I have a 2002 lx470 that I want to lift about 2.5, was trying to find out what is the best setup for your money, will be a daily driver with the occasional off-roading. I heard Old Man is a bit to stiff for daily driving. Was curious what everyone that has a lift is running.
Best lift setup for 100 Series
- Thread starter Luckychris25
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Somebodyelse5
16124-75030
Welcome! This topic has been beaten to death, a quick search will get you more info than you will ever want.
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post number 5
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NEW members! Welcome! Read this first!
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FAQ - 100-series FAQ
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I agree with above, use search. But in short, Tough dog or Ironman Pro foams are in my opinion as good as it gets prior to getting into top dollar stuff. Miles ahead of OME
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Thanks, I heard OME is a stiff ride, is Ironman pro foams stiff as well? Or would it be a lot smoother more like stock ride?
I'm heavy so not sure on a stock truck. But almost anything will be a little stiffer than stock. But OME is jarring, both tough dog and Ironman foams are smooth. I've got TD rears (adjustable) and IMPF up front with OME springs and TBs. After OME the TD and IM are incredible. Talk to Jason at Trail Tailor and he'll get you set up with a great TD setup for your needs. If I knew what I do now when I first bought the truck I would have gone TD or IMPF from the get go
If you don't think you need the big shocks you could even look at the regular Ironman foams shocks. Lesser than the Pro Foams
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search.
Somebodyelse5
16124-75030
That’s definitely opinion, i think the OME heavies feel great..
I'd have a look at this:
forum.ih8mud.com
I'll report back once installed
But if TL;DR:
- Toyota shocks with OME springs
- Tough Dog kit
- Ironman FoamCell Pro kit
Are the 3 best way to go (without robbing a bank that is
), the first would be the most plush and the third would be the most durable (while being still softer than OME shocks).
Altough I've heard that it's possible to buy the Nitro sport OME shocks with 3 different valving, so not sure what everyone uses/comes in the kits..
AHC delete. In search of the Holy Grail
forum.ih8mud.com
I'll report back once installed
But if TL;DR:
- Toyota shocks with OME springs
- Tough Dog kit
- Ironman FoamCell Pro kit
Are the 3 best way to go (without robbing a bank that is
), the first would be the most plush and the third would be the most durable (while being still softer than OME shocks).Altough I've heard that it's possible to buy the Nitro sport OME shocks with 3 different valving, so not sure what everyone uses/comes in the kits..
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I have 2864 springs and like them. I was more talking about the shocks
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I’ve ran OME, Iron Man Nitro Gas, Iron Man Foam Cell Pros, and Tough Dog adjustable. The Tough Dog adjustables were a game changer: they made my truck comfortable/fun to drive again compared to the OME and Iron Man Nitro gas shocks. I was pulling my hair out before talking to Jason @TRAIL TAILOR . I do not think his 2.5 tourflex kit can be beat for the money. Far and away better than OME in my experience.I'd have a look at this:
AHC delete. In search of the Holy Grail
I'll report back once installed
But if TL;DR:
- Toyota shocks with OME springs
- Tough Dog kit
- Ironman FoamCell Pro kit
Are the 3 best way to go (without robbing a bank that is
Altough I've heard that it's possible to buy the Nitro sport OME shocks with 3 different valving, so not sure what everyone uses/comes in the kits..
"daily driver with the occasional off-roading"
Crank the T-Bars, lift spacers in the rear, and new OEM shocks all around. Not only is it the cheapest, it is by far the most comfortable ride. If I didn't tow I'd go back to this setup in a heartbeat.
Crank the T-Bars, lift spacers in the rear, and new OEM shocks all around. Not only is it the cheapest, it is by far the most comfortable ride. If I didn't tow I'd go back to this setup in a heartbeat.
Key difference between OME and FoamCell shocks are OME are Gas filled vs Oil filled. Gas filled will ride firmer and wont fade as they heat up. Oil filled will feel more stock- but fade when the oil heats up and emulsifies; foam cell technology overcomes the emulsification(bubbles) however making them a great (or better) alternative to gas filled types. Ive no complaints with my Ironman FoamCell pros. I think the tough dog foam cells might have the edge with the adjustable option.
Agree that the tough dogs are great value for what you get, especially the adjustable rears. My 41mm fronts do have a hard time keeping up on faster, bumpy trails though. This is with just a arb delux, no winch or second battery. Probably should have gone with the bigger 53mm's, but the 41mm's are great on the road and other trail use.
Can I ask what your setup is now? I tow a 22ft center console many weekends and have been trying to decide what to do going forward. Shocks are all blown (205k miles), and it appears that the front (driver's) is sagging, so I'm not sure what do to there.
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Give Dobinson's a call. They have some extended travel shock options if you're going to 21.5"-22" (hub to fender) aka 2.5" of lift. I would stick to 21.5" of front lift height. The Dobinsons will help avoid the harsh topping/unloading sensation without spending big bucks on high end shocks. They are about an inch longer than OME and Ironman. Does anyone have the tough dog extended lengths? Compare the Dobinsons length to icon extended travel and slee shocks for both the front and rear shock options (18.5" front and ~26" rear). Dobinson's also has the proper length tapered coils for the rear to avoid the coil dropping out of the bucket during more extreme suspension extension. You will want aftermarket front upper control arms and a diff drop at 2.5". I've had the best luck so far with the nitrogear/blackhawk arms. Trail tailor has the extended end links for the sway bars, so you could get the diff drop from them as well to save on shipping from other vendors. That would be one of the best bang for buck options in my opinion, that performs incredibly well. I've had ironman and ome on two different 100's as well as SPC uppers, so i'm speaking from some experience. My buddy has the slee shocks and they are very nice. Really don't notice much of a difference in overall ride quality in multiple driving environments. They are better over long sections of washboard roads at decent speeds though, and woops.
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I'm running Ironman Foam Cell Pro's all around, OME 2864's, and stock torsion bars (I've had Ironman TB's sitting in my garage since 2017... will install if I ever put on a bumper/winch). I have no complaints towing or wheeling with this setup.
The 864's would probably be on the stiff side if I didn't have the weight of the rear bumper with spare, hi lift, and full drawer system. Without that weight I would go with the 863J instead.
Looks like I had written down here (after more searching today) that I might want to look into doing OEM replacement shocks, OME 2865s in the rear, cranked TBs up front, and then 275/70/R18s when its time for new tires. How does that sound? I'm new at this.
I figured that would be enough to get started / fix the problems that actually exist now (shocks need replacing NOW and I want another inch or so in back when I put the boat in at high tide so I don't risk dunking the truck in saltwater). And as I learn more about what I want to do with the LC when its not a DD any more (3-5 years?) I can upgrade from there. That's when I might be looking at bumpers and winches and such (weighty things).
Sounds like you did your research. I had 865's when I swapped out the stock coils/spacers. That setup is comfortable should last you a long time until you want to upgrade again.
