Dobinsons 3 inch Progressive / Flexi coil review (2 Viewers)

[alia176]

wait, there is a resize button on this forum?

 

[Neal Schlatter]

So, lots of good intel, but I could still use some advice. I am lifting my 92 FJ80 and can only go a few inches before I hit the the roof on the garage door (yes, it is short). I purchased a set of King OEM Performance Series shocks (0-2") and was hoping to purchase some Slinky's but have been told that the shocks need to be longer in order to use the 50mm longer Slinky's. I dont really understand but am looking for the best springs to put on it, straight rate, dual rate, or progressive; and the most recommended manufacturer.

The truck is my DD and used on weekends in the Sierra's, fun things, but not a hard case rock crawler. Still working on the final unloaded weight (the front will have a small bumper and Warn Zeon 10S on it and not sure if and when I'll get a bumper for the rear) and will probably carry 600 extra pounds when out and about

So, and yes I have searched, what are peoples thoughts? I added this to this section because an definitely considering the Dobinson's.

Thanks!

 

[baldilocks]

So, lots of good intel, but I could still use some advice. I am lifting my 92 FJ80 and can only go a few inches before I hit the the roof on the garage door (yes, it is short). I purchased a set of King OEM Performance Series shocks (0-2") and was hoping to purchase some Slinky's but have been told that the shocks need to be longer in order to use the 50mm longer Slinky's. I dont really understand but am looking for the best springs to put on it, straight rate, dual rate, or progressive; and the most recommended manufacturer.

The truck is my DD and used on weekends in the Sierra's, fun things, but not a hard case rock crawler. Still working on the final unloaded weight (the front will have a small bumper and Warn Zeon 10S on it and not sure if and when I'll get a bumper for the rear) and will probably carry 600 extra pounds when out and about

So, and yes I have searched, what are peoples thoughts? I added this to this section because an definitely considering the Dobinson's.

Thanks!

You will definitely need longer shocks to run the slinky or Dobinson progressive/dual rate spring because they have a taller free height and, therefor, collapse further under the static load of the vehicle. So, you end up with more down travel in a spring that provides the same lift as a linear rate spring along with a more supple on the road ride.

Your 0"-2" kings are nice shocks but will hinder the additional down travel these springs offer.

There has been a lot of talk about springs and shocks by slinky and Dobinson over the past year, so there is a lot of info if you search it out.

 

[Neal Schlatter]

Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated. So, if longer shocks are required, then there are three questions.
1) If I keep the 2" Kings, what spring manufacturer is the most recommended for a straight rate?
2) How do Icon shocks compare with Kings with respect to durability, rebuildability, and staying in business for a long time
3) Is there enough value in the Slinky or Dobinson's coils to have my Kings lengthened or change to the Icons

I definitely do searches, but a search for "replacement coil springs" as an example comes up with 43 pages of posts, each with multiple pages of posts, many of which are full of little relevant direct information to the search (because if any of those three words show up anywhere in the page it is linked back to the search, relevant or not), rants, arguments, and off topic commentary. As a result many searches become tiring, inefficient, and confusing. Sorry to all the search police for that, but it is true, at least for me

 

[Dragos80]

Maybe use some shock spacers if you want to retain the King ones.
Bad idea, but I don't see anything else that would work great with a long travel spring.

It is not worth getting a long spring if you will limit it's travel with a badly match shock.

 

[crikeymike]

Hey @half k cruiser how about a review/summary of your thoughts now, since you had all spring (pun) and most of the summer running these?

 

[Box Rocket]

Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated. So, if longer shocks are required, then there are three questions.
1) If I keep the 2" Kings, what spring manufacturer is the most recommended for a straight rate?
2) How do Icon shocks compare with Kings with respect to durability, rebuildability, and staying in business for a long time
3) Is there enough value in the Slinky or Dobinson's coils to have my Kings lengthened or change to the Icons

I definitely do searches, but a search for "replacement coil springs" as an example comes up with 43 pages of posts, each with multiple pages of posts, many of which are full of little relevant direct information to the search (because if any of those three words show up anywhere in the page it is linked back to the search, relevant or not), rants, arguments, and off topic commentary. As a result many searches become tiring, inefficient, and confusing. Sorry to all the search police for that, but it is true, at least for me

Here's my thoughts on ICON vs KING shocks. Both are top quality manufacturers and from my experience have similar durability, and if rebuilding is needed it's about the same process for either one. All that being said, I'm a big proponent of using components that are designed to work together. For instance, the custom spec ICON shocks that are part of the Slinky kits are designed and tuned specifically to give the best performance with those coils on a specific vehicle. Not a "universal" happy medium that will work but not give the best results. I use the Slinky as just an example. The same principle applies to whatever brand of components. There may be exceptions but in general I believe that components that are part of a complete suspension "system" will be better.

If you decide to go with a longer dual rate coil like the Slinky, you will be limiting yourself, literally, with the KING shocks that are not tuned specifically to match the coil rates, but are also too short for the application. I would guess there would be plenty of interest in your KING shocks on the used market and the money from the sale could be put toward the correct ICON shocks if you decide to go that route. In the end I think you'd be happier with the results. Again, I'm just using Slinky as an example. The point being that a complete "system" with matching components is in most cases the right way to go when looking at bolt on options.

 

[half k cruiser]

Hey @half k cruiser how about a review/summary of your thoughts now, since you had all spring (pun) and most of the summer running these?

Mike, I'm glad you called me out on this one. I completely forgot to update this thread after my spring trip. All of the photos and review ended up in my build thread over in the clubhouse. Last months trip out to Colorado was the maiden voyage for the wifes 120 series so no action for the Land Cruiser out there. I have another trip coming up in September and most likely again in October. I will start loading up pics from the spring trip.

 

[half k cruiser]

Review from the spring trip March 28- April 2 2017. Lawrence KS > Grand Junction CO > Kokopelli's Trail > Moab UT. Total distance about 2200 miles. The drive down the highway was the usual, high winds in western Kansas make for a constant battle getting out across the flint hills. Lots of shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th gear. Then the battle up the Eisenhower tunnel and Vail pass is another exercise in patience. Finally we hit the Western slope and started our descent towards Grand Junction. Here you can just see a little bit of Dobinson spring poking out ...

The view from atop Colorado monument where we made camp our first night. Our friends had setup the day before and were a welcome sight after 12 + hours of driving.

The next day was the start of the Kokopellis trail. I aired the Kumho's down to my starting pressure of 20 psi. Terrain consists of long stretches of dirt path intermixed with sections of rock, washboard, and an occasional rock ledge usually less than 2 feet in drop. Having driven with the previous OME suspension for several years I was very familiar with how the vehicle normally handled these conditions. Right away I could tell a difference in ride quality between the old setup and the Dobinsons springs. Here's a deceiving photo of a ledge with at least a 4 foot drop down. This one turned my tail pipe into a frowny face...

A shot after the first day of trail. You can see that there is a very slight rake to rear with my full compliment of camp gear...

 

[baldilocks]

@half k cruiser Nice trip indeed. I can't wait to head out on mine next month.

Do you normally have some stinkbug when unloaded?

I'm currently running Slee 4" progressive heavies in the rear but I'm very curious about trying a set if the Dobinson 4" progressives. Can you estimate how much weight you typically load for a trip like the one you posted?

 

[half k cruiser]

Day 2 was more of the same type of trail. The big difference was the change in scenery moving from East to West. Day 3 however saw us getting closer to the end and the trail turning more rock and much less dirt. This is also where I realized that I hadn't heard the springs popping the entire trip. Before with the OME setup the front springs would bang when I got the axle articulating over bigger rocks. I never unseated one, but it was a bit irritating to listen to for hours at a time.

Obviously the rear flex is leaving nothing wanting. At no time did I hear the coils unseat which means they should have at least a little more travel left in them. The limiting factor now is that I have no more room in the wheel well for the tire to go.

The front is another story. While the spring still has travel left in it, the rest of the suspension is resisting. I think a couple of things are happening here. For starters the 20 year old bushings are stiff and I think they are resisting movement. Also I noticed when I was installing the springs that the tie rod hits the control arm under articulation. It would explain a noise that I was hearing during more aggressive articulation. It would also explain why the OEM inner rod was bent just above the PS radius arm when I removed it. A trip up the RTI ramp would confirm or deny this.

 

[half k cruiser]

Shortly after the above photos we hit Rose Garden Hill. Not sure who named it but rock slide or boulder field would be more fitting. We had to get another 80, two 4runners, and a long bed Taco down. Once they were safely at the bottom it was my turn. Lots of off camber ledges, large boulders, and shelf drops punctuate this part of the trail ...

Here's the back section after things start to smooth out. This is also where I ran into my first issue with my current setup. The Fox 2.0's are not strong enough to keep the truck from rocking in the smaller boulder fields. As soon as you develop any forward momentum the truck will rock side to side. Several times I struck the sliders on rocks that couldn't have been much more than 12 inch diameter. The Fox units just don't have the strength to arrest the momentum on this kind of terrain.

 

[half k cruiser]

At the bottom of the Rose Garden things clear out and you make your way to the Onion Creek Rd. Here you have the opportunity to air out your rig, and that's just what we did. Sustained speeds of 30-40 are doable but you have to watch out for areas where the road banks up steeply. The scenery here is stunning as you are in a bowl between the high rock. Smooth dirt with lots wash outs and at least a dozen shallow water crossings makes for a good time.

 

[half k cruiser]

The next day we made our way up to Canyonlands to check out the White Rim and Potash roads. The terrain here lends itself to foolishness. It is mostly dirt with lots of interspersed small rock / washboard. Wanting to give the new springs a good workup we decided to jump out front and go for broke. Sustained 40+ mph speeds were no problem until a good sized dip snuck up on me. It was the only time the whole trip that I heard the springs give protest and the suspension bottom out. The hit was hard enough to dislodge my PUMA from its mount and we were forced to pull over and secure it before it took out a window. Here's a shot of the Schaeffer switch backs leading down to White Rim....

The White Rim Road in the valley below.

 

[half k cruiser]

Unfortunately a broken CDL ended my wheeling at Canyonlands. The following day we took the rest of group through Hells Revenge in Moab. I decided to exclude my 80 as I was unable to lock the center diff or either locker. I instead road shotgun with a good friend and helped spot him through.
Our final day started with a trip to the Moab diner for breakfast and coffee. Three of our group headed out earlier in the morning in order to make the run across I-70 and be back home by dinner. Having no one to get home to that evening, me and my remaining buddy decided on a more ambitious route.
We took the 191 south out of Moab and then cut southeast into southern Colorado. We made a quick stop at Mesa Verde to view the cliff dwellings and then pushed on along the 160. Along the way the scenery was beautiful and the weather ranged from mild to raining, to snow storms and high winds. We finally made it back to eastern Kansas after more than 22 hours of driving.

 

[half k cruiser]

So here's my thoughts of the Dobinsons springs after that trip....

Pro's
- they make a surprising difference in ride quality off-road
- they don't bang around like the OME setup I had before
- they still have potential to grow, the limiting factor here is my current shocks and whatever is binding the front suspension

Con's
- with the weight I had in it the truck developed a very slight rake to rear. It does not do this when my camping gear is out. If you are pulling a trailer or a camper you could easily compensate with shims or air bags. Note they are designed for 100kg over, and I was definitely putting more than that in the truck.
- they take getting used to in corners. They will have more give initially on cornering than a linear rate spring. Once you get into the load rate
they firm up and all is well. The bigger factor here is shocks.

Overall I am completely happy with my purchase. The springs made a substantial difference in off road ride quality and I feel they are an excellent value considering their going rate from Dobinsons USA. I also like that there is still a lot of potential left in the suspension. The biggest limiting factor right now is the shocks. I really think to get the most out of the 80 is going to require a jump to 2.5's , preferably with reservoirs and CDC adjusters. I know that Dobinsons currently has a reservoir shock in the MRR line that can be paired to these coils.

 

[half k cruiser]

@half k cruiser Nice trip indeed. I can't wait to head out on mine next month.

Do you normally have some stinkbug when unloaded?

I'm currently running Slee 4" progressive heavies in the rear but I'm very curious about trying a set if the Dobinson 4" progressives. Can you estimate how much weight you typically load for a trip like the one you posted?

I know that my rig is 5800lbs without me in it. That's with the rear bumper loaded with spare tire, hi-lift and 10gallons of fuel. At that weight it sits perfectly level. I would guess I'm loading about 400lbs of gear at least in the back when I go on trips. These particular springs are rated at 100 kg additional load so I think they are about on the mark with that.

 

[crikeymike]

Looking at your photos is like having an ultimate off-road dream!! Really awesome photos. And a great review too.

 

[1973Guppie]

So here's my thoughts of the Dobinsons springs after that trip....

Pro's
- they make a surprising difference in ride quality off-road
- they don't bang around like the OME setup I had before
- they still have potential to grow, the limiting factor here is my current shocks and whatever is binding the front suspension

Con's
- with the weight I had in it the truck developed a very slight rake to rear. It does not do this when my camping gear is out. If you are pulling a trailer or a camper you could easily compensate with shims or air bags. Note they are designed for 100kg over, and I was definitely putting more than that in the truck.
- they take getting used to in corners. They will have more give initially on cornering than a linear rate spring. Once you get into the load rate
they firm up and all is well. The bigger factor here is shocks.

Overall I am completely happy with my purchase. The springs made a substantial difference in off road ride quality and I feel they are an excellent value considering their going rate from Dobinsons USA. I also like that there is still a lot of potential left in the suspension. The biggest limiting factor right now is the shocks. I really think to get the most out of the 80 is going to require a jump to 2.5's , preferably with reservoirs and CDC adjusters. I know that Dobinsons currently has a reservoir shock in the MRR line that can be paired to these coils.

thx for your review, I am considering going with the 4 inch progressives from trail gear eventually.

For me my on road driveability is as important as off road. Do you feel like your on road driveability has suffered after going from a linear to a progressive spring? Are you running stock swaybars? I am guessing the stock sway bars should minimize any increased roll from the new springs.

Looks like you did the kokopelli trail? just did that during cruise moab 2017. It was a blast. Already want to go back so bad.

 

[half k cruiser]

thx for your review, I am considering going with the 4 inch progressives from trail gear eventually.

For me my on road driveability is as important as off road. Do you feel like your on road driveability has suffered after going from a linear to a progressive spring? Are you running stock swaybars? I am guessing the stock sway bars should minimize any increased roll from the new springs.

On road the only place i'm feeling a real difference is in the corners. With a linear rate spring I feel like the truck is more predictable during cornering. With the dual rate you get an initial lean as mentioned previously in the post. To me the trade off is well worth it as soon as I hit trail. I do run stock sway bars, when I had the front one removed the truck was much less stable on the highway with either set of springs. I'm glad you asked this because it reminded me that I had the bar hooked up for all of those photos. I need to pull it and see what kind of difference it makes on the front.

Looking at your photos is like having an ultimate off-road dream!! Really awesome photos. And a great review too.

Thank you Mike. We are planning something a little more ambitious for next year.