King or Fox shocks?

Im getting a new Tacoma soon and i dont know whether to get King or Fox shocks. Ive done some research but figured id see what the news is in TacomaWorld... could someone explain the key differences?

thanks in advance!

 

I am a complete Mall Crawler and had 5100's etc and finally just went with KING even though I don't need them. Figure out your budget, uses etc.

 

But when you are ready give Marie a jingle at @HeadStrong Off-Road and she will hook you up.

 

Kings don’t look good when they’re dirty. So if you hate cleaning, go with Fox.

 

Here you go....

https://accutuneoffroad.com/articles/fox-vs-king-2-0-coilover-shock-comparison/

 

From Headstrong:

Fox has stock replacement 2.0” and 2.5” diameter coilovers. Their 2.0 coilover is standard travel and a 13” 600lb coil spring. Their 2.0 performance series shocks have an aluminum body which is nice for areas with heavy salts. The 2.0” coilovers come preset to provide around 2” of lift on a 05-15 4x4 and around 1” of lift on a 2016+ 4x4. Due to the nature of their 2.0 coilover adjustments are not easily made and tend to affect the ride quality quite a bit. As far as their 2.5” coilover goes that comes in standard travel or extended travel (requiring uca's). The standard travel does not require upper control arms however they can be needed if the coilover is adjusted up for lift and proper alignment cannot be achieved. The Fox 2.5’s come in an IFP version as well as with reservoirs and optional dual speed compression adjusters. They come standard with a 13” 600lb spring rate coil. Fox does not offer coil changes so if you wanted a higher spring rate they would have to be sourced separately. We do offer this service for our clients. We carry a 14" 600lb, 14" 650lb, and a 14" 700lb and it is an additional $250 total for the coils and the labor to switch them out. Their 2.5” shocks have a zinc plated steel body. They have a progressive valving which some feel can provide a plusher on-road ride quality, depending on terrain and speed but still performs well on a variety of off-road terrain. Fox specs out the 2.5” standard travel coilovers to provide around 0-2” of lift and the extended travel 0-3” of lift. They come preset to provide around 2" of lift on the 05-15 4x4’s and around 1" on the 2016+ 4x4 models. They can be adjusted to provide more or less lift depending on what suits your needs. Keep in mind, whenever adjusting a coilover you need to make sure that they are not adjusted to a point that will cause coil bind on compression. As a side note, due to the weight of the 3rd gen 4x4’s I have seen coil bind issues when people try to preload the stock Fox 13” 600lb coils up to gain 3” of lift so a coil swap would be something to consider if this pertains to you. For the rear Fox has their rear 2.0 rear shocks in either an IFP version as well as with a reservoir and optional dual speed compression. They do have very conservative travel numbers so we do not recommend their

$977 2.0 IFP Fox 2.0 Performance Coil-Over Front Pair compatible with 2005-2016 Toyota Tacoma

2.0 IFP if you plan on running a rear lift. They also have a 2.5" rear shock available as well and that can come with remote reservoir and also has the option for dual speed compression. Again, Fox has a very conservative extended length for their shocks so we do make pairings based on the rear lift chosen and actual specifications of the rear shock instead of going off of Fox's lift guide.

King has a 2.5” diameter coilover that comes in standard travel and extended travel (requiring uca's) with a hose reservoir and optional compression adjusters. The standard travel does not require upper control arms however they can be needed if the coilover is adjusted up for lift and proper alignment cannot be achieved. Typically the King coilovers come built with a 600 lb spring rate but we also offer a 650lb and 700lb spring option at no additional charge. King shocks feature a steel body and aluminum components. They also feature a vehicle specific progressive valving which means that they provide an excellent compromise between on-road ride comfort and off-road performance. They come preset to provide around 2.5" of lift on the 05-15 4x4’s and around 1.5" on the 2016+ 4x4 models. They can be adjusted to provide more or less lift depending on what suits your needs. Keep in mind, whenever adjusting a coilover you need to make sure that they are not adjusted to a point that will cause coil bind on compression. As a side note, due to the weight of the 3rd gen 4x4’s I have seen coil bind issues when people try to preload the 600lb coils up to gain 3” of lift so a 650lb coil may be a better option if this pertains to you. For the rear King has a 2.5" with hose reservoir with optional compression adjusters.

 

Why not ADS or Elka? (FWIW, I went with Kings, love em and would do them again in a second)

 

Lol, was on the same boat as you when I was looking at my second pair of suspension (didn't like the Bilstein). Went with Radflo because I knew a shop that makes rock bouncers/hill assault buggies that uses Radflos and Radflo the company themselves are a built to order suspension. Meaning valving, spring rate, length, etc are all custom-tuned to your vehicle free of charge.

See if you can ride in kings or fox and which one you like better if you are sensitive to suspension. If you can't tell the difference, price and quality will be your determining factor.

 

So do you just want to have what everyone else has and be one of the cool kids and get some istagram clicks? If that's the case, Fox all day long.

Or do you want to try and get what suits you the best based on your budget, driving style, terrain, etc...?

For a daily driver with an occasional jaunt on some dirt roads, I see no reason to spend $2000 on shocks. That money is much better spent on beer and tacos.

I'm going to assume you're a novice off-road driver. If that is indeed the case, honestly don't worry about which shocks you "need". Go out and drive your truck and have fun with it. Get it dirty. Later on down the road (trail) and you end up wearing them out, or need some other modification, like bigger tires and better traction, or you want more wheel travel, then it's smart to start thinking about the type of shock you "need".

 

Nice, I wonder if my 2.5's came w 1"of lift. It certainly doesn't seem like it. Seemed stock height.

OP I went with fox 2.5's cause I got a stupid good deal, get whatever suits you.

 

I would get what everyone got.

 

OMG DIRT!!!

 

ADS FTMFW. Best on the market.

 

King and Fox are not the only ones I would look at. You should consider Bilstein 8112’s and ADS also.

 

I went with King just because they're 5 minutes from my house

 

Thank you @Unchained 5150 for your recommendation we greatly appreciate it!