Are kings/Icon/Fox really worth it?

I have the Nitrochargers all the way around and I like them but they are more of a load carrying shock so they are stiff without weight. I don't ever carry a lot of weight. Maybe 700lbs max and never on a regular basis, never off-road and only when I go on vacation. I've never owned any of the shocks they are talking about on this thread but from what I've read they are MUCH nicer and that's why the price is 5X what the OME's are. You get what you pay for. I went with OME for all the reason's I've stated in previous posts.

My guess is that there is no way you can compare a well tuned (for your application) $500+ shock to a $150 shock. It's apples and oranges and in the distant future I'd like to try out a King, an ICON or one of the other high quality brands so I know what all the talk is about.

 

Well? Maybe I'm worried about nothing then. Maybe the materials they make these high end shocks out of "will" last where we live. I just didn't want to make a $3000 mistake back when I got my OME suspension. I guess that since they are used for high speed off-road racing they have solved the problem with the sandblasting of the shafts since there is obviously a whole lot of sandblasting going on. On the other hand, if they are rebuilding them after every race because of the sandblasting then a daily driver application isn't going to work out very well where we live.

I'd still like to see factory covers/seals for the shafts right from the manufacturer.

 

"If heat isn't a problem, maybe you don't need kings or icons."

Adjustability, a suspension that conforms to whatever surface I'm on and ride quality is what I want. Heat has nothing to do with it. Any off-roading I do is done well under 25 mph and no highway has enough rough pavement to need a shock where cooling is a primary concern. Unless someone has a sports car and wants to run 90mph across Arizona during a 120 degree heat wave like the are having now. My Taco ain't no sports car and 85 or 90 mph is all that it ever sees which is never for a prolonged period of time. Well, I "have" run it at 85 mph for a couple of hours straight a few times. Even then, I don't need to worry about my shocks getting hot.

 

I'm way late to the party but I just wanted to tell you that I love you for this post.

 

I have nothing new to add but this...

 

I have like 4,500 in king shocks. totally worth every penny.

 

Mama says them taco owners are angry cuz they got all them leaf springs but no rocks to crawl over.

Seriously though, are those deavers? They look purty.

 

Yep. Custom pack.
And we got rocks

 

That's Purdy sir

 

OP, I was about to buy some 6112 Bilsteins for my 08’ DCSB 4wd that I love to wheel and crawl and camp in but is my DD/family hauler. I decided against that after doing my diligent research. Instead of paying $1700 for fully built with new hardware top hats and a drivers side top spacer 6112 pair and some TC UCA, I’m goimg to spend $2000 on some King extended travel coilovers + TC UCA. way better use of my money for my purposes.

 

Hey thanks for the input. Looking back and I would say I learned my lesson, don't sell yourself cheap. While I've had the 6112's on for a year and a half, they have worked just fine for my uses. A little more stiff than I would have liked them to be; to get the full 3 inches of lift in the front I put them on the 6th clip which makes it super stiff. I listened to the shop guys who told me if i'm on a budget to go with the Bilsteins, but I wish they would have persuaded me more to go with the Kings, but I think they didn't want to come accross as too pushy.

I'm a bit in a bind. I want to go to 285 tires, but i got 17x9 wheels and the bilsteins in the front are not giving me enough lift to clear them unless I CMC. And I worry that even after a CMC they might be too close.

 

Chicks dig Fox’s

 

KING

 

That’s kind of silly. What I mean by that is that with 285’s on a 17x9 you need to cmc whether or not you have a 2” 3” or 4” lift if you want your wheel to be able to articulate in the wheel well. You’re going to need to CMC regardless so don’t base your lift needs on that IF youre sticking with a 285 tire. If you are that upset about doing a CMC, switch to a narrow 255/80/17 tire and get all of the benefit and tire height but with a lot less headache related to the WIDTH of the tire and following clearance issues.

 

I'm putting Fox's on my Taco and have no plans to go off roading. The way I see it is you only live once and I want to experience these shocks and simply see for myself. I have Fox shocks on one of my quads and regular shocks on the other, difference is night and day.

In Minnesota our roads are crap with all the potholes and frost heaving in the spring, I know all you southern folks think the same thing but your roads are WAY better. I'm going to see for myself if the extra expense is worth it, I'm sure the ride will be better but the question still remains, is it worth it, time will tell.

 

You will be pumped to have Fox’s on your Tacoma.

 

I have nothing to add except that I now have a rager going on.

Probably going for a midlevel fox package from Headstrong, but there is a little whisper in my ear saying "just go kings"

 

Look at the cost difference between Fox & Kings. I’ve found that King is often cheaper than fox with the combo deals including UCA as part of a package. Heck, King extended travel without adjusters is cheaper than the Bilstein 8112. That’s crazy

 

Panty droppers foo sho

 

Two short answers....

Yes and King