2023 OME vs DOB (1 Viewer)

[TimberJT]

Suspension is blown on my stock 2005 non-KDSS GX470. I have researched and read through the forum posts until I am blue in the face. I am sure there is a thread that discusses this, but I have tried to search and cannot find what I am looking for. I have spoken to multiple places on the net and had my local 4x4 place take a look too.

I don't want anything too crazy. 2-2.5 front/1.5-2 back. Eventually I will run 286/70R17 tire size.

I want something affordable, maintenance free, and can be used heavily in the west. I live in Colorado, and I am on mountain roads and dirt on a weekly basis. I hunt, fish, mountain bike ride, ski, etc.

• Dobinson seems to be winning the 2023 battle. I have not found one bad review.
• OME seems capable and is recommended by my shop. It has a great reputation and may have better lift adjustments. But some folks complain of a rough ride. True statement?

If anyone has a very recent install of both OME and Dobinson IMS I would love your input. DM me or slap it in the thread.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

In the GXOR FB forum…Dobinson IMS seem to be very popular with GX470s.

I have Bilstein 6112s in the front with HD coils and long travel rear ICON 56550s with dobinson 675v coils.

I would recommend dobinson ims to you with their variable long springs. Depending on your static loads…you pick a spring that will give you that 1.5” to 2” rear lift which the 675V do very easily with a little cargo weight. Empty the 675Vs get you like 1.75” of lift in rear. Get 677v if you have medium static weight and 701v if you are somewhat on the heavier side.

Also, for very little extra effort…get the rear IMS59-60687 shocks for a Tundra or 80-series. It’s the perfect extended length shock for a 2” rear lift.

Ask www.exitoffroad.com or www.Apacheoffroad.comnfor a quote and to help you fit the 687 shocks.

If I had to do it all over, I would strongly consider the dobinson ims…even though I’m very happy with my Bilstein 2.5” body diameter 6112s in the front and my ICON long travel rear shocks. I like the digressive shocks for my application.

I had OME rear shocks on my 2003 GX470 but the valving didn’t match my Bilstein 6112s and it didn’t work out for me. What’s stiff on the OME are the springs.

Check out this chart…

 

[kody472]

I have OME on my GX and Dobinson on my 60. I know they are completely different suspensions, but if the Dobinson can make my 60 smooth with leaf springs, I know the GX ride would be amazing.

 

[Rednexus]

Any reason the Ironman FCP did not make it to the list? They are DIY rebuildable, many on here have got 50K out of the shocks with no issues. Also a big 2.8" shock body. I use my GX as a working rig (lots of towing in addition to off-roading, hauling bikes to the trailhead, lots of gravel etc) and the shocks have been fantastic. I mainly got them over something like the Dobs to be able to DIY rebuild them at home instead of sending them out when they eventually do wear out.

 

[CarGuyCarl]

Dobs Nitro comfort spec here on a 2006 with KDSS. 1.5 inch lift. The ride is very nice, body is well controlled, bigger impacts are well dampened. I think I'm somewhere around 20k miles on it now. Chicago truck. Still not rusty or anything about 2 years in.

 

[TimberJT]

Any reason the Ironman FCP did not make it to the list? They are DIY rebuildable, many on here have got 50K out of the shocks with no issues. Also a big 2.8" shock body. I use my GX as a working rig (lots of towing in addition to off-roading, hauling bikes to the trailhead, lots of gravel etc) and the shocks have been fantastic. I mainly got them over something like the Dobs to be able to DIY rebuild them at home instead of sending them out when they eventually do wear out.

I focused on those because most posts referenced them and, especially for Dobinson, I rarely found a post where someone was complaining.

I am not the most mechanically inclined person (today) but trying to get better.

How much work is it to rebuild? How often?
What is the difference between 2.8" body vs Dobinson body (or OME body)?

 

[Rednexus]

I focused on those because most posts referenced them and, especially for Dobinson, I rarely found a post where someone was complaining.

I am not the most mechanically inclined person (today) but trying to get better.

How much work is it to rebuild? How often?
What is the difference between 2.8" body vs Dobinson body (or OME body)?

Most folks send of the Dobinsons shocks for rebuilds, but I'm not sure of the interval. I'd suggest reaching out to them to get an idea of the turnaround time, interval, and price. The FCPs don't use a pressurized gas (they used closed cell foam instead), which is why they can be rebuilt at home. I have ~30K on mine and they are 100% as good as they day I bought them, so I think they'll go 50K plus before a rebuild. The FCP rebuild kit includes shock oil and seals.

 

[TimberJT]

Most folks send of the Dobinsons shocks for rebuilds, but I'm not sure of the interval. I'd suggest reaching out to them to get an idea of the turnaround time, interval, and price. The FCPs don't use a pressurized gas (they used closed cell foam instead), which is why they can be rebuilt at home. I have ~30K on mine and they are 100% as good as they day I bought them, so I think they'll go 50K plus before a rebuild. The FCP rebuild kit includes shock oil and seals.

I appreciate the information. More questions.

1. FCP = Foam Cell Pro?
2. I see Ironman has 25% off. Would it be worth to wait until Black/Cyber/November/December deals?
3. What UPC would you get? Ironman or another?
4. Would you replace sway bars from stock? Would you do front and back? Would you use ironman or another option?

 

[TimberJT]

I appreciate the information. More questions.

1. FCP = Foam Cell Pro?
2. I see Ironman has 25% off. Would it be worth to wait until Black/Cyber/November/December deals?
3. What UPC would you get? Ironman or another?
4. Would you replace sway bars from stock? Would you do front and back? Would you use ironman or another option?

Oh and I forgot - would anyone say Ironman FCP is as comfortable of a ride as Dobinson? I don't want it too stiff on road.

 

[Rednexus]

I have not rode in a Dobinsons equipped rig. Folks love Dobinsons suspension though, I mainly went the Ironman FCP (Foam Cell Pro) route due to the ability to DIY rebuild and not have my rig offline while waiting for the shocks to come back. I will say that the Icon 2.0 kit I helped put on a buddy's first gen Tundra rides better than my FCP kit; however Icons require frequent rebuilds (like every 15-20K), so there is a price to pay for that. The FCP kit is "firm" on the road, rides great loaded, good off road, and comes alive on gravel roads. If the rig was not my DD, meaning I could take it offline for a week plus for a shock rebuild, I'd have considered something like a Dobinsons MRR, which has adjustability (neither FCP or the IMS have adjustability), but is a more expensive kit than the FCP.

If you do go the Ironman route, I'd wait until they have a 25% off sale. They usually have them on holiday weekends - Black Friday would probably be the next one. I have the Ironman UCAs and they've been good, however they just recalled all of them for ball joint boots tearing. They sent me a complete new set of UCAs with a different ball joint and I get to keep the old UCAs. I did have a problem with the front coil overs however - the springs started touching the shock body. They sent me a new $1100 set of front coil overs with a revised/shorter spring, and I again got to keep the old ones (let me know if you want them for cheap, lol). So they had some growing pains issues with the FCP kit - that being said I'm still happy with mine and they seem to have resolved the issues.

For sway bars, I'd recommend an eimkeith panhard bar relocation kit in the rear for any lift. They are around $100 and very easy for any shop to weld in place (like a 15-20 minute job). Then you can keep the stock rear sway bar.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

My son put dobinson ims shocks in all 4 corners of his 80-series landcruiser.

Unfortunately, shocks are only one of several components that impact ride quality.


E-load tires can be stiff and affect ride quality.

Springs can be too stiff for your weight and they will impact ride quality as well.

Having said that…my sons ride quality didn’t improve when we switched from basic ome shocks (15 year old OME shocks) for dobinson ims shocks.

But he has 15 year old OME coils in all 4 corners and e-load 33s.

So, the suspension on the GX470 is a system that includes tires, UCAs, LCAs, coils, shocks, sway bars, etc.

 

[Banandalorian]

If we are comparing twin tube nitro shocks, the OME stuff will likely be more firm on-road than a comparable Dobinson's setup. Good twin tube gas shocks will generally last a long time with no maintenance if you are on road or take it easy off the pavement. Regular gas shocks can't be rebuilt/repaired if they wear out and higher speed/long duration off road stuff is hard on them.

I have Dobinson's MRA kit, which is the adjustable, remote reservoir upgrade to the IMS monotubes and they are fantastic on and off road. I've had them installed since January this year and ~7,000 miles with no issues. I'm hoping for a long rebuild cycle of at least 30k miles but time will tell. The IMS kits aren't adjustable but I think so long as you have the right springs for your weight they should be plenty comfortable on road. I would also take a look at the Apache Offroad AX2 shocks as those are similar price/performance to the IMS. Both the IMS and AX2 should be maintenance free and are built to have long life cycles before a rebuild, but that is based on their use.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

@TimberJT at some point…you just make a decision a buy the shocks that you think are best for you.

You also mentioned fitting 285/70R17 tires. Just remember that lift height is not that important to fitting larger tires. Wheel offset, wheel and tire width, and caster have the most impact on tire rubbing.

 

[TimberJT]

@TimberJT at some point…you just make a decision a buy the shocks that you think are best for you.

You also mentioned fitting 285/70R17 tires. Just remember that lift height is not that important to fitting larger tires. Wheel offset, wheel and tire width, and caster have the most impact on tire rubbing.

I did learn that lift height is not that important, but I am still trying to wrap my head around the tire/wheel combinations.

I know I want tire size 285/70R17 which I think settles the width conversation (I think). But tell me more about how to choose a wheel and caster combination. I honestly don't want to re-invent the wheel (pardon the pun). I took a look at GXOR combinations, but nothing stood out. If I had a number of wheel options and knew the offset, I could be laser focused during upcoming sales to try and pick some up.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I did learn that lift height is not that important, but I am still trying to wrap my head around the tire/wheel combinations.

I know I want tire size 285/70R17 which I think settles the width conversation (I think). But tell me more about how to choose a wheel and caster combination. I honestly don't want to re-invent the wheel (pardon the pun). I took a look at GXOR combinations, but nothing stood out. If I had a number of wheel options and knew the offset, I could be laser focused during upcoming sales to try and pick some up.

 

[Rednexus]

I'd suggest basic zero-offset wheels. Positive offsite sets the wheel more into the fenderwell (like the OEM wheels which have something like +20 mm or +25 mm of offset and keep the tire totally within the fender). Negative offset pushes them out of the fenderwell. Zero-offsets are super-common for aftermarket Toyota wheels and generally provide a little bit of "poke" of the wheels out of the fenderwheel. I have 265/70R17s with zero-offsets and the tires stick out maybe 1/2" past the fenderwells.

Some folks like negative offset wheels, and they do look great, but they can cause lots of rubbing and accelerate wear of things like wheel bearings and suspension components.

 

[CarGuyCarl]

Plus 1 for some 0 off set wheels. I have 0 offset Method 704s, and like Rednexus said, they stick out just a touch past the fenders but in a good way, IMO. Looks a little more aggressive and "tough", but not far enough to be called poke... Always hated how sunken the stock fitment was.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

This is what I run in my 2003 GX470 for the last 6+ years:

• 17x9 -12 offset rims
• 285/70R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers E (32.76” tall by 11.6” wide)
• 3.7* caster
• No front sway bar
• 2.2” front lift
• 2” rear lift
• OPOR rock sliders

Zero rubbing, no BMC, only had to trim front fender liner like a couple inches

What I plan to run next year:

• 17x7.5 zero offset rims
• 34x10.5r17 Toyo Open Country AT3s D (short 34s at 33.5” tall by 10.6” Wide)
• Trim factory bumpers

I hope I won’t need to do BMC nor pinch weld hammering, but that’s the risk I’m taking by going slightly taller tires

I tend to like the skinny tires like 33x10.5, 34x10.5, 255/80/17, 285/75/17, so the 17x7.5 rims fit my needs.

If you like slightly wider tires up to 11.6” wide, then to me a 17x8 -10 would be the perfect rim for 285/70/17

For tires over 12” wide, then the 17x9 rims start to make more sense

That’s just my opinion…

 

[Jstawgn]

I would suggest Eibach kit of you are close to stock weight. Just like @HomersCanyonero said suspension is a system. Shock, spring and tire all impact how it handle and perform.

Eibach kit is complete spring and matched shocks. Matching is the key word. Not optimal for heavily modified vehicles but this kit would be excellent for close to stock vehicles.