Dobinsons Suspension - 4th Gen Options

[Crikeymike]

Mike, I'm pretty sure that I have e-mailed you a few times with my questions but I'm posting here to also get some input from other members rather than starting a whole new thread.

My situation is pretty much the same as the one above. I want more rake or eliminate rear sag when loaded.

I'm right now running a 05 with an FJ Cruiser TRD suspension. FJ TDR coils, Bilstein 5100s set to the second lowest ring up front and the Bilstein's that came with the FJ suspension in the rear. This gave me a 1.8" front end lift and 0.5" rear lift. I would like to regain the original rake of for aesthetics as well as preventing the rear from sagging when loaded. I have airbags in the back to try to correct for this but would like to achieve the proper rake with springs. So I'm basically looking for a 1.8" lift in the rear.

My question is that if I go with 505s or 325s in the rear are they going to be a mismatch for the front springs?
- My ride quality with my current setup is somewhat choppy so I really don't want to see it deteriorate? Am I better off also purchasing the Dobinson rear shocks with soft valving and replacing the Bilsteins?
- And at that point am I just better off swapping my whole suspension out with a new Dobinson suspension using the 300 springs up front? The goal being a 2" lift with factory rake?

You have already been real helpful (I wish you were around 10 years ago when I did my original suspension mod).

Any other of the members have some insight or have had similar setup or suggestions?

I have no idea of the specs for the front coils you're running. But we only look at the front and the rear separately anyway, and it's all based on how much weight is on the vehicle with accessories, and desired lift height.

If your suspension is choppy, it could be something's wrong with it. Worn out or damaged perhaps. New coils won't make a change in ride quality usually, as that's the job of the shocks.

For the height you're looking for, C59-505 would be ideal. I'd be looking at the rest of your parts though to see if they're still in good shape before piecing it back together to get it sorted out.

 

[wyorca]

I have no idea of the specs for the front coils you're running. But we only look at the front and the rear separately anyway, and it's all based on how much weight is on the vehicle with accessories, and desired lift height.

If your suspension is choppy, it could be something's wrong with it. Worn out or damaged perhaps. New coils won't make a change in ride quality usually, as that's the job of the shocks.

For the height you're looking for, C59-505 would be ideal. I'd be looking at the rest of your parts though to see if they're still in good shape before piecing it back together to get it sorted out.

Thanks for this info - it is all beginning to make some sense now.

The choppiness seems to be coming from the rear. How would your 637 or 705 shocks pair with the Bistein 5100s I have up front?

 

[Crikeymike]

Thanks for this info - it is all beginning to make some sense now.

The choppiness seems to be coming from the rear. How would your 637 or 705 shocks pair with the Bistein 5100s I have up front?

Not sure, never tried it. Front and rear shocks on a vehicle should be matched though. Running monotubes up front and twin tubes in the back could give a strange ride.

 

[wyorca]

Not sure, never tried it. Front and rear shocks on a vehicle should be matched though. Running monotubes up front and twin tubes in the back could give a strange ride.

OK good to know. If I were to do a full suspension, would C59-300 in front and C59-325s in back along with your shocks give me what I'm looking for? Probably a better option than a mishmash of springs and shocks.....

 

[Crikeymike]

OK good to know. If I were to do a full suspension, would C59-300 in front and C59-325s in back along with your shocks give me what I'm looking for? Probably a better option than a mishmash of springs and shocks.....

Yes, that would be an ideal setup. That would be about 60mm front and rear lift.

 

[Reptile Christ]

Hey man.

The front with that combo will be 2", so you'll be good to go without needing any other parts.

For the rear, I'd recommend the 505 rear coils for 1.5" lift with the GS59-705 shocks. That will give you some room to absorb loading when it happens, and it will also ride really well on and off road.

You'd have about 1.5" rake front to rear with that setup.

Here are my first impressions after driving ~100 miles on the new setup below, which was installed yesterday:

Front
302 springs
221 struts
5mm spacer

Rear
505 springs
705 shocks
10mm spacer

A couple of notes
- Ended up with about 1-inch of rake front to rear (which I think is perfect!)
- Ground to fender height front before: 32.5"
- Ground to fender height front after: 36.5"
- Ground to fender height rear before: 35"
- Ground to fender height rear after: 37.5"

The roads in Minnesota are absolute garbage. The state of my 200k miles-old XREAS system made for some pretty miserable driving conditions and exacerbated a deep-rooted problem with road rage. I did not realize just how shot my factory setup was until installing this Dobinson's kit.

I will be curious to see if the kit "settles" at all after being broken in, but I'm very happy with the height improvement over stock thus far! I will post some pics once new tires are installed.

As far as the ride is concerned... it feels like a completely different vehicle and is better in every way. I'm hesitant to use the word stiff at all when describing this suspension. Maybe crisp would be a better word? It's somewhere between stiff and crisp. It feels very sturdy and well-grounded, and I feel much more secure and in-control at highway speeds. The old setup felt bouncy, floaty, and occasionally jarring, and drove my girlfriend and I absolutely insane. The Dobinson's kit seems very responsive. It processes bumps nicely and gets you back to riding smoothly quickly. I truly feel like I own a different vehicle and can't wait to put some miles, on and off-road, on this Dobinson's setup and the new tires, which are getting installed Monday. Will provide an update after a few thousand more miles!

 

[Crikeymike]

Here are my first impressions after driving ~100 miles on the new setup below, which was installed yesterday:

Front
302 springs
221 struts
5mm spacer

Rear
505 springs
705 shocks
10mm spacer

A couple of notes
- Ended up with about 1-inch of rake front to rear (which I think is perfect!)
- Ground to fender height front before: 32.5"
- Ground to fender height front after: 36.5"
- Ground to fender height rear before: 35"
- Ground to fender height rear after: 37.5"

The roads in Minnesota are absolute garbage. The state of my 200k miles-old XREAS system made for some pretty miserable driving conditions and exacerbated a deep-rooted problem with road rage. I did not realize just how shot my factory setup was until installing this Dobinson's kit.

I will be curious to see if the kit "settles" at all after being broken in, but I'm very happy with the height improvement over stock thus far! I will post some pics once new tires are installed.

As far as the ride is concerned... it feels like a completely different vehicle and is better in every way. I'm hesitant to use the word stiff at all when describing this suspension. Maybe crisp would be a better word? It's somewhere between stiff and crisp. It feels very sturdy and well-grounded, and I feel much more secure and in-control at highway speeds. The old setup felt bouncy, floaty, and occasionally jarring, and drove my girlfriend and I absolutely insane. The Dobinson's kit seems very responsive. It processes bumps nicely and gets you back to riding smoothly quickly. I truly feel like I own a different vehicle and can't wait to put some miles, on and off-road, on this Dobinson's setup and the new tires, which are getting installed Monday. Will provide an update after a few thousand more miles!

Thanks for the review!!
"More responsive" is one way I sometimes refer to it, or "sporty feel", kind of like the difference between a BMW and a Cadillac.

 

[alextmullis]

Mike, how long would it take to get a pair of front MRR’s?

 

[Crikeymike]

Mike, how long would it take to get a pair of front MRR’s?

We have a limited amount coming by container next month, or we can bring them by air to you in a week for extra cost.

 

[064runnerv8]

Mike

I have a stock 4runner that I'm looking to put a lift on. I do very little offroading but would like to get rid of the station wagon look. It's a V8 and I don't plan on adding any weight. Would like the best ride quality possible. What do you recommend?

Thanks

 

[Crikeymike]

Mike

I have a stock 4runner that I'm looking to put a lift on. I do very little offroading but would like to get rid of the station wagon look. It's a V8 and I don't plan on adding any weight. Would like the best ride quality possible. What do you recommend?

Thanks

Hey man, the most common setup is to add 2.5" to the front and 1.5" to the rear. You can get by without new UCA's, although I do suggest them for a better wheel alignment.

For stock weight V8, 2.5" front and 1.5" rear, I'd suggest these parts.
C59-314
GS59-221
C59-505
GS59-705

 

[064runnerv8]

Variable comfort option=better ride?

 

[Crikeymike]

Variable comfort option=better ride?

No, not really in this case because the spring rates are the same, but those would add too much lift to the rear. You'd have to lift the front 3" at least to run those variables in the rear and be anywhere close to level.

 

[hstexan]

After 6 months of happy Dobinsons ownership I'm starting to wish I had gone a little higher. [MENTION=148378]Dobinsons Mike[/MENTION] what would you recommend for what I'm wanting to achieve? Currently running 300 coils on the front and 505 coils in the rear for a 2"/1.5" setup and I like the way it rides. I'm thinking I'd like to go up to a 3"/2" setup.

Front end is stock right now, though in future I may consider replacing the skids and maayyyybe a bumper. For the front coil I was thinking perhaps the 448? If I added a bumper and skids what would you recommend? Maybe the 314? For the rear I have a 150lb RTT, an awning, a roof rack, and my full size spare rides in the hatch permanently. Because of that I think I'm leaning toward the 327 over the 325. I know no matter what I'm going to have to bite the bullet on UCAs and a diff drop now.

 

[Crikeymike]

After 6 months of happy Dobinsons ownership I'm starting to wish I had gone a little higher. [MENTION=148378]Dobinsons Mike[/MENTION] what would you recommend for what I'm wanting to achieve? Currently running 300 coils on the front and 505 coils in the rear for a 2"/1.5" setup and I like the way it rides. I'm thinking I'd like to go up to a 3"/2" setup.

Front end is stock right now, though in future I may consider replacing the skids and maayyyybe a bumper. For the front coil I was thinking perhaps the 448? If I added a bumper and skids what would you recommend? Maybe the 314? For the rear I have a 150lb RTT, an awning, a roof rack, and my full size spare rides in the hatch permanently. Because of that I think I'm leaning toward the 327 over the 325. I know no matter what I'm going to have to bite the bullet on UCAs and a diff drop now.

The 448's are no good for anything other than stock V6 weight. You'll need the 314 coils with the GS59-220 struts to be at the 3" mark with the extra weight, depending how heavy the parts are that you add.

With what you've got now, you could change to the GS59-220 struts with those coils to have 3" front lift, and add UCA's and a diff drop kit.

Yeah, 327's in the rear would be ideal for 2" with that weight you've got.

 

[Whytey]

Going from XREAS (100,000 miles) w/ Daystar 2.5"/1.5" spacer lift and 265/70R17 tires to Dobinsons C59-677V rear coils with 285/70R17 tires I gained 2.9-3" hub to Fender and 3.5-4.5" ground to fender.

Finally got my suspension all installed and tested out. It has been on for about a month and a half now so assuming it has settled if it has at all.
What I am running:

Front:
Elka 2.5 Reservoir with DSC
Eibach 14"x650# spring installed (replacing 13"x700#
Total Chaos UCA with Delta joint
Timbren Active Offroad Bumpstops

Rear:
Elka 2.5 Reservoir with DSC
Dobinsons C59-677V
Timbren Active Offroad Bumpstops

Before I lifted I was running XREAS with Daystar 2.5"/1.5" Spacer lift on 265/70R17 wheels.
Measurements before:
Driver Front-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21 1/8"

Passenger Front-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21"

Driver Rear-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21 1/2"

Passenger Rear-
Ground-Fender: 37"
Hub to Fender: 21 3/4"


After the lift I upped my tire size to 285/70R17's.
Measurements are:
Driver Front-
Ground-Fender: 38 1/4"
Hub to Fender: 22 1/2"

Passenger Front-
Ground-Fender: 38"
Hub to Fender: 22 1/2"

Driver Rear-
Ground-Fender: 40 1/2"
Hub to Fender: 24 1/2"

Passenger Rear-
Ground-Fender: 40 1/2"
Hub to Fender: 24 1/8"

 

[swerks]

suspension installed !

need your thoughts, will rear settle a little ? should I consider C59-505 or does it look fine the way it is ? Current set up is C59-302 up front and C59-325 in rear

 

[Crikeymike]

need your thoughts, will rear settle a little ? should I consider C59-505 or does it look fine the way it is ? Current set up is C59-302 up front and C59-325 in rear

Was this right after installation? It does look a bit taller, not yet settled.

 

[swerks]

this was 4hrs after install. I will give it some time to settle

 

[Crikeymike]

this was 4hrs after install. I will give it some time to settle

Yeah, it takes about 500 miles for the coils to break in and settle. Make sure the pigtail of the coils are against the step in the coil seat on the axle properly too.