A potentially "easy" way of confirming whether rear springs are too stiff would be stuffing some 400-500lbs of weight into the cargo area and going for a drive. Got any sand bags?
Choosing lift (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter 1Maverick
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bloc
SILVER Star
I'd say do whatever you can to use that adjuster and see if damping alone can resolve your issues. You may be maxed out, and have all you need to address the ride, though yes swapping springs to reduce some height could be of help too.
Earlier I was thinking 2723 when you said 2722.. and the 23 is much stiffer. Still a 21 would take out some height.
I'm less well-versed on the newer suspensions that are out so hard for me to give a good recommendation other than maybe seeing if yours can be made to work. When I was shopping for kits the ability to rebuild them at home was paramount and that really cut down on the available options. Super happy with what I got, but they would be overkill for what you are doing.
Sounds like you need lighter rear springs. It’s pretty hard to find aftermarket springs designed to lift a truck that aren’t heavier, but you don’t sound like you need much extra load
If you want to try my Tough Dog standard springs, I just pulled them from my truck to upgrade to heavier springs as I’ve added weight. Happy to send them to you for the cost of shipping. they are a lower spring rate than the OME you have (240 vs 275), though still higher than stock. I found they were perfect with 300lbs or so in the trunk, and were firmer than stock but perfectly driveable when I was unloaded.
If you want to try my Tough Dog standard springs, I just pulled them from my truck to upgrade to heavier springs as I’ve added weight. Happy to send them to you for the cost of shipping. they are a lower spring rate than the OME you have (240 vs 275), though still higher than stock. I found they were perfect with 300lbs or so in the trunk, and were firmer than stock but perfectly driveable when I was unloaded.
- Thread starter
- #24
No, but
thank you! I let you know if my adjustment doesn’t create the results I’m after. If I run the tough dog springs, I imagine I’ll need to lower the front shocks as well to keep everything level, correct?
Probably not. I had a decent rake (rear higher than front) before I put on my rear bumper. You should be able to swap in any rear springs and your height shouldn’t actually change much, as heavier springs actually tend to be shorter but have thicker coils which compress less.
- Thread starter
- #26
I was able to get the bp51left rear side adjusted using a oil wrench to hold the shock housing in place but God almighty the rear right passenger side won’t budge. I really hate these things and would not recommend BP51 to anyone based on my experience of trying to adjust them. I’m at the point of putting them in the trash and going a different route. Sorry, just a bit frustrated. Will take it to my local shop and have them get it on a lift. I think if I had more room to maneuver, I could get a better purchase on the shock but lying on my back using my less dominant hand doesn’t help. Makes me question ARB on the design of these. Whoever field tested them didn’t consider someone might actually want to make adjustments when say, pulling a trailer and then taking off said trailer once at camp and adjusting the settings for a better off-road experience.
- Thread starter
- #27
Update: I set the compression to 2 on the rears and was able to set Rebound to 6 on drivers rear side but can’t budge the passenger rear side rebound dial. It definitely made the rear end much softer and almost a little floaty after going over road bumps. The frustration I’ve had with trying to adjust them is making me seriously consider just swapping them out for Dobinson
If you do swap them let us know what what the performance is like between the two.
If I was spending $3-4k on a suspension and had ruled out BP51's I'd look hard at Kings next. That said I don't have any experience with the Dobinson's suspension so it may be great as well.
If I was spending $3-4k on a suspension and had ruled out BP51's I'd look hard at Kings next. That said I don't have any experience with the Dobinson's suspension so it may be great as well.
- Thread starter
- #29
I thought about Kings. I wonder how they do in humid climates and the occasional salty roads. My previous ICONS started to develop rust on some of the parts such as the shock threads. I’ve heard great things about the new Dobinson stuff on other older LC’s and other Toyotas but little info on 200’s. They are pretty with the purple dialed and gloss black housings but not as pretty as Kings and I would think Kings are a bit more.
Dobinsons MRR Lift Black - $3,140
Labor for install - 6 Hours @ $100hr - $600
Alignment - $90
Shop Charges - $20
Total after Taxes - $4,206.12
Personally I want my suspension components to just be black and I wish more companies would stop painting theirs the brightest colors they can find. I don't need to show them off.
Kings will depend on the options, they could be more or less depending on the level of customization you feel you want
Kings will depend on the options, they could be more or less depending on the level of customization you feel you want
- Thread starter
- #31
Well, it’s just the adjuster knob to make it easier to see and locate. I think it looks pretty nice. Spring color is optional as I would just stick with black.
CharlieS
GOLD Star
Thanks for the ping.
Yup, I have King 2.5s and live in Vermont in the Northeast.
First of all, the suspension has been awesome, and worth every penny. It is ideal for the way that I use my vehicle. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I live and drive four seasons in a reasonably rural area mostly in dirt and paved two lane roads. They use a tone of liquid chloride and salt on the roads in the winter for ice control. I've had them for two winter seasons.
The Anodized aluminum and hard surfaces like the shafts have held up well. The hydraulic fittings and reservoir bracketry did not hold up well and are corroding. Some of the fasteners (like the large bolt that attaches the top mount to the front shock eye) are mild steel and rust. The worm clamps are rusty.
When I moved them to a new vehicle ('13 200 to a '16 200), I took the top bolts out, cleaned them up, and used marine grease all over them to stave off future corrosion.
If I were to do it over again, I'd do some preparation like POR or powder-coating the reservoir brackets. replacing wrk gear clamps with high quality stainless, and prepping and painting the hydraulic fittings (even if only with a clearcoat). In fact, I will do this at the first rebuild interval when they are out next.
Ben Brazda recommends hitting everything with WD-40 frequently, but in full transparency that's a bit impractical for me.
CharlieS
GOLD Star
I would also prefer plain black.
Kings will definitely do black, and I inquired about it, even before the recent lead time insanity, and it turned a long lead time (6-8 weeks) into months of lead time. I guess most people prefer the blingy blue.
I feel your pain and don't blame you.
