Dobinsons IMS 3” lift

Thinking of getting a 2.5-3” lift. Any thoughts on the dobinsons IMS kit? Thanks!

 

Great company great products. Tons of positive feedback on here.

 

That’s what I got. IMO it’s worth the extra $$ compared to Bilstein and Eibach kits. It’s a great option for a middle of the road budget.

 

Hey! Dobinson's are a great choice, they offer some serious ride height especially that kit, and teal spring options of course. I did, perhaps a cheaper, Bilstein shock and aftermarket springs suspension lift. 3" front, 2" rear

 

I love my IMS. Best bang for the buck. I got the UCA’s too with the suspension. I’d say that whole package as it’s tuned for the 4Runner can’t be beat for the money. Major upgrade from stock.

 

Top notch option. I’ve got over 30k miles on mine. The only thing I’d suggest is to resist lifting too high. Three inches of lift really doesn’t leave you much up travel. I did 2.5 up front and I wish it was closer to two inches. I might adjust them down soon enough.

 

Have about 10k on mine and love them. Also went with their UCAs. As mentioned above, I tried to stay a bit lower due to having KDSS. Right after install I was dead on 2.5/1.5 (front/rear). I've added a bit of weight and I'm sure they've settled some since install.

Haven't done as much offroading with them as I would like but I feel they are amazing on road. Soak up bumps, potholes, and dips in the roads that used to feel a lot worse with stock suspension. I'm a lot heavier now but feel completely safe maneuvering with the extra height and weight.

 

Me too. Love them. IMS and UCA at 2.5 front, 1.5 rear. 10 K on mine as well. Roland who used to be a frequent flyer here convinced me.

 

How are they with rust and corrosion? We have some brutal winters in Michigan.

 

They are painted or powder coated(not sure which) so they'd hold up alot better then say bilstein on eibach.

 

A bunch of the guys I wheel with are running Dobs. They're definitely on my radar for the next upgrade. I would highly recommend, based on what I hear.

@Crikeymike can hook you up once you're ready to pull the trigger.

 

@McSpazatron has had his for a few years now, in Wisconsin. He probably has some insight here.

I'm not sure about Eibach, but Bilsteins are aluminum. After 70K miles, and 3 Wisconsin winters, I'd say these are holding up pretty good. Especially considering that I have done literally nothing to try to take special care of them.

I think it's usually the steel bodied, painted shocks that don't do well in the salt belt, ie Fox, King, etc.

Picture for reference. Forgive the dirt; I'm still in the process of cleaning the mud off from last weekend.

 

I found a few threads on other toyota forums about bilstiens corroding.

 

Yeesh!

 

Link?

Not really any context there. How many years had those been on there? How many miles? What type of climate? How often was the vehicle washed?

Painted steel can chip and rust. Powder coating can certainly help. But, I've seen Kings that were trashed after a few Wisconsin winters.

It probably took a lot of neglect for those Bilsteins to get that nasty.

 

Mi dobs have been on since late 2021. They seem fine, but the double collar/spring seat paint has come off in spots. White corrosion underneath suggests those collars are aluminum. I brushed on some woolwax on those pieces to keep it under control.

I think corrossion on shocks are generally going to be no better or worse than the frame. If corrosion is a concern for a particular person, washing and not putting the 4runner away “wet” (so to speak), will be the best defense.

Regarding salt, all I’ve read suggests that spring cleaning, whenever the weather first warms up, is the most important time to clean the underbody well. And regular underbody sprays during the snow muck as it melts off that first month of spring. Letting winter salt sit on the underbody when the weather is warming up is really when the rust gets “active”.

 

I had the IMS and lifted 2in in front and 1 inch in the rear on my 2016 4Runner with KDSS. I just took them off about 2 months ago and they just had a bit over 40K miles on them. No complaints, I just wanted a change.

They lasted 3 northeast winters and no real rust/corrosion issues. I have them sitting in storage and if I get a moment I will try and snap a picture and post.

I had Bilsteins before the Dobinsons and there is no comparison in my opinion when it comes to ride quality. Dobinsons were better for me than the Bilstein 6112/5160

 

X2
Dobinson’s from Mike @ exitoffroad = chef’s kiss

 

watch for the saggy bellows too they getcha!

 

I’m proud of my saggy bellows…just means they’ve been stretched lol

 

Switched from an Eibach setup to the Dobinsons IMS about a year ago and still happy with my decision. Went with the IMS w/302 front springs, 505 Rear springs. Overall ride quality is great, even better when loaded up and handles the trails wonderfully. Best bang for the buck suspension option for these 4R’s IMO.

My only gripe is with their UCA…I haven’t been able to get anywhere near the advertised caster numbers. If you’re picky on alignment or plan to go larger than 285/70’s, you may want to research other UCA’s as well.

 

x3! Mike was awesome to work with to make sure I ordered the right stuff for my goals/needs, and I think they've got a free shipping promo running right now, so that's a solid 200$ savings. I've got about 5k miles on my dobinson IMS kit and I've been really happy with the ride both on and off road. I've also let a few friends drive my truck who have had 4runner rentals before and they all prefer the ride in my truck over the stock suspension.

 

I used to try to hide my saggy bellows, but now I see it as a sign of experience.

 

just waiting for @Gamma Ray to make it weird with a funny comment about saggy bellows turning him on or something

 

There's nothing saggy about Akio Toyoda. He's hard as a diamond.

 

After 1 year of deliberations the time has come. I am purchasing the dob IMS kit. Looking to get 2” in the back. What spring to use to keep rake 1” or less. 325 or 505?

 

2" front and 1" rear is exactly what I am aiming for. 2022 OR w/ KDSS. Would you mind sharing the Dobinsons part #s you used for the front and rear struts and springs?

 

My dobinsons long travel IMS kit is holding up great after 20k miles. Still feels brand new.

Setup for about 3" of lift



As mentioned by other users I'd shoot for 2 or 2.5" of lift unless you want to go with their long travel shocks. Otherwise you won't have much down travel available.

https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...Yd0vjIMVnxueVH2BZAtpii3otSFFn-FIqZLG_ok3Iwdt0

Here's a link to familiarize yourself with their options.
@Crikeymike is the man to talk to if you have questions.