ADS shocks

I kind of get the impression that in order to get the maximum benefit out of the 3.0, one would also need to install a full cage to protect themselves, lol. Not sure if my thinking is correct but the way the 3.0 is described, it’s really for racing and this big heavy truck is no race truck - at least mine isn’t!

 

Nahhh. It’s more about the terrain and how much you’re making that shock go up and down. Shocks working hard will make heat. It’s the simple way they work. Since they control the suspension travel by cramming oil through the valve stack, friction is how damping is achieved. Like brakes, friction in a shock converts the energy to heat. Bigger shock, more oil. More oil volume in a big shock means it can work for more time before that heat builds up.

Would a 3.0 be overkill? Yeah, if you never work a 2.5 hard enough to get hot!

Marv hit the nail on the head. There is no comparison to stock, and you’re gonna be all smiles when you get your truck together. Looking forward to hearing your reviews!

 

Somebody is gonna get a sweet deal here in about 6 months when you go full LT….

3.0 coilovers with 2.5 bypass front is in your future, I’m betting. Then you will need a bed cage, 3” wide SUA Deaver leaf packs, and 14” bypasses back there…

Dibs on them rear bypasses you have now….

 

Do you think a good way to test if you really need 3.0 is to go do what I normally will be doing and then see how hot the reservoir gets? If it’s not too hot to touch then a 3.0 would be a waste?

Sometimes I buy the overkill option to future proof my unforeseen endeavors but in this case, my shop guy said that 3.0 is completely unnecessary for what I will be doing. Plus no 700lb spring option.

 

IMHO, you’re 99.7% fine with 2.5”.

If you really need 3.0, you’d already know it!

 

With 3.0s the front IMO deff is compareable to the rear now. That’s just my opinion. My 3.0 front Coilovers have a huge difference in dampening way more than my fox and king 2.5s ever had. But I do don’t do slow crawling and over landing as much as i am too 2wd

 

I’ll be listing my King 3.0 F and R set here soon. Hopefully it will go fast… gotta budget for my next build haha

Buy aside nothing wrong with 2.5s they’re fantastic on their own! Everyone can do as they wish

 

I'm not sure there's a good way to test if you "really need" 3.0's. I've never put my hand on my 2.5 resi after a good romp, but I'll bet they don't get too hot to touch. It doesnt mean that a 3.0 shock running the same section wouldn't have felt better and performed better...

Some would consider 3.0 overkill, others might appreciate the extra performance and find it worth the upgrade from 2.5's. Do you absolutely NEED 3.0's for your purpose..no way. If you're really ONLY going to be doing "slow overlanding" with the truck I think you'd probably be fine with a basic set of 2.0 Bilstiens or Toytec's. Hell, the stock suspension will probably get you there just fine at that point.

I think you'll find that as the truck's capability to go faster over rougher terrain increases, so will your desire to go even faster over rougher terrain

The 2.5's are gonna get you there, believe me. They're great shocks.

 

Haha, man I'm definitely thinking about it....

I think some gears and/or supercharger could come first though. It's all kind of silly since the damn things are all headed for the junk heap at some point...

I'd seriously be trading the tundra on a Raptor if they made one in a 6 seater config. I gotta be able to take my whole crew with me!

 

Gears, my man. Gears... Then blower if it's still not enough!

 

I think I’m gonna do a review on my 3.0s vs my buddies 2.5s… his are ona. Silverado 1500 but it might be a cool video to see although they are different trucks

 

Well fellas, I had a change in plan. I cancelled the order with the 2.5’s with the other shop and decided to call Matt with MCM Fab.

I will be taking a 9 hour trip to him in Las Vegas later this month to have all the work done including the BMC, pinch weld, suspension. Decided to just go with the ADS 3.0 up front. Still deciding on the rear, if I should go 2.5 resi with clicker or bypass.

I’ll be hauling all 4 of my new wheels with 37s in the bed on my trip, lol!

 

The owner of King himself said anything over 5k lbs should really be on a 3.0 coilover. The problem is packaging it’s a tight fit for sure. But I do just fine on a 2.5” but will probably go up in bypass size upfront when the phase happens.

 

Does that mean on a single shock/corner or combination surface area/volume of shock oil…lol

I mean combined you have 2.5 x 2 you have 8.18 in^2 vs 7.069 in^2 piston area with more volume of fluid to dissipate that thermal energy.

 

He didn’t get into details but 3.0 coilover per corner I believe. But definitely not the first time I’ve heard this with the weight of these rigs.

 

Probably fair to assume that this will also depend on the expected use of the suspension. You and I both have 2.5” coilovers. I’d be willing to bet lunch that you’re asking a heluva lot more from them than I am!

 

Bypass for the win, bro. You’ll never miss that extra money and they’re awesome. They do make noise so if that really bothers you….just go faster or turn your radio up.

 

Does the noise engage during any type of driving? Slow, fast, light terrain, rough terrain?

My only reservation is that my wife and kids will be with me during our adventures so I don’t want them having to hear it constantly. If it is only during rough terrain or at higher speeds, it would be fine, but all the time, maybe not.

 

Yes it’s always clicking. Sounds like loose marbles or like somethings broken. It’s not for everyone for sure but I enjoy it. It’s part of the experience

 

@Marvthehamster speaks the truth. Different manufacturers have different valves that emit different sounds. I never hear my rear Fox bypass shocks. Honestly I never hear the Kings in front either. However, I did hear the (rear) ADS bypasses when I had them but only at low speed with the window down. The sound of the bypasses is a small price to pay for the bump up in ride quality and a great excuse for sound system upgrades . The one time I took my wife and daughters, they never mentioned the bypass clicking.

 

it is when they don’t click is when you know something ain’t right…

 

Some extra comparison relative to the above comments (and I don't know your setup). I rode in a friend's LT Tundra that's caged and the bypasses were so insanely loud, that was the first vehicle I've been in where I did not appreciate the bypass sounds. Kings with huge tubes, full body with a cage. My tube chassis buggy with ADS bypasses (albeit much smaller tubes) it's 50/50 if the clicking is noticeable but it's not God awfully loud. Point being there's a lot of variables between what you consider acceptable, what shocks, what tube setup, how many tubes, how the bypass is mounted, etc. that play into the house level.

 

Drive another 2 hours east and get a supercharger and tune while you're near Vegas

 

You guys are killing me! I gotta pull the reins in a little! The idea did pop into my head to make a little stop at Dirty Deeds “on the way” to MCM Fab, lol!

 

I don’t hear the bypasses with the windows up but they do click at all speeds - even on “flat” pavement. I kinda like the clicking and sometimes lower my window so I can hear the money I spent working.

The clicking is really not bad. My kid has sensory issues to sound and has never said anything about the clicking. ​

 

As others have already said, yes they click pretty much constantly. Any movement of the piston that’s strong enough or quick enough to move oil is gonna make the bypass valves operate. It’s most noticeable (for me) when I’m driving in town and with windows down. I think it’s best described as a metallic “clicking” or “clacking” sound. I was a bit worried about it before installing them too, but it’s just become part of the normal sounds of the truck at this point. While in the subject of noisy parts, you should know that the poly bushings in the deaver springs are very likely to squeak. As someone pointed out previously (can’t remember who, perhaps another thread): race truck parts make race truck noises. Modifications come with some potential downsides, depending on your use case.

As far as I am aware, ADS is the only manufacturer that makes a rear bypass shock that bolts in to the factory mounting locations. It’s really pretty cool to have that kind of bolt on capability.

Paging @Chad D. About his bypass regrets…

 

Chad D. regrets not buying rear bypass shocks…

I’ll be correcting that in the future.

 

I guess the question is - cost aside, is there any use/application that the rear 2.5 resi would be better for? General off-road, Overlanding, slow crawling, etc.? Is bypass just better, regardless of what you’re using it for?

 

If you will never use more shock travel than the few inches between the 1st compression and the rebound bypass tubes, a smoothie will be the same. As soon as you venture beyond that “ride zone” the bypass will have more benefit.

 

Wrong; the correct answer is "If you live east of the Mississippi River because you'll never be able to drive fast enough to use them"