IRONMAN 4x4 Foam Cell PRO vs TOUGH DOG 40mm Bore 9 way Adjustable Shock

[ga12r1]

I've been running @Ironman 4x4 USA FCPs for a few years now and they have took everything I could throw at them. They ride great on the HWY and the trail. Last month I did the Tundra swap and used Ironman FCP Tundra coilovers and have been very impressed. Ive been running out in Colorado and Moab the last few weeks and it's been a blast.

 

[linuxgod]

I have 45mm adjustable Tough Dog shocks and I really like them. They were a good compromise between OME and other basic lift kits and the King/BP51/Icon prices.

my $0.02 is that the adjustments are great if your usage changes. I keep mine set at 4 around town but will drop to 2 or 3 if I’m off-road (did 90+ miles of White Rim this week over 2 days) or will increase to 5 or 6 in the rear when I load up and put the trailer on (which adds 900 bouncy pounds to the rear).

I’ve not driven with King or BP51s but my understanding is that anything with a bypass basically increases the range of terrains in which your settings will still perform as intended. For instance if you are on a trail which mixes washboard, rocks, sand/mud, at various speeds, you’ll find most single reservoir shocks will perform well at certain speeds but kinda suck at others. The TD 45s do really well above 15 mph but low speed rock crawling jostles me around a lot.

 

[njbrain]

I have Ironman Foam Cell Pro on my 2013 Land Cruiser and I don't like it at all. On the highway is rough but not composed, and I can feel the rear end kick when hitting bumps at speed. Off-road on typical Colorado trails I get jostled around a lot. Similar to driving an F250. It does surprisingly well on washboards and large rolling bumps that you could go airborne on. It soaks up those pretty well. Quick hits like a rock sticking 4 inches out of the road or speed bumps are not absorbed unless I'm driving at a ridiculous speed. I have the performance springs as those were the only option for a 2" lift. The performance spring is rated for 0-110 lbs in the front, and 0-660 in the rear. The above experience was with a 700 lb load counting driver and passenger. When loaded down with 1500 lbs the ride was passable but not great. These shocks are getting removed as soon as possible.

 

[linuxgod]

I have Ironman Foam Cell Pro on my 2013 Land Cruiser and I don't like it at all. On the highway is rough but not composed, and I can feel the rear end kick when hitting bumps at speed. Off-road on typical Colorado trails I get jostled around a lot. Similar to driving an F250. It does surprisingly well on washboards and large rolling bumps that you could go airborne on. It soaks up those pretty well. Quick hits like a rock sticking 4 inches out of the road or speed bumps are not absorbed unless I'm driving at a ridiculous speed. I have the performance springs as those were the only option for a 2" lift. The performance spring is rated for 0-110 lbs in the front, and 0-660 in the rear. The above experience was with a 700 lb load counting driver and passenger. When loaded down with 1500 lbs the ride was passable but not great. These shocks are getting removed as soon as possible.

Sounds like Ironman tuned that for on-road/highway performance and not slower offroad/trail performance. Probably 80% or more of their customers drive 99% on road so that might make sense.

 

[ga12r1]

Sounds like Ironman tuned that for on-road/highway performance and not slower offroad/trail performance. Probably 80% or more of their customers drive 99% on road so that might make sense.

I rock crawl mine and do high speed trails. The FCPs have always handled everything I’ve thrown at them with ease. Sounds like @njbrain has other issues he needs to get worked out. I doubt it’s the shocks.

 

[linuxgod]

I rock crawl mine and do high speed trails. The FCPs have always handled everything I’ve thrown at them with ease. Sounds like @njbrain has other issues he needs to get worked out. I doubt it’s the shocks.

Could be. Could be the amount of weight he has as well. I definitely found my TD set up got more compliant as I added a little weight

 

[bronc076]

I have Ironman Foam Cell Pro on my 2013 Land Cruiser and I don't like it at all. On the highway is rough but not composed, and I can feel the rear end kick when hitting bumps at speed. Off-road on typical Colorado trails I get jostled around a lot. Similar to driving an F250. It does surprisingly well on washboards and large rolling bumps that you could go airborne on. It soaks up those pretty well. Quick hits like a rock sticking 4 inches out of the road or speed bumps are not absorbed unless I'm driving at a ridiculous speed. I have the performance springs as those were the only option for a 2" lift. The performance spring is rated for 0-110 lbs in the front, and 0-660 in the rear. The above experience was with a 700 lb load counting driver and passenger. When loaded down with 1500 lbs the ride was passable but not great. These shocks are getting removed as soon as possible.

This sounds like a spring rate issue. I'm not a suspension expert however i had it explained to my by an expert and it made sense, I'll try to share that.

The spring's job is to suspend the weigh of the vehicle, I think we all get that. There are a few different ways to achieve lift. Imagine you have a spring a foot long sitting on the floor. You put 1000lb weight on it. Your weight is now 10 inches from the floor but you want it to be 11 inches. You can change the spring to a stiffer spring of the same length so it does not compress as much, you can install a longer spring of the same rate so when it compresses you achieve the desired height, or you can put a book 1inch thick under the spring you have.

Since you are getting a harsh ride it sounds like your spring rate is too high. Remember the shock's job is to control the spring, both on compression and rebound. You can add weight which lots of folks here do in the form of bumpers, skid plates, sliders, drawer systems, etc. Does ironman have different valving in shocks that are fitted with higher rate springs?

I just looked at the ironman website and to achieve your desired 2" lift they only have two springs. One that says 0-110LB payload, and another that says 110-220lb.

Judging from the pic of @ga12r1 's truck, he has added a bit more. I see bumpers, sliders, skid plates, a winch, a RTT, an awning (very nice setup!). His truck rides great. So my guess is ironman is banking on their users adding more weight than they are advertising on their website. All speculation on my part as I have not researched their spring rates.

I'm sure there are a lot of people on here who know way more about this than I do, and I hope they correct me where I am wrong so I learn too.

 

[fuqtodd]

Just installed the fcp stage 3 on my 2014 with 130k. I too am surprised at the amount of lift, and now the angle of the front CV joints. Been reading the diff drop vs no diff drop threads without any clear resolution or direction. Normally I’d take a wait and see approach - but I’m driving to Yuma from outside Minneapolis for the holidays. Not sure what options are available at this point, but having to replace cv’s on the road is daunting at best. Any recommendations?

 

[linuxgod]

Just installed the fcp stage 3 on my 2014 with 130k. I too am surprised at the amount of lift, and now the angle of the front CV joints. Been reading the diff drop vs no diff drop threads without any clear resolution or direction. Normally I’d take a wait and see approach - but I’m driving to Yuma from outside Minneapolis for the holidays. Not sure what options are available at this point, but having to replace cv’s on the road is daunting at best. Any recommendations?

You won't blow a CV on road from your lift. You could blow one if you were offroad, fully extended, wheels turned, traction slipping and then gripping. Keep in mind the lift doesn't change the range in which the CVs operate, it just changes the neutral position. Now if you were going with long travel suspension it could be a different story.

The DD kit will reduce CV wear, particularly CV boot wear. But you might go 20-30k miles or even much more before you have a problem with a boot tearing from the added stress. I would not worry about taking a highway trip across the country with your setup. Anecdotally I went ~30k before I had a boot tear. My lift is only ~2" but with my trailer attached I get more front lift due to the weight in the rear which generally leaves me in the 2.5-3" range when towing. Dealer re-booted for $300 and even after 55k miles my CVs are fine.

 

[fuqtodd]

Thanks for the reply and info. I’m hoping the springs settle some over the coming miles. Merry Christmas everyone!