Are the FOX Performance 2.0 Coil-Over IFP Front Shocks worth the money to put on my 2022 for ranger xlt fx4?

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

As with being brand loyal (Ford/Chevy/Toyota for example), I think that could apply to shocks/struts also. Or being un loyal due to pricing and value per dollar…
Maybe, maybe not.
I think stiffness or harshness can be due to to stiff a spring. Then the shock has to dampen/control the springs lb rating and the give you a pleasant ride.
To me most springs are too stiff, losing the ability to articulate easily. But soft springs on public roads & freeways lose the ability to safely control a vehicle in an emergency situation. Could you imagine your soft plush suspension lifting the inside front tire with spirited driving??
Street going suspension is a compromise for sure.
A lot of guesswork to get the right suspension for you.
I err on the side of paying more for higher quality coilovers. I hope. At least thats my MO.
Digressive damping… Hmmm. Not sure about that thinking. Linear or progressive rate makes more sense to me.
My last 3 vehicles have had Fox shocks, and 2 vehicles with Kings (off road based vehicles). My idea of plush and controlled. Kings will break the bank & no need for them on a Ranger IMO.
Also increase travel if you can. More travel is better. Seems these Rangers want to kick more in the back… But with the Rangers, increased travel is minimal… in the end they are a street pick up.
Research! Price point suspension (with value) certainly seems a good route on a lighter usage pick up.
Just my opinions of course…

you seem to have a lot of suspension experience, what would you recommend for a highway driven light to moderate offroad recovery rig? I have stock suspension on right now and already have some BILSTEINs added to the cart on their website. However i want this tuck to ride nice on the highway but also not get destroyed on the trails dragging side by sides or razors out of precarious situations. Over all what would you recommend that will not make me have to eat ramen for a few months?

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[Frenchy]

okay let me ask you thins. I thinking about going with the Bilstein's on my ranger of right this second. I'm trying to build a truck i can use everyday but i still want to be able to recover side by sides and some smaller cars. However i don't want to limit any of the towing or future tuning capabilities with the suspension upgrade. In addition i really like my stock rims but bigger offroad tires depending on what ends up happening with the suspension and other mods. Considering all of that what would you recommend i go with?

There are definitely some options to consider. You're going to have to give me a few as I'm currently at work but I can give you a general rundown of what I would recommend and why I would recommend it. In general from what it sounds like you're looking to take the truck off road from time to time for your own pleasure and at the same time still keep it usable as he daily type vehicle. It is certainly doable, but don't be surprised if you do have to spend a fair amount of money just get it to a certain point.

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

There are definitely some options to consider. You're going to have to give me a few as I'm currently at work but I can give you a general rundown of what I would recommend and why I would recommend it. In general from what it sounds like you're looking to take the truck off road from time to time for your own pleasure and at the same time still keep it usable as he daily type vehicle. It is certainly doable, but don't be surprised if you do have to spend a fair amount of money just get it to a certain point.
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Okay I will be awaiting you explanation! I think you are correct I'm think I'm gonna have to eat ramen and ketchup for a month or so to fit both types of needs.

 

[Frenchy]

So my recommendation is going to come from my experience with 3 different vehicles. Those vehicles are my 2019 Ranger, 1993 Nissan Pathfinder and my current 2012 Nissan Frontier.

Things you need to consider when making a vehicle that can play OffRoad and still be practical on the street for daily use will cost some money and there is some fair reasoning too it. You need Shocks and Struts that can help control the load where you are comfortable both on the Street and OffRoad. You also need the appropriate Coil and Leaf Springs to handle said load at certain lift heights.

Lifting vs leveling. Country to popular belief on this forum and others, Lifting is much better than Leveling. Why? Because if you are going to increase the ground clearance of a vehicle, you don't want to do it half assed. Don't just do the front. You need to touch the rear as well. Also if you level the vehicle before applying the load, you will start to get the Carolina Dog Squat look when you put a load in the bed or towards a heavy trailer. This is why Pickup Trucks have this thing called Rake. It is meant to help the vehicle compensate for load for when you put a load in the back.

Tires. For the Ranger you can easily keep the Factory Wheels and go to a bigger size. Most Rangers have a 31 from the Factory. It is very common to go to a 32 inch tire as it will fit the vehicle at Factory Height. 33's can fit, but you need to modify the suspension a little bit at least thankfully you can keep Factory wheels.

Onto the suspension part and why I recommend what I recommend.

Now when I had my Ranger, I installed the Old Man EMU Nitrocharger Sport Suspension Kit. I simply had the basic Coils and Leafs from them as I did not have any extra weight in the truck. From stock it lifted the truck by 2.4 inches up front and 1.6 inches in the rear. Not long after I did install 32 inch tires. More specifically 265/70-17. Later I installed 285/70-17's. That lift and tire combination was great for getting around and I was still able to use the truck as a truck. What I found out later was the Nitrocharger Sport Shocks and Struts were a bit weak and not exactly that great. It almost seemed as if they were a bit too stiff. I wanted to go to the BP-51'S but unfortunately money was tight.

The truck on 32's

The truck on 33's

The Ranger while loading up roughly 5500 lbs of weight. It rode well BTW

Next was my 1993 Pathfinder. I got it when I still had the Ranger and it became the new adventure vehicle when the Rangers got Totaled. Being the Sport Package(back when theat actually meant something) it was very capable stock. I even took it on Hancock Pass with worn out suspension and worn out 31's. Later on I installed Old Man EMU Nitrocharger Sport Shocks with Old Man EMU Coils and Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars. In general it did ok, but I learned it wasn't that great. Later I turned to Dobinsons. This was a recommendation from @Wes Siler as he has a bit of experience with them. The ride quality changed drastically and I was a happy camper to say the least. Unfortunately I lost that vehicle a year ago due to other incompetent drivers..........

The Pathfinder on Hancock Pass

The Pathfinder with Old Man EMU Suspension

The current vehicle is my 2012 Frontier. I have had a few different Shocks and Struts on this thing. It first started out with Factory Bilstein 4600 Shocks and Struts. Not bad, but with the Spacers and Shackles for a lift, it's wasn't great either. Later I went to the Bilstein 6112/5160's with some heavy duty Leafs. On paved roads it was good. OffRoad it shined. The moment you hit that special concrete type road that likes to move you around....... Yeah..... Let's just say it made the truck jump around and almost into another vehicle on the HWY.......... After that I recently made the switch to Dobinsons. Now keep in mind that for the Frontier I have the option of the GS Twin Tubes, IMS Monotubes and the MRR Monotubes with Remote Reservoir that is adjustable. I decided to stick with the GS Twin Tubes for Budget Reasons and I knew they would do just fine. I also made sure to get the corresponding Coils and Leafs(got the wrong leafs unfortunately and will have to do that again) for the Load. So far I am happy with is as the truck doesn't bounce like it used to on the concrete sections of road. I still feel bumps, but then again I bought a truck and not a Rolls-Royce.

Truck not long after I got it with Factory Bilstein 4600's

Truck with the Bilstein 6112/5160's and HD Leafs

The truck now as we speak with the Dobinsons

Now I will say that I would lean towards Dobinsons for your truck. Unfortunately they only offer the IMS Monotubes and nothing else at this time, but it doesn't mean you can't get the springs to match them. Below is a application chart from Dobinsons for the Ranger. You have 2 Coil Spring Options and 5 different Leaf Options depending on the load you plan to carry. Don't forget to do the conversion so you know the exact height to expect. You can also talk directly to Dobinsons in Florida for some more insight on what parts to choose.

Hopefully this is what you were looking for.

 

[Maxacceleration]

Frenchy about covers it.
And value per dollar… Eibach, Bilstein, Icon or maybe Dobinsons are decent choices.
Old Man Emu has a good reputation and big following.
My experiences are with Fox, King & Radflo in various vehicles.
BDS suspension (Fox 2.0’s) is on my Ranger now.
I like an aggressive suspension gaining increased travel.

My setups are kind of based on a desert (trophy) truck mindset, or luxury pre runner look. But on a budget. Yet I drive slow - go figure.
A modest lift, maybe 3”/1” is a good all around direction.
Some want smooth street manners and trail cruising. I tend to go for a go fast/big hit suspension, and maybe lose a little compliance while driving easy. Yet the shocks have it in control.
Thing is, everyone has their favorite suspension company.
…I wont push any particular Co.
Pulling people out? Have a winch and snatch strap.

Go plush yet stout! Study up.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Frenchy]

Frenchy about covers it.
And value per dollar… Eibach, Bilstein, Icon or maybe Dobinsons are decent choices.
Old Man Emu has a good reputation and big following.
My experiences are with Fox, King & Radflo in various vehicles.
BDS suspension (Fox 2.0’s) is on my Ranger now.
I like an aggressive suspension gaining increased travel.

My setups are kind of based on a desert (trophy) truck mindset, or luxury pre runner look. But on a budget. Yet I drive slow - go figure.
A modest lift, maybe 3”/1” is a good all around direction.
Some want smooth street manners and trail cruising. I tend to go for a go fast/big hit suspension, and maybe lose a little compliance while driving easy. Yet the shocks have it in control.
Thing is, everyone has their favorite suspension company.
…I wont push any particular Co.
Pulling people out? Have a winch and snatch strap.

Go plush yet stout! Study up.
Just my 2 cents.

I'm going to have to correct you here and state that Dobinsons is a Great choice. I value them over Bilstein, Eibach, Icon(damn near anything is better than them) and Old Man EMU.

Now that doesn't mean I'm calling Bilstein, Eibach or Old Man EMU Trash. The Bilstein 4600 is a great shock for most individuals that is staying on the street and wants an improved ride. Personally I feel the same way with Eibach since that is where they started. Both Old Man EMU and Dobinsons are from Australia and are based around 4WD Touring and know how to setup a 4WD for carry weight while traveling OffRoad.

Icon on the other hand.......... They are simply trash. There is no need for them to offer 7 different stages for 1 vehicle when it comes to suspension. Also there have been plenty of reports across multiple vehicle brands of the Icon Shocks and Struts failing in bad ways.

Radflo I feel is more on the budget area, but then again the only place I heard bad was from one company that wanted to push their own product over everything else.

Kings, I can't speak for and I never heard of them before joining this forum years ago.

Fox, I feel it's more of a Fan Boy type Shock and Strut. I'm sure they ride nice, but at the same time I still feel there are better things to get for the money.

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

So my recommendation is going to come from my experience with 3 different vehicles. Those vehicles are my 2019 Ranger, 1993 Nissan Pathfinder and my current 2012 Nissan Frontier.

Things you need to consider when making a vehicle that can play OffRoad and still be practical on the street for daily use will cost some money and there is some fair reasoning too it. You need Shocks and Struts that can help control the load where you are comfortable both on the Street and OffRoad. You also need the appropriate Coil and Leaf Springs to handle said load at certain lift heights.

Lifting vs leveling. Country to popular belief on this forum and others, Lifting is much better than Leveling. Why? Because if you are going to increase the ground clearance of a vehicle, you don't want to do it half assed. Don't just do the front. You need to touch the rear as well. Also if you level the vehicle before applying the load, you will start to get the Carolina Dog Squat look when you put a load in the bed or towards a heavy trailer. This is why Pickup Trucks have this thing called Rake. It is meant to help the vehicle compensate for load for when you put a load in the back.

Tires. For the Ranger you can easily keep the Factory Wheels and go to a bigger size. Most Rangers have a 31 from the Factory. It is very common to go to a 32 inch tire as it will fit the vehicle at Factory Height. 33's can fit, but you need to modify the suspension a little bit at least thankfully you can keep Factory wheels.

Onto the suspension part and why I recommend what I recommend.

Now when I had my Ranger, I installed the Old Man EMU Nitrocharger Sport Suspension Kit. I simply had the basic Coils and Leafs from them as I did not have any extra weight in the truck. From stock it lifted the truck by 2.4 inches up front and 1.6 inches in the rear. Not long after I did install 32 inch tires. More specifically 265/70-17. Later I installed 285/70-17's. That lift and tire combination was great for getting around and I was still able to use the truck as a truck. What I found out later was the Nitrocharger Sport Shocks and Struts were a bit weak and not exactly that great. It almost seemed as if they were a bit too stiff. I wanted to go to the BP-51'S but unfortunately money was tight.

The truck on 32's

The truck on 33's

The Ranger while loading up roughly 5500 lbs of weight. It rode well BTW

Next was my 1993 Pathfinder. I got it when I still had the Ranger and it became the new adventure vehicle when the Rangers got Totaled. Being the Sport Package(back when theat actually meant something) it was very capable stock. I even took it on Hancock Pass with worn out suspension and worn out 31's. Later on I installed Old Man EMU Nitrocharger Sport Shocks with Old Man EMU Coils and Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars. In general it did ok, but I learned it wasn't that great. Later I turned to Dobinsons. This was a recommendation from @Wes Siler as he has a bit of experience with them. The ride quality changed drastically and I was a happy camper to say the least. Unfortunately I lost that vehicle a year ago due to other incompetent drivers..........

The Pathfinder on Hancock Pass

The Pathfinder with Old Man EMU Suspension

The current vehicle is my 2012 Frontier. I have had a few different Shocks and Struts on this thing. It first started out with Factory Bilstein 4600 Shocks and Struts. Not bad, but with the Spacers and Shackles for a lift, it's wasn't great either. Later I went to the Bilstein 6112/5160's with some heavy duty Leafs. On paved roads it was good. OffRoad it shined. The moment you hit that special concrete type road that likes to move you around....... Yeah..... Let's just say it made the truck jump around and almost into another vehicle on the HWY.......... After that I recently made the switch to Dobinsons. Now keep in mind that for the Frontier I have the option of the GS Twin Tubes, IMS Monotubes and the MRR Monotubes with Remote Reservoir that is adjustable. I decided to stick with the GS Twin Tubes for Budget Reasons and I knew they would do just fine. I also made sure to get the corresponding Coils and Leafs(got the wrong leafs unfortunately and will have to do that again) for the Load. So far I am happy with is as the truck doesn't bounce like it used to on the concrete sections of road. I still feel bumps, but then again I bought a truck and not a Rolls-Royce.

Truck not long after I got it with Factory Bilstein 4600's

Truck with the Bilstein 6112/5160's and HD Leafs

The truck now as we speak with the Dobinsons

Now I will say that I would lean towards Dobinsons for your truck. Unfortunately they only offer the IMS Monotubes and nothing else at this time, but it doesn't mean you can't get the springs to match them. Below is a application chart from Dobinsons for the Ranger. You have 2 Coil Spring Options and 5 different Leaf Options depending on the load you plan to carry. Don't forget to do the conversion so you know the exact height to expect. You can also talk directly to Dobinsons in Florida for some more insight on what parts to choose.

Hopefully this is what you were looking for.

this is exactly the type of post i was looking for thank you so much! I have been looking at all my options and I'm still torn. but here are my options as of right now after i read your post
1. B8 6112 - Suspension Kit with 2 of these B8 5160 - Suspension Shock Absorber
2. Pro-Truck Stage 2R Coilover Kit Front Coilovers + Rear Reservoir Shocks w/0-3.75" lift
3. RANGER OVERLAND SUSPENSION KIT BY OLD MAN EMU
then I think my tires are gonna be pretty beefy because I do live in some sketchy paved areas that are not so paved and more like trails lol. The tires I'm thinking as of right now are Toyo Tire Open Country M/T LT265 /70 R17 121P E1 BSW on the stock rims. If you have any more considerations or ideas for my build I would love to hear them! Thank you again for your response!

P.S- Things already on the build list or in consideration
1. chase rack with 4 ultra bright lights
2. ditch lights (already have them installed)
3. cb antenna (installed with radio peaked and tuned)
4. maybe a brush guard on the front
5. new tires (such as mentioned above)
6. new suspension (as mentioned above)
7. maybe a winch on the front depending how the brush guard and wheels turnout

 

[Frenchy]

this is exactly the type of post i was looking for thank you so much! I have been looking at all my options and I'm still torn. but here are my options as of right now after i read your post
1. B8 6112 - Suspension Kit with 2 of these B8 5160 - Suspension Shock Absorber
2. Pro-Truck Stage 2R Coilover Kit Front Coilovers + Rear Reservoir Shocks w/0-3.75" lift
3. RANGER OVERLAND SUSPENSION KIT BY OLD MAN EMU
then I think my tires are gonna be pretty beefy because I do live in some sketchy paved areas that are not so paved and more like trails lol. The tires I'm thinking as of right now are Toyo Tire Open Country M/T LT265 /70 R17 121P E1 BSW on the stock rims. If you have any more considerations or ideas for my build I would love to hear them! Thank you again for your response!

P.S- Things already on the build list or in consideration
1. chase rack with 4 ultra bright lights
2. ditch lights (already have them installed)
3. cb antenna (installed with radio peaked and tuned)
4. maybe a brush guard on the front
5. new tires (such as mentioned above)
6. new suspension (as mentioned above)
7. maybe a winch on the front depending how the brush guard and wheels turnout

Due to this I would lean more towards option 3. That said I would also heavily recommend looking at the Dobinsons. The light duty Leafs and Coils would be similar to what is available from Old Man EMU, but would ride better primarily due to the Shocks and Struts.

For tires I won't argue the size, but I would ask the question of how often you are really OffRoad and in the Street before buying Mud Terrains. For me I stick with All Terrains and to be specific I have a personal favorite of the Firestone Destination XT. On the Ranger I had 285/70-17 and on the Pathfinder it was 31x10.50x15. on the Frontier I currently have 265/70-18. It is available in the 265/70-17 and has White Letter available.

 

[gannbino2001]

I initially put Fox 2.0 on the rear. After about 40K on them, I could tell they seemed really soft. I couldn’t go without my truck, work issues, for a week to get them sent off to get rebuilt. Replaced them with Eibach. Couldn’t be happier and the ride is much better.

Which Eibach’s did you get?

 

[Bob902]

Which Eibach’s did you get?

https://eibach.com/product/E86-35-048-01-22?epsid=1935

 

[gannbino2001]

https://eibach.com/product/E86-35-048-01-22?epsid=1935

Thank you sir!

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

Due to this I would lean more towards option 3. That said I would also heavily recommend looking at the Dobinsons. The light duty Leafs and Coils would be similar to what is available from Old Man EMU, but would ride better primarily due to the Shocks and Struts.

For tires I won't argue the size, but I would ask the question of how often you are really OffRoad and in the Street before buying Mud Terrains. For me I stick with All Terrains and to be specific I have a personal favorite of the Firestone Destination XT. On the Ranger I had 285/70-17 and on the Pathfinder it was 31x10.50x15. on the Frontier I currently have 265/70-18. It is available in the 265/70-17 and has White Letter available.

I do plan on off roading a lot so i would really like some tires that will be able to keep up. And is this the suspension you where talking about? What makes them better than any of the other options?
https://dobinsonusa.com/products/do...-for-ford-ranger-4x4-usa-2018-on-dsskitimsfr/

 

[Frenchy]

I do plan on off roading a lot so i would really like some tires that will be able to keep up. And is this the suspension you where talking about? What makes them better than any of the other options?
https://dobinsonusa.com/products/do...-for-ford-ranger-4x4-usa-2018-on-dsskitimsfr/

That is the one. As you can tell, it is pricey but it is is worth the money.

 

[OGMix376]

That is the one. As you can tell, it is pricey but it is is worth the money.

Honestly that’s a pretty modest price tag under 3k for everything you’re getting.

 

[Frenchy]

Honestly that’s a pretty modest price tag under 3k for everything you’re getting.

I agree that you really do get the best "Bang For You're Buck" with this kit. Some may think it isn't worth it, but those same individuals think a spacer leveling kit is all you need.

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