ELKA

Cant wait to hear more about this kit. I am planning a build and looking hard at BP51s. I am also comparing them to Radflo and Billy 6100.. It such a hard decision...

 

Scratch the Bilstein 6112 comparison and compare them to Bilstein 8112/8100's.

 

a dont deny the 8112 is sweet. But the idea behind the 6112 is they are almost 1/3 the price of the others I mentioned and almost disposable.

I can get almost 3 new setups of 6112 for the cost of one Elka’s! That would prob get me close to 200k miles!

I know they don’t even compare on the performance spectrum. But money is important too.

 

Understood.

I was just pointing out that there's a big performance difference when it comes to 6112's vs. Elka and that the Bilstein 8112 was more comparable.

If price is a concern, then get the 6112's.

But if you're considering Elka, also consider the 8112's.

 

I've kicked around the idea of the Elka suspension for some time now...the one question I'd like some feedback on is this:

If you have KDSS, what's the easiest way to swap out complete strut assemblies (oem spring+Eibach strut to Elka strut + spring assembly)? I used the 'no spring compressor method' when I installed the Eibach front struts, but only because I used the same oem spring with the Eibach strut. I've watched numerous videos on removing the complete strut & spring assembly, but I've yet to see it done on a KDSS equipped 4R. The massive sway bar is bolted to the lower control arm, which prevents it from being lowered to allow the tension from being removed from the strut assembly...anyone done this on a KDSS 4R? Is there a way to do it without unbolting the sway bar from the LCA?

 

LOL!! Strange for my 2nd post but I was thinking same thing as you!! I had no idea Elka made suspension components for trucks/SUV's. I have had full blown Elka racing suspension on my KFX 700 quad and it transformed it. Just a few clicks on the adjusters for different terrain. Same on my Ninja 650R my shock worked from plush mile crunching cross country to canyon carving. I would highly recommend this suspension for anyone in the market for a highly tunable option for varying terrain.

 

after months of debate, I pulled the trigger on the 2.5 DC reservoir setup today. the 2-3" version with Dobinson C59-325 2" rear springs and SPC UCS's. now all I have to do is wait until late Oct for them to arrive. very excited as I've never had a high quality suspension setup before.

 

Not to seem like the overly paranoid weirdo here... but maybe consider removing your personal email from a public forum and instead DM the specific person. Its just too easy nowadays for things to get out of hand with just some loose info like your email up for all to see.
Food for thought

 

Yeah, you're probably right, and I appreciate the thoughtful suggestion. Thanks.

 

This was a concern, I had @glwood54 as well. I've changed many suspensions over the years, on Jeeps as well as Toyotas, so I wasn't a shrinking violet in terms of doing it myself. But the addition of KDSS added another dimension of complexity that I didn't feel like screwing up, lol. There was such a wide range of competing methods on YouTube that I decided to let Ski at one of Toronto's best 4x4 shops, CT Motorsports, do it for me. He probably knows more about Toyotas than Toyota, and did a perfect job. Good work by a top guy isn't that expensive, compared to dealers with bad attitudes, techs who don't care, and having to return a few times to get everything working properly, lol. Ski did it right the first time, and 20k Km later, its still perfect. If I had a new 4 Runner today, I would do exactly the same thing to it. Elkas really transformed the anemic OEM suspension, and its even more comfortable than before as well. What's that old saying - something like, quality lives on, while the cost saving fades away? Something like that, anyway, if you catch my drift.

 

Older post and maybe you've figured it out already, but I think you can disconnect the ball joint, swing the UCA up and remove the entire shock assembly that way.

 

I appreciate the feedback. To be honest, when I didn't really get any answers back in June, I scrapped the idea of upgrading to Elka...

 

Hi Oldtoyotaguy, I appreciate all your previous info and advice. I am now seriously considering pulling the trigger on a suspension upgrade like yours through CT Motorsports, though I haven't purchased the parts yet. I did phone Ski a while back and was impressed by his attitude and customer service. Now, I have some more questions for you which I was originally intending to send through email, if possible. Then I figured, any discussion here might also be of interest to the others. So, at the risk of posting stupid questions homer, here goes:

1. After the installation, how many inches of ground clearance do you have under the lowest part of your front skid plate (assuming you still have the OEM skid)? My unmodified TRD Off Road is at just over 8 inches of clearance now. Like others, I'm hoping to get at least as much clearance as a TRD Pro - last I checked, under the TRD Pro aluminum skid there are over 10" of clearance on level ground.

2. Have you noticed any adverse effects on highway driving, i.e. truck drifting to one side or the other, steering not perfectly straight? Any other 'adverse' handing issues? That's what would scare me since I do a lot of highway driving.

3. Was there a specific reason you chose 1 1/2'' at front and not the full 2" the 2.5 IFP suspension would allow? I would be tempted to go with the full 2" and use a 3/4" spacer at the back, but I assume you had a good reason for going the way you did.

By way of explanation, part of the reason I'm moving slowly is that for a while I thought it might just be easier to trade in the TRD ORP and get a TRD Pro and be done with it. But now I've installed a nice light bar (can't install same on new rigs because of TSS), Yakima rack, tinted front windows, and all my ham radio gear and I'm thinking I'd just be farther ahead to keep modifying my truck. And a helluva lot cheaper.


Thanks again.

 

Bringing this thread back...any more longer term reviews from those with their Elka setups?

 

It's good to be able to read reviews. I'm no suspension guru by any means, just an enthusiast like most. I can not read all the positive/negatives on each manufacturers but I've read enough to determine which brand is decent. I have Icons on my 4th gen 4runner. I know a lot of people dislike icons but I have no complaints. I don't have nothing to compare them too as these icons are my first set of adjustable coilover for my 4runner. Coming from Bilstein 5100 and fox 2.0, these are night and day.

I'm sure a lot of R&D has gone into each of these coilovers. This is just my opinion, but to me, they all look and function the same. If I decide to lift my 5th gen in the future I would like to think I made a good decision on which ones to purchase.

Not knocking any brand, just curious what sets Elka apart or makes Elka the go to brand over say Kings? Icons? Fox? Radlfo? Dobinsons?

 

If I share what I was told. I have to hide personal info;

 

I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, so no review yet, but I'll tell you why I chose Elka over the other brands you mentions, which no doubt also make a quality product. like you, I'm no guru!

-I'm Canadian, and Elka is a Canadian company who builds their product here. I like that.

-all external parts are made from CNC and forged aluminum, unlike other brands where steel is used. this is particularly important in northern or costal climates where corrosion can be a real concern.

- dual compression adjustments (high and low speed) allowing fine tuning of compression adjustment. I know Fox also has this, where King only has one adjuster. not sure about others.

- my local 4x4 shop had a sale where if you buy the elka suspension, you get SPC's for free. that sealed it for me.

one thing I do have to say, is that they may all look the same, but they do not all function the same. some are digressive, and some progressive. the Icons that you have are digressive (like blistein) where most of the other brands are progressive. that is likely why many people don't like the Icons. digressive rides stiffer at low speed.

 

When did you place your order, and were you given an ETA?

 

I ordered in early August and was supposed to get it Mid Nov. but they had issues getting some materials, so it was pushed back. it's actually in transit to me right now, so I should have it installed by Christmas.

 

That's good to know.. but since I (personally) haven't rode any other vehicle with other manufacturer suspension, it'll be hard to determine if what they says is true. Could be that the more they sell X amount of product, they better the discounts will be from the manufacturer? Who knows! I've only rode in what I wrote above, 5100, fox 2.0 and these icons. So far no complaints. The reason I went with Icons was because of pricing, had it not been that, things may have been different and I probably would've of went kings (honestly due to the color).

Fair enough. It's easier to get of ahold of the manufacturer if anything goes south. This was also why I was ok with ICONs due to them being literally 30mins from me and NO there was no wait at the time I bought them. Although, from a few post I've read on FB and other forums, some have mentioned their customer service is non-existence. I have yet to use them personally so I can't comment.

I know (was told) Icon switched from steel to aluminum from the info I got last year, haven't read up on the other ones. Plus I'm not too concerned as I live in CA. =)

Didn't know Elka had this feature. This I can say is a very nice feature. I was thinking FOX would be my next set if these ICONs give. Good to know I have other options.

I don't blame you! Had I gotten free UCA, the choice would've been easy! Same reason why I got icons. It was a deal I couldn't refuse.

As mentioned above, I have not rode in any other vehicles besides 5100 and fox2.0 so it's hard to distinguish what would be more suited for me, digressive/progressive. When I'm trail riding, I think my icons are good.



Edited.
My rears are set up with dobinson 677v 3" lift and long travel springs. I can't find any info as to whether or not Elka build rears to accommodate this. I know King and Icon (Metal Tech 4x4) does. Also after reading a 17/18 page post on TW I think I'll stick to my icons. Parts for the icons are more readily available and they're local.

 

Merry Christmas all.

I finally got the Elka kit in and love it so far. huge improvement over stock in every way. only issue is it's sitting higher than I had planned on. I'm at about 3" lift in the front and 2.75" in the rear. I'm hoping the rear springs will settle a bit, but I'm happy with the look and ride as is. As long as there are no issues, I don't mind the extra height. Will be doing the eimkeith panhard correction kit and KDSS spacers in the near future.

 

Looking super sharp!

 

thank you!

 

That is Badass !!!!

 

I am looking at Elka for my new 4Runner ORP and was looking at the 2.0 or the 2.5s. Vehicle is mostly street driven with minimal off-roading, however Im not a fan of how soft the OEM suspension is. I have talked to a gentleman at Elka and he advised me to either go 2.0s or jump to the 2.5s w/ the resi’s. I tend to buy “middle of the road” often, but will spring for higher end occasionally so have considered the remote reservoir but in all honesty it would be overkill for my application. What made you go what the 2.5s over the 2.0s? Happy with the ride quality? I already have the JBA UCAs sitting in my garage, just trying to make my mind up on the shock set up. Don’t want to regret my decision and then want to redo it later. Thanks for any advice!

 

First of all I had no idea about ELKA when I wanted to get the most comfortable suspension out there (thinking of Kings).

Then my shop explain that King has only medium speed adjuster vs thie ELKA 2.5 have 2 adjusters where I can control my comfort both slow and high speed. Only ELKA 2.5 have these dual adjusters.

 

Fox has dual adjusters and I believe their shaft's are also larger in diameter than elka.

Good read if anyone has time.
Everything Elka and How They Compare | Page 19 | Tacoma World

 

Yes, shocks Fox, OME BP-51, Redflo has dual adjusters. Redflo even has 3 adjuster option if I'm not mistaken.

BTW, With my experience ELKA 2.5DC are very good at absorbing all the shock on trail but I would say they are not "AMAZING" as some think it would be. Especially on-road they are not good as the stock XREAS on my Limited (ELKA on TRD ORP) however by far far better than stock Fox on TRD Pro.

 

I agree with you. I've see a few people rate Elka above all or Kings above all. To them, it may be, to some, it may not. I believe most of these top tier coilovers are at or within the same league of each other. You really can't go wrong with any of them. To me personally, it all boils down to price, availability and customer service.

 

Elka's look exactly the same as Toytec just in black.