Help with suspension choices..

I have a 2018 OR 4x4 6mt and planning on upgrading suspension around next month. I prefer to get something to last the life of the vehicle and in the future I'll add armor, hopefully mostly aluminum. Currently looking towards fox kits but I don't know much about truck suspension, mostly cars on and off tracks. Question is what would be the best kit that'll allow minimal lift for now until I get bigger tires, and add armor down the road? Plans are winch front bumper (not full bumper just the black part up front), high clearance rear, sliders, skids, possibly a fiberglass shell. I've researched quite a bit and confused about all the different stages there are of fox kits.. any insight is appreciated!

 

I personally went with the 6112 in the front and will be installing B110 5100's (and dakar med leaf springs) tonight. We'll see how the ride is, there are many really good reviews out there though. Bilstein has many years of experience in OEM applications and performance. What that means to me is they have the ability to produce a high quality and long lasting products since they have so much experience in so many markets. Plus the price is really good for what you get.

I did not want to put a lot of money into a Fox, Icon, King, etc. because I know I'll never use the capability of them, I don't want to deal with possible leaks which seem more prevalent (could be a multitude of driving style and conditions though), worrying about not having a suspension on my truck while they are being rebuilt and in the midwest with salted roads in the winter the adjuster rings seem to corrode and lock up unless you are diligent about putting fluid film or some kind of corrosion protection on them. This seems especially true with Icon for some reason.

I am interested in what others have to say as well, it's always nice to see what their experiences are.

 

True I didn't think of not using top 3 companies to their potential. Maybe bilstein would be a better option. I'll have to call around, including headstrong offroad to see what my options are.

 

Headstrong and Wheelers off road seem to be the hot-ticket vendors on here. Both are very helpful and responsive with any questions.

It also depends on what type of budget you want to stick to as well. Though seeing as you were looking into fox, you know just how wildly expensive suspension can be on these trucks!!!

 

Hello. Would like to jump in here too, seeing as I'm in the same boat as to looking at options. I have an 18 Taco 4x4 white stock. I want - or think I want - a 2 inch lift, not a leveling kit. I know I'll never get real serious into off-roading. No rock climbing, etc. I do go on occasional dirt and some mud and have crossed some very shallow streams, etc. So, nothing the stock truck couldn't already handle as is. My upgrade is mainly to customize the look to make it personalized while maintaining ride comfort as much as possible. So, again, I think I want a 2 inch left. I don't want the front end higher than the rear. I've looked at some kits that include ICON, Old Man, etc. And I am looking at 16' Method and KAO2s. Any help and suggestions on kits, brands, things I should consider, etc. are appreciated. Many thanks!

 

I will say 2 things that depend on where you live. I live in Iowa and we see a good amount of snow and ice as well as lots of salt!

OME shocks have been pretty well documented that they tend to rust pretty quick, probably not the best choice. But something to look into is the difference between "Digressive" valving and "Progressive" valving in the shocks. Digressive gives a better ride the faster you go, the slower you go the stiffer the damping. Progressive is the opposite, slow speed is very smooth but as you pick up speed it gets more stiff. Then there is "Linear", pretty much in the middle though manufactures generally gear it more towards a digressive linear as high speed (talking like 20mph+) ride comfort is what most people are looking for. Check out Eibach as well. Their new systems are getting really good reviews, they tend to be more linear IIRC.

Also, K02's are just meh at best for tires. There have been many that have far surpassed the K02 in both performance and noise, especially in the snow and rain. K02's are pretty sketchy in rain and snow. I personally have Goodyear Duratracs and LOVE them! Though I have strong dislike towards all other goodyear tires. Another one that came out a little while ago was the Kenda Klever RT. Kenda started making auto tires about 10 years ago, but they are an extremely highly rated tire for dirt bikes, street bikes and adventure bikes so they are by no means new to the game.

 

Thanks for the info on valving. I'm in Southern California so, not much concern for snow and ice but will look into digressive vs. progressive a bit more closely. Is a kit the way to go or is it better to get all the components individually? I'm leaning towards a kit...

 

Eibach has a kit, I believe theirs are more linear which might be best if you want an all around smooth ride on a budget. Otherwise both wheelers and headstrong have great kits.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bilstein-vs-eibach.674399/

 

Will check it out. Budget is always a concern but I also don't want to feel like I over-compromised. I always hear Fox, ICON, and King are the best but they sound like they might be overkill given I'm not going to be doing any rock climbing, etc. Thanks.

 

I would suggest Toyo AT2 or AT3 (at3s are new and limited right now) for tires. They last a long time, stay quiet, and look meaty and truck like, without the large howling noises on the highway.

 

whats your take on the falken wildpeak at?

 

I have been running the billy 6112s for a couple years now and love their on road performance. They ride quite well in the mild dirt off-roading I do - where they fall short is in the sand/washboard/ruts, which I spend most weekends traversing. It is nice that Bilstein now offers the 650 pound springs for the 6112s, but unfortunately they wont package them together and you have to order separately.

Currently debating on switching to a more linear coil over, like kings, solely for their beach performance - and if we are being honest, because that blue will look nice with the new C4 Hybrid bumper that will be going on after a recent hit and run.

 

I suggest ome bp 51 coilovers and rear shocks and icons rxt leaf pack

 

I like my Fox 2.5's from Accutune