Suspension Dilemma

Bvonscott · July 10, 2015

Ok guys this is what I am having a dilemma with.

My upgrade list so far:

1. NFAB Bumper - On Order

2. DMH Electric cutouts - Need to order next - $200

3. Diable in tune - Buying from ebay end of month hopefully - $275

4. Mazzulla Upper control Arm - August - $999

5. Mid travel coilover. WHICH ONE? - ?

I have discovered in my relentless online research that you really only need the upper control arm and replacement coilovers and rear shocks to get more travel for improved off road use. Mazzulla even has a truck they promote that only has the UCA and Coilover from their mid-travel kit.

But I cannot seem to figure out which coilover to get. I want about 10-12" of total wheel travel. One of the kits I read about online has a king coilover that is 16" compressed and 22.8' extended so 6.8" of shock travel but they list the wheel travel as 11" so I am confused on the difference.

Also the price needs to be affordable. I can't afford a KING setup that is $3,000. I am shooting for under a $1,000.

So the Dilemma, Bilstein is the cheapest, and they make really good coilovers but I have no idea which series to get 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000 thta works for my needs and is still affordable.

FOX has what I need for a little more than $1,000 from what I can tell, but I dont know how much shock travel I need.

KING is the best but most expensive so I have ruled them out.

Anyone else have this dilemma?

Jon A · July 24, 2015

I don't think you can get that much front travel with just an upper arm. The upper arm (with the stop ground out) will allow a couple more inches of down travel, but after that your lower ball joint binds. My ICON extended travel coilovers were around an inch longer than stock (full extension) and I even thought about adding a bit more (.25" top plate from RC Level kit) with my Cognito upper arms but found with the additional length only put me into bind with the lower ball joint.

Of course adding compression travel with a shorter shock body is possible but then you run into tire clearance issues and other limitations (I never tested to see when the ball joints bind in that direction) which is probably why you see the shock travel not match with the wheel travel of the Kings.

I'm afraid with any of the coilovers, unless you spend more money on a larger lift, the extended travel version of ICON and Fox (and I assume King but I never found any measurements for them) are giving you as much travel as the suspension can handle. But it might be enough depending upon what you want to do--2" or so of increased travel combined with a really high quality shock is a pretty dramatic improvement over stock.

kstruckcountry · July 24, 2015

I wouldn't waste your time. I'd go with a full kit.

Bvonscott · July 24, 2015

I cannot afford a full kit all at once, but I can piece by piece. UCA, then Coilover, then LCA, then SPINDLES & Extended Axles. I am just going to have to make some calls.