Do I have any paranoia after doing some research? No. If it was an air suspension - different ballgame, but for a system that can be used and abused for a decade plus in thousands of rigs with relatively few failures, I am really, really impressed with it and fall into the
@nwfl4runner and
@chalice camp - still gonna sends it!
Here are some extra thoughts for anyone trying to fall asleep in the Americas...
Are there some other cool options out there? Sure!
- Spool valves - I really like the Multimatic spool valve shocks in the ZR2 and ZL1-1LE. They perform great for their intended use and I love the fact that they are a mechanical, contained unit! But those are apples to oranges comparisons with AHC. Spool valve shocks are $ to replace compared to AHC shocks and globes, and while they can be built to respond reasonably well across a range of conditions (like the ZR2), when tuned to get the most out of them, like in the ZL1-1LE, a lot of people find them difficult to live with outside of their intended environment (i.e. track days and super twisty, smooth canyon roads for the 1LE are fun while daily driving, for most, is a pita). And you can't play with the height on the fly.
- Air suspension? I have only tried the Land Rover (D5) and Cayenne (958), and while they are nice on the road and okay for low speed crawling, from my admittedly limited sample size, I think the ride on lifted air sprung suspensions at speed, offload, is crap.
Twilight zone between a daily and a dedicated pre-runner
My other thought on the AHC as I looked at it more, and have started to ... explore the envelope a bit... If I can drive it across the country and take it on some fun desert roads up to 50 or 60 (Mojave at 50-60, not Baja whoops at 80), I am probably close enough to the limit of what I want to do in a street driven daily driver now than I am older and have a family. Now, would I pre-run an LC200 with a nice King 2.5 or 3.0 suspension and no cage?
- At the same speed as the AHC? Sure, and with good valving it will work better, off road, in that scenario, hands down. But I don't think I am going to enjoy a pre-runner setup as much on the trip to and from the desert, which is a few thousand miles each way. My only caveat on this caveat - with KDSS I imagine the ride on an LC200 set up for pre-running is markedly different than most other vehicles set up for whoops.
- At 75 MPH or more? Eh - I've already done that in vehicles that didn't have the same passenger cab strengthening from the factory BUT somewhere between 55 and 75, which may not feel much different ride wise with the right valving and build, I think the desert starts to move by your window more quickly and unexpected surprises can catch and role you with one mistake (or stroke of bad luck). I've been in a Raptor (great fun), Y62 Patrol (wasn't valved for it), a 150 series (slower than the Raptor but well set up), and a Hilux (not prepared but took a licking and kept on ticking) for a few hundred miles in total going between 60 and 80 mph on everything from smooth desert roads to rutted out 'paths' in the Himalayas and mild whoops in the desert (not bigger Baja or SCORE style stuff to be clear). While its fun for a short stretch on a road that you or a co-driver know, I wouldn't do serious pre-running at 75+ in a non-caged, street driven vehicle again after watching other people who are better drivers catch an unexpected whoop/drop/obstruction that rolls them and lands them on their roof.
