Hello all, just installed OEM 2.5s with adjustable resis and my question is regarding initial ride quality... I installed them as is out of the box and it appeared to level the truck, I believe the front has the 600lb springs and feels better than I expected initially, on softest setting it feels amazing on the street nice and plush... the concern I have is the rear feels really stiff in comparison, on softest setting I feel every little bump and it’s harsh, it’s very unbalanced.

I’ve put a few hundred miles on them including a rough and rocky trail lasting 19 miles which I feel was pretty abusive. Does this sound normal? Could this be due to stock rear springs? Am I being too critical of a fresh install? Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

You installed kings fronts and rears, but you reused the oem rear springs ? Does the rears sit lower then the fronts ?

Do you mind sharing which trail that was? Maybe I can compare to my experiences.

What tires do you use? What pressures do you run? SL tires will make it feel harsher in my experience. Heavier tires help with street comfort. Lower pressures and LT tires help offroad comfort.

How does it corner on the interstate or on a ramp? If it corners great, then the ride is what it is (for a shock with limited adjustability).

Offroad, I assume that was trail with miles of fist sized rocks? Embedded rock? Big rocks at low speeds should be comfy.

How did it feel on that trail? That's the key. The rear should have felt planted in all conditions. Any big bumps should have been absorbed with ease and in great comfort. Coming off big rocks and ledges should be uneventful. My small Icon 2.0 could do that much. So the Kings should do that plus last longer at speed plus feel nicer over these choppy AZ desert trails. The last two is what my small Icons could not do (now looking for replacement).

You can always re-valve those rears if you don't plan on adding much weight, etc.

The stock spring is the softest you can have except maybe the Bilstein 1.5" lift spring which is about the same as stock, or so they say.

All in all, it will be a trade-off anyway. You don't want to be beaten up but Soft is bad for our trails, very uncomfortable. The stock suspension will be the least comfy off road. I have done plenty fully stock, including Backway to Crown King, Crapshoot, Broken Arrow, etc, etc and stock is softest and least comfy offroad as you bottom out and hit all the time (It is not about lifts, it is about suspension) and the stock shocks have you bounce all over the place.


So, generally, firm goes with capability and with comfort offroad. But our choppy terrain makes that relative. I have no experience with high-end shocks to comment on how that can be solved short of bypasses.

from what i've read the King coilovers F+R are actually designed to not be raised over stock height. with stock springs rear and no preload set on the fronts u get about 1" lift in the front (similar to the trd pro leveled setup)

The standard rear is 0-1.5" lift but there is an extended version. Front also has an extended version.

Here is the rear:

10-Current 4Runner 2.5 Performance Rear Shocks

(I did give them a good look over the last few days because I do need stronger rear shocks).

Actually if you install kings and used no preload, you’ll get a 2” lift. This will level the front when you use the stock rears

Ext version gives you 7/8” more travel shock travel but same lift. Also requires after market UCA.

Rear does not sit lower, the truck is near level now as the front is maybe a 1/2” lower

I ran New River which starts at Table Mesa and goes east, lots of embedded rock, river rock... I’m running KO2 stock tire size LR C, overall it handed the bumps and such very well, no complaints about the purchase, in fact I’m in live with this upgrade, I’m just curious if it’s normal for the rear shocks to be so firm on the streets as it’s very noticeable, is there a “break in” period? If not will changing the valves resolve the concern?

Thanks

I recently did the same thing with King 2.5 OEM front and back (extended version, 0.25" difference). In the rear I kept my factory springs as I had a Pro suspension and didn't really see the need for it. The front drastically changed the front height and "pushed" the rear down (reverse rake), down to the point that my Timbrens were about 1/2" off the axle. It rode like shit, rough ride and a lane marker would jam it up. So I went back to factory bump stops and ordered some new springs. I really wasn't expecting the height to change much but it did, not bad just wasn't thinking it would change with OEM set up. Contemplating taking my sliders off now and getting steps of some sort as anyone other than me is finding it harder to get in without a step to aid them. No extreme rock crawling for me, just some SF roads and some tech trials occasionally.

Installed the new ones 2 weeks ago and now I have a normal rake but it appears a little extreme so I need to make some adjustments and allow them to break in a bit. Also switched back to the Timbrens and have plenty of room between them axle. The new springs have improved the ride and harshness has greatly improved. Still adjustments to be made as I am dealing with another issue up front.

As for tires, I run stock size KM3's. Love them but heavy and contribute to the ride quality. My plans were to change them out but other things have now come up and tires are on hold.

We ran it the previous weekend. Then north, then out via Bloody Basin. All this at a good pace and 3 days later one of the rear Icons began leaking.

How was the ride quality in the rear when driving faster? We did use low range in the narrow spots for control. But I am interested in the rest. Slow is always comfy.

On road, all these shocks should feel more stable/stiffer than stock.

I contemplated taking that left turn at the end, next time I will... bummer that you have a leaking shock now... ride quality overall was great at fast speeds I never felt like I lost control it was very well planted, I was really impressed

I've got Kings with 600lbs springs up front. Rears have Icon 2" springs.
Only weight added to the rear is a gobi rack and C4 sliders.

My rear settings are 1-2 clicks from soft and it does feel rough compared to the fronts. I thought it might have been my rear springs being to stiff but perhaps it's not as you're feeling something similar.

I've got longer OEM bumpstops - the ones they use on the Lexus. Perhaps I need to go back to OEM per recommendation on the instructions. I haven't checked to see if my tires will hit my fenders yet but that's why I opted for longer bumps. I'm running SCS wheels with -38mm offsets.

Maybe this is considered normal then, I still love this upgrade, Thanks for the feedback

Seems we have similar build and I’m also deciding if I’m going to order ray10s in -10mm or -38mm. You got any pics ?

You're in the bay... PM me if you want to see it LOL. Much easier to show you in person what you need to do and why with going -38mm.... or even -10mm for that matter (assuming 285/70/17's)