Fox Level 2 kit with or without OME Dakar Pack

UPDATE! I went with the Fox Levl 2 kit with OME DAKARs, and it's been awesome for the last two years!

There's a thousand suspension threads here, I've probably read 200 of them. Based on them and some talking with Marie at Headstrong, I've decided I'm getting the Fox Level 2 kit for my truck, but am torn between these two kits:

1. Fox Level 2 Kit - FOXLV2-STCO/RR/DAL ($1614.99)
   • http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p199/FOX_Level_2_Kit -_05__Tacoma.html
   • Standard Length/Rear Reservoir Shock/Deaver Single AAL/No UCAs
2. Fox Level 2 Kit w/ OME DAKAR - FOXLV2-STCO/EXTRR/OME ($2064.99)
   • http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p193/FOX_Level_2_Kit_w/_OME_Dakar_Leaf_Packs_-_05__Tacoma.html
   • Standard Length/Rear Reservoir Shock/No UCAs

My use case is 70% for commute, 29% for long road trips with my family, and 1% offroad. We pack heavy for the 29%, and some of the 70% involves hauling equipment in the back of the truck between work sites or my home office. For the 30% part, we will initially have a camper top, and later use a custom slide-in camper. I'm planning on using a bumpstop on the rear, likely this one:

$280 SSR-610-40 | SumoSprings Rear for Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Titan

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4GD38M. I already ordered a IFS skid, streamline winch bumper, and sliders from SOS concepts too, adding a bit more weight.

My wife commutes with me daily and hates our current truck's suspension. I'd like her to be content with the ride on-road, just for the sake of keeping her happy. The Dakar kit is known for being really rough on-road, which is my main uncertainty here. I'm not planning on driving fast offroad or doing anything crazy, just basic trails, so extreme off-road performance isn't needed here. I'd like to not drag my ass end through the mud though, so it's a trade-off.


I'm also considering the fact that the Level 2 kit may be overkill. If that's the consensus here, I might drop down to a Level 1 with a Deaver AAL. But, I have wanted a Tacoma since I was a kid. I can finally afford one, and want to get everything perfect on this truck the first time. It's the first car I've ever bought new, and I plan on keeping it until my son can drive it as his first truck in 12 years. An extra $1k to do it right it worth it to me.


What do you think? Option 1? Option 2? Should I be thinking about other kits? Anything else I should look at to maximize performance? Thanks.

 

If you plan on loading up with weight a lot of the time like you said i would go with the dakar pack.

 

Bump, looking for more opinions. I saw a bunch voted, thanks for voting even if you don't post.

Marie from Headstrong said in an email "If the overall rear height is too much for you or the ride seems too stiff you can remove the 3rd leaf. Doing so will decrease the spring rate by 15% and the overall height by 15mm. You can also remove the long overload and that will decrease the lift height by ½” but not affect the spring rate. " -- this and the voting is leading me towards the Dakar pack.

 

If you bumped down to a level 1 might as well go with the Bilstien Kit and do the 6100s in the front and the 5100s in the rear. I'm in the same debacle right now. I know the Bilstien 5100 kit will do 90% of what I want to do, but drawn to the Fox kit or the Icon just because its 100% fully adjustable in the front so I can really fine tune everything.

The Dakars ride a little rough, I had them on my last Tacoma, but if you always have weight in the bed then it should be fine. I usually drive around with 150-200 pounds in the bed, and little over 300 in the winter. With that it was just enough to smooth the ride out. With a 3rd gen you probably dont have that many miles on it so an Add-A-Leaf makes sense, but depending on which one you go with it can negatively affect the ride. And if you take the factory over load out you'll loose weight capacity. For the price of the super springs or Timbren bumps and the add a leaf you can pay for the dakars and have a leaf pack designed to handle the weight.
I like the idea of doing it once and done (last truck went through 3 suspension set ups). Fox kit might be overkill but least its overkill and you dont worry about it. So you know the Fox shock bodies do like rusting up, especially if you live in the North East area with the road salt.

Dakar's are really a solid leaf pack for the money, if the truck does ride rough you can take out the 3rd leaf I want to say and it will soften the ride up a bit, but will lower the ride height down. So you can tune the leaf pack a little bit. Marie from Headstrong can walk you through that actually.

 

This

One or the reasons I'm adding dakars is for the extra weight

 

I liked the icon stage 4 but didnt want to wait a month for the kit to come in. I use my truck for work so there is always 300-400 pounds in the back . I just went with the king suspension with the TC UCA i hope it dont regret not juat sticking to the icons

 

I'm pondering doing a stage 2 icon with the dakars in the rear. RogueTRD (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...squatch-build-adventure-thread.324701/page-31) runs the icon remote reservoir up front and the remote shocks in the rear with the dakars and seems to have good luck with it.

 

I wanted the the piggy back , do i need it no , do i know what its for no, does it looks cool as fuck yes so i paid extra for them.... tbe speed bumps at the mall are killer

 

that cool factor seems to win haha

basically the piggy back and reservoir shocks hold more oil so that the shock doesn't overheat and keeps the ride smooth due to no/reduced shock fade. Probably overkill but its like a gun, rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it

 

I have the same kit level 2 w/Dakars. Good on/off road ride and weight carrying capacity. I am also running wheelers super bumps in the front and camburg UCA's. You can always add in the 29xl leaf if you need to up your payload LBS. Love the set up !!!

 

Lol i know just being a jackass .... butwhen i do hit the trails i like to go fast im hoping this king set up will eat up the lil potholes enough

 

http://toyteclifts.3dcartstores.com/KSTAC05--King-Complete-Kit-for-05Tacoma_p_1616.html thats the kit i ordered drunk last night cause sober i wouldnt spend that much

 

Standard length rear shocks going to work with the Dakar lift?

 

lol did you add the compression adjusters to?

 

with Dakars you'll need about a 10" travel shock

 

Not that drunk

 

haha fair enough. I have the fiancee in my ear reminding me that the wedding needs to get paid for first. I'm shooting for middle to the tail end of the summer to do something

 

I mean 600 extra for something i will never ever ever touch and from what i have read for what i yse my truck.for.dont need

 

I know on the Icon's it seems like everyone leaves it at the factory setting. So if the factory sets it up perfectly why screw with it?

 

I have a leveling kit right now stock rear and i like that look hopefully it dont change much. I can live with level but not with rear higher