After posting the installation write up I did for the ICON front 3.0 Coilovers, Billet Upper Control Arms and Skid plates I received some PM's asking what I thought of the ride, why I went with ICON over x y z, and why I did coilovers before a bumpstop kit. Apparently this is a topic many are interested in so I thought I would explain myself. And apparently I have to lol...
If you want fanboy ********, look elsewhere. I do not hold all the answers but this is a rational explanation of why I felt this setup would fit MY needs the best.
Why did I decide to make front 3.0's one of my first mods to begin with? (besides improved off-road performance)
Ride height and ride quality. As many of you know this is my second Raptor and over the last 3 years I've had 3 different wheel/tire configurations at every "perch level". I loved the look of "top perch" but hated the ride.
So the first question for me became ride quality on the road. Not the first thing you consider normally when upgrading to a 3.0 shock, but this is my daily driver remember as many Raptors are. What I gathered from some phone calls and due diligence was that the ICONs would offer a firm and comfortable ride similar to stock while at or above "middle perch" height. I can now confirm this to be true, but I'll get to that.
One of the other annoyances I found with "top perch" was the inability to adjust the wheel track back out, retaining the wide factory "stance" of the Raptor. The increased height comes at a price of what I feel is the Raptor's desirable natural stance.
So I started sniffing around. I talked to ICON first and basically heard everything I wanted to hear. I took in some facts and tried to filter out claims and comparisons.
The important point for me was I would be able to raise the front 2"+ while maintaining a ride close to the lowest factory perch setting. Ok now how about this track width business? Adjustable upper control arms. Ok, I'll be honest this is when I really started to make my final decision. And the remote reservoir has a knob to play with? Sold!
But really. Fast forward to reality. As it turns out, I ended up going higher than "middle perch" and in fact I am closer to "top perch" height at just over 27" from center hub to fender flare. I love the look, I was able to use the upper control arms to make necessary adjustments and I really like the ride.
The ICONS as I have them set (S) are a little firmer than stock, but not harsher. On the road the best way I can describe the feeling is smoother and more solid. The truck doesn't gallop over uneven surfaces anymore, and definitely recovers faster over the bigger "on road" stuff. I must mention how much quieter the ICONs are than the factory shocks too. It took day to get used to the silence versus the clunk and whoosh I became accustomed to.
Off-road I'm sure there are others out there who would be more qualified to explain. I have some logging trails and power lines in the area that has a mix of slow and high speed stuff for a mile or so. The ground is frozen so I did note some harshness over small "washboard" ruts at speed. Over the big stuff...big smiles. Those "dash crunching" hits I got used to with the factory shocks just fly on by with the ICONs. Very impressive indeed. I found less nose dive under hard braking which made the steering feel more controlled as well. We can talk more about off-road performance as I am able to spend more time on the trails.
As for quality I guess time will tell. Initial quality is excellent. Packaging and build quality were very impressive. The billet upper arm is a nice machined part and I enjoy the looks of it beyond the functionality of it. The instructions sucked, but I took care of that
.
As for the last question of the bumpstop kit. Don't hold my feet to the flames on this, but the 2013's have a reinforced frame for a reason and I don't see a need just yet based on my off-roading habits. I do plan on upgrading the rear shocks when finances allow and a bumpstop kit isn't out of the question long term.
Let me know if you have any questions guys, overall I am very happy!
If you want fanboy ********, look elsewhere. I do not hold all the answers but this is a rational explanation of why I felt this setup would fit MY needs the best.
Why did I decide to make front 3.0's one of my first mods to begin with? (besides improved off-road performance)
Ride height and ride quality. As many of you know this is my second Raptor and over the last 3 years I've had 3 different wheel/tire configurations at every "perch level". I loved the look of "top perch" but hated the ride.
So the first question for me became ride quality on the road. Not the first thing you consider normally when upgrading to a 3.0 shock, but this is my daily driver remember as many Raptors are. What I gathered from some phone calls and due diligence was that the ICONs would offer a firm and comfortable ride similar to stock while at or above "middle perch" height. I can now confirm this to be true, but I'll get to that.
One of the other annoyances I found with "top perch" was the inability to adjust the wheel track back out, retaining the wide factory "stance" of the Raptor. The increased height comes at a price of what I feel is the Raptor's desirable natural stance.
So I started sniffing around. I talked to ICON first and basically heard everything I wanted to hear. I took in some facts and tried to filter out claims and comparisons.
The important point for me was I would be able to raise the front 2"+ while maintaining a ride close to the lowest factory perch setting. Ok now how about this track width business? Adjustable upper control arms. Ok, I'll be honest this is when I really started to make my final decision. And the remote reservoir has a knob to play with? Sold!
But really. Fast forward to reality. As it turns out, I ended up going higher than "middle perch" and in fact I am closer to "top perch" height at just over 27" from center hub to fender flare. I love the look, I was able to use the upper control arms to make necessary adjustments and I really like the ride.
The ICONS as I have them set (S) are a little firmer than stock, but not harsher. On the road the best way I can describe the feeling is smoother and more solid. The truck doesn't gallop over uneven surfaces anymore, and definitely recovers faster over the bigger "on road" stuff. I must mention how much quieter the ICONs are than the factory shocks too. It took day to get used to the silence versus the clunk and whoosh I became accustomed to.
Off-road I'm sure there are others out there who would be more qualified to explain. I have some logging trails and power lines in the area that has a mix of slow and high speed stuff for a mile or so. The ground is frozen so I did note some harshness over small "washboard" ruts at speed. Over the big stuff...big smiles. Those "dash crunching" hits I got used to with the factory shocks just fly on by with the ICONs. Very impressive indeed. I found less nose dive under hard braking which made the steering feel more controlled as well. We can talk more about off-road performance as I am able to spend more time on the trails.
As for quality I guess time will tell. Initial quality is excellent. Packaging and build quality were very impressive. The billet upper arm is a nice machined part and I enjoy the looks of it beyond the functionality of it. The instructions sucked, but I took care of that
.As for the last question of the bumpstop kit. Don't hold my feet to the flames on this, but the 2013's have a reinforced frame for a reason and I don't see a need just yet based on my off-roading habits. I do plan on upgrading the rear shocks when finances allow and a bumpstop kit isn't out of the question long term.
Let me know if you have any questions guys, overall I am very happy!
