100 setup versus the 6112 setup you had before? Softer, firmer, etc? How do they perform at the 15-30mph range on dirt roads? How about 40mph+? Thanks

 

Different league for sure. They are softer and more compliant than the 6112’s but there’s more noticeable body roll on the road. On the highway at higher speeds they are incredible. They feel absolutely serene like I’m riding on a cloud. I went from dreading long highway trips with my worn out 6112/5160 setup to enjoying them with the 8112s/8100s. I was kind of amazed how much fatigue they eliminated on long trips. Off-road for low speed crawling they are awesome. Eliminated a lot of slop and the triple bypass rear shocks really stabilize the rear end over rough rocky slow speed trails. The whole truck feels much more composed on slow speed arduous crawling sections, less side to side sway and more controlled rebound. 15-30 mpg dirt roads feel similar in the front to the 6112’s but the rear end is much quieter. 40+ mph is where they come into there own. You can comfortably drive down dessert washboard roads at 60+ mph all day. The fronts have internal bump stops built in so you don’t need to run external hydraulic bump stops. The rear shocks have rebound and compression adjustment knobs that really help you dial in your setup for for different conditions and heavier loads. I’m running them with an icon rxt leaf pack stage 2. The fronts are running a 650 pound spring to handle the weight of my bumper amor and winch. They would probably ride a little stiffer if you aren’t running a bumper/winch and full armor. Considering jumping up to a 700 pound spring as the 650 is a little soft.

Another reason I went with them is because the rebuild interval should be longer than fox or king. According to a bilstein they should last 100,000 miles before needing a rebuild if you’d spend 90% of those miles on road. I have not verified this yet, only 10k on mine. So a good setup for a long distance highway road tripper/overlander setup.

Cons: They are expensive and it took me over a year to get mine as I ordered them right before they did a redesign of the coatings and materials for better resistance to road salt. It may be harder to find a shop to rebuild the front 8112s than other brands.I need to check with my vendor wheel everywhere weekend and ask what shop’s they recommend.