Best shocks for rocky off-road trails?

Hi all, this weekend was my first inaugural off-road camping trip with my wife in my '21 stock ORP. We went to Bowman Lake in Tahoe National Forest. Overall, it was fun, but the roads were really, really rocky (6-18" size), so I was limited to 2-3mph in spots and the vehicle was bouncing all over the place. Nothing technical, but unfortunately even at 22 PSI (with stock ORP tires), the rocks were pretty rattling. After a 1h drive my wife was exhausted, but I assured her I'd look into upgrades... (Otherwise she really enjoyed it.) Hence coming here

I don't want a lift kit because my current clearance is good given my need for freeway travel to get to trails, but I definitely would like a smoother ride overall. Does anyone have any good recs for what I'd need here?

 

Get an adjustable like Bilstein 5100, reuse stock springs, set it to stock ride height. Will help some but big rocks cant do much about.

 

Rocks that big I think you will be worn out regardless.

 

That's what she said....

 

Depends what your budget is. Less than $500, check out 5100’s. More than that, spend some time reading on different setups.
If you want something nice with an extremely plush ride ($2500), check out coilovers like kings.

 

OP hope you don’t mind, but I have a suspension question I’d also like to see what folks thing about.

Do you have the KDSS system or just the Off road factory setup?

To further the conversation, I am considering ordering a 22 runner. I’m wonder thoughts on the Off road with the KDSS or going for the pro with the fox. Which suspension would be a better daily driver (25 miles a day) and travel cross country to explore out west in places like Utah deserts and beyond as we take more trips. Basically the runner will be our RV. We plan to put a RTT on, and setup and build as our adventures take us.

 

Now you've done it.

Prepare for

 

Can you elaborate why? When I go make my request for a 22, I want to know exactly what’s up, and I don’t sit and question my decision for months while I wait.

 

What’s your thoughts?

 

Are you ready for another shitstorm? lol

I think there's no point in getting KDSS if you're planning on getting high end coilovers down the line. You can tune them to outperform KDSS. But if you don't plan on getting high end coilovers, KDSS can be worthwhile.

The Pro shocks are overpriced and not even close to high end coilovers.

In regards to the OP's post, I agree with @Mtbpsych. We need to know a budget to make a good suggestion.

 

I don’t “plan” to upgrade the suspension, and I believe our limited had KDSS and it road very well, but I also believe it had aftermarket springs and shocks. I have read that the KDSS can be very price to repair, and because it was designed for the land cruiser, it is limiting off road. I want KDSS for the road and 95% of the driving the runner will do. But, if I hope to be in some places that will have some challenge. And how much does it limit the upgrades later.
And, if I don’t get MSRP or less, I’m not buying, not even a PRO. Once you add the KDSS to the Off road premium, the numbers are getting close.

It’s the road manned that make me want the KDSS, as the runner will spend most on roads, rather paved or dirt, it’s the. Upgrades down the road, and expensive possible repairs to the KDSS, are my concern. If I get a PRO, then I also have to get the moon roof, which I don’t want, and all though I like the rack, I’m not sure it will serve my purposes.

 

If you had a limited, you had XREAS. KDSS is much better than XREAS.

If you're not planning on going with high end coilovers, then KDSS would be worthwhile for your situation......thats if you're planning on getting an Off-Road.

However, if you plan to get a Pro, you could just get an Off-Road without KDSS and put high end coilovers on for less money than a Pro.

 

KDSS with upgraded shocks is the best setup for a daily driver, IMO. The PRO does have better shocks, but you can upgrade shocks easily.

Lol! Yes, the Fox shocks are nice. But, an OR with KDSS has more articulation. Throw in some aftermarket shocks, and it's completely superior.

 

No, you can't. The only way for an aftermarket suspension to outperform KDSS is by adding sway bar disconnects. Otherwise, KDSS will always have more articulation than the standard sway bar setup (including the PRO).

And, it's compatible with high end coilovers as well. So, even with Kings or Fox 2.5's or whatever you prefer, you can still benefit from KDSS.

 

I'm talking about coilovers with no sway bars (sway bar delete).

 

If you're driving on rocks and boulders, it's going to be rough. A set of high quality, adjustable shocks and coilovers might smooth it out a bit, but you're still going to have to take it very slow in the terrain you described.

 

Oh, yeah. If someone is building a rock crawler, KDSS is definitely not for them. I'm just talking about daily driven vehicles.

It seems like people always forget that the standard sway bars become a limitation just like KDSS.

I'm just saying that if you're keeping your sway bars, KDSS provides the best articulation.

If you're going to delete sway bars, KDSS is a waste.

 

Incorrect. KDSS provides greater articulation than the standard sway bar setup. The better road manners are secondary.

Not really. Coilovers, shocks and springs can be upgraded on KDSS just as well as a PRO. It's a little more work, but I'll take that over spending $10K extra for shock I'm going to throw away.

 

Agreed.

I just don't see the point of having high end coilovers with sway bars since you can tune the coilovers to reduce sway while maximizing articulation.

I still think you can daily drive it too. Think of a 4runner with 700lb coilovers in the front and properly tuned shocks. I don't think you'd need a sway bar for daily driving.

 

You might be right.

But, at that rate it's definitely not worth buying a PRO if you plan on upgrading suspension. I guess that's my point. The only actual advantage the PRO has over the standard OR is the shocks. If you're going to ditch the stock Fox setup, you're paying $10k extra for a paint colors and some decals.

But, if people plan on minimal suspension work, an OR with KDSS and upgraded shocks is a damn good option. No matter what you do with aftermarket shocks, they can't duplicate what a sway bar does.

 

I’m not sure what the limited had, or honestly even what options they come with, as I’m not a fan of the all time 4x4 and having a rear locker will give me a little more confidence in our off the beaten path adventures. We only bought the limited we had to drive cross country and back. I found it under book and we figured we could loose a couple grand and dump it once we got back as that would be a rental fee if we rented something. We enjoyed driving it, so we kept it, but felt we needed a more economical vehicle for the day to day running. And I wasn’t willing to give up my truck to keep the limited.

I have thought about going the upgrade way, but I know I struggle with changing stuff from original.

So it sounds like the best out of the gate option is OR with KDSS, provides good daily ride and the holds its own when needs off road. Once shit gets older, slap some new improved shocks and you have an improvement. And I don’t need to get a moonroof. Also something I didn’t like on the limited we had.

all seems to agree with my research, and I don’t think a rock crawler is going to be a nice ride from Maine to out west. We hope to put 10k a year in travel for our adventures, the taco seats just are not working for my wife, and the 4Runner seats were fine when we traveled last year. Time to go back to looking and thinking about the OR with KDSS. I wish I knew more about exactly what options/colors/trims for the 22s. Maybe I can find a venture I like before they are gone.

 

I agree that the pro is more than the other trims, but MSRP is about 7400 bucks difference from the OR Premium. And you are getting a few more things then the shocks, not sure if it adds up to the difference, but moon roof and dual climate are two things that I recall.

 

I second that: Driving off-road over 18" rocks with a not high clearance vehicle the least 2" and preferable a good AT tire, no matter how careful you are and how slow you drive; it will be only a matter of time and you might encounter some serious damage on your rig, believe me.

 

The Limited came with XREAS. it linked the shocks with hydraulic lines. From what I read, it was great until you needed shocks

I am fully confident that it's the best setup as long as you intend to keep your sway bars.

I intend to enjoy it until I decide to modify the suspension to the point I need to delete sway bars altogether.

Please keep in mind - you will want to remove the KDSS skid plate after off-road trips and clean the accumulator of debris. It might be worth putting a healthy coat of fluid film or wool wax on there right from the get-go.

I'm putting 25K miles a year on mine! Even lifted on 33.5" mud tires, it's still a great road trip vehicle!

 

You are correct. The difference is that most PROs sell at or above MSRP, while an off-roff-road can generally be found for a few thousand dollars under MSRP. I paid $38.6K while my MSRP was ~$42.3K. Of course this was 2019 and the market was way different.

 

Ya, I’m only willing to purchase if it’s MSRP or below, I got my 17 Tacoma just under invoice.

 

16 psi will make a huge difference, 22 is still too high. And <5 mph is normal. Shocks at that speed will be less of a factor, but in my opinion should be considered as a solution for smoothness at higher speeds. Like 10-15 and up. You’ll never go that fast over the terrain you’re talking about in a 4Runner.

At really low speeds over rocks that size, smoothness begins at right foot, learning how to crest a large obstacle, pausing at the top and allowing for a smooth controlled decent w/o slamming down too fast. Wheeling is bouncy so let more air out of the tires giving you more cushion and practice your throttle control.

My 04, Tacoma with custom valved shocks and custom rear suspension still isn’t smooth over that terrain unless I drive correctly, and even when I do my kids still slam their heads into windows and door sills if they aren’t ready for a bounce. Lol.

So much money thrown at high end shocks for the wrong reasons. If you're running at higher speeds then a shock tuned for the terrain will be more useful. But even when I do that, I still run less than 20 lbs as long as the speed isn’t highway and the distance is short. Don’t want to over heat a tire too much with too much speed and sidewall flex.

Letting the sidewall act as a soft spring will help reduce high frequency vibrations like washboard, and the shocks will do better at the low frequency events like a large dip or rut. So adjust your driving style to match the terrain and play with pressures.

Have fun.

 

This is incredibly useful. Thanks so much.

 

over 30k a year for me....2020 w/ 57k right now

 

What would we do without @Thatbassguy when it's KDSS education time