Icon Stage 2, OME BP-51, or King?
- Thread starter TheDozer
- Start date
Bill_
New member
There's a lot of great discussion about ride and performance but I was curious about longevity and maintenance. Coming from south Nj, with all the snow/salted roads, sandy trails, beaches, etc, which shock would resist corrosion the best? Guess it's hard to say with the bp-51s since they are fairly new. Which ones have the best warranty? Also looking to keep rebuilding/maintenance to a minimum, not sure if one company stands out in that regard.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That's the kdss style reservoir mount
LawnDart
Senior Member
I'd still say the kings. Maybe the BP51s.
JPOVS
Member
I was shopping around locally for a suspension lift, and was told by a couple shops here in Minnesota to stay away from heim joints and stick with bushings. Was told that heim joints don't hold up well to corrosion when compared to bushings.
Before I was told this information I was close to ordering Kings, but then decided on Bilstein 6112 for the front and Icon 2.0 rears. I chose the 6112 for the front since It was the largest diameter with a bushing. I hope I picked the right stuff.
In a couple of years I'll be moving out west and then Ill plan to get some Kings.
DesertCanyons
New member
ICON vs King
^Good question in the post above. The same question for all of you. How long does the front and rear install take? I need to finish either the front or the back or both/all in one weekend. The T4R is my daily driver.
I'm looking at the ICON vs the Kings, long travel with remote reservoirs and ride adjustment control on the remote. They both price out very closely at this level. I'm only beginning to understand the difference between King's digressive damping and ICON's progressive damping. Please explain this if you understand the difference.
Another thread indicated the ICON's behaved better on rough roads and the Kings were good on the paved roads, if I recall.
I'm looking at the Rokeman UCA, Cal Fab trailing arms for all 5 of the rear axle links, new springs in the back with 700# capacity.
Do we need larger bump stops? Do we need longer brake lines for long travel?
^Good question in the post above. The same question for all of you. How long does the front and rear install take? I need to finish either the front or the back or both/all in one weekend. The T4R is my daily driver.
I'm looking at the ICON vs the Kings, long travel with remote reservoirs and ride adjustment control on the remote. They both price out very closely at this level. I'm only beginning to understand the difference between King's digressive damping and ICON's progressive damping. Please explain this if you understand the difference.
Another thread indicated the ICON's behaved better on rough roads and the Kings were good on the paved roads, if I recall.
I'm looking at the Rokeman UCA, Cal Fab trailing arms for all 5 of the rear axle links, new springs in the back with 700# capacity.
Do we need larger bump stops? Do we need longer brake lines for long travel?
Vinsil
New member
LT with KDSS?
Haven't seen that done yet. I believe you have digressive and progressive switched between the two.
You might call both companies as well and explain your needs and let them sell you on their method. It also seems you jumping into top end bolt on gear. Do you need LT, rebound, compression and dampening in your suspension?
Lots of ability to self tune your setup but it seems if you have to ask about digressive and progressive valving you might not take advantage of all the tuning and ability that IBP, large 2.5" pistons, and reservoirs give you..for the money spent.
Not knocking you, but be honest. If you want all the bragging rights for top end stuff, go for it. Beware of the added noise, maintenance and PITA your going to get with bolt on Baja.
Haven't seen that done yet. I believe you have digressive and progressive switched between the two.
You might call both companies as well and explain your needs and let them sell you on their method. It also seems you jumping into top end bolt on gear. Do you need LT, rebound, compression and dampening in your suspension?
Lots of ability to self tune your setup but it seems if you have to ask about digressive and progressive valving you might not take advantage of all the tuning and ability that IBP, large 2.5" pistons, and reservoirs give you..for the money spent.
Not knocking you, but be honest. If you want all the bragging rights for top end stuff, go for it. Beware of the added noise, maintenance and PITA your going to get with bolt on Baja.
I've run both Icon and King on different vehicles and have come to realize that I prefer King. Icon felt to be a jarring ride over the small stuff like bridge abutments and small pot holes, you know, the everyday stuff. Where King is butter on all terrain. Both will soak up big bumps like they were not there but only the Kings gave me the nice ride over the "every day" stuff. It's all about the valving...
If you can't do the install in one full weekend you have no business installing it. Alone, with only jackstands and normal garage tools, I installed front and rear suspension in 8hrs. I fought with the KDSS for 2 of it. YOU WILL NEED A SMALLER RATCHET STRAP to make aligning the sway bar easier. Can be done without but its a bear and a waste of time.
DesertCanyons
New member
ICON vs King
Thanks for the response Visil,
Is Long Travel difficult with the stiff sway bar of KDSS?
I will read more about digressive and progressive damping until I get it. Maybe it's covered in the Coilover Bible.
I do want long travel to keep all 4 wheels on the ground when climbing over rocky roads. The remote reservoirs offer adjustment of damping in the shock for on and off road conditions.
What's the added noise, maintenance and PITA associated with top end suspension gear?
Thanks again.
Thanks for the response Visil,
Is Long Travel difficult with the stiff sway bar of KDSS?
I will read more about digressive and progressive damping until I get it. Maybe it's covered in the Coilover Bible.
I do want long travel to keep all 4 wheels on the ground when climbing over rocky roads. The remote reservoirs offer adjustment of damping in the shock for on and off road conditions.
What's the added noise, maintenance and PITA associated with top end suspension gear?
Thanks again.
DesertCanyons
New member
ICON vs King, install time
Thanks DKRunner,
I have read the thread on suspension install with KDSS and will study it in depth again before I try to do it. Good tip on strapping the KDSS piston before starting.
Thanks DKRunner,
I have read the thread on suspension install with KDSS and will study it in depth again before I try to do it. Good tip on strapping the KDSS piston before starting.
Vinsil
New member
From what I read, no personal experience is that the kdss or any sway bar won't allow full travel with a LT setup. The guys running LT can chime in but it seems many remove the sway bars to take full advantage of the travel. I could be wrong but double check before dropping $6k.
I get the adjustment part fully. Had aftermarket walker evans on my sxs. It's awesome to tune to the terrain. If that is something important and needed by you, by all means.
The noise is from the heim joints. They are noisy. They also wear faster than traditional bushings. You will be replacing them so you will be tearing you suspension apart every 20-30k or less depending on the condiotions your truck sees.
Maintenance will also come in the form of rebuilding the shocks. They will require a full rebuild in similar miles.
The PITA comes will all that. Your links you want have heims.
Basically this will not be a bolt on and rock on for years if you put a lot of miles on your truck. Just be honest with your intended use. Mine is a daily driver and it goes 50 mils a day down the freeway. I've had it off-road a few time so far and owned it 3 months. I'd love to bling it out with bolt on Baja, but honestly some 5100's and eventually some walker springs will be a great daily setup and work great off-road. Less than grand puts 5100's on, walker springs and nice adjustable uca's. Another couple hundred puts an adjustable track bar on the rear and is you bash them, replace the lower links with something stronger.
You would be hard pressed to out wheel that setup unless you doing some fast paced running!
Just an option, good luck!
Also, my spelling and grammar suck due to being on my phone, I'm not that big of an idiot! LOL
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Use a jack with a block of wood for the piston. The strap comes in to play when you have to remove the sway bar end bracket on the lower control arm to allow it to drop further on the passenger side due to the stationary upper sway bar mount. This will allow you to get the coil over seated in the coil bucket.
DesertCanyons
New member
ICON vs King, install time
Thanks again Vinsil and DKRunner.
Maybe I need to look at less travel. But I do need the lift here in So Cal.
Jimmy Carter said, "Less is More" during his presidency. It may apply here to my suspension plans too.
Thanks again Vinsil and DKRunner.
Maybe I need to look at less travel. But I do need the lift here in So Cal.
Jimmy Carter said, "Less is More" during his presidency. It may apply here to my suspension plans too.
T4RJon_SR5
New member
I'm leaning toward the BP-51's on my 03 V8. Was also looking at ICON stage 2, and can't afford the CDCV's.
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