Are ICON CDEV shocks any good?

Has anyone have experience or feedback riding the ICON CDEV shocks?
If so, how do they ride? Are they worth the money?

I'm trying to find reviews or feedback on these shocks but hard to find anything useful. These are the electronically controlled shocks from ICON.

Just like FOX has the Live Valve technology on the F150 and Bronco Raptor, ICON seem to offer this technology for Tacomas. I like the idea of the having the shocks adjust on the fly based on vehicle dynamics and terrain readings, without me having to get out of the truck to adjust the knobs at every trail turn.

I currently have FOX 2.5 with DSC and they are great for accounting on weight changes and stuff like that. Basically, adjustments that you have to do every once in a while. But adjusting them regularly as you're riding down the trail is not feasible. The reality is that I don't get out of the truck to adjust the compression at every terrain change during a trail ride. So having the shock do the adjustment on the fly could be pretty powerful for the best ride experience.

 

If you already have Fox 2.5's maybe look into the SDI E Click setup. They have a retrofit setup that replaces just the remote reservoir and adds electronic control.
I've never ran it myself but had a good discussion on the system with their rep at overland expo and would really like to install it on a few of our rigs to see how it works in a variety of applications

 

Dang, just looked through the site. I didn’t know this was possible to add to an existing remote resi shock. At like $650 per corner that’s not a bad deal.

 

Hmmm! Very interesting indeed. I'll have to look into this more. Thanks for sharing.

 

Should look up the feedback for Icon in general. Probably one of the worst companies.

 

Totally agree with you. I have a bad experience with them a few years ago. I'm just curious to see if this product is SO good that I might be able to use it and hopefully never had to deal with them.

 

Past ICON customer......won't make that mistake again. Would recommend you don't as well.

 

Think the only good thing icon does is the leaf pack, haven't heard good thing on there shocks in general.

 

That’s unfortunate. I purchased a set of used front 2.5 (Icon) and contacted customer service. I was able to get all the parts for rebuilding and upgrading to cdcv without fuss.

If I was purchasing new, I would probably choose the Fox DSC for the adjustability but to be honest, I only change the rear settings on the shocks (adding camp gear/tent) and I never change the fronts….

 

CDCV and CDEV are not the same.

 

I was referring to people experience with Icon. Not the differences in electric vs manual valving adjustment. Thank you for the clarification though…

 

Funny you say that. The one issue I had with them was about their leaf pack.

 

Well, in any case it doesn't look like anyone one has feedback on CDEV shocks. Probably because they have sold like 2 of them. I found 1 video about it and it really doesn't talk about the experience on them. Guess I'll stick with my Fox for now.

 

For a bump here, I do have the CDEV setup on my truck. It's hard to give a real before/after comparison, because it was part of a build I had planned and a lot happened at once (Alu-Cab install and heavier springs in the back). What I can say, the truck rides great for all the extra weight in it (power is a different issue, as I haven't re-geared yet). The shop regularly comments that my truck drives better than most (they might have said all, but I hate absolute statements like that) of the trucks they outfit. I enjoy the ability to make adjustments from my phone (I've left it on the softer off-road setting, and noticed when I was back on the road, just adjusted it while at a stoplight...but the truck doesn't need to be stopped, safety first!). I use the truck moderately hard (it's not a crawler, but I enjoy a challenging trail), a lot of lightly maintained dirt roads, and a lot of maintained dirt roads (which means more washboard than anybody would like).
I'm kind of a tech geek that decided I really didn't NEED CDEV, but I wanted it (and the cost difference wasn't prohibitive for my build budget), and I've been happy with that decision (but I probably would have been happy with any of the higher quality lifts as well). So, is it nice? Yep. Is it life changing? probably not. Do I use the adjustments more because they're easier? Absolutely (having to get out and dial each shock means I probably only adjust them when I'm airing up/down, but I often soften the suspension if I hit a dirt road that doesn't appear to merit airing down...and I use a softer setting in town than I do on the highway, so that's nice to adjust as well).

And my experience with Icon has been that the products work well and are well made (there are a couple known weaknesses, but I went in with eyes wide open). The customer service leaves a bit to be desired (the first control box I got was faulty, and it took a bit more work than it should have to get a replacement). Given how well the system has worked, at least for me, it was worth a little hassle at the start to have the system I have now (which has performed well so far, but they're still less than a year old).

Hope this helps a bit!

 

This is great feedback! It sounds like having shocks with a good tune is adequate and the CDEV doesn't ride that much better. Like you mentioned, the ability to change settings from your phone is helpful and might encourage to change settings often but not necessarily provide a better ride.

It also sounds like the customer service issues with Icon are still there so I probably stay away from now as it was pretty frustrating dealing with them in the past.

 

what went wrong with a leaf pack?

 

Soon!