Purchased my '07 FJC about a month ago and it rode surprisingly plush and comfortable all stock. I ended up with 285/75/16 Duratrac E-rating not knowing the difference and had to throw on a set of Daystar spacer lift as well. I knew I would lose some comfort but it's pretty rough...tires are set at 38 PSI as well.
Now I'm looking to upgrade to Icon stage 2 kit and be done with it. I do mainly 95% road and the occasional fun backroads/marshes/beach runs. The FJC is my daily and I do extra work on weekends doing home health visits (as a nurse), so a little bit of comfort would be nice. I did consider OME but I read of many people upgrading to Icon later on. I live in Houston, TX, but plan on moving to Kansas City next year where they see a little bit of salt roads during the winter time.
I think in general you're going to have a stiffer ride with new suspension. Most are tailored to off road performance. You can try and air down your tires a bit to see if that helps any, I'd say 32-35psi. I don't have personal experience with this since I'm waiting to install my lift and tires so others will have better information for you. I do know that spacers have the tendency to lead to more problems so that's something to consider. Icon seems like a fantastic brand from the reviews I've read but basically any lift besides a spacer will be better.
Icon stage two will ride great! I will recommend getting the neoprene shock covers for the fronts to help them last longer. Drop your tire pressure to 30 - 33 might help a little too.
It does a bit, but the ride might be worth it. I lowered mine for ride comfort. If you do decide to get different suspension the Iron Man Foam Cell Pro is supposed to ride really well. I hope so because I ordered it yesterday... lol
I agree that part of your problem is the tires. I too loved the smooth stock ride, then was quite unhappy after installing E load Duratracs. Subsequent 3" lift further stiffened the ride, so I ended up selling the Duratracs back to the dealer in favor of my current tires which I love - Cooper S/T MAXX, E load 285/75/16.
Way more comfortable, quieter, incredible performance in adverse/offroad conditions. Lots of info here about them.
Yours are still new so the dealer may even be willing to do a direct swap.
IMO based on your description above the Icons may feel too stiff to you. It is a digressive (versus progressive or linear) shock that provides more damping at slow piston speeds and reduced damping at high piston speeds.
So around town the suspension will feel relatively stiff (keep in mind the motion is really controlled and is not harsh); however, the payoff is offroad at speed it will be plush. I really like it because on road it corners pretty flat, and provides good feedback. Really great setup for travelling at speed offroad.
There are a lot of members in your area. I would suggest you attend one of the meets and ride along to get a feel for the various suspension setups.
I finally had the chance to air down all tires to 33psi. Drove about 150 miles this weekend and what a difference! I am still considering upgrading the suspension due to the fact that I like to venture off road at any opportunity I find. I find the backend tend to buck a bit when going fast enough over uneven terrain. Now...Icon vs King...I know, beaten to death. Lol.
Icon
+seems more popular
+customer support proactive on forums
+looks good
+cheaper
-digressive (better off-roading)
King
+progressive (better on-road comfort)
+easier to rebuild (?)
-eye sore (too much blue)
G'day,
I should take humbrance with the reference to -too much blue - :rofl:
no such thing.....
but to the point, also look at Radflo, FOX and SAW, don't limit your choice to Icon v King. There are many good systems available, do some more research...
I am sure there will be a group buy happening for one of the popular choices soon... take advantage of it, if it comes along....
Suspension and lifts are subjective, loads of great info here and if you can meet up with other FJ's locally, go for a ride with them... some may even allow you to drive their rigs to get a feel for their setup....
research is the key....
good luck,
cheers
Baz
:blueblob:
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