Icon Stages - Real Life

[Matt's4Runner]

Can someone explain, with real life examples, what kind of driving each Icon Stage is designed for? I have a 2011 Trail Edition with BFG All-Terrains and Shrockworks sliders if anyone is able to compare stock performance or explain how each stage improves on stock. I can currently go as far as a Stage 3, but would prefer to not spend that much if possible. Also, I'm curious if upgrading the suspension results in voiding the factory warranty and if it affects insurance. Finally, do any/all stages require eliminating the KDSS and if so, are they upgrades? Before anyone tells me to "search", I did but it's all too technical - :shocked:

 

[sdhobbs]

Can someone explain, with real life examples, what kind of driving each Icon Stage is designed for? I have a 2011 Trail Edition with BFG All-Terrains and Shrockworks sliders if anyone is able to compare stock performance or explain how each stage improves on stock. I can currently go as far as a Stage 3, but would prefer to not spend that much if possible. Also, I'm curious if upgrading the suspension results in voiding the factory warranty and if it affects insurance. Finally, do any/all stages require eliminating the KDSS and if so, are they upgrades? Before anyone tells me to "search", I did but it's all too technical - :shocked:

I too am interested in hearing some Icon review/experience.

 

[Alex T4R]

The coilovers with remote reservoir and rear shocks piggy back or remote reservoir are actually for high speed driving, so they can cool off faster. If you planning on rock crawling that regular or extended coilovers is more then enough. All other stuff is just extra which you might replace later in the line is your confidence off road builds up and you start to push your limits. Like lower and upper rear control arms are just more beefier and can withstand more abuse and pressure then stock ones. Icon UCA is just a lot of bling and much more beefier then stock ones, but there are many other chooses, like Light Racing Upper Control Arms which is 3 times cheaper then Icons Upper Control Arm. I heard that rear shocks with piggy backs or remote reservoir rides smoother then just VS shocks, but i can't attain to it. Look at 5th gen Build Thread and sometimes people list why they choose their suspension setup up.
Good Luck in your search

 

[Intruder]

Suspension will not affect your KDSS unless you go long travel and need to remove your sway bar.

The first thing you need to answer is what do you plan to do with the truck? Rock crawling? Baja racing? Fire roads? Mall crawling? How often are you going to take it off road?

The different stages aren't directly related to performance as much as how much punishment they're made to take.

 

[GrantK]

As already mentioned, the choice on which to get needs to based on what you are going to do with your truck.

Here's some differences as you move up the stage ladder:
When you go to remote reservoir, you also go to 2.5" diameter shock. I believe the non-remote are 2" diameter but I might be wrong.
When you add their billet UCA, you get extra adjustment to the alignment to compensate for the lift which helps keep suspension geometry closer to factory. Supposedly the ICON billet UCA uses larger joints and slightly different positioning of them to give more range than most other UCAs.
The replacement upper and lower link arms and panhard (track) bar are stronger than factory, are adjustable and have additional grease points. The adjustments allow you to make sure the rear alignment is correct. Raising the truck shifts the body slightly to the left.

 

[Matt's4Runner]

Let's see...it's my daily driver (90% city), I occasionally tow a 2500 lb (unloaded) pop-up trailer to accommodate a family of 5. When we go camping we like to hit a trail or two, mostly fire roads up until now, but on our most recent trip to the Sierra's we did end up on a fairly rocky trail. I'd like to explore the desert some more in the coming fall/winter months (Anza Borrego, etc.) I feel like the truck needs a small lift with the tires I purchased (275s), as the front tires seem stuffed in there pretty good. I figured that if I'm going to lift it a bit, I might as well get a good foundation to add to in the future.

 

[Jeremy556]

Go for stage2 - extended travel coil overs with LR UCAs.

You may love or hate it, but will know what you are getting into. You won't have to worry about bottoming out on the trail over every dip any more, but you will also be feeling every ripple and undulation in the road on your daily drive.

 

[GrantK]

Go for stage2 - extended travel coil overs with LR UCAs.

You may love or hate it, but will know what you are getting into. You won't have to worry about bottoming out on the trail over every dip any more, but you will also be feeling every ripple and undulation in the road on your daily drive.

ICON Stage 2 includes ICON billet UCAs
System Components:
58647 (QTY - 1) - Extended Travel Adjustable Coil-over Shock Kit
58551 (QTY - 1) - Billet Uniball Upper Control Arm Kit
52700 (QTY - 1) - 2" Lift Rear Coil-spring Kit
56505 (QTY - 2) - ICON V.S. 2.0 Aluminum Series Rear Mono-tube Shocks w/ Internal Reservoir

 

[Jeremy556]

ICON Stage 2 includes ICON billet UCAs
System Components:
58647 (QTY - 1) - Extended Travel Adjustable Coil-over Shock Kit
58551 (QTY - 1) - Billet Uniball Upper Control Arm Kit
52700 (QTY - 1) - 2" Lift Rear Coil-spring Kit
56505 (QTY - 2) - ICON V.S. 2.0 Aluminum Series Rear Mono-tube Shocks w/ Internal Reservoir

I mean the MetalTech Stage2 /w LR UCAs. The ICON Billet UCAs are ****ing stupid.

 

[GrantK]

I mean the MetalTech Stage2 /w LR UCAs. The ICON Billet UCAs are ****ing stupid.

What makes them stupid? They are very strong and are supposed to have more articulation than any others out there.

 

[Matt's4Runner]

1. Will that much lift look ridiculous with my current tires?

2. Can anyone answer the warranty/insurance questions from the original post?

 

[Okki]

I just got my Icon Stage 6 installed. Came from the stock LE XREAS suspension.

Thoughts: less body roll around the corners and less nose-dive upon hard braking. Because the springs are designed to handle more weight, it is a little bouncy right now upon coming to a full stop (back/forth rocking motion), but as the suspension settles and I add the planned weight (shrockworks skids, followed by bumper/winch, dual battery) that will go away.

The UCA's are required to bring your truck back to alignment with the lift. I haven't scanned my sheet yet, but High Tech Auto and Truck did an awesome job on mine.

High speed potholes: Driving on crappy down-town roads daily, my highlift rattles quite a bit. with the Stage 6 I have noticed less rattling, and the truck feels more comfortable running at higher speed over the crappy surfaces.

I'm still running stock size tires and while I will size up when they are worn out, they do not look out of place (although the wife did call them barbie tires when we picked up the truck!).

I'm very happy with the setup. both for the function, the beefier components and the bling factor.

I don't have all my pics uploaded yet, so this picture is all I have to show for it so far.

Warranty issues: your warranty is only affected for the modified parts/systems. i.e. an engine warranty issue is not declined because you have aftermarket suspension. don't expect Toyota to pay for Icon "warranty" work though.

Okki

 

[Intruder]

1. Will that much lift look ridiculous with my current tires?

Generally one of the reasons you get a lift is to fit bigger tires. Adding a lift and keeping the stock 265/70/17 tire size will not help raise the lowest points on your truck like the rear diff. Larger tires also give you a better contact patch when you're off roading, though the trade off will be a slight loss in fuel economy from adding unsprung weight and exposing more of your undercarriage (I'm waiting for the exposed undercarriage jokes now).

2. Can anyone answer the warranty/insurance questions from the original post?

This will probably vary by location and insurance company. Best to check with your own insurance company to find out for sure. The warranty on the suspension parts you replace will be through the aftermarket company (Icon or whoever) but the rest of your warranty should not be affected.

 

[DannyLlama]

I have been carious about this very same thing, good post OP!

I have heard that something like stage 6 is for desert racing and high speed off road. So if someone is looking for stiffer suspension with good clearance and some rock crawling abilities, what would be suggested?

 

[Intruder]

I have heard that something like stage 6 is for desert racing and high speed off road. So if someone is looking for stiffer suspension with good clearance and some rock crawling abilities, what would be suggested?

Yeah, remote resi stuff is more for Baja racing where the suspension cycles quickly and often to keep the nitrogen cooler. For rock crawling without getting too crazy I'd go with MetalTech's Stage 2 kit with the LR UCAs. That way you get the extended travel front coilovers and the LR UCAs are way less expensive than the Icons and do the same job just as well. Actually, that's exactly what I'm running.

 

[DannyLlama]

Yeah, remote resi stuff is more for Baja racing where the suspension cycles quickly and often to keep the nitrogen cooler. For rock crawling without getting too crazy I'd go with MetalTech's Stage 2 kit with the LR UCAs. That way you get the extended travel front coilovers and the LR UCAs are way less expensive than the Icons and do the same job just as well. Actually, that's exactly what I'm running.

If Intruder said it, it must be true imp: lol

Nothing bad to say about the setup? You are happy all around?
In regards to Icon VS. MetalTech longevity and the metal factor, they are about the same?

 

[Intruder]

Nothing bad to say about the setup? You are happy all around?
In regards to Icon VS. MetalTech longevity and the metal factor, they are about the same?

I'm perfectly happy with the setup. Nothing to complain about, though I've only had the Icon shocks on for a couple months now.

The MetalTech kit is just Icon shocks and springs with LR UCAs instead. I already had the UCAs from when I first upgraded my suspension. Now I'm running Icon shocks all around instead of my original OW 2.0 shocks. Here's the MetalTech kit I'm talking about 2010 5th Gen 4Runner Stage 2 Lift w/ Light Racing UCA's

 

[Okki]

While all of us are a far way off from [MENTION=51030]joneseyyy[/MENTION]'s setup, He is experiencing some issue with the TC gussets allowing the shock towers to hit the power-steering pump in certain situations. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...it-5th-gen-toyota-4runner-12.html#post1430629

Basically what we've determined is that the TC shock tower gussets I am running don't have appropriate clearance with the PS pump. Even with the bigass gussets, the shock towers still flex quite a bit on big hits and were causing the gusset to deflect about 1/2" into the union bolt on the PS pump, which apparently the pump does not like.

Right now I'm grinding/cutting a bunch of clearance into the gusset so this issue never recurs. Total Chaos will be attending the Summit so I plan on showing them the issue. The only other guy I know running these is Socaltrail; not sure if he's experienced the same issue or did his own clearance work.

Just something to consider when mix-and-matching parts. He is running a largely Icon setup.

DROOL!!!!!!!!:hail: :hail::hail:

Okki

 

[Intruder]

While all of us are a far way off from [MENTION=51030]joneseyyy[/MENTION]'s setup, He is experiencing some issue with the TC gussets allowing the shock towers to hit the power-steering pump in certain situations.

Just something to consider when mix-and-matching parts. He is running a largely Icon setup.

DROOL!!!!!!!!:hail: :hail::hail:

Okki

That's a pretty extreme example. Lots of people are running LR UCAs with Icon, Radflo, and other suspension components with absolutely zero issues (other than some complaints about squeaking, but that's not related to mixing components). You're only going to run into that sort of thing when you really push the envelope of the designed geometry.

 

[Canazes9]

Generally one of the reasons you get a lift is to fit bigger tires. Adding a lift and keeping the stock 265/70/17 tire size will not help raise the lowest points on your truck like the rear diff. Larger tires also give you a better contact patch when you're off roading, though the trade off will be a slight loss in fuel economy from adding unsprung weight and exposing more of your undercarriage (I'm waiting for the exposed undercarriage jokes now).


This will probably vary by location and insurance company. Best to check with your own insurance company to find out for sure. The warranty on the suspension parts you replace will be through the aftermarket company (Icon or whoever) but the rest of your warranty should not be affected.

Its true that a suspension lifted vehicle may experience no rubbing issues driving around in normal day to day driving vs. it's unlifted counterpart. Suspension lift with full articulation does not give you any improved tire clearance. When the suspension stuffs, if the tires would rub with no lift, they will rub with lift. That's why everybody trims to fit the larger tire sizes w/o rubbing. Going to 33's will add 1/2" lift to the lowest point over factory tire size. 33 inch tire sizes generally perform worse on the highway in foul weather than factory sized tires.

David