LX 470/LC100 first-hand experience: Kings vs AHC (soft setting)? (10 Viewers)

[DougieLX470]

Hello!

Question for anyone running Kings on their LX470/100 series, how does it compare to AHC? Specifically on the soft setting. I'm very fond of a smooth ride which the AHC offers even with globes that are on their way out and I was looking at alternatives that would give me something similar. I've heard that Kings is one of the best??

I have a 03 LX470 with 190,000 KM on it. The AHC is working but the globes need to be replaced soon. There's also a fair bit of rust on the underside which complicates this. I am definitely considering replacing the globes but with the amount of rust there I'm concerned that the AHC lines will be the next thing to go which I've read can be very difficult to replace. Given this, I'm considering alternatives that might hold a candle to AHC.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Moridinbg]

I have the King springs on a rig that is usually at stock weight. In the front seats there isn't too much of a difference - it still super comfortable. The rear seats gets more bouncy, but nothing horrible. With a roof tent and/or a full 4 bike rack on the hitch it gets back to normal.

There are no alternatives that can hold a candle to the AHC versatility unfortunately. You can get tuneable shocks, but tuning means getting outside, digging under the fenders and twisting knobs, which quickly gets old and eventually you will leave it at some average setting.

 

[jLB]

You might want to clarify what you mean by “Kings”, as there are two similarly named, but unrelated companies that make suspension products for the 100 series.

King Springs, is an Australian company that when mentioned with AHC is generally talking about a set of slightly taller/stronger rear coil springs to carry additional weight with AHC.

King Springs Automotive Aftermarket Springs

kingsprings.com.au

King Shocks, a US company the specializes in rebuildable and tunable racing shocks, (and to really get to full benefit, you’d probably want to be dealing with someone like “Filthy Motorsports” or “Accutune”). In my opinion these are probably a maintenance headache, and probably overkill if we’re talking about a mostly stock daily driver that spends 100% of its time on pavement.

King Off-Road Racing Shocks, Bypass Shocks, Adjustable Coil Over Shocks, Air Shocks, UTV Shocks, Jeep Shocks, Pre-Runner Shocks, Adjustable Shocks, and Bump Stops

King Shocks and King of the Hammers go together for far more reasons than a common name. For one, there’s no better place for The Leader in Off-Road Shock Technology to prove the performance and reliability of the world’s premier off-road shocks than one of the most grueling off-road races in...

www.kingshocks.com

 

[SoCal_80]

I am running King springs with OME torsion bars and springs…..the ride is amazing!

 

[KliersLC]

I have king Springs with stock AHC and I really like the ride. The AHC on comfort rides similar to my armored 99 on factory suspension, and on sport it rides similar to my daughter's unarmored 99 with Ironman springs.

If you want the LX smooth ride and don't care about carrying weight, AND can't salvage the ahc, I'd go for a stock set of LC springs and Tokico shocks. If you want a slightly firmer ride, go with bilstein shocks.

 

[suprarx7nut]

King springs here and I think it's great. It's slightly less cushy than factory springs, but more comfortable than factory non-AHC (and way more supple than any other aftermarkets I've experienced).

If you have AHC and plan on no extra weight, stay OEM AHC springs. Maybe add spacers if you need to bump down the pressures. If you're adding weight, try King Springs in the rear. Any other option is probably too much spring rate and will hurt comfort.

Worth noting that a couple people have experienced harsh ride quality after installing King Springs. I've worked with a few folks remotely on this and have not been able to ID the cause. That change of spring should not cause a huge difference, but randomly it appears to.

 

[JJ_SC]

I’ve been running king springs and spacers with an AHC lift of about 1.5” for a long time now. They’ve been great. I have a dissent rear bumper and a fair amount of extra weight. I honestly can’t remember feeling any difference in ride quality before making the changes. Only thing is that, fully loaded with 4 bikes and grown kids and dogs and everything else, I can get close to overloading them still. But, that doesn’t happen often enough to swap to something stiffer.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

I will be getting a pair of King rear springs when I get my arb rear bar installed (no swing outs). Because I know the ahc system will need additional muscle for that additional 80 lbs static mass at the far end of the frame.

It’s all about weight mitigation.

 

[J Jamm]

Following. I replaced 4 globes and my rear pressure is still too high. I'm trying to decide between OEM rear springs and King springs. Most of my driving is just me and very little gear/equipment in the rear. I have also removed my third row, reducing the stock weight a little. I'm wondering if OEM would be better suited to my needs than King. Price seems to be about the same once you factor in shipping from Australia.

 

[GTV]

Following. I replaced 4 globes and my rear pressure is still too high. I'm trying to decide between OEM rear springs and King springs. Most of my driving is just me and very little gear/equipment in the rear. I have also removed my third row, reducing the stock weight a little. I'm wondering if OEM would be better suited to my needs than King. Price seems to be about the same once you factor in shipping from Australia.

If you're still on your original coil springs there's your answer. To maintain ride height AHC will increase pressure gradually as the coils sag over time. Install 30mm spacers on the rear coils and adjust your height sensor as needed.

 

[MarkTR]

I installed new rear springs in my LX assuming that my 190K springs were sagging a bit. The rear pressure stayed a 7MPa-- so going to install 30 mm spacers. The front end is level and pressures are correct.

 

[DougieLX470]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! To expand on this a bit, I ride mostly stock weight (but may get a bullbar in the future) and I'm also looking at options for replacing the shocks/torsion bars.

Reading through the forums it sounds like OME is a bit rough but there's not much of a consensus on what other options may offer the smoothest ride, however, Kings seems to be up there.

For some additional context, I'm just starting to go off pavement and plan on doing much more (Going off the FSRs finally) in the coming summer. I'm in Vancouver where we get lots of cold weather and snow - driving thru 2-3 feet of snow is something else so it'd be a plus if the shocks worked well in the cold.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Following. I replaced 4 globes and my rear pressure is still too high. I'm trying to decide between OEM rear springs and King springs. Most of my driving is just me and very little gear/equipment in the rear. I have also removed my third row, reducing the stock weight a little. I'm wondering if OEM would be better suited to my needs than King. Price seems to be about the same once you factor in shipping from Australia.

Globes have nothing to do with pressures, FYI. The globes have pressurized nitrogen inside them, but that's irrelevant the overall system pressure associated with spring changes.

I think you want spacers.

If you're still on your original coil springs there's your answer. To maintain ride height AHC will increase pressure gradually as the coils sag over time. Install 30mm spacers on the rear coils and adjust your height sensor as needed.

Bingo.

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! To expand on this a bit, I ride mostly stock weight (but may get a bullbar in the future) and I'm also looking at options for replacing the shocks/torsion bars.

Reading through the forums it sounds like OME is a bit rough but there's not much of a consensus on what other options may offer the smoothest ride, however, Kings seems to be up there.

For some additional context, I'm just starting to go off pavement and plan on doing much more (Going off the FSRs finally) in the coming summer. I'm in Vancouver where we get lots of cold weather and snow - driving thru 2-3 feet of snow is something else so it'd be a plus if the shocks worked well in the cold.

A couple clarifications:

1. With AHC you never change shocks. The AHC components that look like shocks (and confusingly which are labeled as shocks in the parts diagrams) are really just rams. The "shocks" from a functional perspective in AHC are the globes (AKA gas chambers). The AHC rams/shocks almost never fail and are generally considered lifetime components.
2. OME makes shocks that would delete AHC entirely. You cannot use OME shocks with AHC. OME springs are all generally too stiff for AHC unless you have a lot of steel armor on the car. As an oversimplified rule, nothing from OME is compatible with AHC.
3. Smooth ride with AHC has nothing to do with what shocks you run (because your only option is Toyota/Lexus). It's almost entirely dependent on your globe health and hydraulic pressures. You can modify the hydraulic pressure by changing out the mechanical springs.

AHC is a completely unique system so don't let yourself get confused with non-AHC suspension conversations. They are not at all similar.

If you're concerned with comfort and suppleness, also consider that every bushing that hasn't already been replaced is probably old and tired. That will harm the ride quality of any suspension. Get your pressures in spec, check globe health and inspect all the bushings you can.

 

[Red Beard]

What spacers you all doing nowadays?

EDIT: I’m seeing Ironman and Dobsinon’s after a quick google. Slee doesn’t make them anymore it seems.

 

[GTV]

What spacers you all doing nowadays?

EDIT: I’m seeing Ironman and Dobsinon’s after a quick google. Slee doesn’t make them anymore it seems.

Doesn't matter, IMO. I've used Nolathane, OME and Ironman. They all did the job.

 

[J Jamm]

@suprarx7nut @GTV So adding spacers would seem to be the cheaper option than replacing the old Lexus springs with new Lexus springs, but would replacing the springs give a smoother ride than just adding spacers to the old springs? I was surprised that @MarkTR replaced the springs and was still getting high rear pressure, and that he decided spacers were also needed. @MarkTR are you running a mostly stock truck, or do you have added weight in the rear? I'm curious how your truck turns out with new springs and spacers.

 

[GTV]

would replacing the springs give a smoother ride than just adding spacers to the old springs?
[/QUOTE]

No.

 

[SWCruiser]

I would agree with changing out bushings. For rigs 150k+ you may be do for a full bushing over haul. I just did all my fronts along with the diff bushings and my truck with 225k rides very smooth. I have an operational ahc.

 

[MarkTR]

@suprarx7nut @GTV So adding spacers would seem to be the cheaper option than replacing the old Lexus springs with new Lexus springs, but would replacing the springs give a smoother ride than just adding spacers to the old springs? I was surprised that @MarkTR replaced the springs and was still getting high rear pressure, and that he decided spacers were also needed. @MarkTR are you running a mostly stock truck, or do you have added weight in the rear? I'm curious how your truck turns out with new springs and spacers.

Completely stock. Full tank and third-row seats are still installed.

 

[lstyles]

I have a 2000 lx470 with 240k miles and functioning AHC. My rear pressure is a bit high. Should I just get spacers (30mm?) or should I replace coils with LC coils. I have heard LC coils are firmer than lx470 coils. Or should I get new coils and spacers? Also planning to put in airlift 1000 airbags for rare times when I tow trailer.