Icon Stage 5 + ARB Bullbar Installation Report

Hey there. This is only my 2nd post. Apologize if I make any TW faux-pas.

First off, thanks to everyone who wrote excellent build threads and guided the way. Mine is not so much of a build thread. It's more of a confirmation of what others have done, but I’ll try to contribute a few notes so that others can benefit.

Started out with a stock 2005 TRD Off Road, double cab short bed. Have owned it since 2006. The one owner prior to me had put on 13k miles and added some factory options like the Westin bullbar and slider bars, the tonneau cover, and Toyota roof rack. It now has 130k miles on it, all stock except for maybe the last 1000 miles.

My stock 2005 TRD OR back in 2006. Previous owner had removed the TRD decal (fine by me) and added factory options you see here.


This year I pulled the trigger and invested in the “BIG UPGRADE”, after some research. At first I didn’t even know much about what I wanted or needed. Just “big tires and a lift.” Scoured through TacomaWorld and Expedition Portal and eventually figured out that I mostly do “overland” style driving and that I should get 33” tires with a 2-3” lift. A year later here’s what I selected:

• Icon stage 5 suspension with billet upper control arms (UCAs), minus the add-a-leaf pack. Set at about a 2.5" lift, corrected left to right for the lean.
• Allpro standard leaf pack (comes at 3" lift)
• Timbren rear bump stops with Allpro u-bolt flip kit
• BFG KO2 285/75/16 tires on 16" Desert Rattler Tracker II wheels (4.5" backspace)
• ARB front bullbar
• Warn M8000S winch

I had the suspension installed by a shop. Installed the bumper and winch myself with a friend. Here are some general notes about the installation results.

Front right Icon suspension with billet UCA


Front right Icon suspension with billet UCA


Rear Icon shock, Allpro leaf pack and U-bolt flip kit, and Timbren bump stop


Rear Icon shock and remote reservoir


Side by side: BFG KO2 285/75/16 next to OEM BFG AT Rugged Trail 265/70/16 (my old spare tire)


Here's an in-between shot, after installing the suspension and wheels but before the ARB bumper.


"Glory shot" near Alabama hills


And another at Leavitt Lake in the Sierras




Sitting pretty in the driveway


Overall increase in clearance came out to 4 inches, including 1.5” from the tires and 2.5” lift from the suspension. The front skid plate and exhaust crossover now sit 12” off the ground, vs. 8” when I started. Rear diff is 1.5” higher (obviously just from the tires). Rear sticks up a bit higher when unloaded, but evens out when loaded down for camping.

Tires stick out ever so slightly from the fenders. Personally I think it’s a good look. In practice, the mud flips up all over the sides now. Not a big deal. Lost the factory mudflaps years ago just from trail use.

Here you can see the mud spray pattern. No mud flaps and the tires stick out about an inch from the fender flares.


On the left you can see how much the tire sticks out on 4.5" backspace wheel. I have to say I like the look and proportions although it's a personal preference.


The front 33” tires initially rubbed against the rear firewall and truck frame something fierce, both on compression and turn. I was told the initial alignment was as good as it could be, so went ahead and had the frame chopped and welded. It took care of most of the rub. Went back to a different alignment shop later and showed them the specific instructions about adjusting the billet UCAs. Now I was in “exotic alignment fee” territory ($$$). But it worked, and the wheels were moved about an inch forward while still being within factory alignment specs. Now I enjoy rub-free wheel travel at full compression and turn. Of course maybe I could have done without the frame chop. Oh well.

Here the tire rubs both in front and in the back, but really bad on the back.


Here the front wheel is pushed forward about an inch. The ARB bumper opens up more clearance to the front and the billet UCAs allow the adjustment forward while retaining factory spec alignment.


The full size spare does fit in the factory spare tire spot under the bed. BUT it rubs slightly on the rear diff on compression.

The ARB bullbar and Warn M8000S dropped the front end about an inch on the Icon suspension, as measured under the IFS skid plate.

To install the ARB bullbar with the Icon front suspension, you have to modify the Icon remote reservoir mounting brackets just a bit, widening out the bottom mounting holes where the sway bar mounts and drilling an extra side hole to reach an existing frame bolt hole. This is because they share the same mounting space as the ARB tension brackets. This is not too difficult but took some extra time.

Closeup of Icon mounting bracket overlapping the ARB tension bracket. The bolt in the middle of the picture is for the ARB bumper, but it has to go through the Icon bracket to reach the frame.


In the Icon stage 5 kit, the remote reservoir mounting bracket goes where the sway was mounted. The sway bar is then attached with the supplied relocation bracket. When mounting the ARB tension bracket under the Icon bracket, you have to pull the Icon bracket out a fraction of an inch, so you widen the holes where the sway bar mounted to the frame. You cannot put the ARB bracket on top because the stamped hole protrudes outward. (I hope I explained this ok).


Access to the factory tow points is retained but a bit pinched on both sides. You can still fit a snatch strap to the passenger side recovery hook, but it’s a very tight fit. On the driver side loop, a D-shackle can only be attached with the screw as the eyes are too thick to pass through. In both cases the issue is the ARB splash guard getting in the way.

The Warn M8000S winch comes with a hawse fairlead for the synthetic winch rope. This is instead of a roller fairlead that is used for steel rope. However, the Warn hawse fairlead does not fit in the ARB bumper. As noted elsewhere, you have to obtain an offset hawse fairlead. I obtained one from customsplice.com. You also have to obtain two longer mounting bolts, as the customsplice fairlead is 0.5” thicker. Note that you cannot mount the winch without this, as it attaches the winch to the bumper.

Some notes about driving the new setup. On the highway, handles better than stock. My old shocks were worn out, so that may have something to do with it. But it drives great, even at 75 mph on the interstate. It seems to have better cornering stability than before. I had expected a deterioration rather than an improvement, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Braking seems fine. Not as bad as I expected. Rocks a bit front to back when coming to a full stop, just from the height I suppose. I had the rotors and pads replaced about 5k miles ago, just Midas stuff, nothing special. Wish I’d upgraded then.

The KO2 tire noise is interesting. It’s not loud, but when braking or accelerating around the neighborhood you can actually hear the tires “squish” into the asphalt a bit. Tires are pressed up to 40 psig for highway use.

Off highway I’ve only taken two trips. First was a short test drive on desert trails where I could get up some speed. This is where the Icon suspension kicks butt. Like what others have said, it feels like the faster you go, the smoother the ride. It’s a bit addictive.

Second trip was about 40 miles of snowy forest/mountain trails, running slow at about 5-20 mph. The KO2’s are just amazing. Lowered pressure down to 20 psig. Never lost grip in about 3-6” fresh powder. Took some gnarly ruts sideways where I was worried about riding the sidewalls, but everything came out fine.

Overall impression in one word: CAPABLE. 4” of extra clearance makes a big difference (50% increase!). And I love it. Next up: lights? I want some cool lights… But for now I’m happy to have a good foundation.

 

Nice ride, glad to see someone doing their research before hand. Nice write up.

 

Nice ride and nice write up. Also you should consider 255/85/16 for next tires there about same height and won't rub.

 

Are you running 650lbs or 700lbs front springs on your Icons?

 

Hi Topgun,
That was one of the hardest decisions for me, since there are so many positive reviews on the KM2 255/85/16. I may still end up putting those on my stock wheels as summer tires. I decided to go with KO2s based on the fact that I often have to go over snowy or icy mountain passes to get to the desert.

 

Hi Woods247,
I think it's the 650 pounds/inch springs. I just got the standard spring rate and did not ask for the heavy duty springs. But there's nothing in the documentation I have that specifically says 650 pounds/inch.

 

Mascot, I was a huge fan of the km2's as well however I recently saw a friend with the same size in a toyo mud terrain and it looks great and performs even better. You should also look into those when the time comes. Good luck

 

650 is likely correct if you didn't request 700. Thanks! FWIW I ran 255 KM2 until the first snow then I dumped them for Cooper ST MAXX. My KM2s were terrible on slick roads but it's to be expected since there's no siping. The ST MAXX is a nice option now.

 

@mascott It looks as though you may benefit from replacing your radiator support bushings.
In your picture its obvious yours are toast, and if you plan to off road, its a must. Cheap and easy mod.

Check out this thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/polyurethane-radiator-support-mounts-cab-also.361346/

You can order the bushings off Amazon:

$28 Energy Suspension- 9.4101G UNIVERSAL MOUNT

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CN9BZ0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

Love your front setup, currently finishing my rear and will be re doing my fronts, and I keep leaning towards Icon!

 

Hey thanks!!! Saw that but didn't know what to do about it or even what it's called. Appreciate the pointer a lot.

EDIT 1/9/16: Just ordered!
EDIT 1/18/16: Installed - https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-mounts-cab-also.361346/page-28#post-11605759

 

Did you have the bed loaded down with any weight (other than the tonneau cover) in that picture? A guy close to me has a gently used set of Allpro Standard Leaf Pack for sale. I was worried they would provide too much lift to go with a front 2.5" lift but based on that picture, if the box wasn't loaded with weight, I would say it's just right.

 

Yes the bed is loaded down some with camping gear, but not fully loaded. When unloaded it sits slightly higher in the back. I expect the rear springs will settle down a bit more over time.

 

First off, nice truck. I have a similar set up and am interested in the "1" exotic alignment " info if you could educate me on it, any negative impact from doing this? Thanks in advance

 

Here's what it looks like completely unloaded, about 1/4 fuel tank.

 

"Exotic" was just their excuse to charge me more $$$?

But it took me 3 shops to get one that understood what I wanted. The first told me they'd done all they could do. The second told me you can't push an axle forward at all and was fairly rude about it. Don't know that he understood a Tacoma has an IFS instead of a solid axle. With the third, I took a copy of the Icon installation document and highlighted the alignment instructions. Added little arrows on the drawings to point out the additional adjustment screws on the billet UCAs.

Still they quoted me for a regular alignment. About 30 min later they called me back when the tech got a good look at what I was asking for. They thought it would take about 4 hours and could not honor the original quote. That's when they used the term "exotic".

After about 2.5 hours it was done. Talked to the tech over the phone and he seemed pretty understanding. He was willing to let me drive it around and come back for additional adjusting for a whole year. But so far I think he nailed it. It was pricey but it worked.

As far as I know, there is no negative impact, since it's all still within factory spec. I can post a copy of the alignment numbers if you want.

 

Thanks for the info, the reason I was asking is I'm sick of rubbing & dont want to cut anymore fender/wheel well, this desert limo needs all the clearance I can get so smaller tires will not work either. I have the frame mod & an inch forward would be cool. If you don't mind posting the numbers I would appreciate it.

 

Here you go. The caster is what gives you the clearance to the rear. And you can see how much it changed. Looking at it closer, I'm wondering why it was so out of spec from the first alignment. Maybe someone else out there has better insight.

Also here's the billet UCA installation sheet with alignment note talking about increased caster: http://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/I58550_REVA.pdf

 

Thank you