Competition is a good thing. It drives innovation and provides us, the consumers, with opportunities to shop around and learn what’s best for us.
Speaking of competition… Dirt King just launched their own line of suspension lift kits!
This includes coilovers and shocks, not just for Toyota, but also Chevy/GMC. They build products for other makes and models as well, so I imagine they’ll expand these products as time goes on.
This brand new option adds a quality choice for several Toyota models (currently covering Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra). Well known and trusted for their other components – long travel kits, control arms, etc. – Dirt King can only be expected to put their name on a part if it’s tried and true.
After years of research, development, and testing, I’m stoked to be covering this new lift kit for Toyotas. Let’s take a look the two different choices and explore the differences. I was lucky enough to get my hands on these before they officially launched. This allowed me to thoroughly experience them and assist with any final “real-world” testing.
The majority of people who install these shocks run them on their daily drivers and use their vehicles for weekend activities. The shocks are specifically tuned for just that. This tuning is accomplished with application specific bleed ports on the piston and/or shaft, as well as application specific flutter valves. These features are what ultimately provide a smooth ride on-road while the mid/high speed valving progressively damps the larger inputs from off-road driving.
Find It Online
Table Of Contents
Features & Specs
Quick Summary
- provide extra wheel travel
- valving and front rate are vehicle specific
- can be totally rebuilt and serviced, parts are easily available
- 14″ springs with 700lb spring rates (Tacoma)
- aluminum components made from aircraft grade T6061, efficient cooling and corrosion resistance
- black, gray, and yellow anodizing
- induction hardened shafts
- 5/8″ spherical bearings, upper/lower eyelets
Summary Continued
- progressive valving
- contain internal top out springs
- up to 3″ of lift (front coilovers)
- adjustable preload for fine-tuning, threaded coilover body
- direct bolt-on application
- custom, low-friction synthetic oil blend, made for high temps
- high tensile, cold wound front springs
- rear shocks come with optional boots
2.0 IFP
- 2″ hard anodized aluminum body
- Internal floating piston (IFP)
- 5/8″ shaft
The 2.0 coilovers and shocks are the more budget-friendly option for the new line. If you were to break up shocks into three price categories (entry point, mid-level, race series), these shocks would be considered a mid-level choice. This could be called the perfect shock if you’re looking to invest ~$1500 into your front coilovers and rear shocks.
While the following 2.5s are certainly an upgrade, if you’re looking for a really reasonable suspension to invest into, at this price point, I think you’ll be very impressed. From preliminary talks with others who have been testing these (R4T aka Runnin4Tacos) – the feedback has been really solid.
2.5 DCA
- 2.5″ hard anodizing aluminum body
- Internal floating piston (IFP)
- 3/4″ shaft
- Remote reservoir
- Dual compression adjusters (high and low speed)
- 10 adjustments per clicker
And now for the 2.5s. This is what I currently have on my truck. This suspension represents a high-end, race series lift kit. As far as mid-travel setups go, there really isn’t much to explore beyond something like this. At least not without getting into the realm of long travel.
With the added size, remote reservoirs, and adjustable compression damping, this kit is built to take just about anything you can throw at it. From long days of slow crawling on the rocks, to longer distance high speed desert cruising – if you’re ready to max out your mid-travel – this one’s for you!
Initial Impressions
In 2023, I spent the half of the year essentially rebuilding my entire truck. Call it – Truck 2.0. The final version of my 3rd Gen build. With that came a big focus on a new suspension. So, given the opportunity, I jumped on this kit. I had gotten a few details here and there over the last year or so, so I was really excited to run everything. Especially with that colorway! Black… gold… gray… How can you go wrong?! So clean.
From the moment I opened the boxes, I was impressed. The packaging with Dirt King is always amazing. The gold REALLY pops – and fresh out of the box – I was smiling ear to ear. All the hardware you need is included. Reservoir brackets, adjustment tool, everything.
From the moment I took the truck for its first spin around the block, I was impressed. Not just with the looks at that point, but also with the handling. I got an alignment soon after the first drive and it only got better.
3,000 Mile Review
While I’ve only had these shocks on for a couple months, my truck is a daily driver and we made it all the way out to the Overland Ozarks event by Express Rally soon after install. I actually pushed super hard and rebuilt the entire suspension with all new components in preparation for the off-roading trip. The meant I truly got to experience an all-new suspension.
After I got a chance to play with the adjusters, I quickly saw that the drive on road was buttery smooth. This especially goes for cruising at high speed, like on the highway. I’m still dialing in the setting, but I’ve got my compression adjusted (for high and low speed) right around the middle, and they’ve been great.
Now focusing more to off-road, the shocks have done exceedingly well. In the Ozarks, we were met with not only a very wet but also very rocky and rutted environment. We crossed countless streams, rivers and puddles. After 4 days straight, it was safe to say we gave the new setup a good shakedown.
The system does really well on uneven terrain. The performance only seems to get better the faster and hard you use it. I drive my trucks pretty hard. These parts are built for abuse, so you better believe I’m not being nice to them. We also tend to have ambitious goals for the amount of ground we like to cover, so you have to keep it moving. The point is, the new kit responds really well to hard use. The quicker I drove, and the tougher the obstacles, the better the response was.
I can honestly say – it meets and exceeds all my expectations thus far. I look forward to more miles in the future!
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of options to choose from for suspensions and lift kits. We do our best to test and show our readers the best ones. I can confidently say that this is one of them.
Dirt King has a great reputation. They’re well known for great fabrication and awesome customer service. Having been personally running their products for the last 3 years, I’m looking forward to several more. I’ve recently seen them release and tease a whole bunch of new items as well. 2+ LT kit has really caught my eye…
Anyway, an excellent product, and I look forward to seeing more of these out in the wild. Just look at those colors! So dope.
If you made it this far, here’s a spoiler. In this post, you can see the newly updated Dirt King ball joints UCAs. They’re not ready for release yet, but with a few new notable features, these pair really well with a new DK suspension.
Thinking about the 2.5s for my 5th gen 4Runner. But 700lb springs in the front (factory weight) sound a bit high.
Good point. Here is my understanding and their explanation… While 650 is more common, the 700 was picked for a few reasons. It reduces the preload needed on the coil so there is less spring force on the shock when its fully extended. It allows for more adjustment before coil bind, which gives you the ability to more easily adjust them as you add weight. The stiffer springs also allows for a faster ramp in the rate, which helps to prevent harsh bottom outs during big hits. When we’re talking about stiffness, it’s more usually attributed to the valving. Dirt… Read more »
I’m primarily driving on-road, but lots of snow in the winter. No real need for a “race” coilover. But I’m about to put on some larger wheels/tires (8.5″ -10, 285/70/17). My stock Fox shocks are about done. So I can either replace with new OEM/Fox shocks with Eibach springs for a subtle lift or for about $1500 more, go with aftermarket coilovers. The Dirt Kings are tempting, but they’re so new that nobody is running them. Fox is Fox. But I’ve read horror stories of their new Performance Elite Series DSC controllers corroding and seizing up, with no fix. Not… Read more »
The 2.0 might be a better option for you rather than the 2.5. The price point is more reasonable there as well. In terms of how new they are, sure, not many people in the wild are running them, but the manufacturing behind them is proven and reliable. The real thing you’re looking to learn is probably how they ride. We can comment on that much. I have the 2.5 and my buddy is running the 2.0. The ride is controlled and plush on the road. We really like the progressive valving, which objectively, favors people who daily their rigs… Read more »
Good info, thanks. The corrosion issue I’m talking about with Fox PES isn’t the shock body (that’s aluminum), but with the DSC adjuster itself. The housing is aluminum, but the internal ball bearings that act as click/detents for the knob are steel. From what I’ve seen, that’s the issue and it causes galvanic corrosion, seizing up the adjuster. Anyway, just got off the phone with DK and they seem good. I might just give ’em a try.
Ah gotcha! Yeah, sounds annoying. Let me know if you have any other questions. DK warranty is pretty good too – one year on shocks.
So I’m looking at the 2.0 IFP from dirt king now because I read they are progressively tuned vs Elka 2.0 IFP which are digressively tuned. I am 90% city/highway with the bulk of my off-roading happening when I travel to the Carolina’s in the summer time from Ontario, Canada. I visit some spots here in Ontario for off-roading too though! Believe it or not they 2.0s from dirt king are actually cheaper by a couple hundred bucks after taxes too. Even though Elka is in Quebec and a close neighbor. So I was wondering if you’ve had any experience… Read more »
Marc, while I am not a verified expert in valving, the following is my understanding. Considering that you are mainly going to drive on-road, the progressive damping will favor your situation, since the shock is softer at slower speeds. The digressive would be the opposite. Harsher at lower speeds. Digressive shocks (generally) can offer a bit more control at speed. To my understanding, this is best suited for say, a track car or a dedicated go fast rig. Where someone who is doing more daily driving would appreciate the progressive valving more. One of the main intentions from Dirt King… Read more »
Good review. Would like to hear a long term review of them. I’ve been seeing a lot of pics and advertisements for these. I wonder how they compare to Elka and Peak suspension? They’re all made by Elka, so I wonder how the valving and adjustability differentiate between them all?
Thanks, man! I’ve got about 5k miles on them so far. Let me know what type of duration you’re looking for. We’ve got more follow-up posts in the works, either way. While Elka does the manufacturing, Dirt King was involved in years of R&D to perfect their specific tuning needs. That’s where the main difference lies. Dirt King has a ton of experience building/fine-tuning a variety of builds. Taking what they’ve come to learn, they developed a unique performance experience. When it comes to comparing them all, it would be a tough thing to do, without independently testing them all… Read more »
Dirt King continues to impress. This was a great read. They really hit it out of the park with the color choice too. Can’t wait to see more of those UCAs.
They’ve been awesome so far! The colors are killer. Launching more content on the UCAs shortly!
Great read. I’ve got the 2.5’s on order and planning to pair them with Deaver U402’s. Excited to get it all on the truck, any tips for install?
Thanks, Jacob! We’ve got a lot of suspension install guides on the site, it’s relatively straightforward. If you have any specific questions, let us know!