Dobinsons 5th Gen T4R Suspension options - from Exit Offroad

[Crikeymike]

Hey Mike,
I'm want make sure I'm ordering the correct components. I'm looking for a 2.75"/2" lift. I usually run around with minimal weight except for occasionally camping/overlanding trips (4 times a year). Is this correct for what I'm looking for?

Front: C59-300 (red) + GS59-574 (black)
Rear: C59-325(red) + GS59-705 (black)
Dobinson UCA + Diff Drop

Also, are the Extended Rear Swaybar End Link Kit recommended with this suspension setup even though the GS59-705 are not the long travel?

Thanks!

Yes that is all correct. That will get you that lift height you're looking for.

The sway bar links realign the sway bar to a more neutral position which allows for better articulation. The sway bar at a steep angle can inhibit the flex a bit. Someone on here posted photos with and without a few years ago and he had noticeable difference in flex left to right.

 

[Mutant138]

[MENTION=148378]Crikeymike[/MENTION] finally getting around to adding bumpers. Totally owe you for my meltdown last year lmao. Starting in the rear so I ordered c59-327 in black from you.

Have a question about adding the LT front strut and 2” spring in the front to get 3” of lift (kdss). Will the cv’s actually bind at full droop or is adding a diff drop just the manufactures recommendation? What have you seen personally? From everything I’ve read the diff drop barely accomplishes much change in angle and drops your skids.

Thanks mike

 

[SpeedyKevin]

TLDR: monotubes cool off much quicker and I'm pretty pleased with the IMS rears!

Finally had a chance today to do some mid-speed runs (30-40mph) over a heavily corrugated/mogul heavy trail. Much more corrugated than anything I've experienced in Death Valley for sure. After a half mile or so section, I took the surface temps of my shocks (twin tubes in front and monotubes in rear). Before getting to the temps, I gotta say I'm really happy I made the switch from 705 valving to the 701 valving (50701 shocks). The rear is SOOO much more controlled now on the rough trails. Yea I can feel more on road but the trade off was worth it for the off road control.

Anyways back to the shock temps.

Always heard that monotube shocks cool off quicker than twintubes. Made sense due to how they are constructed differently but never got to test it till now. Did a mogul heavy trail today and got my rear IMS monotubes up to 235f. Front twintubes were around 155f. Both temps were surface temps so actual fluid temps were likely higher.

After taking a short 6 - 8 min break, the twin tubes dropped to 140f while the IMS monotubes dropped to 175-180f. With these numbers in mind, I'll eventually switch the fronts to IMS when my current ones fail!

 

[Crikeymike]

[MENTION=148378]Crikeymike[/MENTION] finally getting around to adding bumpers. Totally owe you for my meltdown last year lmao. Starting in the rear so I ordered c59-327 in black from you.

Have a question about adding the LT front strut and 2” spring in the front to get 3” of lift (kdss). Will the cv’s actually bind at full droop or is adding a diff drop just the manufactures recommendation? What have you seen personally? From everything I’ve read the diff drop barely accomplishes much change in angle and drops your skids.

Thanks mike

Hey man. Nice, upgrade time!!

So the longer travel front GS59-574 max out the CV's at full droop to the point of almost binding under the weight of the vehicle. That's why we recommend a diff drop kit. I was the first to run them in the UCA, and when you rotate the wheel at full droop without a diff drop kit, you can feel the resistance starting there. If the tire had a chance to pull the suspension down a bit further, it would be binding for sure. Adding the diff drop kit made enough difference to reduce that binding.

Whenever people say "this" or "that" about a diff drop kit, they need to ask about the overall travel of the struts. Regular Bilsteins, Dobinsons, OME, etc don't have the full droop that the *574 options do from Dobinsons, and don't need a diff drop.

But also, if you'll never get the wheels in the air (aka jumping or flying fast offroad), then you'll never get the CV's to that binding position most likely.

 

[Crikeymike]

TLDR: monotubes cool off much quicker and I'm pretty pleased with the IMS rears!

Finally had a chance today to do some mid-speed runs (30-40mph) over a heavily corrugated/mogul heavy trail. Much more corrugated than anything I've experienced in Death Valley for sure. After a half mile or so section, I took the surface temps of my shocks (twin tubes in front and monotubes in rear). Before getting to the temps, I gotta say I'm really happy I made the switch from 705 valving to the 701 valving (50701 shocks). The rear is SOOO much more controlled now on the rough trails. Yea I can feel more on road but the trade off was worth it for the off road control.

Anyways back to the shock temps.

Always heard that monotube shocks cool off quicker than twintubes. Made sense due to how they are constructed differently but never got to test it till now. Did a mogul heavy trail today and got my rear IMS monotubes up to 235f. Front twintubes were around 155f. Both temps were surface temps so actual fluid temps were likely higher.

After taking a short 6 - 8 min break, the twin tubes dropped to 140f while the IMS monotubes dropped to 175-180f. With these numbers in mind, I'll eventually switch the fronts to IMS when my current ones fail!

Nice, that's really good feedback Kevin!!

 

[Mutant138]

Hey man. Nice, upgrade time!!

So the longer travel front GS59-574 max out the CV's at full droop to the point of almost binding under the weight of the vehicle. That's why we recommend a diff drop kit. I was the first to run them in the UCA, and when you rotate the wheel at full droop without a diff drop kit, you can feel the resistance starting there. If the tire had a chance to pull the suspension down a bit further, it would be binding for sure. Adding the diff drop kit made enough difference to reduce that binding.

Whenever people say "this" or "that" about a diff drop kit, they need to ask about the overall travel of the struts. Regular Bilsteins, Dobinsons, OME, etc don't have the full droop that the *574 options do from Dobinsons, and don't need a diff drop.

But also, if you'll never get the wheels in the air (aka jumping or flying fast offroad), then you'll never get the CV's to that binding position most likely.

Fair enough. My current ride height up front at 2.5” is acceptable. C59-352 is my next consideration(120lb bumper + winch).

2.5”/2” lift adding an inch of rake with the 327’s I ordered for the rear. This a common setup?

 

[Crikeymike]

Fair enough. My current ride height up front at 2.5” is acceptable. C59-352 is my next consideration(120lb bumper + winch).

2.5”/2” lift adding an inch of rake with the 327’s I ordered for the rear. This a common setup?

Heaps of guys are running a similar rake setup, about 1.5" of rake when it's all said and done. Good for being able to load up the rear without getting less than level. I think more people are doing 2"/1.5", but it yields the same rake results.

 

[B...]

Another data point for Dobinsons/Exit Offroad. I messaged Mike on Sunday. He responded Monday. Parts ordered on Tuesday night. Assembled/shipped on Wednesday. Delivered on Monday. Can't beat that!

Parts installed: C59-300 front coils. GS59-700 front struts. C59-599 rear coils. GS59-705 rear shocks.

Parts removed: Bilstein 6112 (busted). Bilstien 5100 rear shocks. OEM rear coils.

Tires: 265/70/17

Current hub to wheel well measurements after 150 miles: 22.50" Front. 23.25" Rear.

Took a nice 120 mile drive today. 100 miles on the hwy at 70-80 mph. 20 miles on the dirt at 30-50 mph. This setup rides great. Two thumbs up.

2,000 mile/new tire update

I've seen minimal, if any settling or loss of lift. Still 100% happy with this setup. My current center of hub to fender measurements are:

Driver Front: 22.25"
Passenger Front: 22.50"
Driver Rear: 23.00"
Passenger Rear: 23.25"

The 265/70/17 BFGs were just a bit too small for this much lift and didn't look right. Stepped it up to a new set of General Grabber A/TX in 275/70/17 yesterday.

 

[Mutant138]

352's in black for the front just backordered.

2.5"/2" it is.

Exit Off-Road FTW! Get that discount while it lasts people its a good deal!

 

[gantorris]

How long currently are orders with assembly taking?

 

[Crikeymike]

How long currently are orders with assembly taking?

At least 1 week delay if the parts are in stock. There are hundreds waiting for assembly right now

 

[gantorris]

At least 1 week delay if the parts are in stock. There are hundreds waiting for assembly right now

Thanks for the info, my wife keeps asking if her lift has shipped.

 

[Crikeymike]

Thanks for the info, my wife keeps asking if her lift has shipped.

Just tell her it's shipping from Australia and it will take a little while, then she'll stop asking for a few weeks. LOL

 

[SpeedyKevin]

Thanks for the info, my wife keeps asking if her lift has shipped.

Hmm thats odd...mine keeps asking when are we going to get rid of the runner

 

[Big Daddy K]

Okay... so I've bee researching again. Currently I am running OME 3" with 885s and 898s (IIRC) both of which don't have the lift they once did. Of course I've added 500ish pounds of junk to the truck over the last couple years. C4 rear bumper w/dual swings, C4 fuel tank skid, RCI aluminum skids, cargo leveling platform, molle panels, etc. Most of the weight is biased to the rear but the front has definitely lost some height as well.

If I were trying to get a 2"-3" lift with an IMS kit, should I start with 314 coils in front and 727 or 729 (I do have KDSS) springs in the rear? I haven't been able to find wire diameter and free length for the 314s yet.

A 302 is very similar in spec to my current set up, which rides okay but could stand to be higher. I'm guessing the 314 is longer than the 302 since they are advertised as the same spring rate. The 352 advertises similar lift at similar loads, but at a lot higher spring rate. So I'm guessing the ride is not as nice on the daily.

Not exactly sure where to land for rear springs. If I take in account my current set up and how much it dropped after adding the bumper, it would push me towards the 729 but, I also remember that it rode a lot better after adding the weight. So do I want to go with a lower rate longer spring...like a 727 or 329?

Grrrr I get in too deep looking at it. When considering load weight, should we consider the load per axle or overall?

 

[Sundy]

Okay... so I've bee researching again. Currently I am running OME 3" with 885s and 898s (IIRC) both of which don't have the lift they once did. Of course I've added 500ish pounds of junk to the truck over the last couple years. C4 rear bumper w/dual swings, C4 fuel tank skid, RCI aluminum skids, cargo leveling platform, molle panels, etc. Most of the weight is biased to the rear but the front has definitely lost some height as well.

If I were trying to get a 2"-3" lift with an IMS kit, should I start with 314 coils in front and 727 or 729 (I do have KDSS) springs in the rear? I haven't been able to find wire diameter and free length for the 314s yet.

A 302 is very similar in spec to my current set up, which rides okay but could stand to be higher. I'm guessing the 314 is longer than the 302 since they are advertised as the same spring rate. The 352 advertises similar lift at similar loads, but at a lot higher spring rate. So I'm guessing the ride is not as nice on the daily.

Not exactly sure where to land for rear springs. If I take in account my current set up and how much it dropped after adding the bumper, it would push me towards the 729 but, I also remember that it rode a lot better after adding the weight. So do I want to go with a lower rate longer spring...like a 727 or 329?

Grrrr I get in too deep looking at it. When considering load weight, should we consider the load per axle or overall?

How loaded up do you typically have the truck? the 727/327 are rated for 200-400 lbs constant rear load. The skids and sliders (if you have) should be pretty evenly weight distributed.

Here's my guess at your loads:
Bumper ~235 lbs
Cargo Platform/Molle Panels ~40-50 lbs
+ skids (not sure, assuming 50-100 lbs)

So you would be getting close to the max load on the 727/327. If you're not running KDSS maybe look at the variable rate and LT rear too, if you are concerned about ride quality? Worst case if the rear squatted a little you could add a spacer to each coil?

329's will hold all the weight, I'd be curious how the ride quality would be - if you like your softer rear end right now.

 

[Big Daddy K]

How loaded up do you typically have the truck? the 727/327 are rated for 200-400 lbs constant rear load. The skids and sliders (if you have) should be pretty evenly weight distributed.

Here's my guess at your loads:
Bumper ~235 lbs
Cargo Platform/Molle Panels ~40-50 lbs
+ skids (not sure, assuming 50-100 lbs)

So you would be getting close to the max load on the 727/327. If you're not running KDSS maybe look at the variable rate and LT rear too, if you are concerned about ride quality? Worst case if the rear squatted a little you could add a spacer to each coil?

329's will hold all the weight, I'd be curious how the ride quality would be - if you like your softer rear end right now.

Bumper, skids, sliders is about 450-500 and probably another 100 for platform molle and junk, I'd guess about 300 of that is behind the rear axle and the rest is between axles.
I do have KDSS which is why I was looking at the 727/729. I've been trying to stay away from adding spacers and stuff like that. I originally was just going to give my current set up a little boost, but I really don't want to invest in stuff that has 50K on it already.

 

[Crikeymike]

Okay... so I've bee researching again. Currently I am running OME 3" with 885s and 898s (IIRC) both of which don't have the lift they once did. Of course I've added 500ish pounds of junk to the truck over the last couple years. C4 rear bumper w/dual swings, C4 fuel tank skid, RCI aluminum skids, cargo leveling platform, molle panels, etc. Most of the weight is biased to the rear but the front has definitely lost some height as well.

If I were trying to get a 2"-3" lift with an IMS kit, should I start with 314 coils in front and 727 or 729 (I do have KDSS) springs in the rear? I haven't been able to find wire diameter and free length for the 314s yet.

A 302 is very similar in spec to my current set up, which rides okay but could stand to be higher. I'm guessing the 314 is longer than the 302 since they are advertised as the same spring rate. The 352 advertises similar lift at similar loads, but at a lot higher spring rate. So I'm guessing the ride is not as nice on the daily.

Not exactly sure where to land for rear springs. If I take in account my current set up and how much it dropped after adding the bumper, it would push me towards the 729 but, I also remember that it rode a lot better after adding the weight. So do I want to go with a lower rate longer spring...like a 727 or 329?

Grrrr I get in too deep looking at it. When considering load weight, should we consider the load per axle or overall?

2885's and 302's are almost the same specs in free height and spring rate.

2885's should never be called a 3" spring if used on a strut with a stock coil seat height, they don't produce 3" of lift once settled.

Are you only trying to change your springs, or your struts and shocks too?

And 2-3". There's one setup for 2", one setup for 2.5", one setup for 3", lots of options, and it's about combining coils with the correct struts to provide the right amount of lift and ride quality.

Pretty much everyone I know running a C4 rear bumper and other rear gear are running the 329's. The 72x series of springs aren't stocked in the USA anymore, so use the 329's with the 15mm passenger side spacer.

Weight on the axle versus hanging 4ft off the rear end of the axle both affect lift height different, much like when adding a trailer.

 

[Big Daddy K]

2885's and 302's are almost the same specs in free height and spring rate.

2885's should never be called a 3" spring if used on a strut with a stock coil seat height, they don't produce 3" of lift once settled.

Are you only trying to change your springs, or your struts and shocks too?

And 2-3". There's one setup for 2", one setup for 2.5", one setup for 3", lots of options, and it's about combining coils with the correct struts to provide the right amount of lift and ride quality.

Pretty much everyone I know running a C4 rear bumper and other rear gear are running the 329's. The 72x series of springs aren't stocked in the USA anymore, so use the 329's with the 15mm passenger side spacer.

Weight on the axle versus hanging 4ft off the rear end of the axle both affect lift height different, much like when adding a trailer.

I figured I’d do the whole suspension. I don’t want to mix and match brands necessarily and my current lift has about 50k on it so I don’t want to invest much in it. I was thinking I would go with the IMS shock/strut so I would have some adjustability in the front.
I’m not sure how to estimate what load is on what axle, other than there is a lot more in the back lol I’m sure I am close to 600# when loaded for the trail. I wouldn’t mind a little rake so it doesn’t sag much when loaded for camping. I’m just slightly sagged with the constant load now so it needs to go up an inch at least.


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[Crikeymike]

I figured I’d do the whole suspension. I don’t want to mix and match brands necessarily and my current lift has about 50k on it so I don’t want to invest much in it. I was thinking I would go with the IMS shock/strut so I would have some adjustability in the front.
I’m not sure how to estimate what load is on what axle, other than there is a lot more in the back lol I’m sure I am close to 600# when loaded for the trail. I wouldn’t mind a little rake so it doesn’t sag much when loaded for camping. I’m just slightly sagged with the constant load now so it needs to go up an inch at least.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok cool. I'd say C59-314's with the IMS59-50574 would be good since it seems that you don't have much front weight. And then the 329's in the rear with the 15mm spacer on the passenger side will do the trick.