absalom
New member
***All updates to OP are at the end of this post but ABOVE the interest list***
After having the chance to drive a 3rd gen 4runner equipped with 2.5" shocks/coilovers, I've lusted after a similar setup for my own 4runner ever since. If you hadn't had the opportunity yet, I highly suggest finding a member local to you with a similar setup, it's worth the effort. I was initially set on just going with the one industry giants, until a member of Pirate4x4 turned me on to F.O.A suspension systems.
What I'm proposing, if FOA agrees to our exact terms, is to have FOA create a complete bolt-on system utilizing 2.5" shock bodies for the front and rear of our trucks. To make this a complete setup, all you would need to add would be the shocks of your choice (OME, Land Cruiser, or ToyTec). The shocks would be valved specifically to our truck's. This would not be a generic shock simply stapled to our truck. The FOA rep, JD, assures me he has plenty of experience working with Toyotas and could make an amazing kit that would please a lot of members. At this point, FOA is completely on-board and excited for the project.
Proposed Kit Contents:
Now, to pull this off, especially at a great deal, the more interest we have, the better! So read on to get an idea of what this could end up costing in the end. In order to achieve this, we would need:
The math that inspired me to attempt this group buy:
2.5" Coilover w/ Resi $200/ each shock.
2.5" Reservoir Shock $160/ each shock.
Viper Spring $69/ each spring.
Custom, laser-cut shock mounts for front - $100/ pair
Subtotal plus shipping, before group buy discount - $958. However, this doesn't take into account the R&D that would need to be performed to make this feasible. I would imagine a solo buyer would have to spend ~$1,000 for a similar setup when it's all said and done. FWIW, a similar setup, from one of the big 3 companies, would cost just over $2,000. It doesn't take a genius to realize the substantial savings! To have a fully functioning setup, all you'd really need to add, are rear springs!
A reminder, please keep this thread civil and positive. Any posts to the contrary may be subject to "pruning". Feel free to message me with any questions. Or, better yet, post in the thread for everyone to see!
Update 8-18-2015
We had a small setback today. When doing my initial calculations, I didn't factor the front springs into the equation. I've updated the proposed kit contents to reflect this change. I've informed FOA of the interest by showing them the thread. We're still haggling out the details at this point. In the meantime, does anyone have an OEM front strut assembly with spring? We'll just need 1 to ship to FOA for mock-up. PM me if this is you. The good news is that we're over 20+ interested members, this should give us a lot of buying power!
Update 8-28-2015
First of all, big shout out to [MENTION=94914]turbo8[/MENTION] for stepping up to the plate. He was kind enough to take two of his own shocks off his truck, and drop them off at FOA for reverse engineering. I've been speaking with FOA the past few days, and they are convinced that an off the shelf shock will not work for our application. Unfortunately, we've had some communication fallout email conversation with FOA, and I'm not sure where things will go from here. It sounds as though FOA would only be interested in offering a custom front shock setup for our trucks. However, this would come with a "custom" -sized price tag of $899, which is nearly the same as an identical King setup. Keep in mind, this doesn't include rear shocks. In my humble opinion, FOA quality is still improving, and can't justify a big league price tag. Unless JD finds some room in the pricing, I'll have to respectfully bow out of this group buy and opt for a more reputable company. For those interested, they'd be offering us a 10% discount off the quoted $899, which would probably just equate to free shipping.
Interest List
We need an OEM strut assembly with spring (just one, any condition) for mockup. PM me if you have one!
After having the chance to drive a 3rd gen 4runner equipped with 2.5" shocks/coilovers, I've lusted after a similar setup for my own 4runner ever since. If you hadn't had the opportunity yet, I highly suggest finding a member local to you with a similar setup, it's worth the effort. I was initially set on just going with the one industry giants, until a member of Pirate4x4 turned me on to F.O.A suspension systems.
What I'm proposing, if FOA agrees to our exact terms, is to have FOA create a complete bolt-on system utilizing 2.5" shock bodies for the front and rear of our trucks. To make this a complete setup, all you would need to add would be the shocks of your choice (OME, Land Cruiser, or ToyTec). The shocks would be valved specifically to our truck's. This would not be a generic shock simply stapled to our truck. The FOA rep, JD, assures me he has plenty of experience working with Toyotas and could make an amazing kit that would please a lot of members. At this point, FOA is completely on-board and excited for the project.
Proposed Kit Contents:
- 2x 2.5" Front Adjustable coilovers with reservoirs and springs
- 2x 2.5" Rear shocks with reservoirs
- 2x Shock mount adapters for front
- 2x Viper Front Springs
- Guessing that approx cost would be $900-$1,000
Now, to pull this off, especially at a great deal, the more interest we have, the better! So read on to get an idea of what this could end up costing in the end. In order to achieve this, we would need:
- Quantity of 10 to get Viton seals for hi-temp resistance
- Quantity of 20 to get black anodizing
The math that inspired me to attempt this group buy:
2.5" Coilover w/ Resi $200/ each shock.
2.5" Reservoir Shock $160/ each shock.
Viper Spring $69/ each spring.
Custom, laser-cut shock mounts for front - $100/ pair
Subtotal plus shipping, before group buy discount - $958. However, this doesn't take into account the R&D that would need to be performed to make this feasible. I would imagine a solo buyer would have to spend ~$1,000 for a similar setup when it's all said and done. FWIW, a similar setup, from one of the big 3 companies, would cost just over $2,000. It doesn't take a genius to realize the substantial savings! To have a fully functioning setup, all you'd really need to add, are rear springs!
A reminder, please keep this thread civil and positive. Any posts to the contrary may be subject to "pruning". Feel free to message me with any questions. Or, better yet, post in the thread for everyone to see!
Update 8-18-2015
We had a small setback today. When doing my initial calculations, I didn't factor the front springs into the equation. I've updated the proposed kit contents to reflect this change. I've informed FOA of the interest by showing them the thread. We're still haggling out the details at this point. In the meantime, does anyone have an OEM front strut assembly with spring? We'll just need 1 to ship to FOA for mock-up. PM me if this is you. The good news is that we're over 20+ interested members, this should give us a lot of buying power!
Update 8-28-2015
First of all, big shout out to [MENTION=94914]turbo8[/MENTION] for stepping up to the plate. He was kind enough to take two of his own shocks off his truck, and drop them off at FOA for reverse engineering. I've been speaking with FOA the past few days, and they are convinced that an off the shelf shock will not work for our application. Unfortunately, we've had some communication fallout email conversation with FOA, and I'm not sure where things will go from here. It sounds as though FOA would only be interested in offering a custom front shock setup for our trucks. However, this would come with a "custom" -sized price tag of $899, which is nearly the same as an identical King setup. Keep in mind, this doesn't include rear shocks. In my humble opinion, FOA quality is still improving, and can't justify a big league price tag. Unless JD finds some room in the pricing, I'll have to respectfully bow out of this group buy and opt for a more reputable company. For those interested, they'd be offering us a 10% discount off the quoted $899, which would probably just equate to free shipping.
Interest List
- Absalom
- UnderFire
- Wikano
- Jburt (rears only)
- RJsimeon
- Thor999
- Trialrun
- Kevro
- Libretto
- Tuxedo Runner
- sjwelna
- DanKendall6
- AZBub
- FlipStyle54 (rears only)
- technodrive
- turbo8
- adam99sr5
- BrianSD_42
- toyopnoy (fronts only)
- k9doog
- ridefast
- jederberg (fronts only)
- jb10
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