I have a GX550 OT and I'm in the process of installing ICON Stage 10 suspension. As some of you may know, ICON doesn't officially support this kit for the OT trim. I spoke with an ICON rep at the Overland Expo last month to find out why, and the explanation was more interesting than I expected.
Installing the Stage 10 kit increases suspension droop and as a result the downward travel at the rear axle is physically limited by the EKDSS. The added droop requires roughly 1/4" more travel than the EKDSS is designed to allow, which translates to about 3/4" to 1" at the wheel. It's not something you'd notice while driving, which is probably why it hasn't come up much. But the concern is that over time, the EKDSS components end up absorbing force they weren't designed to handle when limiting that downward travel, potentially leading to premature wear or failure.
I was surprised because I'd never seen this discussed anywhere. Most forum threads either focus on AVS error codes after a lift, or people saying everything is fine. I'm hoping someone here can either confirm this explanation or share whether they've run into it. More importantly, has anyone found a solution? Rep mentioned that putting shims inside the shock would limit downward travel but that seems to defeat the purpose. Maybe a modified bracket, a different approach, anything? Would love to hear from anyone who's dug into this.
Installing the Stage 10 kit increases suspension droop and as a result the downward travel at the rear axle is physically limited by the EKDSS. The added droop requires roughly 1/4" more travel than the EKDSS is designed to allow, which translates to about 3/4" to 1" at the wheel. It's not something you'd notice while driving, which is probably why it hasn't come up much. But the concern is that over time, the EKDSS components end up absorbing force they weren't designed to handle when limiting that downward travel, potentially leading to premature wear or failure.
I was surprised because I'd never seen this discussed anywhere. Most forum threads either focus on AVS error codes after a lift, or people saying everything is fine. I'm hoping someone here can either confirm this explanation or share whether they've run into it. More importantly, has anyone found a solution? Rep mentioned that putting shims inside the shock would limit downward travel but that seems to defeat the purpose. Maybe a modified bracket, a different approach, anything? Would love to hear from anyone who's dug into this.