2022 4runner kdss suspension choice

Hi,

Ive read alot of suspension forum/discussion lately to chose the best suspension for my need.

I'm between fox dsc 2.5 and dobinson ims.

I know 2 very different thing but I want a very comfortable on road suspension for 99% pavement duty(very bad condition in Québec) and 1% fire road. Budget not very important but I want the best comfort and reliabilty.

Since im in a salty area Kings are not an options. Elka are in my backyard but they are so bad in customer service, plus they have long wait and imagine if they need to service the things.

Thanks for your input.

 

1. I've seen few products that claim to protect shocks which might help you in bad weather. (No personal experience though)

2. When I ask my shop what is the best on road comfort lift kit the answer was ELKA over few other leading names. (I don't disagree with your comment about customer service. I ordered on Aug 2020 and I got them on my 4R in Jan 2021. When I try to get any potential delivery date they did not help me at all. All they said was to work with your 4x4shop on that. In December of 2020 the GM of my 4x4 had to send an email to ELKA to what's happening with the order.)





From my chat about lift options -

 

I was almost set on elka but the fact they dont even tell approx how much km before rebuilts, or estimation on time to rebuilts make me thinks about it twice.

Where you bought them? You can PM if you prefer. And how they hold up?

Thanks
JF

 

Toytec in Denver did the order and install.

It was really good or I can say they are amazing on trails when it comes to comfort. However onroad comfort was not to my expectation of "feels like a Cadillac). My 4Runner got in to a crash when Toyota dealership is delivering my 4Runner after service so I no more have it.

 

Fox 2.5 DSC are definitely the best shock we work with. If you are 99% street, the DSC may not be necessary. Fox does have better shafts than most, which will hold up very well in extreme conditions. They also have great seals and oil that will do well in cold environments. Shock boots are always a good/easy idea to keep them even more protected. If you are after the best ride quality, that is certainly something we specialize in doing. Shoot us a message if you have any specific questions, happy to help

 

If you assume there will be 0% offroad and want 100% onroad comfort to absorb each an every bump would you recommend a different spring rate with Fox without DCS? I'm trying to get back my XREAS comfort back. As always I appreciate the advice you share with us.

 

If your budget allows, a custom tuned set from @AccuTune Offroad will definitely be one of your best options. There are other vendors who do this as well, but accutune seems to be the most active on these forums.

Dobs IMS are very popular here as well, and I hear nothing but good about them. @Crikeymike is our resident Dobinson expert, so he can answer any questions you have about them.

 

Coilovers with or without DSC adjusters will not have an affect on spring rates. Springs are mainly there to hold up the weight of your vehicle. We look at those separately for setup, and then valve the shocks accordingly. We tune for 100% daily drivers all the time.

 

Who else is custom tuning shocks?

 

Radflo. Unless I'm mistaken

But, I supposed that limits you to using their shocks. You guys are probably the only ones custom tuning Fox and King.

If I were going with fox or King, accutune would surely be my first choice.

 

In fact coming from the mountain bike world the major difference in price from the dsc to me is to be able to fine tune the damping like my preferences. If you tell me its not worth it I understand, you are the pro here. Does the longevity of these shock are good before rebuilts? Shipping cost and time plus down time on the truck may be an issues since im from Canada.

Thanks

 

OP, there's a 15+ page review over on TW regarding Elka. There are pros/cons on the elka's so read it and then decide whether or not they're for you.

@AccuTune Offroad Are the FOX DSC on back order and on a year backlog like kings? If so how long of a wait?

 

You are correct with the ability to fine tune compression manually like mountain bike forks. Typically for trucks/SUVs, they are great for those who change terrain often or tend to load up with gear/towing and want to make those adjustments. For some, being able to make the suspension more firm for off-road and soft for the street, its great. Others may not want to make any adjustments and just drive as is. It's all preference really. Personally I have found the DSC adjusters to work great for my needs.

Not sure what you mean about longevity. Depending on use and abuse the shocks should last a really long time before needing a rebuild, especially if its just a daily driver. Hard to put an exact number on it, but 50-60k + miles on a daily driver should be the minimum. Of course if you are off-road a lot, smashing the desert, going through mud bogs, rebuild intervals may be much quicker. Durability will play a huge role in that as well. Damaged shafts will take out the seals and require a rebuild. Often times we will need to completely replace the shaft if they are damaged bad enough. We hardly get any Fox shocks with that issue, it's usually Kings that get damaged like. Totally understand the inconvenience for sending shocks in to be serviced. We typically recommend trying to hold on to the stock shocks to use temporarily while shocks are being serviced. The nice thing about Fox brand, just about any shock service company will be able to work on them, and will likely have parts or be able to get those parts quickly. Some of the smaller name shocks may not be so easy to have serviced or get parts. We also offer a 25% discount to customers on service work when the time comes.

 

Depends on exact shocks you are asking about, please message us for estimate on those