Boss 2.5 vs Icon Stage 3

First off, before anyone says anything, I have done countless hours of research into these two lift kits both on TW threads and other inter-web outlets and I still find myself with some questions which is the only reason why I am posting this. Hopefully this thread will help other newbie enthusiasts in the future as well.

Please correct me on any mis-conceptions I have about these two different kits as I am still learning about these products. Here is the comparison of what I would plan on getting as long as questions I have on certain components.

FRONT COILOVERS:
ICON - Digressive 2.5" extended travel
BOSS - Progressive 2.5" performance
(QUESTION - they seem to be the same coilover for the most part except one is digressive and one is progressive obviously. Icon claims extended travel and Boss just simply states "performance". Does one actually provide more travel than the other?)

REAR SHOCKS:
ICON - Digressive 2.0 w/ remote resi
BOSS - Progressive 2.5
(QUESTION - would the 2.5 BOSS supplement an ICON 2.0 w/ rear resi or would the rear resi still provide more damping over the BOSS?)

REAR LIFT:
ICON - Comes with a Progressive AAL
BOSS - Option to do an AAL or upgrade to their Progressive AAL
(QUESTION - I'm assuming the progressive replaces the current OEM leaf pack where as the basic AAL just adds onto the current OEM pack so my concern is that I do not want to sacrifice load capacity especially since I run a RTT and other items in the truck bed so which would be the better option as far as load capacity and ride quality?)

UCA:
ICON - Tubular Uniball w/ cover cap
BOSS - Option to upgrade.
(QUESTION - For the BOSS I originally wanted to do the Camburg ball-joint w/ cover cap because it resembled the Icon UCAs but have read a lot of issues with alignment numbers. I also like the TC Uniballs but am worried about all the issues and maintenance that come along with them especially since I live near the coast. Thoughts?)

MISC COMPONENTS:
ICON - Their website doesn't state that the kit comes with a lot of the little things that the Boss kit contains so I am wondering if they just expect the consumer to assume those things are included in the kit or if you have to purchase them separate? (Sway bar relocation brackets, front diff drop kit, rear axle shims, longer U-bolts, etc)
BOSS - Includes all of the above in the kit.

That's all I can think of right now. It's late, I've had a couple, and I have been staring at this screen for far too long. Any and all input on these two different kits and answers to my newbie questions would be greatly appreciated. As well as pics of course if you have them Looking forward to learning more about this topic and eventually pulling the trigger on one of them!

 

Anyone?

 

Icon

 

Look into actual shock length to see which provides more travel. IIRC the Icon extended travel is like just an extra inch over regular. Nothing major.

Reservoirs don't provide more dampening. They provide more fluid to prevent overheating when used extensively (think desert runs).

Progressive does not replace the whole leaf pack. You remove the overload leaf and it adds a progressive leaf...think of 3 mini leafs in one. A regular AAL is literally just an extra leaf. The ride quality is better with progressive and holds up weight pretty well. However if you will have static weight in the rear from your rack and RTT an AAL or even an entirely new leaf pack such as dakars will serve you better.

My Icon kit came with all the hardware and misc. components needed to install. Front diff drop kit is not needed or required.

I did a lot of research like you too, looked up Fox, Bilstein 6112, Boss, King and ultimately went with just an Icon Stage 1 because I have no need for remote reservoirs and wanted digressive valving since most of my time is spent on road. Sorry can't answer your UCA question since I don't have them yet but currently with my lift set to 2.25" I have no issues with my castor. Hope that helped.

 

Extra inch of droop.

Toytec 2.5s are made by radflo, not sure if thats a plus or minus.

 

Also,

I'd ask yourself "What do I want to do?" Are you doing slow, technical trails or are you doing bouncy high speed desert runs? Do you want a firmer, sportier ride or a softer, cushier ride?

Basically progressive shocks will do the former and digressive will do the later.

 

I went with the Boss 2.5 no complaints no regret yet. I ended up not installing the diff drop or sway bar relocation brackets. It's pretty firm while driving on road but flying down a dirt farm road it's smooth as butter.