Icon 3.0 vs Fox 3.0 vs king 3.0

[bstoner59]

I like your thinking Big J...almost like you've done this before!! I'm down to do whatever...maybe pick out the course and drive the .video guy around all weekend.

I'm with Max. I don't think this is a shootout to say this is the best shock ever...go buy some. It's more to give unbiased (non-fanboy) opinions and real world feedback how each setup handles.

Realistic time frame would be a 3-4 day test. Install and 3 drivers on one setup would take most of the day. Week days would be nice so we don't have to worry about other vehicles but I'm not sure that's reastic...some of you have to work.

 

[vanilla_gorilla]

Hah Max, you sound like you've been through this before

---------- Post added at 06:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 PM ----------

Well, here's what we'd need to get this off the ground:

-parts. Vendor contributed or member supplied, doesn't matter to me so long as they represent current products anyone can buy. These parts would need to be shipped to me. I will take responsibility for them and return them after the test in as well cared for condition as I can manage.

-a truck. We need to agree upon the mods we're willing to include in the "base" system and then go find someone with those mods willing to let us use it. I suggest a bump stop kit at a minimum since I believe someone paying this kind of money for shocks will also be spending a few coin on protecting their frame.

-a driver. Trey, 'stoner, gorilla... maybe one driver representing each skill level, expert intermediate and newbish.

-a course. This is the easy part. I'm thinking SoCal since within a dozen miles we can hit all the highlights; pavement, sand, dirt, rocks, whoops.

-installers. We need qualified wrenches to actually install the parts. In the past I've paid a licensed professional with member contributed funds. Yes, I know we're just talking about shocks here, but if I'm going to take responsibility for five figures in parts, and I'm going to ask someone to donate their 50k truck, I am going to make sure all of those things are as well protected as can be. And that means paying a professional to do things right.

-tech equipment. Lots of cameras. Lots and lots of cameras...

-...

Sounds like a great time to me, I am dying to go down south to hangout and have some fun, regardless if my truck is picked as a mule or not. Even just to help and support in other ways.

 

[pat'sRAPTOR]

Icon has a shock dyno too... Would be cool to throw them all on the dyno and see how they all resist fade and temp increase over rapid cycling of various speed and stroke!

That could be a very helpful part of the testing on the shocks too right J? Idk but it sounds like a good idea to me

 

[Maxx2893]

3rd party shock dynoing could be interesting. Temperature readings, compression tests, etc.

 

[pat'sRAPTOR]

Yea it would be nice to see how each one dissipates heat, how long before they fade and how long they can last at high temps before failing

 

[BigJ]

WSI, Bird, everyone else... this is going to cost. Its going to cost money to put up the non local drivers into hotels and buy them dinner. Its going to cost money to buy the truck owner a tank of gas or two, to ship the parts back to the vendors/owners, to hire the installer and or shoptime...

What I've done in the past is start collecting contributions. I've kept a tally of every penny received (publicly) and from who (privately), and every penny spent and on what (publicly). Any overage would get donated to a good cause (publicly) on behalf of all who contributed, by name.

If this gets serious, that's going to be one huge way to help. Help cover the costs associated with something like this. I'm guessing its going to be a few grand when all is said and done especially if we include third party shock dyno testing.

BlueSVT: interesting idea! I would be interested in something like that, but I'm a little concerned that it would be equipment owned and presumably operated by ICON. That is NOT to say ICON is the issue; not even a little bit. But I'm pretty sure if ICON's results came out favorably over the others, suspicion would cloud the positives for ICON, and fuel the fanboy fires of the others. We need to avoid all hint of anything less than totally fair play.

If we think the results would be informative, what about sourcing an independent shop either by me (I'll look) or in SoCal. In theory if I had parts in hand we could run those tests as its own event.

 

[pat'sRAPTOR]

Yea it's gonna be a pretty penny for sure but if we get the help from the shock companies and maybe see if they'll donate the shocks or some resources for testing if that's allowed of course. We should contact the vendors and see if they'll be willing to donate some funds or parts or services as well.

 

[Squatting Dog]

I pledge/donate $500 to get this project off the ground, since I was the ******** that started it.. Lol

-Greg

 

[Allied Offroad]

I'd be willing to be an installer/support driver. Depending when we do this. Hopefully I could do this for "cost only" and would be camping out, to save dough.

 

[BigJ]

Good stuff guys.

Greg, that's a huge catapult forward, but lets not put the cart before the horse. Lets get to work on sourcing some parts, and see if there's enough interest out there to make this happen.

One thing we need to realize and keep in mind: a vendor may decide not to participate in something like this, under the conditions we're outlining, and that is PERFECTLY OK! If they chose not to participate, that's their call and I personally don't view that choice as a negative on them. Seriously guys, these are major companies here and some decide to spend their resources in major ways, and not on the word of some guy on some forum who promises to do his best to be fair. We need to keep things in perspective here.

Instead, what we can try and do is get a member to lend us their parts. In fact most of the parts I've tested have been member owned, and generously loaned. If someone is interested in loaning us their parts, please keep in mind realistically we're talking about keeping them for probably 3ish months as the gears turn on stuff like this. If you can afford to be without your shocks for that long, please, let me know.