I am not a suspension guru... but I am in the market.. i was going to pull the trigger on ironman foam cell while they were on sale but i missed the window... anyways i was wondering why the ICON stage I is priced at $2600 while most others are listed around 1100 to 1300... anyone have any insights? When you go up to the next stage the pricing is inline with the BP51...
Icon Stage I vs OME basic set up... why 2X the cost?
- Thread starter atsparkinson
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I can't speak to Icon, but I think the Ironman FCP, OME Nitro, and Tough Dog suspension are all similar performance and price. I've read some people like OME and Ironman and some complain it's too stiff. I suspect stiffness is largely folks who are putting on a lift but haven't added any weight.
If you're concerned about ride comfort you might consider the Tough Dog 45mm adjustable kit. Jason at Trail Tailor sells them in the US. They're foam cell like Ironman and are a few hundred dollars more than the Ironman and OME options, but the have an adjustable compression knob which will change the ride quality from "float like a Cadillac" to "hit in the face by Mike Tyson" (and can be adjusted easily in a few seconds). IMO they're a good compromise between the FCP or Nitro kits and the much more expensive Icon/BP-51/King/etc options. (Note: TD makes a lower end non-adjustable version as well which is priced to compete with Ironman and OME but in fairness at that price point I'd probably go with OME just due to availability of parts)
If you're concerned about ride comfort you might consider the Tough Dog 45mm adjustable kit. Jason at Trail Tailor sells them in the US. They're foam cell like Ironman and are a few hundred dollars more than the Ironman and OME options, but the have an adjustable compression knob which will change the ride quality from "float like a Cadillac" to "hit in the face by Mike Tyson" (and can be adjusted easily in a few seconds). IMO they're a good compromise between the FCP or Nitro kits and the much more expensive Icon/BP-51/King/etc options. (Note: TD makes a lower end non-adjustable version as well which is priced to compete with Ironman and OME but in fairness at that price point I'd probably go with OME just due to availability of parts)
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- #3
Ahh they are sold out.. great info though.. I will have to keep an eye out for stock!
CharlieS
GOLD Star
From what I can tell, the BP-51, Icon and Kings are next level. I've only owned Land Cruisers with OME, Bilstein and Kings. OME were nice, but from my perspective, Kings are well worth the additional money. An additional benefit is they can be tuned and rebuilt.
I have the OME setup on my 200 right now and am switching to Kings. I have previously run Icons, and even DR (Donahoe Racing, what Icon was called prior to becoming Icon). With the tuning done by Filthy Motorsports, I will never run anything else. Hands down fantastic and far more bang for the buck than I had on my OME setup or my Icon previous builds. If you're still exploring options, my advice is to give Ben a call at Filthy. If nothing else, their customer service is the best, bar none.
I've not ridden on Kings but IIRC Kings are 2-3x a basic OME kit. As the OP was originally looking for a sale, that might be out of his price range, hence why I suggest TD as a cost-effective middle ground
A big downside of King/Icon (not sure about BP-51 as they are newer) IMO is that they need to be removed rebuilt every 40-50k miles. Whereas OME/Ironman/TD non-bypass should reasonably go 100k+.
(I'm not knocking Kings or other bypass shocks, btw. I did consider Kings myself, but the combination of 2x the cost plus more frequent rebuilds led me down the TD path).
Side note: there are a few other options like Fox out there that the OP may wish to explore as well.
CharlieS
GOLD Star
Yes, the King 2.5, Icons and BP-51 were about 2x the OME when I priced them out. I thought he was asking why. It's a lot like why the Land Cruiser is 2x the price of the 4Runner. They're both capable of the same stuff, but the Land Cruiser does it better. 
Ben at Filthy Motorsports said that those service intervals are for severe service, and that most Kings go double that or more before needing service.
I'd suggest doing some research. When I was shopping, Icons had lots of reports of quality problems.
Comments about Kings not being for comfort versus aggressive driving should be taken with a grain of salt. They're used all over the place in offroad racing applications.
Ben at Filthy Motorsports said that those service intervals are for severe service, and that most Kings go double that or more before needing service.
I'd suggest doing some research. When I was shopping, Icons had lots of reports of quality problems.
Comments about Kings not being for comfort versus aggressive driving should be taken with a grain of salt. They're used all over the place in offroad racing applications.
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My icons have been on for 70-75k miles so far. I dont offroad much but I hit every pothole and bump in chiraq at full speed. The further you go into the city the worse it gets.
Wait 1 more month to get discounts on Icons. I bought my set for $2400 if I remember correctly on cyber monday. Kings is an option if you prefer comfort over aggressivness. Icons are slightly less comfortable under 25mph but awesome at high speeds. Im pretty sure aggressive drivers prefer digressive shocks.
Racing coilovers have one benefit they make the car feel like new even with 75k miles on them. Regular springs start sagging and you feel them getting old. I strongly recommend getting the coilover setup for this reason. I believe blisteins are offering budget coilovers for LC.
Why? Well I don't have the exact answer of why monotubes cost more but Icon vs OME is monotube vs twin tube.
I think 99% of the monotube shocks inherently have more tuning that have been done before they are sold, and this will be reflected onto final customer as a cost. There are also more shims which cost more $, they are rebuild able, and also when they overheat, they don't make the entire shock fail. They can cool down and work again. Twin tubes, if the shock overheats, the shock needs to be replaced or rebuilt. Bilstein 6112/5100/5160 are the lowest price monotubes you can buy, and are also the best value at about 60% of the price Icon/Fox would ask for.
OME shocks have rubber bushings while the higher end monotube offerings that are twice the cost come with a spherical bearing. Bearing costs more than rubber bushings. You get a schrader valve as well to further tune your shock at home.
I think 99% of the monotube shocks inherently have more tuning that have been done before they are sold, and this will be reflected onto final customer as a cost. There are also more shims which cost more $, they are rebuild able, and also when they overheat, they don't make the entire shock fail. They can cool down and work again. Twin tubes, if the shock overheats, the shock needs to be replaced or rebuilt. Bilstein 6112/5100/5160 are the lowest price monotubes you can buy, and are also the best value at about 60% of the price Icon/Fox would ask for.
OME shocks have rubber bushings while the higher end monotube offerings that are twice the cost come with a spherical bearing. Bearing costs more than rubber bushings. You get a schrader valve as well to further tune your shock at home.
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks for all of the feedback. I am not really concerned with price.. but not being a suspension person.. and looking at Stage I Icon shocks and the OME package they seem to be very similar in what they are selling (shocks and coils). What was more confusing was the OME BP-51 and Icon Stage II are similarly priced (probably speaks more to the design of BP51 components). But i think my question was answered given the monotube vs twin tube design. I am talking with Ben at Filthy to figure something out. Thanks again for all of the great insight!
For the rebuild... how much does that typically cost? How many miles does stock suspension last? I have 50k on the vehicle now.. i do not do heavy off roading but the vehicle is loaded pretty heavily.
For the rebuild... how much does that typically cost? How many miles does stock suspension last? I have 50k on the vehicle now.. i do not do heavy off roading but the vehicle is loaded pretty heavily.
Just get the kings from Ben. You won’t be sorry.
