Any complaints about King??

So I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much time I’ve spent reading about and agonizing over suspensions on these forums... almost. But i figure I’m getting ready to drop some serious coin so want to get it right the first time.

Of course everyone has opinions about what is best but the consensus seems to be icon, king, fox or toytec. I have an ‘03 with Toytecs old Ultimate suspension and not overly impressed - very stiff and overly harsh at low speeds. So I’d have to be really convinced the new Boss is a contender.

In all my reading I’ve seen lots of complaints about fox (mostly customer service issues), heaps about icon, and many, including my own, about toytec. However - I’ve yet to see ANYBODY who has thrown down for king have any complaints at all.

Is there anybody reading this that has regrets (other than spending too much!!!) about getting king suspension systems??

 

they are expensive

 

I’m going back and forth between Kings and Fox’s and whether or not I really need resi’s. Good luck OP. Wish I had experience to help but I’m in the same boat.

 

The need for rebuilds turns me away while it’s my daily.

 

Do you want excellent performance in corners and bumps or in whoops and holes? Progressive shocks are for the later and digressive for the former. The remaining parts on high end suspensions generally provide well balanced design for their respective systems, quality and engineering.
Comes back to what performance enhancements you are striving for and how much you want to trade off features vs pure design.
I open myself up to the brand war, but for me I wanted exceptional cornering as #1 so I started with a digressive shock and built my system from there.

 

Talk through it with a retailer. Tell them your driving situations, and rely on their expertise. I bought through Accutune and discussed both King and Fox 2.5's. Ended up going with the Fox's, and not sorry.

 

Thanks Cudgel - your rig looks rad! I see you’re rocking Icon. I thought I was convinced that’s the route I wanted to go but I’ve been seeing things lately that are making me question that decision. Many - including another just today - really complain about the icon ride being harsh and bone jarring in some cases. Also - I heard they stopped rebuilding their shocks?? So maybe not ideal customer service?

This truck is going to be my wife’s daily 5 days a week - maybe 20 miles a day. On the weekends we head to the hills for climbing or mtn biking. We drive a lot of bumpy forest roads and occasionally more gnarled roads. When I’m by myself I explore other places she might not be as comfortable... lol. We live in NV so lots to explore. Also go to the sierra a lot.

The truck will have a camper shell w roof rack and is always full of our fun toys, beer and the dog when we’re out to play - nothing crazy heavy. The only adds I’m looking at is a better front bumper, more lights, better skid plate and maybe a step. I like to drive fast too if that matters?

So - given all that BS, I’m open to input. Money isn’t a factor - god created credit cards for a reason! I want to do it once only. I still have my 03 and plan on keeping this one as long as it lasts too.

 

I installed my King's in November and no complaints. Just like you money was not a factor, I heavily considered buying a TRD Pro but the way the dealership described the truck to me made me hate it. I've taken my truck off road stock multiple times and was super happy with the way it performed but wanted more. I wanted to do it right the first time and my old boss always said "you buy cheap you buy twice" so I went with King's after heavy research. I've only had my setup for about a month now so I don't want to persuade you in any particular direction but so far I'm beyond happy with the way the truck rides. Ive taken my buddies on a kayak trip with 4 people, gear, 2 kayaks and cooler iced down with beer and had to go off road for awhile to launch the kayaks. The truck drove like butter.

 

No ragrets.

Wait.

I should have gone with 14" shocks in the rear instead of 12"s.

That's it.

 

No complaints about ride quality since I haven't installed them, but I am wondering for such an expensive suspension set why did I receive my rears banged up already, and the blue anodizing not the same shades???

 

I run a bastard setup of Icons in the front and custom Kings in the rear. But I have no complaints about either, the Icons are 6 years old and I've had them custom revalved for my truck and converted to extended travel, they're well beyond their warranty but with two rebuild under their belt still ride great. My Kings are the newest piece of my setup but they've taken a beating and continue to impress. I don't see any reason why I'd have trouble with them. But I typically fix my own crap and I know with race car parts come race car service intervals and race car noises. Just be prepared there are lots of upsides but there are downsides too, it won't be all maintenance free like the OE stuff.

 

Look into ADS coilovers. Theyre not mentioned in TW very often for what ever reason....

Or look into the new Bilstein 8112 coilovers.

I don’t think it was mentioned but how much lift are you looking for?

 

Rebuilding is cheaper and easier than replacing. If a king needs rebuilt at 50k that means a non-rebuildable shock needs to be replaced. I’d rather spend a couple hundred bucks to rebuild and get essentially a new set of kings than have to buy all new shocks.

 

I don’t have a specific number in mind actually - it’s going to look sweet regardless. I’ll either AAL the back or do a Dakar medium spring pack (that’s what I put on my 03 and liked it) and then level the front to match. Been reading a lot about tires too and thinking about giving skinnies a go. Plan on putting 255 85 16s on. Pretty sure any amount of lift will accommodate those since they fit stock. I’ve got my SCS wheels coming today!

Also @Dee_Rail - what vendor did you get them from? I’d be kinda pissed and would consider returning them personally. Getting damaged gear is BS.

 

If you are going with a different coil weight, make sure everyone understands and remembers.

I asked for 650s but got 600s, sent them back that took another couple weeks but they also didnt adjust the height for the coils. My CVS and uca's were maxed out but didnt have the time to lower them for a couple months

 

I apologize if this is a bit long, but I wanted to offer some insight as to how I got to my set-up.
I too spent a LOT of time researching before biting the bullet on such an expensive and fundamental mod to my truck... get it wrong and you are reminded EVERY time you drive it... and expensive to remedy.

From your description of your loading/use, your situation sounds similar to mine. I spend most of my time off-road exploring the mountains/deserts of the Pacific Northwest. This means a lot of forest roads of varying condition/maintenance as well as a fair amount of rougher, unmaintained 'trail' type driving.
I also carry the extra weight of a canopy and the Decked drawer system, rock sliders, as well as a bunch of tools, spares, Etc., permanently mounted in the truck. Finally, my truck is also my daily driver so any mod I make has to be dead reliable and has to work (or at least be benign) on the street too.

While the stock off-road suspension was quite good and pretty compliant and was perfectly serviceable on typical day or weekend camping trips. However, when loaded for longer, rougher and/or more remote trips, it did not handle the extra weight well and when pushed I experienced a number of bottoming/fading incidents.

That being said, my goals for my suspension were several. I wanted something to handle the extra weight of the gear I have (including possible later additions like bumpers, winch, armor, etc.). With the extra weight, I also wanted something very controlled yet also compliant, not buck-board stiff like other trucks I've had. And finally, if in the process I also got 1-2" of lift I would certainly make use of it, but this was not my primary purpose.

After researching and with my style of driving & terrain, I decided digressive valving was not appropriate for the slow to moderate speed compliance/control I wanted. This eliminated Icon. While Fox is probably entirely suitable to this application, reports of poor customer service and decreasing quality concerned me. I also looked into ADS, ORI and some of the other brands, which after considering price/performance/availability/serviceability, etc. I also eliminated. In the end it was a combination of features/performance/build quality (these things are seriously stout & well built) that led me to choose Kings

What I finally settled on was Kings, Deaver springs (not AAL), and Camburg ball-joint style UCAs. The UCA's I got from Headstrong Offroad because they are a 'standard' item and Headstrong had the best price.
The Kings & springs I got as a package through Ben at Filthy Motorsports. Not only were they competitive on price, but they treat every order as a custom order and Ben takes the time to speak with you personally about your exact set-up/uses to assess exactly what you do/don't need as far as springs, valving, Etc. They also don't try an up-sell you on extras just because they can. They make sure you have all the information you need, good & bad, and let you make the final decision.

I initially wanted to go extended travel in the rear with new weld-on shock mounts, hydraulic bump stops, etc, etc. and while I'm sure it would have worked great and certainly would have looked cool, I decided it was overkill for my use and went with shocks that fit the stock mounts. This made installation a snap and everything lines up and just works as it should.
The set-up I have gives me roughly 1" more travel over stock (doesn't sound like much but makes a noticeable difference) it also raised the truck 1.5-2" giving me just a bit more clearance. I also run 255/75-17 tires/wheels which I think give optimum balance of clearance/traction/flotation for my area without breaking the bank or killing performance/mileage.
I've had this set-up installed installed since May and it still makes me happy every time I drive my truck; even more so when I drive it off-road.

On road - It is difficult to describe but while my truck now feels more taut/firm because of the higher rate springs, it is not at all harsh and is even more compliant than the stock suspension, with none of the vagueness or wallowing that stock sometimes had. In other words, it seems like you can feel exactly what each tire is doing/hitting but each motion is perfectly controlled without harshness or extra motion.

Off road - Similar to the on road feel it now feels more taut but also more compliant somehow. it is certainly better controlled, particularly when loaded for an extended trip. I've done week+ long offroad trips on both suspensions and the King/Deaver are orders of magnitude better than stock. Even fully loaded I have no more bottoming issues and washboard roads I used to have to take at 10-15 MPH, can now be comfortably taken at 20-30 MPH or more. It is just easier all around. Tires stay planted better offering better traction/control and at the same time I have to worry less about "the little stuff" (small rocks, holes, washboard, etc.) upsetting the truck, allowing me to concentrate on other things... or just the scenery. All of which adds up after a long day(s) off-road. It just makes the whole experience more pleasant and relaxing.

Also, as I plan to keep this truck until the wheels fall off, and considering the initial expense of Kings (or any good aftermarket shock) maintenance/serviceability was also a factor for me. While some people view this as these type of shocks HAVE to be rebuilt, I view this as the shocks CAN be rebuilt and not have to be thrown away and all new ones purchased. All shocks wear out and the 40-50,000 mile service life of Kings are on par with any shock and many have worked just fine for much longer. From what I have seen that 'rebuild' typically consists of a couple seals/o-rings and new oil and can be done with simple tools. Mostly it seems the oil is shot versus something mechanical being worn out. That service life is also about the same as a set of tires so I can easily plan ahead and do the shock servicing at the same time I do the tires as a normal maintenance item.

In short I couldn't be happier with my suspension. I have zero issues or regrets going with Kings. Along with the Deavers, they do exactly what I wanted and then some and with a little care from me, I expect them to last the life of the truck. The most difficult part of my whole experience was waiting for them to be built & delivered after I ordered them.

I highly recommend you talk with Ben at Filthy Motorsports about exactly what you want/need. He is very knowledgeable and is very good about educating you on anything you might not understand, not just selling you something.

That's my fifty cents, take it for what it's worth. If you have other specific questions, feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to answer them if I can.

 

Agree, check out ADS.

 

You are forgetting ADS. Their components are better than some of the ones you mentioned and they are valved differently than the others. Progression compression and digressive rebound. American made too

 

You don’t get near the quality out of fox unless you spend big buck$$$

 

Dang that was detailed and quite informative. I am around your neck of the woods and am in a similar situation you were in.