Best Suspension Lift for Overland

[Swede71]

Have been reading this forum and a few others and the suspension part of what I am wanting to do is a Greek to me so if anyone can give some advise on what they recommend based on experience it would be appreciated.

My Goal is to build an Overland vehicle, it is a daily driver, so am wanting, without going overboard on spending on the adjustable suspension/lift upgrade, the same or better ride both on and off-road, dry/with people and gear/pulling an off-road camping trailer, also mine is KDSS equipped.

Will be adding:
Hefty Fabworks aluminum bumper 62lb (may go on after suspension upgrade)
Hefty Fabworks aluminum full skid plate (did not see what the weight was, may not go on until after suspension upgrade)
C4 Fabrication Rock Sliders 124lbs for both (will go on when suspension is upgraded)
9500lb Warn winch, 90lbs (will go on with front bumper)
285/70/17 KO2's, currently have 265 KO2's
LED lighting, will decide later

Currently have a Baja rack/ladder, ARB Awning, Yakima Sky Box.

Daily driving is myself and my 2 high paid secretaries, 2 Akitas, 240lbs total for both.
Planning many trips just with the 4-runner loaded up with girlfriend/pups/gear on its own.
As well as with a Off-road camping trailer from S Africa (just deciding on model to get). All the ones I am considering are single axle about 1800lbs dry and a max GVWR of about 4500lbs, not sure of tongue weight.

It seems like this option would be best, and am hoping for less expensive options from any of you with similar experience.

Front Fox 2.5 factory series coil-over w/res/dsc & total chaos uca
Back Fox 2.5 factory series reservoir, dcs adjuster & icon 2003 overland series 3" lift
Installed cost in Canadian is just under $8,000.00(this is the part I am having a bit of sticker shock on, keep in mind crap exchange rates for Canadians right now)

Is there another option out there that is more cost effective that will do the job. Simple Adjust ability I like, plus this brand does well with our salt on the roads and many seasons we get, so something that will last with salt and many climates, and can be re-built.

Basically if this is what I need to pay then it is what it is, just hoping there is another option out there. Am at that stage in my life where I do not want to cheap out and want everything to last and only buy once. Just do not want to be foolish with money either. If you think I should wait for a specific sale coming up, what is it and when, my goal is to have the suspension upgrade at least, ready to go for 01 May 2017.

I normally keep my vehicles only 2 years, this one I love and will keep for 4-5 years based on reliability and it is just Awesome!

If a non adjustable suspension system makes more sense, I am open to ideas on that as well

Any feedback is appreciated, and this forum is Awesome for us newbies, just a bit overwhelming at times with the amount of info available.

 

[Koddo]

IMO go with it awhile on some of your trips and figure out what you really need. Off hand, it seems like you're going hog wild and putting the horse before the wagon. Not saying that you won't be the .00000001% of people that will be overlanding in Africa fighting lions for weeks at a time multiple times a year, but it seems a bit zealous. 3/4 of that stuff you mentioned isn't necessary even for that....more serious offroading/rock crawling MAYBE, and if you have money to blow...but not what I've seen as overlanding.

I sometimes camp in my 4runner at 2-6 days a time in the backwoods and desolate mountain ranges in AZ doing gold prospecting/exploration stuff. I've been on a lot of trails and most of the time when impassable or sketchy, a little lift, a little more armor, or better shocks isn't what stopping me. The road is gnarly as hell and only an ATV or hiking will get you there. I carry a BUNCH of gear also...I do have bils 5100's all around just because my stock ones were done....2010 trail. Also have KO2's.

I'd say take you're 4R out as it is...or with a few upgrades you deem as necessary and have fun....because honestly most of the stuff you mentioned isn't necessary. Reservoir shocks are such a gimmick....who the hell if going over washboards roads at 60 mphs for miles on end....

 

[Swede71]

IMO go with it awhile on some of your trips and figure out what you really need. Off hand, it seems like you're going hog wild and putting the horse before the wagon. Not saying that you won't be the .00000001% of people that will be overlanding in Africa fighting lions for weeks at a time multiple times a year, but it seems a bit zealous. 3/4 of that stuff you mentioned isn't necessary even for that....more serious offroading/rock crawling MAYBE, and if you have money to blow...but not what I've seen as overlanding.

I sometimes camp in my 4runner at 2-6 days a time in the backwoods and desolate mountain ranges in AZ doing gold prospecting/exploration stuff. I've been on a lot of trails and most of the time when impassable or sketchy, a little lift, a little more armor, or better shocks isn't what stopping me. The road is gnarly as hell and only an ATV or hiking will get you there. I carry a BUNCH of gear also...I do have bils 5100's all around just because my stock ones were done....2010 trail. Also have KO2's.

I'd say take you're 4R out as it is...or with a few upgrades you deem as necessary and have fun....because honestly most of the stuff you mentioned isn't necessary. Reservoir shocks are such a gimmick....who the hell if going over washboards roads at 60 mphs for miles on end....

Appreciate the feedback, have been on many trips already, where I live the Rockies are my backyard. Also have scraped the bottom front and back more than I like several times, which is part of the reason I am wanting to lift it/upgrade suspension for more load capacity ie off-road camping trailer.

Love love this vehicle however for my requirements as a daily/fun driver it needs more, I plan on going to those places where most will turn around (have been to some of them already and scraped the bottom front/back). Although keeping in mind I will not abuse this vehicle just enjoy it to its fullest(am ex Military so have experience knowing how to push a vehicle without abusing it).

 

[JSparky]

Hey bud, it sounds like you have a good grasp on everything, notably with keeping track of how much weight you'll be adding. You can learn a lot form searching, so I don't want to get flamed for replying in detail, but I know how helpful it can be to hear from others in the community.. that's why these message boards exist in my opinion.

The most reliable and dependable suspension would be the factory setup, however with the components you're looking at the factory suspension will be overtaxed. With increased load capacity will come an increase in ride height, at-least when unloaded with gear. If you want additional height for specific tire sizes thats another issue, although not entirely independent. Expedition Portal has a doc titled the "10 commandments of modifying an overland vehicle" that you may want to check out.

Up front research 2.5" shock body coilovers, they are ride-height adjustable and you can change the springs to compensate for different loads. Different companies (Radflo, Fox, King, Old Man Emu, Icon, etc) use different spring rates out the door, but nearly all of them are willing to build custom coilovers. Some of us running heavy front ends increase the front spring rate to help for this. I had radflo's built with 700lb coils to control the steel bumper, winch, and dual battery's I've installed. If you're looking at anything over 2" of lift go ahead and factor in aftermarket uniball upper control arms (Total Chaos, AllPro, Camburg, Icon, etc).. this is debated but when carrying heavy loads the extra caster aftermarket upper control arms yield will ensure you have the safest handling suspension geometry possible, especially at speed.. in my opinion.

In the rear I'm a fan of dual-rate or progressive coils, they yield a softer unloaded ride but maintain heavy weight carrying capacity. Again research different options based on the loads your looking at carrying, most of the major brands are of equal quality so pick the one that will give you the weight carrying capacity you need. Ideally you'll have a somewhat higher rear-end when unloaded, this helps the rear from sagging when loaded. Lastly, make sure whatever rear shocks you go with have appropriate extended and compressed lengths for your coils, you don't want to over compress shocks out in the boonies and blow the shock, likewise you don't want your shocks limiting downtravel.

Overall for "overlanding", in my interpretation lots of miles and not super aggressive terrain, I'd keep lift around 2" front 2.5" rear to minimize change in driveline angles, chop your front body mounts for clearance, and run 33" tires to maximize ground clearance. I wouldn't mess with remote reservoirs or rear links to keep it simple.

This is one man's opinion, others will have theirs. Read up on what others have done and, importantly, seek to understand why. Not everyone has logic behind their vehicle builds but many of us do so just ask. Goodluck.

 

[gundrted+t4r]

On principle with overlanding is KISS -- Keep It Simple Stupid

The biggest thing is not to over complicate anything.

Here is the article that was mentioned earlier. Its a very very good read and the principles hold very true.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF MODIFYING AN OVERLAND VEHICLE
The 10 Commandments of Modifying an Overland Vehicle | Expedition Portal

On suspension mod ... keep in mind that you may have to find parts in the middle of nowhere. If you install a King, Icon, OME and so on .... could you replace a bad shock with something from a junk yard or small town auto parts store (like NAPA).

Also spending more may not mean you get a better product. You can get OME or Blisten for under $1500 USD (including upper control arms). ICON or King could run you 2-4 times as much. Besides a name is it really THAT much better. There are a lot of examples of $500 King shocks leaking within 1k miles of install.

The sad thing is most companies that do custom shocks DON'T warranty them. I called King for shocks on my F-250 and they had them in stock, but then told me there is no warranty. If it failed in 3 months I would need to send it in and pay for the repair or a new shock.

For me I would rather have OME or Blisten that costs about $100 and not a shock that costs 5 times to replace.

In the end, the best thing to do is do what you feel comfortable fixing in a nowhere backwoods town.