Advice - Salvaged 2001 with Icon stage 2 suspension

[MagusWyatt]

Hi all, my PO must have been a terrible driver, because there were all kinds of dents in the front bumper. Found a listing for a '98 bumper on Craigslist for a straight one locally from a guy who didn't mind getting rid of it for a hundred bucks!

Anyway, the guy is a respectable 4Runner enthusiast, and doesn't seem like the type to be hiding anything. So he's selling his 2001 which got rear-ended pretty hard. 700 miles before the accident, he had a new Icon stage 2 suspension put in. He said it cost him over 3 grand after installation costs. My suspension is sagging and I'm going to be needing something pretty soon anyway, so I was going to go with a 2" lift. Well, that's exactly what the Icon stage 2 gives. He's asking $2,500, but for the whole car. He doesn't want to deal with parting it out. It also only has 150k miles on the engine. I don't really have any extra space for another vehicle, but I could make it work.

So what do you guys think? His 4Runner isn't safe to drive from the rear end damage, but he can deliver it to me. It's gotta be worth the cost seeing as how the suspension is so new. I can also part it out, but I just want to see what everyone thinks if these suspensions are great enough that it's worth the hassle.

 

[Doc3g]

The real question is do you really want the icons? If you don't want a digressive shock then the deal doesn't make sense. Just make sure that you read up on the icons and make sure it is the kit you would want if you were just buying a kit straight out.

 

[MagusWyatt]

The real question is do you really want the icons? If you don't want a digressive shock then the deal doesn't make sense. Just make sure that you read up on the icons and make sure it is the kit you would want if you were just buying a kit straight out.

That's a really good point. If not the Icons, I am planning on going with Bilstein 5100s all around. I'd probably lean more toward linear rather than digressive since I'm more a fan of bombing dirt roads, but I also use it as a DD in the fairly mild but snowy winters here. The Bilsteins are a digressive shock as well, but I just don't know how they compare to the Icons. Do you have any experience with either? Are the Icons more aggressively digressive than the Bilstein 5100s?

 

[Doc3g]

I don't have any personal experience with them but I know from watching the shock videos on here that I definitely decided against digressives b/c my 4runner is my DD. Here is a good article that helps explain the difference:

Digressive vs Linear vs Progressive Pistons & Shock Valving | AccuTune Off-Road.

 

[MagusWyatt]

I don't have any personal experience with them but I know from watching the shock videos on here that I definitely decided against digressives b/c my 4runner is my DD. Here is a good article that helps explain the difference:

Digressive vs Linear vs Progressive Pistons & Shock Valving | AccuTune Off-Road.

That's helpful, thank you. Confirms what I was thinking. Mine isn't my DD other than for 4 months out of the year, so I don't mind if it's more aggressive. Aside from the suspension, it also has a factory rear locker that I'd like to swap to mine, as well as a strong engine and transmission that has 150k original miles on it. I'm thinking it's going to be worth it either way!