Just another "recommend me a suspension kit" post (1 Viewer)

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Aug 13, 2020
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Whelp, my airbags are officially leaking, so I think it’s time to spring for an aftermarket suspension. I'm going a bit crazy trying to decide on a kit and could use some advice.

Uses:
  • Daily driver, but currently only a 0-5 minute commute. Were this to increase significantly, I’d get a separate car for the commute.
  • Ski trips (winter mountain driving)
  • Long road trips, loaded down with gear/ppl, e.g. for camping
  • Overlanding / off roading, again filled to the brim with gear
    • Not going out of our way to tackle difficult terrain just for the challenge (i.e. not trying to build a jeep style rock crawler here), but at the same time want to have enough clearance / protection to still make it through a lot of cool overlanding trails / camping spots
  • Short off road adventures, mainly locally
    • Live ~15 minutes from public dirt desert/hilly roads that have many side roads / washes that spin off the main road of various difficulties
  • Rare towing
    • Maybe once or twice per year. Most likely a cargo trailer, but possibly eventually a small camper as well.
So long story short, will be driving the highway 90-95% of the time, so I’d like to maintain my handling and MPGs as much as possible, while still having a capable rig for moderate off roading.

I’m super anal about my car handling/feel (I’m constantly adjusting the damping depending on the road conditions and my speed/load using the stock electronic adjuster, did a bunch of suspension mods on my previous car, etc), so I’m leaning toward an adjustable setup so I can really dial in the handling rather than just hoping for the best with a non-adjustable kit. I also do like to drive fast at times, and embrace the "buy once cry once mentality" to an extent, so I'm not necessarily opposed to spending an extra $1k or w/e for a setup that will ride well at speed (on or off road) as opposed to something that will be just "good enough" to get me where I want to go. At the same time, I don't want to be throwing away money on a setup that will be completely overkill for what I plan to do. I'm somewhat struggling to figure out where the "gets the job done" vs "worth the extra $ for improved handling" vs "completely overkill" lines are drawn.

Added weight
Currently stock, but planning on adding the following within a few months:
  • Sliders
  • Skid plates (maybe even aluminum as I'm not aiming to rock crawl)
Currently not planning on adding a RTT, though still might load the roof down w/ a cargo carrier and other gear on some trips (but not for DDing)

Far in the future I may consider a hidden winch mount / winch (or other some other lightish front setup that for the most part keeps the stock bumper) as well as a light weight rear bumper / tire carrier (e.g. something like the mountain passes OR min-max "bumper"), but I don't think I should consider these possibilities when choosing springs right now.

Current thoughts and questions
Springs: given my weight plans (not much permanent additional weight), I'm thinking I should be choosing the lightest springs offered in most cases, rather than springs designed for people adding full steel bumpers and such.

Lift: I'm thinking 2" to 2.5" is probably plenty. How much downside in terms of MPG and on road handling would going with 2.5" rather than 2" give me?

Coilovers/shocks:
  • Currently leaning toward Dobinsons MRA for the low/high speed compression adjustment
  • Cheaper, non adjustable options I'm also considering:
    • Dobinsons IMS
    • Ironman Foam Cell Pro (seen some reports that the twin tube design is inferior to the monotube IMS', but I've also seen a lot of good reviews for the Foam Cell Pros)
    • Boss Aluma or Aluma 2.5 (though the 2.5 kit is barely any cheaper than the MRAs, is there a reason to consider those over the MRAs?)
    • Radflo 2.0 or 2.5 (haven't seen nearly as many reports on these, but the few I have seen have been very positive)
  • Other adjustable options:
    • Elka: both high and low speed compression adjustment, but very expensive
    • King: only can be bought with a single compression adjustment, also very expensive
This is the million dollar question. Ignoring the adjustability, will MRAs ride significantly better than the ~$1500 options, or is the price difference mainly due to the adjustability? In the $1500 range: Dobinsons IMS vs Ironman Foam Cell Pro vs Aluma 2.0? Are 2.5s worth the extra cost? Any reason to consider the unadjustable Aluma 2.5s over the Dobinsons MRA given their similar price range? How much better really are the top end options like Kings or Elkas compared to MRAs? x_X

Stock rake
(higher rear ride height with no load): keep it so the rear end won't sag when I load the truck down with gear, or for the rare occasions when I tow.

Tires: eventually will go bigger, but the truck came with almost brand new Michelin Defender LTX M/S in stock size, so I figure I should get some use out of those first and punt on the tire sizing question for now.

Aftermarket UCAs: I know these aren't required with only a 2" or 2.5" lift, but from what I gather even @ 2" aftermarket UCAs are required if I want to keep my caster in spec, so I'll probably spring for UCAs too.
  • The go to recommendations seem to be SPCs for maximum adjustability for not much more money. Is there any reason to consider going with other options like Dobhinsons, Apache Offroad or Ironman? Is the main benefit (other than price) to those options that a lot of alignment shops won't know what to do with the adjustability of the SPCs?
LCAs: my bushings are shot, so I'm also planning on replacing these with either OEM LCAs or SuperPros.

Maintenance: I’ve heard some of the high end racing brands ride really great, but have the downside of needing to be rebuilt relatively often. E.g. I’ve seen reports of people needing to rebuild Icons every 20-30k, which is the main reason I didn't include Icon in my list above. I’d ideally like to go with something that can make it more like at least 50-75k before needing a rebuild/replacement. Are there any brands in particular that requirement rules out? Do the MRAs fall into the "need frequent rebuilds" category?

Long travel rear options: A lot of kits offer rear long travel shocks for not that much extra, but my impression is a) requires a decent amount of additional upgrades (e.g. extended end links and brake lines) and maintenance (e.g. re-torquing) and b) isn’t necessarily ideal if a big goal is to maintain on road handling / NVH, so I'm not planning on springing for the rear LT options if available. Is that an accurate assessment?

I appreciate any input, thanks!
 
I look forward to seeing the responses on this. Adding to the list, I’ll also like to know:

Diff drop - yea or nah? My mechanic says it’s needed but many online posts say otherwise. If dropped, he also recommended new rear sway bar endlinks.
 
I look forward to seeing the responses on this. Adding to the list, I’ll also like to know:

Diff drop - yea or nah? My mechanic says it’s needed but many online posts say otherwise. If dropped, he also recommended new rear sway bar endlinks.
From what I've gathered, they're not truly necessary for typical 2-3" lifts, especially on the shorter side of that range, but opinions (and recommendations on store pages) seem to be mixed. People tend to report the CV angles aren't bad when skipping the diff drop kit. There's at least one poster here that goes as far as saying the kits are determinetal on GXs, as they lower ground clearance for no needed benefit, but from what I can tell the diff will still be above level of the skid plates even w/ a drop, so I'm not sure that's actually a big deal. FWIW I'm planning on skipping the diff drop for now.

Use that there search button. :bang:
I mean I've done a ton of searching both here and all over the internet in general. They've informed a lot of my current thoughts and leanings, but everyone has different requirements/priorities/cares so that's why I came here looking for any additional advice prior to pulling the trigger. Also, some of the parts I'm looking at are relatively new, so they aren't mentioned or considered in older posts.
 
There's a ton of info on this out there (hence the search recommendation above). That said, I had a similar moment of feeling overwhelmed recently. I had relatively similar needs, though perhaps a smaller budget. I don't tow, drive mostly on road, but wanted something that I could confidently take offroad and not have to worry too much about.

For a budget build, I went with the Eibach kit (some people frown on it, but honestly the reviews from owners are pretty stellar, esp. for the price) along with Freedom Offroad UCA's. That setup will run you in the $1200-1350 range depending on whether you catch a sale. I figure it's a good starting point for my needs and I can upgrade if/as needed later. I'll also add that the service and responsiveness from Eibach has been stellar.
 
It's refreshing to see a post where the desired outcome is very clearly articulated, rather than the "which one is best" ad nauseum posts. That said, some random thoughts you may or may not find useful:
  • Lift will have negligible impact on MPG. Tires will.
  • Any lift changes your center of gravity, which impacts handling. Whether you find it acceptable or not is purely subjective.
    • The suspension I had on my GX made me smile on long, sweeping on/off ramps - so stable, planted, confident. It made me grimace on city streets and slow-going offroad and forest roads.
  • SPC arms are awesome for their adjustability. When I installed mine (with Radflo 2.5" shocks/coilovers), I made best guess on setting: took it to shop for alignment, gave the tech the SPC instructions and told him how I set it, no issues whatsoever getting to factory specs.
    • Last weekend, someone said to me they went with JBA because they're forged. He also is having trouble getting things dialed in and has rubbing. Considering the stock arms are stamped and hold up very well (unless rusted or high-speed desert running), SPC's adjustability and bushings win over a non-adjustable forged arm.
  • It's also refreshing to hear someone very in tune with spring rates. I did the 600 in/lb springs in front w/ my Radflo and thought that was too much (no added weight up front). Again, subjective, but unless you add hundreds of pounds of weight, your ride may be rough with the higher spring rates.
  • I suggest casting a suspicious eye at the systems that come from the desert-racing scene, unless you race or drive everywhere at 75mph.
  • If you're dead-set on real-time adjustment, I'm not sure whether digressive vs linear vs progressive shock valving will matter? (I genuinely don't know) This again is subjective, but I've found digressive valving is absolute s*** to me (East Coast, slower going offroad == pogo'ing, rough on city streets; great on highway at 75mph). But having a base from which to start and understanding the effects of adjustment should help you make an even more informed decision?
  • I got sucked into the "I did my research and paid a s***-ton of money" affirmation of my Radflo suspension, and I bet many many people do the same for every brand - which basically makes reviews meaningless to me. Truth be told, I was never really happy with that suspension and will never do a suspension like that again. (I also find it maddening how many folks are sponsored or affiliated with a mfgr or retailer, and how that colors their reviews. I try to find reviews where the reviewer's 4x4 has no stickers or other crap pimping things.)
  • Consider the Whiteline lower control arm bushings. I've used them in previous vehicles and they are perfect: similar durometer to the factory rubber, with the benefit of not falling apart.
  • Long travel is of no tangible benefit for what I interpret your use case to be.
  • I would strongly suggest adding something like Wheeler's Superbumps to replace factory bumpstops. I was amazed the difference they made offroad and on.
I have no recommendations, sorry. I wanted to compliment you on your thought process, hopefully add a few more things to consider; and ultimately suggest sharing your thoughts and desired outcomes directly with the suspension manufacturers. It's time well spent for the investment. Having just gone through this for my 4R (also a 120 platform), I landed on what I'm hopeful will be a system to achieve exactly what I want, and surprisingly it's a mid-price (well under $1k) system.
 
Apache Offroad is having a sale on Dobinsons, so I just took the plunge. Dobinsons IMS 2” lift, 2” rear rake, comfort springs, UCAs, diff drop, airbag conversion kit, rear sway end links, rear 15mm level spacer. All Dobinsons parts, just under $2,300 before tax and freight. Main reason for not going with a bigger lift was to keep road handling better (I hope). I’ll report back in a month or so once things are installed.
 
@KayGX nice job getting everything at once. The suspension is one of those systems that it’s better to try dial it in all from the start.

@Casezilla you have done a lot of research. It’s very difficult to dial in the rear springs when you vary the weight from empty to heavy loaded. I ride mostly empty and medium load when going on family trips to the mountains. Just the luggage, supplies, passengers, and gear for four seems to max out my variable rear dobinson coils 675V and my rear rake disappears. Variable rate rear coils seem like an option to consider, but they are tall and start at like 2.25” lift from stock.
 
Having adjustability give it some room to adjust for the load, road conditions, tire and subjective preference. But can perform badly too when you get wrong setting. Low end suspension does not give best performance but they are so simple and does not need any maintenance.

I have Toughdog adjustable that are one step above basic. I been thinking to upgrade to Dobinsons MRR Adjustable but don't really like the way the hose come from bottom part. The bracket are so generic I am concerned the hose get easily damaged due to wrong install.
 
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Mine is going in for new OME lift kit, KDSS spacers, UCAs etc. I'll let you know the results in a couple of days.
 
Based on you philosophy of use I would buy the least expensive suspension setup you can find on Black Friday and spend the extra money on gas or better tires for adventures. Or just buy a new set or gently used set of airbags and get better AT tires and your stock GX will do everything you want it to.
 
Great questions OP, bumping for moar visibility. These questions are nearly identical to mine.

I 've been rapt by IM FCP, Miller's videos are great ;), and prices are on-point (especially with a year+ of neverending sales), but through analysis paralysis I've started feeling those kits are over-sprung, and being built for 2.5-3" lift that's higher than I'd want to go for a daily and laiden weekend warrior (plus KDSS)... BUT with their (and others') KDSS drop (and IM's panhard bar with the kit) I think a 2.5"F 2"R would be ideal for lift/clearance, travel gains, potentially tire up-size, AND keeping the KDSS articulation advantage.
SO... I've (personally) been leaning to Dob's MRA over FCP, and would meet your goals I think.... lift, comfort (b/cadjustability) but not too high, or too $pendy or over-performing for the estimated use, while being quality-for-price, low-maintenance, and functional. Maybe set the front for 2" and add 0.25" spacers to make front 2.5" while maximizing travel and minimizing pre-load.... 🤔
 
With that bump, I should probably give an update! I ended up going with a 2" Dobinsons MRA lift, with comfort springs in the front and 675V progressive rate springs in the rear w/ the Apache coil conversion (which doesn't add a significant amount of spacer height below the springs like most coil conversions do). Due to supply issues they actually used longer front springs (believe they are made for 4Runners) with height adjusted to compensate, but the Dobinsons guys said this approach should ride pretty much exactly the same as waitng for the GX springs to arrive (would've been another month or longer waiting for the container). Went with SPC for UCAs and SuperPro non-offset bushings for the LCAs. Grabbed everything during the Dobinsons Black Friday sale, but due to COVID shipping delays, I wasn't actually able to install everything until February (so I have a couple months on them now). I think the actual lift was more than 2" in practice, but it's hard to know exactly since the air springs were dead prior to install.

After talking to some vendors I felt a monotube shock (e.g. Dobinsons IMS, Boss Aluma) was more in line with what I was looking for than just going for a cheap twin tube setup. IMS on the black friday sale weren't that much more than twin tubes, and I realized (after being more honest w/ myself and talking to some local friends) that I'd actually be doing a lot more offroading just to offroad since I live so close to trails (and this has turned out to be the case!). Dobinsons IMS seemed like a great balance between price, performance and longevity (sounds like they tend to last longer between rebuilds than some other brands, 80k+ for Dobinsons, while brands like Icon (they leak) and King tend to need to be rebuilt much more often (like 30k or less), with Radflo being somewhere in the middle (~50k) (not sure Boss Alumas fit in)).

So how did I end up with MRAs instead of IMS? Mainly because due to the adjustability, you can change spring rates without having to have the shocks revalved (as if you go IMS, you'll get different valving depending on your spring choice). There's some build decisions I haven't made yet which could add more weight, and it was also just nice to know that if I wasn't happy with the 675Vs I could just swap in a different set of springs, adjust the shocks and be done with it. The adjustability in general was more of a "nice to have" feature, but combined with the ability to swap springs without needing to revalve, I felt it was worth it. I haven't spent much time yet messing around with the compression settings to really dial in the handling, but that is something I'll get to soon (rides amazing as is so haven't been too motivated to play around with it yet). As far as performance goes, IMS and MRAs should be very similar, unless you're in a situation where you actually need the additional cooling the reservoirs provide).

Anyway, the ride is awesome, especially offroad, as well as when loaded down with gear and driving fast on rough roads. I've gotten numerous comments from experienced offroaders about just how well they handle offroad, especially with speed.

On thing I might have done differently in hindsight is go with IMS up front and MRAs in the rears. This is mainly because most of my weight / spring rate questions are more rear related (not really planning for a front bumper, or winch, or onboard dual battery/air compressor etc), so it's unlikely I'll need to swap front springs and revalve anytime soon (also swapping front springs is much more involved since the coilovers need to be disassembled and rebuilt, so less likely I'd actually do this). Also, mounting the reservoirs in the front is kind of a pain (you have to get creative), as I don't think they have GX specific mounts yet (plus the mounts I received are meant to piggy back on the swaybar bushing mounts, but a) I already am using those for recovery points, which would throw the mounts off a bit, and b) that doesn't work on the passenger side due to a fluid reservoir being in the way). At the end of the day though, now that I'm passed on the extra install headache, I think I'll appreciate the extra adjustability even in the front as I add to my build and as they start to wear out.

Went with the 675V progressive rate springs to try to best handle my plan to add minimal permanent weight, while still loading up pretty heavy occasionally as well as rare towing.

Went for non-offset LCA bushings, as it's one less thing to adjust when doing alignments, and the extra adjustment just isn't needed (especially when combined with the adjustability of the SPCs.

Let me know if you have any questions.
 
How are the 675v’s working for you when heavy loaded? Mine reverse the rake if I load heavy.
 
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How are the 675v’s working for you when heavy loaded? Mine reverse the rake if I load heavy.
How heavy are you talking? I've had 5 people + completely full trunk, and 2 people + the whole back-seat & trunk full of gear since installing the suspension and haven't noticed significant sagging (but they weren't necessarily the heaviest of loads despite filling the truck, and there was nothing up top either). But also, I'm generally in the truck rather than looking at it when it's fully loaded ;). I believe I still have some rake when empty, so that might be a factor as well. 'Empty' for me is about is about 50-70 lbs of rear weight currently, not counting the factory hitch (40-50 for lbs for the Mountain Passes sleeping platform, 10-20 lbs for recovery gear + air compressor + fluids/tools). Next time I load up I'll take some notes (might be moving soon, which would be a good test).
 
With that bump, I should probably give an update! I ended up going with a 2" Dobinsons MRA lift, with comfort springs in the front and 675V progressive rate springs in the rear w/ the Apache coil conversion (which doesn't add a significant amount of spacer height below the springs like most coil conversions do). Due to supply issues they actually used longer front springs (believe they are made for 4Runners) with height adjusted to compensate, but the Dobinsons guys said this approach should ride pretty much exactly the same as waitng for the GX springs to arrive (would've been another month or longer waiting for the container). Went with SPC for UCAs and SuperPro non-offset bushings for the LCAs. Grabbed everything during the Dobinsons Black Friday sale, but due to COVID shipping delays, I wasn't actually able to install everything until February (so I have a couple months on them now). I think the actual lift was more than 2" in practice, but it's hard to know exactly since the air springs were dead prior to install.

After talking to some vendors I felt a monotube shock (e.g. Dobinsons IMS, Boss Aluma) was more in line with what I was looking for than just going for a cheap twin tube setup. IMS on the black friday sale weren't that much more than twin tubes, and I realized (after being more honest w/ myself and talking to some local friends) that I'd actually be doing a lot more offroading just to offroad since I live so close to trails (and this has turned out to be the case!). Dobinsons IMS seemed like a great balance between price, performance and longevity (sounds like they tend to last longer between rebuilds than some other brands, 80k+ for Dobinsons, while brands like Icon (they leak) and King tend to need to be rebuilt much more often (like 30k or less), with Radflo being somewhere in the middle (~50k) (not sure Boss Alumas fit in)).

So how did I end up with MRAs instead of IMS? Mainly because due to the adjustability, you can change spring rates without having to have the shocks revalved (as if you go IMS, you'll get different valving depending on your spring choice). There's some build decisions I haven't made yet which could add more weight, and it was also just nice to know that if I wasn't happy with the 675Vs I could just swap in a different set of springs, adjust the shocks and be done with it. The adjustability in general was more of a "nice to have" feature, but combined with the ability to swap springs without needing to revalve, I felt it was worth it. I haven't spent much time yet messing around with the compression settings to really dial in the handling, but that is something I'll get to soon (rides amazing as is so haven't been too motivated to play around with it yet). As far as performance goes, IMS and MRAs should be very similar, unless you're in a situation where you actually need the additional cooling the reservoirs provide).

Anyway, the ride is awesome, especially offroad, as well as when loaded down with gear and driving fast on rough roads. I've gotten numerous comments from experienced offroaders about just how well they handle offroad, especially with speed.

On thing I might have done differently in hindsight is go with IMS up front and MRAs in the rears. This is mainly because most of my weight / spring rate questions are more rear related (not really planning for a front bumper, or winch, or onboard dual battery/air compressor etc), so it's unlikely I'll need to swap front springs and revalve anytime soon (also swapping front springs is much more involved since the coilovers need to be disassembled and rebuilt, so less likely I'd actually do this). Also, mounting the reservoirs in the front is kind of a pain (you have to get creative), as I don't think they have GX specific mounts yet (plus the mounts I received are meant to piggy back on the swaybar bushing mounts, but a) I already am using those for recovery points, which would throw the mounts off a bit, and b) that doesn't work on the passenger side due to a fluid reservoir being in the way). At the end of the day though, now that I'm passed on the extra install headache, I think I'll appreciate the extra adjustability even in the front as I add to my build and as they start to wear out.

Went with the 675V progressive rate springs to try to best handle my plan to add minimal permanent weight, while still loading up pretty heavy occasionally as well as rare towing.

Went for non-offset LCA bushings, as it's one less thing to adjust when doing alignments, and the extra adjustment just isn't needed (especially when combined with the adjustability of the SPCs.

Let me know if you have any questions.
That's a great report!!

So, IIRC, the Dob's progressive coils (super interested) afford closer to 3" lift (main reason i'm turned off by them (KDSS))...

You're suggesting the shock valving varies by the spring chosen for the package. While many of the kits suggest shocks are specifically valved for the vehicle (i.e. a 4th gen 4R would have a different valving than a GX 470), but I haven't hear there is different valving in the shock per spring selected in the build package.... I recognize the same shock with different springs will perform differently and why pairing progressive vs digressive vs twin tube is key when selecting a spring... and why selecting a spring is key for intended uses and knowing how it may behave unladen vs. laden.

I too am 90ish% 'city' with some long-haul interstate trips, but pretty frequent camping trips with the occasional (biannual maybe more) multi-day off-road camping trip. As such I kind of struggle with spring choice... comfort for daily, then underspring for trips, moderate spring for loads, then over sprung for DD, or comfort with helper airbags to retain lift when laiden (1000# trips are not uncommon here), but then I think airbags affect articulation and how the suspension works off road...good for towing, but detrimental to articulation. . .


Thanks for sharing the MRA experience, I think this is my path... I toyed with IM FCP for quite a while, and their incessant sales are wicked appealing, but ultimately i think they're oversprung for me and the lift is higher than I want to go (KDSS, although the new KDSS drop kita stir the pot moar))....

👍
 
I've seen that 3" number for the 675V before, but I think it's actually around 2" on a stock weight GX. You also have to consider any lift added by your coil conversion kit (some add lift by raising the spring perch off the axle a bit), but I think 675V with KDSS might be okay if your kit doesn't add height. If you think progressive if the best choice for you, it's worth looking into. A Dobs vendor like Treaty Oak or Apache should know the answer.
 
My 675v raised the rear about 2.5” on empty (no 3rd row, no passengers, no cargo).

with 4 passengers (2 slim teens included), no 3rd row seats, carry on luggage for a 3 day trip to mammoth, repair tools/gear, cooler, food, etc...not what I would consider super heavy.

Staying at a 4-star townhouse, so no camping gear, nothing on my roof. I drop about an 1.5” in the rear and I have a slight reverse stink bug.

The ride is comfortable and doesn’t feel bouncy. Just lowers more than I expected.

Here are my specs on these rear coil:

Dobinson C59-675V - Variable rate comfort option, stock rear weight. 470mm/18.503”, 16mm wire, 157-230 lbs/in variable rate

Mine hub to fender with 6112s and 600 lbs/in coils in front and 675V coils in rear when empty no 3rd row, no cargo, no extra weight, MT conversion kit no extra height. I might have taken the 2nd row out when I measured since I was getting ready for a camping trip.

FD = 22.50”
FP = 22.75”
RD = 23.625
RP = 23.875

Factory oem suspension from center of hub up to bottom lip of fender guesstimates:
FD - 20.25"
FP - 20.25"
RD - 21"
RP - 21”
 
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My 675v raised the rear about 2.5” on empty (no 3rd row, no passengers, no cargo).

with 4 passengers (2 slim teens included), no 3rd row seats, carry on luggage for a 3 day trip to mammoth, repair tools/gear, cooler, food, etc...not what I would consider super heavy.

Staying at a 4-star townhouse, so no camping gear, nothing on my roof. I drop about an 1.5” in the rear and I have a slight reverse stink bug.

The ride is comfortable and doesn’t feel bouncy. Just lowers more than I expected.

Here are my specs on these rear coil:

Dobinson C59-675V - Variable rate comfort option, stock rear weight. 470mm/18.503”, 16mm wire, 157-230LB variable;

Mine hub to fender with 6112s 600# in front and 675V in rear when empty no 3rd row, no cargo, no extra weight, MT conversion kit no extra height

FD = 22.50”
FP = 22.75”
RD = 23.625
RP = 23.875

Factory oem suspension from center of hub up to bottom lip of fender guesstimates:
FD - 20.25"
FP - 20.25"
RD - 21"
RP - 21”
Interesting. I did my before/after measuring the fender-tire gap, and went from ~6.5" - 9" on the rear driver's side, and ~6.75 (or a little more) - 9" on the passenger's side (measuring to the top line of the roll of the bottom fender lip, if that makes sense). Not precise measurements by any means, but that's ~2.5" and ~2.25" (or slightly less). However, the before measurements were taken with a leaking air suspension, so my assumption was the actual lift was actually less than the before/after. I'll check my hub to fender next time I'm parked flat (and I've also got ~5k on the suspension already, so everything should be nice and settled). One thing I didn't think of is I believe I did have my sleeping platform, recovery gear, air compressor and fluids in the trunk, which maybe affected ride height slightly (I think we're only talking around 90 lbs though).

Also, suspension update: as was also recommended up thread (though it was Wheeler's that was mentioned), I joined a DuroBumps group buy last month on the GXOR FB group and those just got in today. My old rear bump stops were trashed after a few months on leaking airbags (which occasionally would result in riding on the bump stops on longer drives when the compressor would give up to keep itself from burning out), so new rears were needed, and I figured may as well do the do the fronts as well w/ the group buy discount + free shipping.
 
For comparison, I have Dissent Offroad front bumper and a winch, aluminum skids, sliders, LFD crossbars, a ~60lb cargo shelf and hi-lift in the trunk, and the mini-max bumper. I think this puts me on the lighter side of being a heavy vehicle. I went with Dobs MRAs and "heavy" springs - the front feels awesome and the rear is comfortable but a little on the stiff side. Once I throw in some camping gear, cooler, tools, etc. it rides like a dream. I added Wheeler Super Bumps with the MRAs (and already had SPC UCAs). I have hit some baby jumps at high speeds and don't even know if I hit the stops when I landed, it was so soft.
 
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