king vs. icon vs. fox racing coilovers

Gotcha
Thanks a lot man

 

Looking at DSM's website, I can't seem to find King Coilovers without a resi for a 2nd gen. Is that even available?

 

They don't have the option. They only make them with remote reservoirs

 

Get camburg or saw.
Just as good and red in color.

 

Removing your desert bashing failed Icon's from my list of people I have seen online with issues I still have seen far more of these Icon's fail for numerous reasons. I think Lurry had cracks in both of his top hats

I personally (not web) know a guy who CRAWLS who broke a top hat and I personally (not web) know a guy who cracked a shaft. Yes, Icon took care of them with replacement products. That isn't the point and that wasn't the point when I researched what brand I wanted on my Tacoma almost 3 years ago. I looked for issues people had with them. My research came up with zero King issues and numerous Icon issues.

Whens the last time someone on here saw a King 2.5 implode on a weekend warrior Tacoma????

Anyone? And I'm not talking about some idiot kid who is jumping a mid travel truck over the grand canyon.

 

Right on, thanks for the info.

I've always known King to be the easiest to tear down and rebuild plus the info you provided helps solidify my decision.

 

Ironically, I was originally wanting Fox. Then kind of thought about how I have dealt with Fox since the mid 70's on motorcycles, and deal with them today working on bicycle stuff. In my almost 40 years tuning suspension, I'm tired of Fox and seldom recommend them anymore to bicycle riders. So why would I buy them for my truck.

I looked at Icons and thought these are pretty good and should be fine. Right off I noticed that top mount and with my aerospace background hesitated at the design.

I just recently decided to either go small with 5100's and know what I have and drive as applicable, or go King and be done with it.

I was a bit disappointed seeing King only offers non rezzy shocks as emulsion dampers. I understand why and know that these are not really optimum. So I save and work overtime...

All this said though, if I do settle for less, don't kill me, I don't plan to, but sometimes life just forces the issue.

PK

 

Just want to clear a few things up on here. As with any product, there will be loyalists and haters spilling false info. I did some double checking and here is 100% facts. Just want everyone to have the right info for educated purchases.

Icon:

When tuning a linear piston (Comp / Reb) if you tune for low speed you will greatly affect the high speed as well. In a race application you absolutely want a Linear / Linear but ICON felt it was more viable to take a different approach for vehicle specific applications vs making mounts for a race shock and tuning the best you can. ICON shocks truly define a "vehicle specific" shock throughout. Race shocks are more focused on high speed, not worrying as much about changing lanes on the freeway and so on that a street vehicle is faced with. The ICON internal design of Linear comp / Digressive rebound allows us better street / offroad tune-ability.

ICON reservoirs are Aluminum with double the aesthetic style over that of a King resi. Icon uses the same seals and shim quality in their OEM application. Yes king has a race series but you are not getting those parts in their pre runner series or oem shocks. ICON acutally uses a higher quality nitride steel shaft, better oil than king does in their oem shocks, they come black which so many people desire and it's not 150.00 plus up charge.

ICON does not just add in a compression adjuster only allowing you to pinch off fluid as he says. Icon's CDC specific shocks are truly different. To explain you have a standard ICON Tacoma coilover with their standard off the shelf valving. Then you have a CDC shock that they actually take and re-tuned so that the "standard" valving is set to about 3-4 allowing the consumer to truly have an adjustable shock. The high resolution CDC valve will then allow to make significant adjustment in both directions vs. the other guys you can only stiffen the shock. Icon's CDC valve does have compression and rebound valving, and as always tuned "vehicle specific" to the applicable application.

Also, one of the pics above is from one of the employees at Icon's personal vehicle. He broke the factory mount before installing long travel and only tacked it back together.....he drives his truck hard and with not repairing it correctly it allowed the oem mount to flex and fail again and the next thing in line is the upper mount. It takes both pieces to work right with out failure.

Also, for anyone in the Riverside area or making a trip to So-Cal, that may want to learn the truth and learn real facts about ICON their doors are always open for a consumer to visit our facility for an education session with Dylan and Adrian the head designers that will change there thinking.

Like i said before, we have sold and serviced all shock brands. We suggest the best product for each customers application be it Icon on a Tacoma or Raptor, of Fox's on a F-150 with a Camburg Race kit in North Dakota (dude built the truck in a week, it's nuts!) Or King's on a Dodge with some Carli goods.

 

They are good folks, there is no doubt about that.

 

I know yall are talking shocks here, but how do you guys feel about the billit UCA's that icon offers??? worth the $$$?

 

If you need heimed joints yes, otherwise no.

 

Get camburgs 1.25 and yer set.

 

I am going to make the switch from my 886 ome front coils to a better quality coilover. I've done lots of research and am leaning towards the Icons's. What I would really like to know is which brand is going to be softer on road when cranked up to 2.5-3 inches. I have dakars in the rear and an all pro front bumper and I need to sit relativly level. My 886s with the allpro bumper rides like shit , so stiff. I noticed the Icon extended travel non resis say they are adjustable up to 3'5 inches so I'm thinking maybe they would be softer with 2.5 ish inches of lift. I don't do any high speed off roading , just 4lo trail crawlin type stuff. Do any of you guys have any input on the ride quality of the different brands when cranked up around 2.5 inches with a plate bumper.
Thanks

 

Benefit of the Billet, Little bit stronger than the tube uppers since it's one solid machined unit, not saying the tube are not strong, they are plenty strong. It's the Heim joints for adjustment, and that they have a dust cover for the uni-ball. Gets you a bit longer life out of the uni-balls by keeping a lot of junk (dirt/mud/road grime/ect) out of there, not to mention the bling factor! Ha. Yes, it is a 1" uni-ball, but the diff from 1" to 1.25" is minimal strength wise. The rest of the suspension is what's limiting the travel. A 1" will yield the same travel. If the uni-ball was say built into the spindle vertical, a 1.25 or 1.5 would be better to allow for a good smooth lock to lock steering.

Better on road ride will be the Icon due to their valving. But cranking the coil that much is gonna stiffen any of them up due to more pre-load on the spring. But your on track thinking of going with the ext. travel Icon's. Also, Icon does offer a heavier coil to take a bit more of the added weight you have so you wouldn't have to pre-load as much. Just ask about when ordering from who ever you choose.

As always we offer a Tacoma world discount, just shoot me a PM or give us a call and ask for Vince.

Thanks!

 

I have Icons, but with the 13'' coil they come with, I had a lot of preload which made it ride like crap. All the top brand coilovers (Icon, King, Fox) should ride pretty smooth at 2.5 inches of lift and I would imagine they would all ride pretty stiff at 3.5 inches, my Icons did anyway. I switched to a 14'' King coil and I have much less preload and it rides great now. If you give DSM a call and ask them, I've heard you can order Kings with a 700# coil which would help a lot with the bumper. Hope this helps

 

The CDC does restrict flow, but in addition to it, the valve stack that comes on the shock with the CDC valves is different than a shock w/o the cdc's. The valving on a CDC shock is a bit stiffer than a normal shock. What the CDC allows is to restrict or open the oil flow to the piston which in turn will let the piston/shaft compress/rebound faster/slower. Much like tuning a bypass shock and adjusting your comp/reb tubes. it does change the valving, it works with the valving like a bypass does.

So yes, the CDC in theory is just a valve that restricts the flow out of the resi, but when used in conjunction with the right valving it does give you soft/harder tuning options depending on terrain.

And yes you can take any color shock and valve it how you want. but 90% of the consumers buying shocks do not know how to valve a shock nor have the tools to do so. So having vehicle specific tuned shocks will get you a lot closer to what they are after. As for a truly vehicle specific, you are right, there a many things that cannot be accounted for. Full tank of gas, half tank, XXL big boy driver or some kid weighing 125lbs wet. In order to have a truly specific valved it would have to adjust on the fly which is not gonna happen any time soon. But, you can get it close by just going off say a ext cab Tacoma V6.

 

Argh, just doing search on this topic and I find myself in a King vs Icon dilemma, but thats what forums are for, right?

Anyway, found this link to Icon CDC. No updates yet from Icon.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/254389-icon-cdc-coilovers-3.html

 

I had kings. They were awesome.