King shocks update!

[chrissurfr]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[honda250xtitan]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

kings, scs, prinsu, baja designs, AND that color:bravo::bravo:

 

[chrissurfr]

my kings settled quite a bit...what height from the ground did all of you make your final setting up front? i have close to 1.5 inches of forward rake and want to get to 3/4 or a half inch.

I'm at:

front:
left - 37 7/8 from ground to fender - currently at 8 threads showing
right -38 1/4 from ground to fender - currently at 5 threads showing

back on toytec 2 inch spring:
39 1/4 from ground to fender - rear left
39 3/4 from ground to fender - rear right

I'm taking the truck in tomorrow to get the front left lifted another 3/4 inch and the right front another half inch.

is 11 threads showing on the coil too much? i might need to get a 600 pound spring instead.

i guess my sliders were heavier than anticipated.....11 threads showing seems like a lot.

 

[chrissurfr]

 

[RedSled]

If i measure mine from the ground i have on the front driver side at 37 1/4" , and pass. side at 37 3/4" this is with 6 threads showing.

Rear driver= 39 1/2" this is with 2" longer OME springs.
Rear pass.= 40"

 

[ChrisJHarney]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your rig looks great! I’m looking to get some new tires, and the Ridge Grapplers are on my short list. How many miles do you have on them, and how have they worn? I’ve heard nothing but good things about their performance, but it’s divided opinion on wear.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

Here’s some measurements I took today, measured from the ground to the bottom of the fender.

I think its important to include spring rate front and rear, tire size and pressure (or height as installed on the vehicle), just to provide some context.

BFG KO2 275/75-17 - tire height measured on vehicle - 31-1/4” tall

Preload on passenger side: 2.5 threads
Preload on drivers side: 0

Front coilover spring rate: 650
Rear spring rate: 315

Passenger front:
37-3/4” @ 230bar approx. 32psi

Driver side front:
37-1/4” @ 230bar approx. 32psi

Passenger rear: 39-5/8” @ 240bar approx. 35psi

Driver rear: 39-1/4” @ 240bar approx. 35psi

 

[stephan07]

Here’s some measurements I took today, measured from the ground to the bottom of the fender.

I think its important to include spring rate front and rear, tire size and pressure (or height as installed on the vehicle), just to provide some context.

BFG KO2 275/75-17 - tire height measured on vehicle - 31-1/4” tall

Preload on passenger side: 2.5 threads
Preload on drivers side: 0

Front coilover spring rate: 650
Rear spring rate: 315

Passenger front:
37-3/4” @ 230bar approx. 32psi

Driver side front:
37-1/4” @ 230bar approx. 32psi

Passenger rear: 39-5/8” @ 240bar approx. 35psi

Driver rear: 39-1/4” @ 240bar approx. 35psi

Truck looks fantastic. How does it ride?? I went with the King and have a front SSO slimline bumper and Winch, RCI sliders and Skids. The folks I ordered from didn't think I needed higher spring rates. They are 550. I had to crank major preload in, like 12+ threads, and still its got major rake. I get crazy nose dive, worse than my TRD set up.

IO have the 650 springs and I'm putting them on this eve.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

Truck looks fantastic. How does it ride?? I went with the King and have a front SSO slimline bumper and Winch, RCI sliders and Skids. The folks I ordered from didn't think I needed higher spring rates. They are 550. I had to crank major preload in, like 12+ threads, and still its got major rake. I get crazy nose dive, worse than my TRD set up.

IO have the 650 springs and I'm putting them on this eve.

I have a full aluminum bumper, winch, and skids, and 650 seems just perfect to me. I had 600s before and was still sagging/adding preload and nose diving. So you should be very happy with 650s. 12 threads of preload seems like a lot to me. You’ll probably ride a lot smoother when you can take it down.

I was thrilled to not have to add any preload to the passenger side, and just a bit (but still need 2.5 turns more) on the drivers side. It rides much much better than before. I need a bit of rake due to heavy loads during camping so I can level out on the trail, but I don’t really notice the rake at all as a DD.

The one thing I DID notice is that my tires look so small now, lol!! Just waiting for a good sale to pick up some 285/75s and fill out that wheel well!

 

[jblawrence25]

rear spring question

I have a 2005 T4R and I am ready to upgrade to the king set up. I am currently running 5100's all around set at 1.75".
I have read through hundreds of threads and am trying to find some advice on what would work best for my rig.
I have no extra weight as its my DD, I want to have a level ride and would not mind a 1-2" lift front and rear. understanding that the kings with the 600lb springs up front would give me about a 2- 2 1/2 over factory but I cannot figure out the rear. with no extra weight daily, would the 2" superflex from filthy motorsports give me rear rake? I do not want to crank on the front coils to get lift so I can keep the ride on the road nice and smooth.
Long story short, just a little advice with spring rate front and rear.

5100's set at 1.75"
265/65/R17 TRD pro wheels

 

[TRDTommy]

Seriously thinking of Kings

So I am about to pull the trigger on Kings for my ride from Total Automotive. I am looking to get their "5GenK Stage 2A" kit while these black friday/cyber monday deal is going on. It comes with Icon delta joint UCA's. And I also plan to get Dobinsons C59-725 rear coils. The kit comes with 650lb extended travel coils and was looking to get 600lb instead. I PM'd Total Automotive if I can switch out the coils and they said just to mention the coils I want while checking out.

I would like any thoughts about this setup. I don't plan to add any front bumper upgrades, but want to reduce the brake dive as much as possible without the ride being too harsh. If I was to get a front bumper. I would get the C4 low pro bumper to retain that stock look that I like. But that would be a maybe. I already have C4 sliders and TRD skidplate if that makes a differance in weight for the front. I choose Dobinsons for the rears because of the idea of being offset to compensate for the KDSS lean. I just don't want to bother with adjusting the front coil or add any other spacers to correct the lean. I don't plan to add too much weight back there. Just keep my tools and recovery gear while daily driving. And any camping/off road gear when I do have time to go out with the family. So any thoughts?

P.S. Sorry for the long post.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

I have a 2005 T4R and I am ready to upgrade to the king set up. I am currently running 5100's all around set at 1.75".
I have read through hundreds of threads and am trying to find some advice on what would work best for my rig.
I have no extra weight as its my DD, I want to have a level ride and would not mind a 1-2" lift front and rear. understanding that the kings with the 600lb springs up front would give me about a 2- 2 1/2 over factory but I cannot figure out the rear. with no extra weight daily, would the 2" superflex from filthy motorsports give me rear rake? I do not want to crank on the front coils to get lift so I can keep the ride on the road nice and smooth.
Long story short, just a little advice with spring rate front and rear.

5100's set at 1.75"
265/65/R17 TRD pro wheels

My advice would be to contact whoever you are going to be buying the shocks from to get the setup that you want. Any distributor worth their salt should be able to spec out a rear spring that will do the job and get you the height you want.

My personal opinion on the rear springs is that if you are looking at a spring that will give you 2” of lift at stock weight, you wouldn’t need to adjust the fronts much, if any at all, to level the truck. From what I understand about King, you can dial in at least a full inch of preload before your ride suffers at all.

The real question is how you are getting that height in the rear. You can get a longer spring with the same spring rate which will net you height but no load carrrying capacity increase. Or you can increase the weight of the spring and “lift” the truck by virtue of not compressing the spring as much with the stock weight of the vehicle. This is usually for people who want to add weight to the rear and not sag. Spring rate also affects ride, so pick a distributor that is knowledgeable and will set you up with something that you won’t have to replace in a year.

 

[chrissurfr]

Can you guys please list your final front ride height measurements, fender to ground?

I'm at 38.5 on driver and 39 on passenger on 600 pound springs - truck rides like ass - too much preload and my shocks are bottoming out.

I'm going to lower the front 1 inch on passenger and .5 inch on the driver this weekend and remove the internal spacer from the front shocks to get more travel.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

Can you guys please list your final front ride height measurements, fender to ground?

I'm at 38.5 on driver and 39 on passenger on 600 pound springs - truck rides like ass - too much preload and my shocks are bottoming out.

I'm going to lower the front 1 inch on passenger and .5 inch on the driver this weekend and remove the internal spacer from the front shocks to get more travel.

Check out my numbers on post #287 for ground to fender height, I also included all my installed gear and tire height to aid in comparison. We can always measure from center of hub to fender lip too, which will be a more accurate measurement of ride height compared to stock, and might be better to compare different vehicles running different tires. I’ll have to do that when I get home tonight but I can post those numbers later or tomorrow morning.

I looked at the pictures you posted previously, and it doesn’t look like you have any additional weight on the front end. I’m baffled as to how you are possibly bottoming out with little to no weight added and 600# springs. What situations are you encountering where you are bottoming out? But you do look like you have a lot of preload on those shocks, I’m not surprised the ride is not all that great. I posted pics of my preload and I only have 2.5 threads on the driver’s side to help with the lean. I’m assuming you have the adjusters? How many clicks up from the softest setting do you have them set to? I’m running mine on the street at +4 front, +4 rear.

And just to be clear, you’re running the OEM series with no modifications to the factory valving that would change the position of the piston inside the tube?

 

[ChrisJHarney]

So I am about to pull the trigger on Kings for my ride from Total Automotive. I am looking to get their "5GenK Stage 2A" kit while these black friday/cyber monday deal is going on. It comes with Icon delta joint UCA's. And I also plan to get Dobinsons C59-725 rear coils. The kit comes with 650lb extended travel coils and was looking to get 600lb instead. I PM'd Total Automotive if I can switch out the coils and they said just to mention the coils I want while checking out.

I would like any thoughts about this setup. I don't plan to add any front bumper upgrades, but want to reduce the brake dive as much as possible without the ride being too harsh. If I was to get a front bumper. I would get the C4 low pro bumper to retain that stock look that I like. But that would be a maybe. I already have C4 sliders and TRD skidplate if that makes a differance in weight for the front. I choose Dobinsons for the rears because of the idea of being offset to compensate for the KDSS lean. I just don't want to bother with adjusting the front coil or add any other spacers to correct the lean. I don't plan to add too much weight back there. Just keep my tools and recovery gear while daily driving. And any camping/off road gear when I do have time to go out with the family. So any thoughts?

P.S. Sorry for the long post.

As with any “advice” I give, I will preface it by saying that I’m not an expert, just have my own observations and results to base them on. The best course of action is to talk directly to the manufacturer of any suspension product before you purchase it. Their sales reps should have any information you would need regarding vehicle weight and recommended spring rate for your setup. I know Mike from Dobinson’s has a great rep on here for responding and customer service, and I personally have had a great experience with King’s customer service department.


My $.02. With no additional front end weight, the 600# fronts should be more than enough to quell nose dive significantly. I ran 600s with my previous setup (Toytec 3” 5100s and Superflex coils) and it was OK until I added a bumper and winch (110lbs over stock, net), then it was not enough. Although Chris (poster just above mine) is having some issues with bottoming out the shocks and a rough ride with the 600#s, I’m thinking there is something more at play with his setup, perhaps too much preload, or some adjustment issues.

Skid plates definitely need to be accounted for, as they are mostly right over the front axle.

If you’re going for adjusters on the shocks, then that will be a huge help in tuning out any secondary motions, as well as add a layer of dive resistance if set up a bit stiffer.

Looks like the C59-725 rear springs are a 228lb spring that add 2.5” of lift without 3rd row, 2” with. Not sure what the 600lb coilovers will net you in lift, but it’s unlikely to give you more than 2-2.5” without adding preload, so you’ll end up with some rake, but it should level out perfect with some camping gear. Note that King specifically states that ride quality will suffer above 2.5”.

I don’t know how many people do this, but when adding permanent weight (sliders, bumper, etc.), it’s important to find the net weight added, which is the difference between what you are installing, and what is coming off the vehicle.

What one person’s definition of stiff, soft, or perfect may not apply to someone else. So take all objective opinions with a grain of salt.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

[MENTION=155053]chrissurfr[/MENTION]

This might be a better way to compare lift seeing that we have different tire setups.

Here’s my measurements from center of hub to fender.

Drivers side: 22-3/8” (2.5 thread preload, approx. 1/2”)
Passenger side: 22-5/8” (0 thread preload)

 

[chrissurfr]

ok guys I got my issues resolved.

solution for my almost factory weight truck:
wheelers t13 + one 1/2 inch spacer on the driver
600 pound king springs + 1 shim on the driver
reduced nitrogen pressure a little bit
reduced preload from 8 turns on 550 pound springs to 4 turns on 600 pound springs

rides much better now.

final ride height is level 38.5 on all corners.

thanks to everyone that helped me try to troubleshoot my issues.

moral of the story -> preload = bad.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

ok guys I got my issues resolved.

solution for my almost factory weight truck:
wheelers t13 + one 1/2 inch spacer on the driver
600 pound king springs + 1 shim on the driver
reduced nitrogen pressure a little bit
reduced preload from 8 turns on 550 pound springs to 4 turns on 600 pound springs

rides much better now.

final ride height is level 38.5 on all corners.

thanks to everyone that helped me try to troubleshoot my issues.

moral of the story -> preload = bad.

Glad you were able to get it all working together well. Proof that the amount of preload makes a huge difference in the way a suspension performs. It’s always a good thing when you can change out a less expensive item (in this case springs and a little bit of nitrogen) to correct an issue.

BTW, do you not have the adjusters for your shocks? Or were you already at the softest setting and you needed to drop more pressure? What technique did you use to bleed the nitrogen?

 

[Soto Pop]

ok guys I got my issues resolved.

solution for my almost factory weight truck:
wheelers t13 + one 1/2 inch spacer on the driver
600 pound king springs + 1 shim on the driver
reduced nitrogen pressure a little bit
reduced preload from 8 turns on 550 pound springs to 4 turns on 600 pound springs

rides much better now.

final ride height is level 38.5 on all corners.

thanks to everyone that helped me try to troubleshoot my issues.

moral of the story -> preload = bad.

Glad to hear you finally figured it out. I've been following this thread closely.

When you get a chance, do you mind posting a few pics of your final stance? I'm still trying to figure out what rear springs to go with.

Thanks again, I'm sure you're excited to finally be able to enjoy the ride.

 

[chrissurfr]

Glad you were able to get it all working together well. Proof that the amount of preload makes a huge difference in the way a suspension performs. It’s always a good thing when you can change out a less expensive item (in this case springs and a little bit of nitrogen) to correct an issue.

BTW, do you not have the adjusters for your shocks? Or were you already at the softest setting and you needed to drop more pressure? What technique did you use to bleed the nitrogen?

Yes I have adjusters - when it was super rough it was all the way on soft. But yes, since 99% of my driving is pothole smashing in Houston at low speed - the pressure needed to be dropped. The shop I took it to bled the pressure.