Dobinsons 100 Series Suspension options - full breakdown

[vjpkrmnc]

Coils: C59-223V
Hub to Fender: 22"
Added weight: Acquired in 2020 with OME(?) 2+" lift. Has a typical two-drawer plywood box full of tow hooks and a heavy jack, Slee sliders and occasionally a hitch bike rack. I guess the KO2 spare also adds 15 lbs over stock too. I wanted slightly lower than the "medium" OMEs(?) that came on it. First I tried stock but practically dragged the bumper with a hitch tray full of camping stuff. Now back to these. Probably a little too soft over speed bumps but that may be the Icon shocks are tired. Happy overall with the springs with a little over a year on them.

 

[NearJetties]

Coils: C59-185
Other rear suspension details: IMS shocks, Firestone airbags with 5psi for daily duty, Trail Tailor extended links, Delta panhard bar correction, perry parts bump stops
Hub to Fender: 23"
Added weight (representative of what’s in the pics): Deleted 3rd Row, custom drawers (3/4” furniture grade. Camp kitchen/stove, tools, misc gear), ICECO 55L fridge/freezer, Quick Pitch drop down fridge slide, tailgate storage (recovery gear is the heaviest thing in there). TCC rear bumper (offset by cutting out rear cross member and removing receiver hitch).

For those interested…
Front suspension: 22”. IMS extended length shocks, Dobinsons UCAs, Dobinsons torsion bars, trail tailor extended links, Slee diff drop
Tires: LT285/75R-17 FALKEN WILDPEAK A/T4W C. Roughly 34” x 11.5”
Wheels: Nomad Convoy 17x8.5 +25
Mods: hammered pinch weld and massaged inner fenders.

Rear setup before bumper and tailgate storage:

 

[vjpkrmnc]

Do we have any spring rates for the variable C59-223V? I have them and I'm starting to think they're way too cushy. Unloaded over our local speed humps I get a ton of unnecessary compression. (Stock shocks brand new while Icon refurb under consideration). I like the height but need more stiffness I think. Per previous post I'm at 22" unloaded. What would be the next step up in spring rate without a lot more height? Maybe I am a bit low in the rear? I have an old garage height issue too.

 

[Mike NXP]

Purchased in April 2021
Coils - C59-185
(Shocks) - Dobisons GS59-682
Hub to Fender - 23 / 23.5"
Weight - Detailed below

This setup was advertised to handle a 400lb additional constant load over stock and provide a 1.5" lift for the 100 series. For me its providing more like a 3" lift.. Its a solid product all around and hasn't sagged at all over 5 years. Shocks are doing good too..... but I believe it requires more weight to get the 185's sitting at 1-2" lift..... what do you think?


I haven't done the math in a while but maybe now is a good time to do it:
- Rear bumper - 150lbs
- Swing outs - 50lbs each x 2 = 100lbs total
- 15 gallons of fuel on 1 side - 90lbs
- Spare tire on the other side ( Not really adding weight? Just moving it from under vehicle ) - 80 lbs?
---- Total on bumper - 420lbs ---

• All seats have been removed. But replaced with a sleeper platform and drawer. So In my mind that just cancels itself out
• The gear I carry isn't too heavy, maybe adds up to 200-300lbs and its spread all around the vehicle
• My roof has a rack and it holds 8 gallons of water and traction boards so that should be considered

Vehicle weight fully loaded. I'd be curious how this rear weight compares to a stock 100's rear weight. Maybe I'm not 400lbs over stock?
View attachment 4124111

Any thoughts / help from Dobisons on folks like me who purchased coils based on our weights but got double the advertised lift and are now riding too high

 

[crikeymike]

Do we have any spring rates for the variable C59-223V? I have them and I'm starting to think they're way too cushy. Unloaded over our local speed humps I get a ton of unnecessary compression. (Stock shocks brand new while Icon refurb under consideration). I like the height but need more stiffness I think. Per previous post I'm at 22" unloaded. What would be the next step up in spring rate without a lot more height? Maybe I am a bit low in the rear? I have an old garage height issue too.

View attachment 4139699

No, Dobinsons don't give out specs on most of their variable rate springs. EDIT: I found some old notes, I do have them, they're 205-245lb rate.

They're not a heavy rate though, and with stock shocks compared to Icon high pressure monotube shocks, it will feel completely different. Wait for your shocks to come back then it should improve. There's not a stronger spring at that same height.

 

[crikeymike]

Any thoughts / help from Dobisons on folks like me who purchased coils based on our weights but got double the advertised lift and are now riding too high

You're within 1" of where it should sit based on the info Dobinsons gives, so I'd say your weight isn't as heavy as you think. The only way to change the rear height to make it lower is to change the springs, unless you want to modify the coils (not recommended). The springs below what you have are a lighter spring rate, so you wouldn't have the same load support that you have now.

What's your front hub to fender? It should be about 22", so you'd have 1" of rake, which is ideal in my mind.

 

[Mike NXP]

You're within 1" of where it should sit based on the info Dobinsons gives, so I'd say your weight isn't as heavy as you think. The only way to change the rear height to make it lower is to change the springs, unless you want to modify the coils (not recommended). The springs below what you have are a lighter spring rate, so you wouldn't have the same load support that you have now.

What's your front hub to fender? It should be about 22", so you'd have 1" of rake, which is ideal in my mind.

I posted my vehicle weight above and I've scaled in a few times with 500+ pounds of sandbags in the trunk. These coils are super beefy, they barely move and I sit just as high even with all that weight.

The goal wasn't to have a lift it was just to support the weight so I don't want my front end that high I'm sitting more at about 19 1/2 - 20" because any higher I've got to start thinking about different upper control arms and other things to help with getting alignment right....been down that road already just want to keep stock/ slightly over stock heights and support the weight.

Oh well

 

[crikeymike]

I posted my vehicle weight above and I've scaled in a few times with 500+ pounds of sandbags in the trunk. These coils are super beefy, they barely move and I sit just as high even with all that weight.

The goal wasn't to have a lift it was just to support the weight so I don't want my front end that high I'm sitting more at about 19 1/2 - 20" because any higher I've got to start thinking about different upper control arms and other things to help with getting alignment right....been down that road already just want to keep stock/ slightly over stock heights and support the weight.

Oh well

I was thinking about this more yesterday. A vehicle scale measures the total vehicle weight, including all the unsprung weight (aftermarket wheels, tires, etc, are all heavier than stock, so it isn't helpful in determining the actual added weight that is held up by the suspension. Not unless all the other variables didn't change from weighing it before the mods and after, but I don't think anybody does that. Maybe that's where your weight is off a bit.

Your front end is at stock height. 21" won't hurt anything to go up to, but any height change will need a new alignment.

These rear coils were never going to be at stock height, not with the spring rate of them. C59-223V are the "strongest" low height coils offered from Dobinsons, so that would be what you'd have to drop down to in order to really lower it.

 

[harshjay]

Running the The C59-269V rear Progressive / Variable rate coils on my AHC LX470 with sensor lift. Still Needed 300 lbs at the back before AHC started working. Works just like stock afterwards.

Hey, you still on here? I was looking at these rear springs, since I have the King KTRS-79 with 30mm spacers, and my pressures are good, but I would like less movement on the rear end. I am going to replace all the bladders, but was eyeing this up.

 

[harshjay]

Coils: C59-185
Other rear suspension details: IMS shocks, Firestone airbags with 5psi for daily duty, Trail Tailor extended links, Delta panhard bar correction, perry parts bump stops
Hub to Fender: 23"
Added weight (representative of what’s in the pics): Deleted 3rd Row, custom drawers (3/4” furniture grade. Camp kitchen/stove, tools, misc gear), ICECO 55L fridge/freezer, Quick Pitch drop down fridge slide, tailgate storage (recovery gear is the heaviest thing in there). TCC rear bumper (offset by cutting out rear cross member and removing receiver hitch).

For those interested…
Front suspension: 22”. IMS extended length shocks, Dobinsons UCAs, Dobinsons torsion bars, trail tailor extended links, Slee diff drop
Tires: LT285/75R-17 FALKEN WILDPEAK A/T4W C. Roughly 34” x 11.5”
Wheels: Nomad Convoy 17x8.5 +25
Mods: hammered pinch weld and massaged inner fenders.



View attachment 4125337View attachment 4125338View attachment 4125339
View attachment 4125346
Rear setup before bumper and tailgate storage:
View attachment 4125345

nice wheels, the grey looks good, went with white.....but there is always powder coating!

 

[Scotch]

@crikeymike I've got the variable rate springs on my 80 series and love em. Trying to find the equivalent variable setup for my 5spd HDJ100 to give it about 2-2.5" lift and maintain rake. Thoughts? specs below


Factory estimates:

• GVM: 3,260 kg / 7,187 lb
• Curb weight: ~2,500–2,550 kg (5,510–5,620 lb)
• Payload: ~710–760 kg (1,565–1,675 lb)

Current build additions:
Front (+222 lb):

• Cruiser Company front bumper: 146 lb
• Warn VR EVO 12-S: 76 lb

Rear (+88 lb unloaded):

• Cruiser Company rear bar: 88 lb net
• Real-world rear load will obviously go up with kids, recovery gear, jerry cans, camping gear, etc.

Weight "removed"

• No factory 3rd row seats: –70 to –90 lb

Net added weight today: roughly ~250 lb


Estimated current curb weight:
~5,730–5,860 lb but prob early hit 6k+ with kids and gear

 

[crikeymike]

@crikeymike I've got the variable rate springs on my 80 series and love em. Trying to find the equivalent variable setup for my 5spd HDJ100 to give it about 2-2.5" lift and maintain rake. Thoughts? specs below


Factory estimates:

• GVM: 3,260 kg / 7,187 lb
• Curb weight: ~2,500–2,550 kg (5,510–5,620 lb)
• Payload: ~710–760 kg (1,565–1,675 lb)

Current build additions:
Front (+222 lb):

• Cruiser Company front bumper: 146 lb
• Warn VR EVO 12-S: 76 lb

Rear (+88 lb unloaded):

• Cruiser Company rear bar: 88 lb net
• Real-world rear load will obviously go up with kids, recovery gear, jerry cans, camping gear, etc.

Weight "removed"

• No factory 3rd row seats: –70 to –90 lb

Net added weight today: roughly ~250 lb


Estimated current curb weight:
~5,730–5,860 lb but prob early hit 6k+ with kids and gear

Hey bud

There are just 2 rear variable rate options. one being taller than the other. C59-223V would be the ones if you'd prefer to keep it lower, or C59-175V if you want it taller. If you think you'll add more constant rear weight, then the 175V will be more ideal, but with the weight you've got now, about 2.5" lift is expected.

You must have gotten the rear bumper without any swing outs on it?