LawnDart
Senior Member
I still wouldn't want to run the Rubi in a 4Runner just due to clearance and wheel base issues, regardless of suspension. And call me when a SAS'd 4Runner does the Rubicon. SAS isn't some magic bullet either, and suffers from bad handling at speed. Look at the rigs winning the Score 500/1000, NORRA, and King of the Hammers, and they're almost entirely IFS.
And more importantly, all the key winners are running Kings and Fox shocks.
I don't want to put down ICON, because it's certainly very high end of the lower/middle quality range, but it's a company that spends more on marketing than product development. If I was doing LT, and hey wait...I did, I wouldn't want to make some irrevocable modifications to my vehicle and then say "you know what, I'm gonna go cheap on shocks!"
There, I said it. No takes-y-backsies!
The 4Runner, especially the 5th gen, would just get eaten alive as a high speed desert runner unless you gut it to the point it really isn't a 4Runner any more. Which if that gets you hard, uh...sure, do it.
As you stated the most critical upgrades are increased down travel, which equates to better stability when in situations where a normal travel suspension system would equal the vehicle on 3 or 2 wheels. The wider stance also helps in tippier terrain by the nature of 4" additional inches of wheel base. Fun fact: the 2017 Raptor has a width of 86.7", my 4Runner is about 84, so wide bottom girls make the world go round!
The key thing is reliability and driveability. And I'll be honest, I think my LT vehicle on road trips...sucks. If you like the fact that you can set your vehicle straight, keep two fingers on the wheel, and let it cruise...kiss that good bye. Even with a really, really really really, good alignment the vehicle will want to wallow, which makes 10 hours of driving a very exhausting experience. Add in cross winds and oh man...fun times.
The other big factor is reliability, and this goes to anyone curious in general about LT, you will have to do the majority of maintenance yourself. That means lubing uniballs, greasing zerk fittings, checking torque values, and keeping a spare extended axel on hand because you're not gonna find one of those at a dealer or parts store.
The point is, and I'm just sharing my .02 cents, is that as you said there's a very big trade off in exchange for the gains. It's also a very expensive upgrade. Anyone who does it right, including upgrading the other affected systems, tunes it, etc, the cost is a lot. And given the cost I can't fathom going with ICON.
And more importantly, all the key winners are running Kings and Fox shocks.
I don't want to put down ICON, because it's certainly very high end of the lower/middle quality range, but it's a company that spends more on marketing than product development. If I was doing LT, and hey wait...I did, I wouldn't want to make some irrevocable modifications to my vehicle and then say "you know what, I'm gonna go cheap on shocks!"
There, I said it. No takes-y-backsies!
The 4Runner, especially the 5th gen, would just get eaten alive as a high speed desert runner unless you gut it to the point it really isn't a 4Runner any more. Which if that gets you hard, uh...sure, do it.
As you stated the most critical upgrades are increased down travel, which equates to better stability when in situations where a normal travel suspension system would equal the vehicle on 3 or 2 wheels. The wider stance also helps in tippier terrain by the nature of 4" additional inches of wheel base. Fun fact: the 2017 Raptor has a width of 86.7", my 4Runner is about 84, so wide bottom girls make the world go round!
The key thing is reliability and driveability. And I'll be honest, I think my LT vehicle on road trips...sucks. If you like the fact that you can set your vehicle straight, keep two fingers on the wheel, and let it cruise...kiss that good bye. Even with a really, really really really, good alignment the vehicle will want to wallow, which makes 10 hours of driving a very exhausting experience. Add in cross winds and oh man...fun times.
The other big factor is reliability, and this goes to anyone curious in general about LT, you will have to do the majority of maintenance yourself. That means lubing uniballs, greasing zerk fittings, checking torque values, and keeping a spare extended axel on hand because you're not gonna find one of those at a dealer or parts store.
The point is, and I'm just sharing my .02 cents, is that as you said there's a very big trade off in exchange for the gains. It's also a very expensive upgrade. Anyone who does it right, including upgrading the other affected systems, tunes it, etc, the cost is a lot. And given the cost I can't fathom going with ICON.
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