- Thread starter
- #61
If you put a big drain hole in the bottom of the boot and some small breather holes in the top, they drain fine.
Icon install - 2005 LX470
- Thread starter Hayes
- Start date
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If you put a big drain hole in the bottom of the boot and some small breather holes in the top, they drain fine.
A little personal feedback that I have noticed. The extended shock travel has been rough on my CB's up front. Every time I go wheeling, I seem to have a new CB tear / leak. I have replaced and rebuilt a few times. This is doing some extreme rock crawling and occasionally getting a front tire in the air, most likely over extending the axel capability. I may just need to figure out a couple limiting strap up front. Fixing CB's is a dirty job and too costly to have someone else do a couple times a year.
- Thread starter
- #63
Are you referring to your CV's?
No CV problems on my rig so far. Are you running a diff drop?
I measured again when I pulled my Icon and popped in the old OME Sports--I'm getting 3/4" additional droop out of the Icons.
No CV problems on my rig so far. Are you running a diff drop?
I measured again when I pulled my Icon and popped in the old OME Sports--I'm getting 3/4" additional droop out of the Icons.
my bad, yeah CV's, lol freaking auto correct. I do have a slee diff drop installed.
Hayes: I'm too lazy to search, but are you running a D drop?
- Thread starter
- #66
Yes. The one Slee makes.
My boots have been re-banded with P-fran's clamps. I have only a couple off road trips on the Icons, but so far I'm having no CV boot trouble.
w/r to the boot: good call to the drain holes. Not sure if the manufacturers are doing this.
How about a design that acts as dust barrier, but lets water flow relatively free?
How about a design that acts as dust barrier, but lets water flow relatively free?
- Thread starter
- #68
Some manufacturers have stone guards for their shafts--Icon does for some of their Ford Raptor models. I think this would be ideal.
The Icon shock boots have very small breather holes in the top pleat (you have to have this, otherwise the boot would balloon up when compressed), but I put the drain holes in the bottom pleat. Used a paper punch and a razor blade. Hole is probably about the size of my pinky. I have read that some people just leave the bottom of the boot un-attached.
The Icon shock boots have very small breather holes in the top pleat (you have to have this, otherwise the boot would balloon up when compressed), but I put the drain holes in the bottom pleat. Used a paper punch and a razor blade. Hole is probably about the size of my pinky. I have read that some people just leave the bottom of the boot un-attached.
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
The issues with shock boots is not usually from retaining moisture or water, it retaining debris. Had an old pair of ranchos with shock boots on my old Dodge, which did not last long. After 2 months one of my rear shocks was blown and after a visual inspection, a rock had gotten into the boot and marred the shaft so bad that the shock was leaking until it was rendered useless. not sure how the rock ended up in there because it was twice the size of the drain hole, but somehow it did. I had also found smaller dirt and rocks that had embedded themselves in the fins of the boot. IMO your better off running without boots, but to each their own. Better off running rock guards that protect the shaft as @Hayes mentioned.
- Thread starter
- #70
Just picked up my shock from Matt at Desert Speed Shock Tuning.
Anybody in the Salt Lake City area needing shock work should definitely consider giving Matt a call. He's about an hour south of Salt Lake City, but makes one to two trips up every week to pick up and drop off shocks. I met him with my blown shock on Monday, and he was back through today (Thursday same week) with my rebuilt Icon, he even polished off the oxidation from the exterior of the shock. Great service. His going rate for a rebuild is $75 per shock.
He said the seals in my shock were pretty beat. When I asked if he thought this was reasonable for a 10,000 mile, very mildly wheeled daily driver, he said "yes, for a high end shock." He thought the limited oil volume of the short stroke front shocks probably contributed to wear. Hmm. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why seals in higher end shocks wear out quicker than in cheap shocks under the same operating conditions, but so be it. To reiterate, good warranty service from Icon, great rebuild service from Desert Speed Shock Tuning.
Anybody in the Salt Lake City area needing shock work should definitely consider giving Matt a call. He's about an hour south of Salt Lake City, but makes one to two trips up every week to pick up and drop off shocks. I met him with my blown shock on Monday, and he was back through today (Thursday same week) with my rebuilt Icon, he even polished off the oxidation from the exterior of the shock. Great service. His going rate for a rebuild is $75 per shock.
He said the seals in my shock were pretty beat. When I asked if he thought this was reasonable for a 10,000 mile, very mildly wheeled daily driver, he said "yes, for a high end shock." He thought the limited oil volume of the short stroke front shocks probably contributed to wear. Hmm. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why seals in higher end shocks wear out quicker than in cheap shocks under the same operating conditions, but so be it. To reiterate, good warranty service from Icon, great rebuild service from Desert Speed Shock Tuning.
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
It's common for vehicles that see equal off-road use to road use (50% street 50% dirt) have to rebuild every 10k. This is what I would consider "prerunner" territory. King and Fox both rate their shocks to have to be rebuilt ever 50k if seeing 100% on road use. Being the aforementioned dirt use is referencing high speed/high stress use, I do not think a 10k rebuild is normal. I would expect at least 30k if not more.
Another thing to consider is the main reason for high end shocks are the adjustability (ease of changing valving), and the ability to rebuild with ease (with the proper tools). Part store and OEM shocks are made for longer wear, using a different seal material, but they are also designed for less abuse.
On this next wear term I would wipe down the base of the shock shaft after every off-road excursion. This will help ensure longevity of the seals and should hopefully give you a little more life. I don't really buy the "limited oil volume" excuse though.
I'm sure the icons are great, but I'm a King fanboy...
This makes me sad conisidering all the cash we shelled out for our stage 3 icons, smh. Think I have about 5k on mine..... when do you know it's rebuild time?
That is very interesting to read. Not that I'm ready to spend that much on shocks but I had been watching this to see your experience. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes close to see if/when the others need work.
Thanks for keeping us up to date and I'm glad you were able to get a good turn around so you're all set for CM. (How embarrassing would it be to show up with a mismatched shock...
)
Thanks for keeping us up to date and I'm glad you were able to get a good turn around so you're all set for CM. (How embarrassing would it be to show up with a mismatched shock...
)
- Thread starter
- #74
Per Icon:
STREET USE:
• Send in for factory servicing every 40,000 miles or if a leak develops, ride quality decreases, or they begin to make excessive noise.
• Remove any buildup of road salt, mud, or debris from shocks and coil springs anytime accrued
• Clean with mild soap and water with each oil change or anytime you notice build up.
• Wax the cylinders yearly with automotive wax to prevent corrosion.
• Check nitrogen pressure yearly. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Check bearings for excessive wear yearly.
• DO NOT apply any type of lube to the upper and lower bearings.
STREET/DIRT:
• Send in for factory servicing every 15,000 miles or if a leak develops, ride quality decreases, or they begin to make excessive noise.
• Clean with mild soap and water with each oil change, offroad trip, or anytime you notice build up.
• Wax the cylinders yearly with automotive wax to prevent corrosion.
• Check nitrogen pressure each dirt outing. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Check bearings for excessive wear yearly.
• DO NOT apply any type of lube to the upper and lower bearings.
DIRT USE:
• Send in for factory servicing every 1,000 miles.
• Check nitrogen pressure each outing. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Remove any buildup of mud or debris from shocks and coil springs after every outing.
STREET USE:
• Send in for factory servicing every 40,000 miles or if a leak develops, ride quality decreases, or they begin to make excessive noise.
• Remove any buildup of road salt, mud, or debris from shocks and coil springs anytime accrued
• Clean with mild soap and water with each oil change or anytime you notice build up.
• Wax the cylinders yearly with automotive wax to prevent corrosion.
• Check nitrogen pressure yearly. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Check bearings for excessive wear yearly.
• DO NOT apply any type of lube to the upper and lower bearings.
STREET/DIRT:
• Send in for factory servicing every 15,000 miles or if a leak develops, ride quality decreases, or they begin to make excessive noise.
• Clean with mild soap and water with each oil change, offroad trip, or anytime you notice build up.
• Wax the cylinders yearly with automotive wax to prevent corrosion.
• Check nitrogen pressure each dirt outing. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Check bearings for excessive wear yearly.
• DO NOT apply any type of lube to the upper and lower bearings.
DIRT USE:
• Send in for factory servicing every 1,000 miles.
• Check nitrogen pressure each outing. (252004 charge needle assembly available at any ICON distributor)
• Remove any buildup of mud or debris from shocks and coil springs after every outing.
- Thread starter
- #75
For the record:
While I am complaining a bit that this shock did not survive one year of highway driving with a couple mild/moderate weekend off road trips, I'm officially NOT belly-aching about the shocks in general. Reading through any of the threads about the Icons or other high-end shocks makes it clear that they will require regular maintenance. I knew what I was getting into. I still will not go back to the OME's (except for while the Icons are off for service)--the performance of the Icons is unequivocally superior.
My plan is to equip and educate myself to be able to service the shocks myself. It will become an annual service item for me.
While I am complaining a bit that this shock did not survive one year of highway driving with a couple mild/moderate weekend off road trips, I'm officially NOT belly-aching about the shocks in general. Reading through any of the threads about the Icons or other high-end shocks makes it clear that they will require regular maintenance. I knew what I was getting into. I still will not go back to the OME's (except for while the Icons are off for service)--the performance of the Icons is unequivocally superior.
My plan is to equip and educate myself to be able to service the shocks myself. It will become an annual service item for me.
That is very interesting to read. Not that I'm ready to spend that much on shocks but I had been watching this to see your experience. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes close to see if/when the others need work.
Thanks for keeping us up to date and I'm glad you were able to get a good turn around so you're all set for CM. (How embarrassing would it be to show up with a mismatched shock...
- Thread starter
- #77
I'm new this whole shock rebuilding thing, but here goes:
Icon sells their service kit for $20. These include all the seals for one shock rebuild.
A gallon of Icon oil sells for $58. It looks like my single front shock rebuild used about 1/3 of a gallon.
That's ~$80 in seals and probably ~$116 in oil for all four shocks. I'm not sure of the N2 gas cost to recharge a shock, so excluding that it's basically $200 in consumables to rebuild 4 shocks. Desert Speed Shock Tuning would do all this for $300, so I'd be saving $100 to do it myself.
This also excludes the initial setup cost of (basic) tools, and more significantly--the nitrogen tank and regulator.
Icon sells their service kit for $20. These include all the seals for one shock rebuild.
A gallon of Icon oil sells for $58. It looks like my single front shock rebuild used about 1/3 of a gallon.
That's ~$80 in seals and probably ~$116 in oil for all four shocks. I'm not sure of the N2 gas cost to recharge a shock, so excluding that it's basically $200 in consumables to rebuild 4 shocks. Desert Speed Shock Tuning would do all this for $300, so I'd be saving $100 to do it myself.
This also excludes the initial setup cost of (basic) tools, and more significantly--the nitrogen tank and regulator.
Quick update on the Icons:
Late last week I discovered that my DS front shock was leaking, as evidenced by oily grime at the bottom of the shock boot. A closer look showed the inside of the boot and bottom of the shaft were oily. Definitely leaking. After pulling the shock I found that I was able to manually compress the shock by hand. This is after 10 months and ~10,000 miles, mostly daily driving in town, but with a couple off road excursions.
Icon was easy to contact on the phone, and they immediately recognized the failure as a warranty claim. The timing is pretty bad however, and it will be almost impossible to get the shock to Icon for a rebuild, back to me and back on the truck, before Cruise Moab. I've decided to have the shock locally rebuilt at my cost, with Icon shipping the service parts and oil to my local rebuilder on their dime.
I'm giving Icon a thumbs up for service here, although it would be nice for them to have a wider network of "official service reps" so that warranty work could be easily covered with better turn-around time. Despite them giving a fully covered (less one-way shippying) warranty rebuild, it's 100% my choice to pay for the quicker turn-around because I couldn't bring myself to show up at Cruise Moab with 3 Icons and one Old Man Emu on my rig.
I will follow up with any notable details post-rebuild.
One minor note: The guy doing the rebuild remarked at how nice the shock shaft looked after 10k miles and a Utah winter. Benefit of running the shock booted.
Anymore updates?
I am debating between ICON stage I $780 or stage III $2000. I'm driving 100% street, if shock goes I can buy a new one with stage I. I need to change my 1.5" OME suspension ASAP! My 200 is my DD.
- Thread starter
- #79
Not much to report. Ran PSM and Metal Masher at Cruise Moab right after the rebuild. Everything performed well. Pretty much been asphalt bound since. Everything is working great, no signs of leaking. I'll probably have all 4 shocks serviced sometime late winter/early spring.
