Poll: Which suspension path would you suggest for my CrewMax (SR5)?

Looking for your suggestions to help me choose a path for my 2018 Crewmax (SR5)! I have searched and read exhaustively, but I am still struggling to pull the trigger on a suspension upgrade. I'm in my 40's and have a sensitive back/neck (from being rear-ended in my jeep wrangler in my 20's). Getting a Pro suspension is not the cheapest way to go about this and is likely only a 40-50k mile option if it is in fact not easily rebuildable, but i am under the impression it may be the best riding Tundra suspension available.

Primary Goals:
Maximize / improve on-road comfort for daily driving + family road trips
Reduce bed bounce on concrete (resonating hop from front to rear that occurs on some sections of hwy)
Handle trails as reliably and comfortably as possible

I believe aftermarket coilovers to be re-buildable, re-valvable, and likely "better" off-road, but i'm looking for the ultimate daily driver not only an off-road rig. I rarely if ever tow, but i do have a wife, two kids, a 70 lb dog, and a Topper (Snugtop Rebel) so i am very close to the payload capacity of our trucks on family trips. I'm looking for comfort and i'm curious if those of you with the Pro Suspension (Fox specifically) feel like it would be worth $3k-$4k for the Pro / Coachbuilder setup given my needs and current setup (SR5) vs going aftermarket.

FYI: My daily commute is mostly 30-45 mph roads that are pretty beat up (Arvada -> Lakewood for those of you in the Denver area).

Thank you for any feedback!

 

Drive it

 

King will take your suspension worries away

 

Fox

 

If you don’t tow and want the smoothest ride I would avoid the AAL. Why do you want to lift the back at all? If money is not a factor, given your parameters I would add the TRD pro suspension and leave the back at stock height.

 

X2 ^^

 

I’m in Arvada, too. The bed bounce in even the new highways sucks. I’m adding 5100s up front I’ll let you know if that helps.

 

Good luck with the 5100's! Please let me know how that works out for you. I hope it helps, though i suspect some attention to the rear will help too.

I did find some info regarding putting a pad of some sort above the spare tire to keep that from swaying. I'm going to try that until i make up my mind on which suspension to go with. To be honest the 6112 / 5160 with poly shackle bushings in the rear with a slight lift (poly bushings paired with Toytec or Coachbuilder Shackles) is the direction i'm leaning as my time on-road far outweighs my off-road time.

Thanks to everyone for the feed back. i realize this is a subjective and stale topic, but i appreciate everyone's input.

 

OME BP51s or KINGs...Buy once, cry once.

 

Find a set of TRD pro take offs, add CB shackles in the rear and call it a day. FWIW, Toyota did not partner with Bilstein and/or Fox to produce suspension that only lasts 40-50k...

 

I've heard that number before and it had me worried, but I am currently at 60,000 on my Pro and it still rides like the day I bought it. I'm expecting it to last for a good while longer. I wonder where the idea that the Pro suspension only lasts for 40-50,000 miles came from.

 

It could very well be my own misunderstanding of the "facts" that i've read. I do not mean to spread mis-information so i apologize if thats what i have done!

I based my statement on information i read that suggests that the OEM Fox shocks may not be as easily rebuilt as other aftermarket external res coilovers like King, Fox, etc. Those shocks (i read and have been told) require service intervals shy of 30,000ish miles (depending on use) and i may have incorrectly ASSumed that the OEM Fox were subject to the same rebuilding intervals.

I'm happy to hear that yours are still going strong. I suppose a lot of it is the type of use they endure. If you are frequently over-heating the oil and beating the snot out of it, it may not hold up as well. Perhaps it's more of a correlation between HOW people, who put expensive aftermarket shocks on their rigs, tend to use their trucks. I'm not suggesting you don't utilize your pro, just that results may vary based on a number of factors.

Thank you for your feedback as i have NO 1st hand knowledge of the pro suspension!

 

Very well said, everyone’s mileage will vary. Lots of folks on here running Kings, Icon and fox actually push their suspension to the limit (as they are designed to be). They will likely need to service/ rebuild much more often.
Conversely, some folks choose to run the same suspension but rarely see off-road and/or push their suspension. They will see much longer life.
I can say that the Pro suspension has been great so far. It has an incredibly smooth ride on the road and handles itself well off-road (for my needs). Now if I started to get into more trail work, high speed runs, etc. I might be telling a different story. And yes, you are absolutely correct in that the pro suspension is not easy to be rebuilt and that’s because it wasn’t meant to be.
I personally consider the pro suspension as a mid-tier suspension. Somewhere between the likes of 6112s and full blown Kings, Icon, etc. Unfortunately they are priced as if they are top tier. That’s why I think finding take-offs can be a good compromise. Otherwise the investment for new is hard to justify when compared to what the same amount of money will get you with the other top names.
Just my 2 cents worth...

 

Toyota Tundra Fox 2.0 suspension (brand new)

https://cosprings.craigslist.org/pts/d/colorado-springs-toyota-tundra-fox-20/7042785690.html

(not mine)

 

Thank you for the heads up. However, i believe there to be a significant difference between the Fox 2.0 (2 inch diameter) aftermarket kit that fits the Toyota Tundra and a TRD PRO (OEM FOX) setup. Not saying this isn't a great find and a great setup, but i'm really hung up on justifying the cost of the PRO suspension vs a 2.5 setup from King, Fox, ADS, or the 6112.

As KnuckleHD mentioned, the PRO setup costs about the same as the "Top Tier of the Bolt On" systems. I guess if i knew that it rode BETTER on the road than a set of Kings (with or without adjusters?) then i'd be more confident in pulling the trigger. Ultimately i just want the most comfortable daily driver option for the Tundra, but again thank you for the suggestion and the heads up on a great deal.

Regardless i am almost 20,000 miles into the Tundra and still enjoying it, just looking forward to enhancing it.

 

Fox with DSC on all fours. Low speed and high speed compensation. More adjustability than Kings' compression adjuster. I do have Kings with no adjusters. Will try to incorporate Fox's DSC to the Kings. New hoses and fittings for sure. One of my projects for this year.

 

I struggled with the same... If I may, don’t worry about what rides Better. Everyone’s opinion is just that. It’s all subjective. Have you driven a newer Pro yet? I almost bought new before I found my set of take offs and really wanted to know first hand how they rode. I just went down to my local dealer and took a pro for a test ride. I was sold after that (on the suspension). I’m sure there are some local clubs/meet ups in your area where you could ride in trucks with the other set-ups as well.

 

Interested to hear what you end up with. I'm also in Arvada and probably just going with 5100s, but have been thinking about 6112s.

 

That is a really good suggestion and something i am planning on doing. When i purchased in 2018 the PRO was not available, but i drove the SR5, SR5 TRD Offroad, and Platinum before making up my mind!

 

I will certainly post back in here once I have installed something. I know i don't enjoy reading through a thread and then being left hanging as to what the OP did, how it went, or if there were any regrets or revelations.

Unfortunately i am cheap, cautious, and i plan for a long time, so just don't expect a final update with 3.0 Kings next week as i'm not that much fun. FWIW I started talking to Toytec about this in September i think. (They suggested Elka was the best for my needs along with a progressive AAL and airbags for fuller loads when camping)

 

No apology needed as I was concerned with that after I bought my pro. Heard some say they needed rebuilding after 30,000 miles. What you said makes sense though. If you are out desert running every couple weeks they may very well need to be replaced after 30,000 miles. My truck spends most of its time on the road, but has spent its fair share of time on rutted dirt/logging type roads. No high speed off-road or rock crawling on it.

 

Sub'd. In a Pro with almost 70k on the clock. The search begins.

 

stock trd OR take offs under $300 set

 

Where can you buy the trd pro suspension and how much does it cost?

 

Not mine, around $2-2.5k
https://offerup.com/item/detail/796966899/

 

I would put in a vote for the OME BP51 kit. It is half the cost of a good King setup, easily adjustable for different road conditions (Compression and Rebound - takes about 5 min) and rebuildable.

The adjustability is pretty great when you are switching from road, to miles of washboard and then even into minor rock rock crawling.

I beat them up pretty good on a long Baja trip and they did not disappoint comfort-wise.

If you aren't an extreme 4x4er you can use the stock UCA's just fine... you can get it with a light duty or heavy duty leaf kit for the rear.

For the performance they are a steal... I ran them on a 4RUNNER as well.

 

Thank you all for your suggestions and input.

I have just pulled the trigger and ordered the 6112 set at 1.9" (going to run 1 driver shim for lean), 5160 rear shocks, Adjustable Shackle (which i plan to run at 1.5"), along with the diff drop (not sure i'f i'll need or use it), carrier bearing drop, and bump stop extensions.

I will check back here with an update once the lift is installed with an initial review as well as an update down the road once the suspension has settled and i've adjusted to the change.

I plan on keeping my current wheel / tire setup initially just so i can identify any actual changes in ride comfort and handling. Once winter is slowing down i'll likely be throwing on some 285 / 75 / 17 BFG KO2 (or something similar) with some 17" wheels. After that i'll update again for any future readers that stumble through this thread.

Thanks again for all your help in moving me along in this process.

 

Got my lift components from Darren @ Boss-offroad. Service was great, price was low, and shipping was fast. I highly recommend you give him a shout if he carries what you are after.
6112 @1.9
1 shim on each side.
5160’s rear
Boss shackle at highest setting (1.5) with poly bushing
Carrier bearing drop.

I got it aligned today and have put a few miles on it. So far so good. Not “plush”, but smooth and planted. Not any harsher than stock black sr5 shocks, but no more spongy floaty feel. It’s certainly an upgrade. Time will tell if it is what I was after. I’ll check back and update once I have put some miles on it. So far I am enjoying it.

 

Depends on what you do really. If you are tearing it up on the trails every weekend then you probably want a high end kit by King, Icon, Fox, etc. If you are mainly a daily driver that occasionally hits the offroad, then a 6112/5160 combo is hard to beat for price and performance.

 

When my 08 DC hit 100k I noticed the right front shock leaking. I always thought the truck rode nice until I swapped in a set of KYB’s and was blown away by how much better and smoother they rode. My new brand CM doesn’t ride as well and I’m thinking about ditching the OE Hitachi’s as soon as possible and putting in the KYB’s again.