Do adjustable coil overs control ride quality?

[mgreezy]

I own a 2017 TRD ORP and currently have a 2.5/1.5 Daystar spacer lift. The truck seems to have lost some of the lift height after 25k miles.

I’m considering two options as a legit replacement:

1. Bilstein shocks w/Toytec springs and Boss rear shocks with heavier duty rear springs to compensate for 200lbs of additional load.

2. King shocks with adjustable coil overs.

I like the idea of having suspension that can be dialed easily for road and off road use, however 90% or more of my driving will be on the road. I regularly haul additional weight on the back, but not so much that I need super heavy duty springs. I don’t want the truck to ride super rough over small bumps and am considering adjustable shocks as an alternative.

Can anyone confirm if King shocks (or alternative brands) can control soft/firm rising quality, and if so, to what extent (i.e. would the heavier spring render adjustable shocks useless?)




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[FLYNAVY53]

To some extent.....

In a coil over, just like a normal coil spring, the spring rate does not change. The set up of the coil over does allow some adjustment in ride height as you can generally adjust the lower spring perch up or down the body of the shock. Additionally, depending on what type of shock is used in the coil over, you will be able to adjust rebound (single adjustable) or compression and rebound (double adjustable).

I would recommend talking to a manufacturer, outline how much weight you're routinely adding or subtracting from the rear of your truck, and they should be able to help spec a spring rate solution for your truck. Whether you decide to use coil overs, or a regular coil spring with adjustable shocks is really personal preference.

Hope thats of some assistance.

 

[TEujunga]

To some extent.....

In a coil over, just like a normal coil spring, the spring rate does not change. The set up of the coil over does allow some adjustment in ride height as you can generally adjust the lower spring perch up or down the body of the shock. Additionally, depending on what type of shock is used in the coil over, you will be able to adjust rebound (single adjustable) or compression and rebound (double adjustable).

I would recommend talking to a manufacturer, outline how much weight you're routinely adding or subtracting from the rear of your truck, and they should be able to help spec a spring rate solution for your truck. Whether you decide to use coil overs, or a regular coil spring with adjustable shocks is really personal preference.

Hope thats of some assistance.

This is actually a great response -- for one thing, it avoids the dreaded "preload" myth -- but it does have one flaw: you don't get to "decide" whether to use coil-overs or a regular coil spring with adjustable shocks. On a T4R, the former must go on the front, and the latter must go on the rear.

There are many suspension combinations out there that will accomplish the OP's aims. Check out this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165065-5th-gen-4runner-lift-buyers-guide.html

 

[mgreezy]

I think it answers my question. Thanks for trying to answer.

I assumed that I wouldn’t adjust the spring perch once ride height was set. I’m really just interested in knowing if the adjustable coil damping can be turned from firm to soft in order of controlling ride quality. In other words, let’s assume I wanted to maintain a similar weight rating on the springs, would a King shock with adjustable compression rates be worth the extra money over a regular Bilstein Shock with Toytec springs?




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[TEujunga]

The forum search function is your friend. It works better on the full website version, so access it through your browser rather than Tapatalk. I'm not up on King shocks myself, but I'd be surprised if your question hasn't been asked and answered before.

 

[mgreezy]

I agree and apologize for the redundancy. However, I’ve searched hundreds of threads that have a lot of related topics, but couldn’t find one that answered my specific question.

I’ve also searched YouTube, talked to local dealers and called Toytec. It seems that everyone knows a little bit, but I’m cautious of advice and like to gather opinions from several people before taking action (or spending a lot of money).

I found this video (https://youtu.be/XSHHimKLXgk ) that seems to validate my thoughts, however I’m wondering if anyone else can confirm how well it works.




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[DesertCanyons]

Shocks as dampers, springs for load

The King and ICON shocks are available with remote reservoirs. Some of those remote reservoirs have adjustable damping. There are couple of other brands that offer the same adjustability, like Fox, but I don't know much about them. Shocks dampen the reaction of the frame above the axle to bumps in the road. They keep the vehicle from bouncing with every dip or bump. IOW, it slows the reaction of the spring as the truck hits bumps. They don't actually support weight. The coil over shocks on the front carry load, but it's the spring not the shock that carries the weight. The coil springs in the back carry all the load.

You need to get the spring rate right for the load you're carrying first. Then the shock can soften the bumps. Adjustable shocks allow you to set the amount of damping from soft to hard.

 

[wfo9]

The dampening adjusters have some use but it is very limited. King uses a mid speed adjuster and is honestly sort of useless.

Icon is a bit better, but not much adjustment.

Fox actually has a very good DSC adjustment system. But not a fan of FOX in general because crap customer service.

Bottom line, you won't miss not having it and if you do have it.. you will play with it for a few weeks and then eventually forget about it. There is a big difference between the performance of a King/Icon/Fox shock and something like a Bilstein low end shock. Totally worth the extra $$s IMHO.

 

[FLYNAVY53]

This is actually a great response -- for one thing, it avoids the dreaded "preload" myth -- but it does have one flaw: you don't get to "decide" whether to use coil-overs or a regular coil spring with adjustable shocks. On a T4R, the former must go on the front, and the latter must go on the rear.

There are many suspension combinations out there that will accomplish the OP's aims. Check out this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165065-5th-gen-4runner-lift-buyers-guide.html

Good call....to be honest, I've had my '16 TRD Pro for almost 3 years how and haven't even looked under it :bolt:....

That being said, I run Fox shocks on both my '72 Suburban and '64 Corvette. In both builds, I determined what spring rate I needed front and rear (mostly via various forums). After that was sorted, I went with Fox single adjustable shocks (rebound only). After I had the cars on the road, I started with the rebound setting in the middle. On both, I found that to be too soft and found the car to be "bouncy". I gradually increased the rebound stiffness to a point where it provided a compliant ride, but was stiff enough to control the spring. I believe I have the Suburban shocks set at 8/12 on the rebound stiffness and the Corvette set at 10/12.

Point being, the same process would apply to any vehicle you introduce adjustable suspension components to. Using coil overs will give you the added ability to adjust your ride height to some extend.

 

[borfoo3]

I own a 2017 TRD ORP and currently have a 2.5/1.5 Daystar spacer lift. The truck seems to have lost some of the lift height after 25k miles.

I’m considering two options as a legit replacement:

1. Bilstein shocks w/Toytec springs and Boss rear shocks with heavier duty rear springs to compensate for 200lbs of additional load.

2. King shocks with adjustable coil overs.

I like the idea of having suspension that can be dialed easily for road and off road use, however 90% or more of my driving will be on the road. I regularly haul additional weight on the back, but not so much that I need super heavy duty springs. I don’t want the truck to ride super rough over small bumps and am considering adjustable shocks as an alternative.

Can anyone confirm if King shocks (or alternative brands) can control soft/firm rising quality, and if so, to what extent (i.e. would the heavier spring render adjustable shocks useless?)




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General rules of thumb from what I've experienced so far messing with shocks and coils:

Stock ride is the softest ride. Adjustable coilovers at the softest setting is not softer than stock. Softness/ suppleness and ride control are not the same thing, aftermarket shocks focus on the latter.

Do not go higher spring rate without constant load if you want the same ride characteristics.

Its always a compromise. Firmer coils will sag less and hold up better under load, but are noticeably firmer when unloaded.

That being said, I do like the KING setup I have on it now. Doing it again, I would consider one step softer coils just cuz I like the Cadillac ride.

 

[Uglyducky]

To some extent.....

In a coil over, just like a normal coil spring, the spring rate does not change. The set up of the coil over does allow some adjustment in ride height as you can generally adjust the lower spring perch up or down the body of the shock. Additionally, depending on what type of shock is used in the coil over, you will be able to adjust rebound (single adjustable) or compression and rebound (double adjustable).

I would recommend talking to a manufacturer, outline how much weight you're routinely adding or subtracting from the rear of your truck, and they should be able to help spec a spring rate solution for your truck. Whether you decide to use coil overs, or a regular coil spring with adjustable shocks is really personal preference.

Hope thats of some assistance.

This

 

[tacoyota]

Yep. Any aftermarket coilover setup will be stiffer than stock. You can offset a bit by trying to get the right spring rate coils or carry heavy stuff in the back lol. The adjusters on the expensive setup do not affect daily driving that much.

 

[flyrv9]

You might want to look into air bags or shocks that are easy to adjust. If I remember correctly, Antman had a thread about installing airbags to adjust height and ride for towing his boat etc.

 

[mrblah]

Its important to pick a suspension based on your needs and the weight you plan on carrying.

compression/rebound adjusters are not a replacement for poorly matched shocks and springs, due to their narrow range of adjustability.

Airbags, designed for towing, is not the same thing as a complete air suspension. Towing airbags are great for combatting rear end sag, at the expense of ride quality (increase in firmness). I also wouldn't call it adjustable, because what PSI you decide to use is based on trial and error or eyeballing your suspension sag.