For those who have ICON stage suspension lift kits

[Throwback]

This is a serious question - what does your Icon stage 7 do that a 3" OME doesn't for normal slow speed off roading? I'm assuming it offers much more articulation and rides better on the street.

I ask because this thread is a great example of where a lot of dudes are with these things thanks to the forums and Instagram. We know Kings, Icon, and Fox are awesome.... but not quite sure what all that money gets you.

Is there a break point where a lift and tire size on a 5th Gen is actually significantly more capable off road? It would seem the dollars spent on a 2.5"/1.5" lift and 275s don't really buy much other than looking awesome. Maybe 3" and 285s helps a lot?

 

[DesertCanyons]

Bennefits of taller tires

This is a serious question - what does your Icon stage 7 do that a 3" OME doesn't for normal slow speed off roading? I'm assuming it offers much more articulation and rides better on the street.

I ask because this thread is a great example of where a lot of dudes are with these things thanks to the forums and Instagram. We know Kings, Icon, and Fox are awesome.... but not quite sure what all that money gets you.

Is there a break point where a lift and tire size on a 5th Gen is actually significantly more capable off road? It would seem the dollars spent on a 2.5"/1.5" lift and 275s don't really buy much other than looking awesome. Maybe 3" and 285s helps a lot?

The ICON and King shocks offer adjustable remote reservoirs, which could be very helpful in rugged rocky slow off road driving. It could reduce bounce in the suspension as you climb or drop over obstacles.

I don't know if I get more articulation on pavement with the ICON Stage 7 lift. I do have 2.5" remote reservoir shocks which may perform better than 2" emulsion shocks. The system is new to me and I'm still learning what it's good for. And I don't drive fast on the streets so I don't see much benefit in better street performance. It's a tall SUV, after all. The stock tires are better for city and highway driving, IMHO.

With Falken LT285/70R17 A/T3W I got more ground clearance under the differential for off roading. Before the lift I actually got the diff stuck between two rocks out in Calico, CA this past fall. I had to jack it up and place more rocks under the wheels to get out.

The lift won't help clear a differential but larger tires will lift the diff. You need the lift for 285/70 tires.

Like I said, the lift has only been on the truck for a month and I've done one fairly easy off road adventure with it installed. I could have done that run stock, without a lift, but it was good to know I wasn't go to scrape the skid plates on every high rock in the road.

If anyone has other views on tires and the ICON or King lift, please chime in.

 

[1engineer]

Ok, so an OME or Bilstein lift and very slightly larger tires like 285s actually gains you what performance off road? 1/2" more ground clearance under the axle?

What about the King, Icon, and Fox coilovers for slow paced four wheeling? I totally understand the desert racing type use but what about regular old wheelin'?

Maybe I'll be lucky enough for a [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] reply.

You guys know the truth: A stock 4Runner, with the addition of decent tires, is at it's most reliable and durable it can be. Also, it is at the best configuration for a wide variety of uses. That means, road then trail then snow then interatate, etc.

Now, if you want to improve for a specific application like off roading (real, not dirt roads) or rock crawling, then there are great mods that will improve that specific use. Unfortunately, the mods done to improve a specific use will cause other uses to suffer. Examples:
Lift for increased off road clearance, raises the CG and conversely less stable on road corners.

Remember ANY weight added will reduce mpg. Worst offender is heavier tires or wheels.

Now, if you want to lift for looks only? That's fine btw, just use a spacer lift. Cheap and all the admirers won't know anything different.

Last thing to remember: If you don't really have the need for Kings or Icons and you just want them because they are cool, remember those are high dollar and will need to be rebuilt fairly frequently depending on use and environment. That means taking them off and sending them back for rebuild, which means having your truck up on jacks for a few weeks..

Those who mod for serious off road know all this. They know the advantages and limitations of their mods. This is not for them.

Remember that the 4Runner stock is going to go further than most people's courage will take them. Also, a oro driver can take a stock truck faster tand further than an amateur can take a highly modded truck.

My opinion? Leave it stock, go take some off road driving courses and mod after learning what you really need.

 

[WallyT4R]

I don't see this mentioned here on this forum a lot but I have read that Icon is hit or miss on their quality control. It seems you either have no issues or you have constant issues. I read about this on Expedition Portal. For instance a guy with a Tacoma has had to rebuild a shock or several in less than a year cuz they have blown. He has had issues since day one with Icon and he says others do also. But here on this forum I don't see that happening much unless people are just not talking about it.

 

[fordracing19]

I have an 4th gen with Icons 2.5 with remote reservoir w/cdc valves front and rear, upper Icon tubular arms, and Icon tubular rear lower links. It drives great and I don't run swaybars either.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[shrub1]

I don't see this mentioned here on this forum a lot but I have read that Icon is hit or miss on their quality control. It seems you either have no issues or you have constant issues. I read about this on Expedition Portal. For instance a guy with a Tacoma has had to rebuild a shock or several in less than a year cuz they have blown. He has had issues since day one with Icon and he says others do also. But here on this forum I don't see that happening much unless people are just not talking about it.

Well, I am one of the guys that had shit luck with Icon.

My first set of coil overs both leaked within 2000 miles with mild to moderate off- roading. I opted to buy a replacement set and have the leaky ones rebuilt and are on the shelf to be swapped out when the current pair shit the bed. The replacement set have been perfect for over 10K now.

I had Icon tubular UCA that right out of the gate sounded like a donkey in heat over speed bumps and when coming to a stop. Icon ended up sending me a new pair free of charge.

The moral to my little story (to the OP) is that ALL brands have issues from time to time and if I were to do it again I'd still go Icon. They run really nice on the road and off. I am slumming it with Icon Stage 2 and do not need any thing more. My advice to the OP is that IF you do decide to lift go with adjustable coil overs. Doesn't need to be Icon, but having the ability to fine tune front end ride height is priceless. Take it from a guy that went the spacer route (Toytec TRD 2 inch lift) to start with and chucked it.

I will add that 1engineer is correct that the ride and reliability (not to mention value) will never be better than it is stock.

 

[DesertCanyons]

ICON shock wear and rebuilding them

Good points raised above by [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]
I was making some of the same points in my posts above about Mr Gainzz Limited Edition.
However, I've had my ICON shocks on for maybe 30 to 40 days and nothings failed yet. :lmao:
I also added some extra protection to the shocks to guard against dirt and wear, like adding steel shin guards and rubber shock boots to the lower piston rod thingy on the rear shocks. I understand the seals can fail due to dirt and debris on that sliding rod.
I've heard about regular maintenance with the ICON and King shocks. I've read [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] 's and other threads about rebuilding the ICON shocks. I just figure that if mine fail at the seals I'll have to rebuild them myself. Not having the truck for many weeks due to shipping times is not a good option for me. Of course, ICON is about an hour from me in Riverside, CA.

 

[1engineer]

Good points raised above by [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]
I was making some of the same points in my posts above about Mr Gainzz Limited Edition.
However, I've had my ICON shocks on for maybe 30 to 40 days and nothings failed yet. :lmao:
I also added some extra protection to the shocks to guard against dirt and wear, like adding steel shin guards and rubber shock boots to the lower piston rod thingy on the rear shocks. I understand the seals can fail due to dirt and debris on that sliding rod.
I've heard about regular maintenance with the ICON and King shocks. I've read [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] 's and other threads about rebuilding the ICON shocks. I just figure that if mine fail at the seals I'll have to rebuild them myself. Not having the truck for many weeks due to shipping times is not a good option for me. Of course, ICON is about an hour from me in Riverside, CA.

Icon is close and that is good. You will need specific tools to disassemble. Dirt is one thing... heat from repeated cycling is another. They are good quality shocks built for high performance, but like everything built for performance, they need much more maintenance. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[DeltaSkyWolf]

Thanks all for your input. This prevented me from pulling the trigger on shocks since I am still new to off roading. I will wait until I'm deeper in it to buy new suspension.

 

[sactown]

You guys know the truth: A stock 4Runner, with the addition of decent tires, is at it's most reliable and durable it can be. Also, it is at the best configuration for a wide variety of uses. That means, road then trail then snow then interatate, etc.

Now, if you want to improve for a specific application like off roading (real, not dirt roads) or rock crawling, then there are great mods that will improve that specific use. Unfortunately, the mods done to improve a specific use will cause other uses to suffer. Examples:
Lift for increased off road clearance, raises the CG and conversely less stable on road corners.

Remember ANY weight added will reduce mpg. Worst offender is heavier tires or wheels.

Now, if you want to lift for looks only? That's fine btw, just use a spacer lift. Cheap and all the admirers won't know anything different.

Last thing to remember: If you don't really have the need for Kings or Icons and you just want them because they are cool, remember those are high dollar and will need to be rebuilt fairly frequently depending on use and environment. That means taking them off and sending them back for rebuild, which means having your truck up on jacks for a few weeks..

Those who mod for serious off road know all this. They know the advantages and limitations of their mods. This is not for them.

Remember that the 4Runner stock is going to go further than most people's courage will take them. Also, a oro driver can take a stock truck faster tand further than an amateur can take a highly modded truck.

My opinion? Leave it stock, go take some off road driving courses and mod after learning what you really need.

Great post! 265 KM2's or similar will do what I need for now. Pack some recovery gear, air pump, tire repair kit, appropriate emergency kit, and a HAM radio and I'll enjoy exploring the many trails in my area, and the occasional campout or hunt. And all of it with a group of friends is even better. More substantial changes will happen as situations warrant.

 

[DesertCanyons]

More tools for the job

Icon is close and that is good. You will need specific tools to disassemble. Dirt is one thing... heat from repeated cycling is another. They are good quality shocks built for high performance, but like everything built for performance, they need much more maintenance. Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks Greg,
I feel a whole lot better now. :ranger:
I bought a lot of tools to do the lift. The more videos I watched on how to do it, the longer my tool list got. I was lucky that a friend gave me his floor jack and 4 jack stands. I had already bought several jack stands and another cylinder jack, which I used a lot.
For installing the new Baxter Performance remote oil filter I bought a few more tools. In the past I always let the mechanic do the oil changes. But with the RCI skid plates it adds another layer of difficulty that adds to the labor cost. The dealer screwed up my front OEM skid plate by torqueing the bolts too tight. That cured me of going back to the dealer. I'll be doing the oil change and gear oil change here pretty soon.
Getting a few more tools for the shock rebuild will not hurt me too much.

I always learn something your posts Greg. Thanks.
Dave in So Cal

 

[buffalojay]

Wish I had seen this before I went ahead and pulled the trigger on my Stage 2 icon suspension and tires. I love the look of my vehicle but I really haven’t done enough hard trails to warrant the cost. Now I’m thinking of returning to stock as this is my daily driver, and I can’t stand the squeaking I’m getting still out of the front coils and UCAs. For those of you who are considering suspension be mindful of that I’ve looked in these forums and tacomaworld. It seems this a pretty common issue with various methods of success in trying to fix it. If I were to do it again. I’d just do tires and save the rest for small mods here and there as I needed them.

 

[4runnin4mylife]

Wish I had seen this before I went ahead and pulled the trigger on my Stage 2 icon suspension and tires. I love the look of my vehicle but I really haven’t done enough hard trails to warrant the cost. Now I’m thinking of returning to stock as this is my daily driver, and I can’t stand the squeaking I’m getting still out of the front coils and UCAs. For those of you who are considering suspension be mindful of that I’ve looked in these forums and tacomaworld. It seems this a pretty common issue with various methods of success in trying to fix it. If I were to do it again. I’d just do tires and save the rest for small mods here and there as I needed them.

How much do you have the coilovers cranked? Also, what UCA's do you have? I'm just curious as that's probably where your squeaking is coming from? I have JBA UCA's and put a shot of grease every 10,000 miles (each oil change) and my Icon Stage 2 suspension doesnt make a sound. It's my daily driver with a moderate back road here and there (no hard wheeling) so it sounds like we use our Runners for the same things. Just trying to help you out here if you have some more info.

 

[buffalojay]

How much do you have the coilovers cranked? Also, what UCA's do you have? I'm just curious as that's probably where your squeaking is coming from? I have JBA UCA's and put a shot of grease every 10,000 miles (each oil change) and my Icon Stage 2 suspension doesnt make a sound. It's my daily driver with a moderate back road here and there (no hard wheeling) so it sounds like we use our Runners for the same things. Just trying to help you out here if you have some more info.

I'm not sure how cranked they are? Is there an easy way to tell? I have the Icon Tubular UCA's. I was thinking of purchasing the new Delta joint and seeing if that might fix it. Yeah It does sound like we are utilizing the vehicles similarly. I'll see if I can take a pic of my coil over and see if I post it if that will help. I appreciate an insight.

 

[OverkillYJ]

Anyone know what the service intervals are supposed to be with Icon? I have a stage 6 on my wife's DD. Blew a front in a month (warantee) then 14 months has blown a rear. This is DD only, so I'm getting pretty disappointed.