Dobinsons IMS Struts and Shocks for 2007+ Tundra's (IFP Monotubes)

Which springs did you wind up going with and how do you like them?

 

Front IMS struts have finally come back in stock again.

https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...p-front-struts-for-toyota-tundra-and-sequoia/

Now offering free shipping on the IMS struts and shocks

 

Would love to see the mrr/mra per tundra

 

I’m waiting on those to come out too

 

Did we ever figure this out? To me, and others who have commented earlier, it looks like these springs won't be able to compress much. Seriously considering these, but I want this to be resolved/explained. Might have to reach out to an engineer at Dobinsons. Are all their coil spring loads looking like this or just the heavier coils?

 

Has anyone set these up at 2" to level the truck? I'm looking to keep the geo as close to stock as possible without lifting the rear.

 

Damn that practically looks coil bound already!

 

Anyone else purchased these and can report back with impressions? Surprised there isn’t more info out there on Dobinsons in Tundras. Would probably benefit Dobinsons to get some of these kits in the hands of some YouTubers. There’s practically nothing out there other than the two threads on this forum. And even those only have a few user reviews.

 

I was REALLY close to going with Dobinson when I put on my eibachs. Just couldn’t find much info on them.

 

So did anyone use theses with springs other than Dobinsons? Anyone use these with Eibach?

 

I wish there were more reviews with these suspensions on Tundras. I am stuck on which full suspension kit to buy from ...Dobinsons IMS, OME nitro charger, Ironman FCP or Toytech 2.5 Aluma. Originally wanting to get Bilstein 6112/5160 but no one has them in stock.

 

Yeah the market in the US for Dobinsons is still a little small so it's hard to find a ton of reviews.

But overall, at least their basic Nitrogen gas shocks (not the IMS) is just a beefy ass shock, and really has been working very well for me. It's not overly fancy, and certainly not up to the level of ICON, King, etc., but I live in the rust belt, and just wanted something solid that I could use and abuse, and not worry about. About a year in, they are still working and looking great. I did the full kit too with the rear leaf springs and they are been fantastic, especially for the price.

I thought about the 6112/5160, as they certainly look a bit nicer and seems to have a good reputation, but in the rust belt I knew they would suffer. You really can't go wrong with this, just choose the correct spring. I used the 778 springs which were initially advertised as a 2.5" lift, but actually yielded closer to 3". Meanwhile the 780(?) I think was advertised as a 3" lift but people were seeing 4-4.5" with them. Now maybe that has all been updated, but even so, they really are solid units. I love mine and expect they'll last a very long time.

 

Yeah I don't want to go too overboard on suspension. I will use my truck for more for camping than extreme off-roading. I will definitely look into the Dobinsons nitro coilovers. Did you replace your UCAs?

 

Yes I did. I used an SPC clone that RockAuto was selling for a while. They are MevoTech branded, but are exactly the same, just $200 cheaper lol. I'm not sure if they are available any longer though. Here is where you can see my suspension build: https://www.tundras.com/threads/dobinsons-suspension-review.50702/page-24 Starting at post #718.

I also don't do any extreme off-roading either to be honest, just around a farm sometimes, and camping. So my M/T tires were overkill, but other than that I'm super happy with the suspension.

 

The other reason I like the idea of the twin tube setup has to do with replacement/servicing. I'd rather be able to just replace the entire shock versus having to deal with several weeks of downtime for rebuild. What I've noticed is that most people wind up buying a second set of shocks when it's time to rebuild theirs. I'd rather use a shock that's inexpensive enough (but not too inexpensive) to just replace when the time comes.

 

I bought Ironmans FC pros when they had 25% off sitewide recently (which happens regularly). $1400 something for 4 shocks, front springs, tophats, adjustment tool, tax. The full kit with rear leaf springs and greasable bushings would have been about $650 more and came with free Treads, but I wanted to go elsewhere for rear springs (it'll be hauling a camper full time).

I decided that the threaded adjustable feature was worth it to me vs cheaper options... and though I considered spending 2x for King, Fox, Icon, etc... I can't service them on the road, and I don't want to deal with it. I think the fancy shocks with high pressure just don't last long before they leak. Then you need new seals, which isn't a huge deal if you can service them yourself, but no deal if you have to ship them. Twin tubes tend to last longer I think. The FC Pros are rebuildable, but the retail on the front shocks is also only $400, so just swapping it out isn't terrible.

The Ironman FC Pros are enormous twin tube shocks (2.75" bodies), 18" springs, and are infinitely adjustable. I'll see how they fare...

 

Please let us know what you think. Ironman and Dobinsons are the only options I’m considering at this time. Only bad thing I’ve heard about the Ironman has to do with stiffness and bent coils.

 

I can tell you my coils are straight (enough) and they were not that hard to install with a $36 tool. A couple people have described them as stiff when new but they improve after some miles. I think that's just tight seals and is probably good for longevity. Most people report that they are plush though... ? IM sets them for 3.5" of lift typically and that's just too much for any IFS shock lift IMO. 2-2.5" is the sweet spot.

I'll be posting here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/ironman-4x4-suspension.64691/page-21#post-2709966

 

Rear MRA adjustable shocks are due in 1-2 weeks!!

https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...-mra-rear-shocks-for-toyota-tundra-2007-2021/

Still no date on the fronts. As soon as the production line gets to them, they'll be made and shipped over.

 

Hello new to the forums. Earlier this week I had the Dobinson IMS front and rear installed at my local 4x4 shop. Front springs are the 2.5in stock weight lift springs. I will say I read many forum pages on these ending with extremely more lift than anticipated. Working with my shop and Dobinson I bit the bullet. While I only have about 200 miles on these my initial impressions are wonderful. I will have to go outside tomorrow to grab pictures to share, below are my initial impressions over the stock TRD Offroad Bilstein shocks.

1) Ride quality is greatly improved. I no longer have the body roll going around round abouts, country roads or the nose dip when coming to a stop. Also, when driving on the interstate I no longer experience the shimmy/triple bounce feeling when the road transitions to bridges or overpasses. The feel is more like a cross over SUV or car when there is a thud, you feel the transition then done.

2) When it was initially installed, I did there was a dead even 3 inch lift up front. By the time it was driven to the alignment shop and back to my installers shop, it had already begun to settle in the front. I measured a few minutes ago and I am exactly 2.5in now on the front. I did block with the factory leaf springs for now, so I have a 1.5in rake which I wanted.

 

Thanks for the detailed review! Yeah, the coil height and IMS combination are all correct once settled and I'm glad you got to see how it settles down like that.

Can you post up some photos of the parts and the truck too?

 

We got hit with the brutal cold and snow the last few days. So far the IMS suspension still has not disappointed. When things thaw out some and I can clean the truck I will get more pictures of the shocks installed. Here is a profile picture of the truck.

 

My shop has posted some pictures of the install. https://www.instagram.com/p/CmfIz13Jxm8/.

 

Anyone else install the IMS? How are they holding up?

 

70k miles and they are still great. I only have the rears but run around with headache rack, decked system, and sit on top toolbox. probably 400 extra pounds back there.

 

I forgot to post up in this thread that the front MRA coilovers have finally come in.

https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...bled-mra-coilovers-for-toyota-tundra-2007-21/

 

@crikeymike - I’m sure you get tired of answering the same questions, but concerning the MRA I’ve got a few questions.

- As I understand it, the adjusters can increase valving but not decrease it, so with everything set at 1 or the lowest setting, am I correct in assuming the base valving on this would be a very soft shock?

- how well do these put up with sub-freezing temperatures, snow, and ice? My bilsteins seem to change attitude when the mercury dips below freezing.

- what type of rebuild schedule would you anticipate with these? The literature says no defined schedule. Usage is mostly on road, hauling or towing, with spurts of high speed Forrest service roads. For comparison, 6112/5160’s lasted about 100k before they became intolerable. One of the 5160’s starting sticking but was still operational. It squealed when compressed by hand after sitting extended for a while off of the vehicle.

- would you recommend this setup for a vehicle that is rarely unloaded and often close to max loading, as well as towing?

- would you characterize the base ride as plush, sporty, well controlled, or stuff? See my first question about the adjusters affecting that.

- would they be characterized as digressive, progressive, linear, etc?

- are these revalvable? I assume that would be you that would re valve them.

- how would you compare these to Fox 2.5 DSC?

- what mounting options to you have/suggest for the remote reservoirs?

Thanks.

 

I'll type in caps to answer your many questions.

'QUOTE'

I’m sure you get tired of answering the same questions, but concerning the MRA I’ve got a few questions.

- As I understand it, the adjusters can increase valving but not decrease it, so with everything set at 1 or the lowest setting, am I correct in assuming the base valving on this would be a very soft shock?
CORRECT, THEY INCREASE IT. THE BASELINE WOULD BE SOFT

- how well do these put up with sub-freezing temperatures, snow, and ice? My bilsteins seem to change attitude when the mercury dips below freezing.
NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH ANY DOBINSONS SHOCKS IN FREEZING WEATHER

- what type of rebuild schedule would you anticipate with these? The literature says no defined schedule. Usage is mostly on road, hauling or towing, with spurts of high speed Forrest service roads. For comparison, 6112/5160’s lasted about 100k before they became intolerable. One of the 5160’s starting sticking but was still operational. It squealed when compressed by hand after sitting extended for a while off of the vehicle.
DEPENDS ON USE. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, THEN YOU REBUILD IT, OTHERWISE YOU DON'T TOUCH IT

- would you recommend this setup for a vehicle that is rarely unloaded and often close to max loading, as well as towing?
I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR SOMEONE THAT GOES OFFROAD A LOT. IF YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT, THIS IS OVERKILL IN MY OPINION. VARYING LOADS MAKE THE MRA A GREAT OPTION, SINCE YOU CAN ADJUST THE WAY THE VEHICLE PERFORMS AND RIDES

- would you characterize the base ride as plush, sporty, well controlled, or stuff? See my first question about the adjusters affecting that.
SPORTY, BUT IT'S A HUGE TRUCK, SO HARD TO GIVE IT A DEFINITION

- would they be characterized as digressive, progressive, linear, etc?
LINEAR

- are these revalvable? I assume that would be you that would re valve them.
YES. DOBINSONS OFFERS THAT AS WELL AS SOME SHOCK REBUILDERS

- how would you compare these to Fox 2.5 DSC?
THESE HAVE A WIDER RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT FOR SURE, AS WELL AS REBOUND ADJUSTMENT WHICH FOX DON'T HAVE). IN OTHER VEHICLES, DOBINSONS HAVE ALWAYS RIDDEN MORE COMFORTABLE AND LESS HARSH THAN FOX. I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A TUNDRA WITH BOTH, SO I CAN'T SPEAK ON HOW BOTH FEEL

- what mounting options to you have/suggest for the remote reservoirs?
THEY COME WITH BRACKETS TO ATTACH TO THE FRONT. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE GOOD PHOTOS YET

Thanks.

 

Thanks, Mike. My limited experience with the Fox 2.0's was that they just floated - but not in a good way - like they were never actually in control of the vehicle. The adjustability of the Dobinson MRA's is what attracts me to them, especially the rear's. My bed is very rarely empty but the load varies and I tow often.

One other thing I forgot to ask - can these be adjusted to less than 2" of lift? Say 1 or 1.5"? I know that's nit picky but, for example, IronMan 4x4 told me their shocks aren't designed to be run less than 2", even if you use the shorter coil.