Suspension upgrade

quick question. I’ve been researching suspension for months and one thing that has me from pulling the trigger is this rebuild thing. so everywhere I read, fox, icon, need to be rebuild every 20k-30k miles. I drive almost 40k a year obviously I cant be doing that annually. i’m not out running moab or rock crawling in Colorado but I do get on trails monthly where you can definitely break something if you’re not careful.

i still have the factory bilsteins that come on the trd offroad and at 85k miles they still ride great. so this every 20k mile rebuild thing has me confused

 

Then get 6112s and call it a day

 

Just my guess but the suggested rebuild interval could be a suggestion to ensure the max performance of the system.

 

thank you but not really a helpful response my man. im looking more for is this rebuild thing an actual thing. as in what are people running those set ups and do some serious miles driving actually doing.

 

I had icons on my 2010 for about 50k miles including off road and didn’t rebuild them. I didn’t notice a performance decrease, but if it’s gradual over the life of it then I probably wouldn’t have. I have icons on my 2018 too but only have about 20k on them.

 

There are options that will last a good long time and not require the 50k miles street/25k offroad use rebuilds.
5100s, 6112s, Dobinsons, Old Man Emu, Eibach ProTruck 2.0 off the top of my head and I am sure Toytec has some other toytec branded options too.

 

thanks. appreciate your feedback, this gives me something to start with. I know a buddy running old man emu on his runner and says they’re great

 

Their rebuild number are more like guidelines. Rebuild when leaking or ride has dramatically changed. The great thing is they are re-buildable. And really easy to do. I just learned last year. What is also great is I can change how they ride by changing the shim stacks.

 

But also think of this when you rebuild a shock you replace oil and seals. In all the other brands of non re-buildable shocks what magical seals and oil do they use that will make them last longer.

 

So me saying go 6112 is not helpful, but someone else saying is....ok lol

Long story short.

Historically, rebuild and seal issues are far more frequent on serviceable shocks vs non. Why? Who the hell knows. Maybe it's as simple as use.

You are worried about rebuilds, downtime etc - IMHO, Icon shouldn't even be on your shopping list. While all mfg can have issues, the premature leaks from Icons are tenfold higher than their competitors.

 

While any mfg can have issues, my 6112s were leaking by 1000 miles but I’ve had no problems with icons.

 

Good to know, and extremely opposite most peoples experience! Guess you got both unlucky and lucky.

*And I not just talking just Tundra platform. Leaks galore T4R, Tacoma guys along with snapped/sheared top mounts.

 

If you have to ship them off for rebuild then that is a pain. If you can rebuild yourself or get it done locally then not too bad.

 

I own icons. I would never buy them again, king and fox have parts/service available at WAY more places

 

I don't know this for a fact but I would say the 20 to 30k rebuild intervals would be if you actually use it for intended hard offroading not daily driver type miles.

 

I was surprised when it started. I replaced that side and didnt have any issues after that except for extreme rusting. I still recommend them for the price. I’d probably go Fox next though for my truck.

 

This whole thread has me confused.
your happy with your 85k mile stock Bilstein's and your questioning the 20k mile upkeep of the top of the line stuff.

If you're going to spend $5k -20k on shocks, the company absolutely wants you to have the best experience with there stuff. That requires fresh oil and maintenance.
If you want it to preform at the top tier level. And work at that level without major repairs over a long time. I think of this as Toy level things (something you wrench on, maintain and play with, work it hard and treat it well).
You will loose feel and might damage expensive replacement parts if you push the interval, but if you aren't cycling the oil to (burn your hand hot) and running in Dust/mud daily you can realistically push this interval to probably 50k without issue. (you will loose some of the feel from old oil).

Everything else falls down from there. If you want acceptable worry free then OEM take offs would be perfect.
If your happy why not just swap for 5100 when the shocks start to feel worn out? No maintenance, will most likely last you 3 years (100k miles).

If you live in the rust belt than 6112 & 5160 combo I can't recommend. I'm at 20k miles on my 2 year old stuff and it looks like its been living in the ocean for 10 years. (also my dust cap is stuck up proud on the passenger side, and my right front shock weeped after raising and lowering truck off jack). The ride is okay, but doesn't feel any different to me than my OEM stuff did (just a slight steering input feel).
If your outta the rust belt this is another budget upgrade that you can consider.

Before you spend money on anything i think we need to access your situation.
Are you airing down your tires currently for your off-road adventures.
I think an on-board air compressor and 5100s or equivalent might be the answer here.

(or probably the best advice is call toytec and explain your situation and ask recommendations).

 

If you’re mostly on the street 40k is fine for rebuild intervals. Your 85k OE shocks were completely worn out years ago. If i were buying 6112 bilsteins i would plan on replacing them every 40k as well

 

Not sure where you saw those 20-30k service intervals but thats a little excessive. You should get at least 50k + out of a quality set of shocks like Fox 2.5 RR shocks. Of course like any wear and tear item it will vary depending on use and abuse. Quality shocks will last much longer. Example, Fox stainless steel shaft will withstand a lot more abuse than most other shock shafts. Quality seals will also play a major role in longevity. Of course putting 40k miles a year on a truck will come with other items to replace like brakes, tires etc. You are doing the right thing by holding onto stock or loaner shocks for when the time comes for service work. Like mentioned above, you can find someone local to help with rebuilds, just make sure its a reputable shop. Let us know if you have any specific questions about Fox shocks if you're looking at going that direction.