Difference Between Icon, Bilstein and KIng

Hey Guys,

I have read so much on suspension lifts that my brain is fried. I wanted to know what the difference between Bilstein 5100 Coilovers from toytec was compared to ICON coil-overs or King coilovers, since they all provide 2.5 inches of lift.

Also what is "long travel"

What does it mean ?

Thank You

 

King is primarily a company founded on racing and provides some bolt on OE replacement shocks.

Icon is primarily a company founded on providing bolt on OE style replacement shocks who is now getting into racing.

IMO comparing the two is like comparing an apple to an orange.


Now my biased opinion.... I have yet to see a King bolt on OE replacement shock fail and always heard good things. They are also easier to modify for your uses should you need to. Icon also requires "specialized tools" to work on while King does not. Due to these factors I chose Kings and have been very happy for over 2 years.

I have seen numerous Icon OE replacement shocks fail for numerous reasons from defective materials being used in their shocks - to total shaft separation. Search around for the recent issue that they have had with top hats breaking off.

 

Long travel is what you see on those Baja type race trucks where the front wheels and suspension stick out wider for better cornering and jumping, oh and it will cost you an arm and a leg to go LT. I'm no expert but just know the basics.

 

Oh i see, thank you for the replies.

I was reading here and said Icon and KIng do not hold up well compared to Billies in salt environments ?

I am in Toronto, and we see plenty of salt, and snow as i travel into Northern Ontario.

Will this result in rust and corrosion of king and icons annonized components ?

 

Icon has some sort of coating you could get applied for extra $$$.

I have had Kings in NJ for over 2 years and not one spot of rust on them. I do not know who said they rust out, but if it was Brutalguyracing you need to take him out of the equation. His truck is literally in salt water every day so no matter what he uses they would be shot. He has the only set of Kings I have ever seen anyone complain about.

I have 5100's on the rear of my truck and they are un-coated aluminum bodys. They won't rust but they will corrode for sure.

Any product will corrode/rust in your region. Just remember you can and should clear coat anything you buy for some added protection regardless of what brand.

 

Sway aways have been known to rust occasionally.

Icon, king, fox coil over are close to the same.

Icon tends to seem stiffer due to their valving as they are better run a high speed runs. But all 3 can be custom valves to your needs.

They all 3 can also be rebuilt.

The toytech coilovers can not be rebuilt. They are a one time buy. My dad runs them and they are nice. But if you want a real coil over with all the coilover advantages then get one of the big three.

 

^x2

 

ICON was not founded by ICON (technically speaking)
and their originally designed suspension products were in fact used in competition.

ICON was established because the original owner went to jail.
Before that occurred... ICON was known as Donahoe Racing.
And yes...
Kreg Donahoe did originally build his products for racing purposes.
In fact Kreg Donahoe was competitive in his specific racing class.

Kreg Donahoe is gone... and because of that... ICON exists.


^ besides all that BS... pick a color

 

I honestly love my Kings and they were easy to install and ride way better than stock. But any coilover (King, Icon, Fox) will be worth the investment. Also, I live next to the beach and haven't had any rust at all, but I still spray them down with heavy duty silicone every once and awhile for extra protection.

 

Ive tried both Kings and Sway and I prefer Kings.

 

TONS of coil choices with the Kings.

 

Like mentioned before, pick a color. Especially for OE replacement. Unless you are planning on racing. Long Travel basically means that the wheel travels a longer distance up and down, which allows for more tuning and shock stroke. If you use the stock A-Arm mounts they can run a lot wider than stock. There are other alternatives to that as well but you will learn about that over time.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

I don't think that Ranger is in Kansas anymore.. Holy $h!t

 

Thanks for the history lesson everyone already knows

So when KD was convicted of kid porn all the tech was transferred over, and the new owners kept the same mission statement for the company? They continued to build and focus on race suspension under the new ownership?

Howe about we take our opinions out of this debate and go directly to the source for the facts.


Icon's "about us" as copied from their website:
"ICON Vehicle Dynamics is a performance engineered suspension manufacturer specializing in aftermarket components for trucks, SUV’s, and off road vehicles. The company’s business is customer focused and engineering driven. World-class manufacturing processes and techniques provide our customers a robust, quality product with superior value. ICON engineers and manufactures both performance suspension systems and shock absorbers. This provides the unique opportunity to design, test, and manufacture suspension components that work optimally together in real world, as well as, race conditions.
Reference: http://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/company/about-us/

Kings "about us" as copied from their site:
"King Shocks is a manufacturer and servicer of custom made adjustable and rebuildable automotive shock absorbers and performance racing products for utility vehicles, OEM replacement and professional racing use. Our company prides itself on putting quality, performance and customer service above all else. Every product we sell is the result of constant testing and development done with top racers in competition worldwide. This real world testing exposes our designs to a level of abuse and destructive forces that cannot be duplicated in a laboratory. In addition to our busy field-testing schedule, preliminary designs are quantified using our state of the art, electro-magnetic, shock dyno capable of inducing shaft speeds up to 120 inches per second with a drive position resolution of 1 micron. It can play back racecourse data collected from a number of commonly used onboard, automotive data acquisition systems and uses a non-contacting Infrared style transducer to monitor temperature readings. It’s the closest thing to real world conditions without getting sand in your shoes. Our “hands on” experience enables us to make rapid design advancements others haven’t even dreamed up yet."

Reference: http://www.kingshocks.com/home/about/

I wasn't trying to be an asshole with my first post, just reiterating what the company focus of both brands was as I read it.

King tests suspension in races on race trucks/buggies and everything else while Icon tests on stock trucks in the desert with youtube videos.