Why do my New KING Shocks ride like crap?

[Mutant]

So here's my situation with my 01 4Runner....

I had Toytec's Bilstein/Boss 3" lift kit previously and it rode terribly (on and off road) with the soft coils and heavy cargo/bumpers/fat spare/arb drawer/tools/etc. So I upgraded the rear coils to Superflex (still too soft), then to 861's (slightly too soft). I drove for several months like this. The ride was bone jarring and just awful. It feels like the shocks aren't doing anything at all. The rear was always worse than the front but the front is bad too.

So during Black Friday I finally decided to splurge on some high end shocks. I opted for 700 lb front coils to accommodate for the steel bumper and the possibility of adding a winch later. I paid extra for reservoirs and compression adjusters too. Now they are on the truck and it still rides like crap on and off road. i've tried it with compression adjusters at softest, firmest, and in the middle. Doesn't seem to have an effect at all. Still rides terrible. Not only do i feel every bump, the truck violently shakes with each hit. You'd think you were driving with square wheels. Neither the front nor rear seem any better than the previous setup. I figure the front coils will break in a little in time but is there a break in period with these shocks?

I thought these KINGs would drastically improve the ride but no improvement. I've had soft coils, medium coils, firm coils. Nothing seems to help.

Something is not right with the truck and I can't figure out what.
Does anyone have any insights or experience with these trucks riding so damn rough?

I appreciate any help

 

[GR8ADV]

I would start by finding another 01 to calibrate your brain about how it could/should/does work.

 

[alostdawg]

You wouldn't happen to be running load range E tires would you. I've heard that with their stiff sidewalls and extra weight they will beat up the driver on our smaller trucks. Just a thought.

JC

 

[thecole1098]

I can attest to E load range tires contributing. I have LT E on mine with the 3" Toytec/Eibach w/ Superflex coils in the rear. The front rides pretty good but with no weight in the back it can be pretty harsh over bumps. I don't have the extra weight of steel bumpers though.

 

[firemanj92]

I opted for 700 lb front coils to accommodate for the steel bumper and the possibility of adding a winch later.
I thought these KINGs would drastically improve the ride but no improvement. I've had soft coils, medium coils, firm coils. Nothing seems to help.

I appreciate any help

700lb springs seam really high for the the lighter weight T4R front end even with a winch and steel bumper. I run 650lbs on our FJ with a winch/bumper combo and know that the FJ and bumper weigh quite a bit more than the T4R in same configuration. You stated you ran soft, med, firm coils was that on the front? I would call King and look into ordering 600-650# coils. 700# is a special request(?) King has excellent CS (customer service).

 

[Black798]

700 coils are too high for these trucks. I have 620 coils in mine and have a heavy ass bumper, winch, and full skids and it rides buttery smooth. If your ride is jarring regardless of the shocks you have in the coils are too stiff

 

[theesotericone]

I've got E rated tires at 38PSI and Eibach #620 springs with Taco Billies. Fully armored with a winch. Rides great for what it is.

 

[Mutant]

700 coils are too high for these trucks. I have 620 coils in mine and have a heavy ass bumper, winch, and full skids and it rides buttery smooth. If your ride is jarring regardless of the shocks you have in the coils are too stiff

As I said in the OP, I've had soft coilovers and soft rear coils. It rides terrible.

 

[Mutant]

You wouldn't happen to be running load range E tires would you. I've heard that with their stiff sidewalls and extra weight they will beat up the driver on our smaller trucks. Just a thought.

JC

You may be onto something here. I do run E 10 plys. That probably contributes to the problem!

 

[99problems]

Just wanted to throw in my $.02 that I also think the majority of the problem is coming from your stiff springs. 700 lb. spring rate seems really high. Personally I'm running only 500 lb. OME 2881's up front and that works well with my E-rated tires and 5/8" extended skid plate.

 

[RedSled]

You may be onto something here. I do run E 10 plys. That probably contributes to the problem!

I do not believe it is the tires, i had Wildpeak MT's with Bilsteins, and ome springs, and i loved the way it rode. I think you have another problem, i just do not know what it is.

 

[4RunnerAquasport]

The soft coils your referring to might have been too soft tho. Mine are 600lb KING coil overs in a 5th gen which weighs a 1k lbs more than a 3rd gen from the factory. It has a SW bumper w winch (250lbs), Full skids and sliders, dual batteries, an air compressor and several lbs of upgraded heavy duty #2 cable all riding on E rated. The rear setup is all ICON (2" lift springs #52700 w no rear bumper) hardware with KINGs. The whole truck weighs a 1k over stock at 5980lbs with a full tank.
I am thinking of doing a suspension upgrade and talked to Ben at Filthy motorsports as I was thinking of increasing to 650lb front springs. He had me do some measuring and he said my ride height is right where it should be.
I agree your E's are partially to blame as they are harsh and made for full size 3/4 ton trucks, but I would also bet the 700s are too stiff for your set up. I stick this behemoth in some hard corners and the KINGs always push right back with just the right response, never feeling too soft. It's one of the best handling vehicles I've ever owned.
I installed the lift before the bumper and the ride was shaking my fillings loose it was so harsh. Once the bumper and winch were in place, the springs settled in and rode a lot better. Hope you get it figured out soon, Good Luck!

 

[Scramble]

How could you go through 3 sets of springs & not think there was something else going on with the truck? Like tires, panhard bar, shocks/struts, F/R control arm bushings, short end links, etc? Then go & spend the coin on Kings thinking that would solve your problem? I wish I had money like that to throw away. I think I would have brought the question to the forum as soon as my 1st Boss kit road like shit. Did you call Toytec? You say the 861's were slightly too soft but they have a jarring ride? That makes no sense? What were the shocks you used with each set of springs? How many miles on them? Not all shocks work well with all springs. If you have stiff springs you have to get soft shocks & vise versa. I knew none of this 4 years ago but many late nights of reading I have the TRD Tundra/LC 8 wrap w/5100 lift & it's been awesome for 3 years. Go the to dealer & get a set of 99 springs & OEM shocks because that's going to be the nicest ride you can get. Along with P or C rated tires. I just dont get it with all of the information available on this site.

 

[thecole1098]

I've got E rated tires at 38PSI and Eibach #620 springs with Taco Billies. Fully armored with a winch. Rides great for what it is.

I run at 42PSI and am okay with it.

 

[fordracing19]

I just lifted my 2015 F250 with adjustable king shocks and 37s. I cant tell that the adjusters do much. My 4th gen 4runner has adjustable Icons and I tell a huge difference.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

First of all- 700lb coils are even high for heavy armored GX's, they're definitely too high for a 3rd gen.
Second, ride is subjective, but my rig rides great on load range E BFG's.
Not all E rated tires are 10-ply. KO2's are not 10-ply. In fact, load range C KO2 in 315/70R17 weigh exactly the same as load range E KO2 in 315/70R17.
I can't say it's not your tires, but I can say it is- at least partially- due to not having the right spring rate for your rig.
Since you tried soft/medium/hard coils out back- and the ride was still jarring while being too soft- I can tell you the shocks were causing the jarring.
The 5100's were a hair soft for me with the Superflex, so I tried Tokico black shocks. Great on the highway, but are WAY too stiff for my liking.
I used to love smashing speed bumps, cause my suspension soaked them up buttery smooth. NOT ANYMORE. Speed bumps are brutal with the Tokico black. Off-road terrain sucks.
Probably going back to the 5100, since they're what is in my budget for replacement.

Point is- expensive coilovers are only gonna ride as good as they're matched to the vehicle.

 

[Road Bull]

Firstly, ride feel is subjective. I come from owning a Toyota truck, so the leaf springs and old shocks really made for a jarring ride.

In contrast, when I originally got my 4runner, even with old suspension, if felt much better to drive.

Check tire pressure. I noticed after a DT tire rotation that it felt particularly stiffer up front as the suspension was banging around. It turned out the fifth tire rotation now put a tire inflated to something like 50 psi. into the mix!!! I brought it back down to 36 psi. and the ride improved quite a bit.

700# is pretty extreme in my book. I have a bumper, full skids, winch, yada yada, and I feel like I am doing fine with my 600# Kings w/ extended travel. I am no desert racer, but I have yet to bottom them out.

What pressure are you running your tires at?

Maybe swap your 700# for 600# or 650# springs. Like I said before, ride is subjective and I don't know what your baseline for comparison is, but King CO's shouldn't be your weakest link in the ride equation.

Good luck.

 

[Mutant]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Well, most of you anyway. There's always 1 shithead on any given thread.

To be more specific, the previous Toytec setup had Bilstein 5100 620lb coilovers before and it rode poorly.
The rear 9602 coils in this Toytec lift kit rode very badly too. I actually did talk to Toytec about it and they said I needed stiffer coils f&r as their kit was not made for steel bumpers or extra weight. They recommended stiffer coils all around.

After experimenting, 861s are the closest match for my cargo and ride height. You can visually see they are the only springs that support the ass end of my truck and sit level with the front. When I first installed them, the rear rode much better. But after the break on period, they softened up and started bottoming out like the previous coils. After installing the rear Kings, they seem to help out the 861 coils in supporting the rear and the rear seems to sit slightly higher than before. However, the ride quality is not what it should be.

Unfortunately, 10 ply tires are not optional for me. You will get flats all day long in West Texas without 10 ply. I drive through a lot of mesquite and the roads are littered with all kinds of debris and even metal pieces.

 

[Mutant]

[MENTION=7105]Scramble[/MENTION]
After reading your post I absolutely understand why you can't afford to buy KING shocks. You can't say dumb things and be condescending, kid. Maybe pick one at a time.
You really think sway bar end links are the problem? LOL
99 coils are not for extra weight. You are talking out of your ass. Do us all a favor and zip it.

 

[sleepydad]

[MENTION=148199]Mutant[/MENTION]

I got my 2000 limmited from Texas, it was really a rough ride driving it back to MN. I started replacing suspension bushing, rear control arms at first then body mounts, sway bar end links and swaybar. This was a huge improvement in ride quality for me. Your load range e tires are part of it but I found that when removing/replacing all those rubber bushing that lived in the Texas heat the rubber was hard as a rock. The bushings are really about dampening the suspension jarring. I think the most people just ignor the suspension bushings, but IMO it’s part of the suspension people overlook.