Hodges 2016 Bilstein Build

[MidwestExpress]

Icon 2.5s and Old Man Emu rear Medium Rate Coils

Yeah buddy! Rear Icon 2.5s too?

 

[hodge-xj]

Yeah buddy! Rear Icon 2.5s too?

Negative. I still have the BDS Fox 2.0s for a 3" lift. They've actually been super awesome and paired well with my setup. The OME rear coils are very close to the BDS coils these were spec'd for so im leaving them alone. I was happy with my rear performance aside from lack of load handling ability for constant loads, so hopefully these coils put me about exactly where im at now, I just can lose the spacer and saggy ass with weight.

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[ram1500rsm]

Summer came early Hodge
Take measurements of the OME coils so we can verify with the measurements they show in their online catalog.

You may still need a trim spacer in the rear driver spring because of the heavy diesel tank you have ? or DP something i can't remember but since you'll have Coilovers now, you should be able to adjust your driver side front CO one turn higher for example, that will lift your front driver .2" and push your rear passenger corner down just a tad so you may not need the rear driver trim spacer. That's how i do it with my Kings but i have the normal gas tank. i think in in my case the rear passenger side is still around 1/4" higher or so but unnoticeable to the eye.

The OME rear 10mm JK trim spacer should fit the back of our springs. This is a picture with the trim spacer i found online. OMEJKPR10

 

[hodge-xj]

Summer came early Hodge
Take measurements of the OME coils so we can verify with the measurements they show in their online catalog.

You may still need a trim spacer in the rear driver spring because of the heavy diesel tank you have ? or DP something i can't remember but since you'll have Coilovers now, you should be able to adjust your driver side front CO one turn higher for example, that will lift your front driver .2" and push your rear passenger corner down just a tad so you may not need the rear driver trim spacer. That's how i do it with my Kings but i have the normal gas tank. i think in in my case the rear passenger side is still around 1/4" higher or so but unnoticeable to the eye.

The OME rear 10mm JK trim spacer should fit the back of our springs. This is a picture with the trim spacer i found online. OMEJKPR10

It sure did. It all worked out better than I anticipated. All the work only set me back 2500 at the dealer which was less than anticipated. Granted it's still a hit, I'm ok with it. The rear was entirely gone through so it's ready to rock and I have all kinds of shiny goodies on the truck. The new tune sucks but I'll address that here soon after I research some of my options. Just glad to have it back!

I'll surely measure everything to add to the data we collect. I have a feeling I'm gonna be rear high for a little while since I'm a bit away from ordering the decked system. But id rather be ready than scrambling to gather things. I'm still curious to see if my truck sits low to the drivers side again. Nothing I have weighs a significant amount on that side (26 gals of fuel and about 5gals of DEF) but we'll see. I think I have some stock isolators from my XJ so I'll see if I need one out back. I'm hoping to just slap things in and not have to mess with it much, but I say this now. Hoping to be at my current height of 1.5"-1.75" in the rear once I have the constant load in the back. We'll surely find out.

I'm excited to step into the coilovers and we'll see how much difference it is. I just couldn't bring myself to go backwards to smaller shocks, as well as there's too many unknowns with the newer products. With icons I'll be dealing with know variables and that plays into my hand moving forward. Overkill for my needs, absolutely, but I'm in this truck for the long haul now so I'm gonna spend the extra and do it how I wanted. Buy once cry once, or be a Hodge and spend money like 3 times lol.

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[hodge-xj]

Well got home to a gift from brown santa [emoji41].

Someone somewhere along the delivery routes wasn't to happy about the weight of the package cuz both coils are chipped pretty good. I touched it up since it's superficial and these things won't stay pretty long, but people are douches.

Anyway....pictures and specs

1" factory preload
22 3/4" long extended

I'm working some wild hours again so I'm gonna try and get these installed somewhere in the mix of the chaos. Still waiting on the Old Man Emu coils but that's not a huge deal and will give me a good idea of what each swap does.

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[ram1500rsm]

Well got home to a gift from brown santa [emoji41].

Someone somewhere along the delivery routes wasn't to happy about the weight of the package cuz both coils are chipped pretty good. I touched it up since it's superficial and these things won't stay pretty long, but people are douches.

Anyway....pictures and specs

1" factory preload
22 3/4" long extended

I'm working some wild hours again so I'm gonna try and get these installed somewhere in the mix of the chaos. Still waiting on the Old Man Emu coils but that's not a huge deal and will give me a good idea of what each swap does. View attachment 237048View attachment 237049View attachment 237050View attachment 237051

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Damn. You got lucky you didn’t have to wait for them to be built that was fast.
Cool thing to see they're also extended travel just like King and Fox 2.5

Count the number of open threads at the top of the collar. If they’re even, turn the driver side 2 full turns up. Contact Icon and see how many turns you need to go up one inch. With kings that would be 5 so every full turn is .2

In my Tacos with Icons every 1 full turn was 1/8, so I needed 2 full turns for 1/4” lift. Max on the Taco was 2-2.1” tops on the preload. But all apps are different. Icon should give you the values you need in yours so you don’t go past max preload.
You want that extra 1/4" on the on your driver front to account for the gas tank lean.

 

[hodge-xj]

Damn. You got lucky you didn’t have to wait for them to be built that was fast.
Cool thing to see they're also extended travel just like King and Fox 2.5

Count the number of open threads at the top of the collar. If they’re even, turn the driver side 2 full turns up. Contact Icon and see how many turns you need to go up one inch. With kings that would be 5 so every full turn is .2

In my Tacos with Icons every 1 full turn was 1/8, so I needed 2 full turns for 1/4” lift. Max on the Taco was 2-2.1” tops on the preload. But all apps are different. Icon should give you the values you need in yours so you don’t go past max preload.
You want that extra 1/4" on the on your driver front to account for the gas tank lean.

Yea Nick has a TON in stock so these were shipped immediately. Super stoked. It's honestly not a fair comparison to the 6112s. The bodies are obviously similar in size, but these are for sure a step up.

I'll get a count tonight on threads, but I'm pretty sure you're 100% with these being a 1/8" per full rotation. I'm not gonna mess with them initially, since im not sure when my OME coils are coming. When I swap the rear coils I'll decide is I'm gonna dial it up in the front or trim the rear drivers up again. Should give me some miles to break these Icons in and see how much they settle under the diesel.

Even with the 1/4" thick 1/2" front lift spacers I'm only measuring 2.25" over my buddies stock truck. I'm gonna try and get better more precise numbers when we do the install on his. He doesn't want much lift so the 2" or less these will give him might make him happy. I'm pretty sure I've pretty much nuked these 6112s but he drives like 1/5th of the miles I do and it's all road so we'll see.

I'm hoping I can get this in this weekend. My work schedule is fly by wire so I have no idea. I'm only home to sleep right now, have to afford my ridiculous hobbies somehow!

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[hodge-xj]

Sooooo in a spur the moment move I got the icons installed. With work and weather being so ridiculous i wanted to get them in so I said eff it and went to town.

Now.....i suck and didn't take any measurements to compare. But I will. Promises. Initial assumption is about 2" of lift. Maybe a little less, but it's hard to say. Angles look a bit better, which is weird, but again I was more inclined to get it together and I wasn't really taking notes. I will say, there's a mile of droop compared to the 6112s.....like I maxxed my floor Jack under the crossmember and could barely get my tire on, so easily an inch over the 6112s. To be continued there.

I did drive it really quick just to settle the suspension in but not enough to really tell anything. Overall they feel alot different than the 6112s in that the damping is much heavier. Not harsh at all, just "firm" like a sports car.

I'm hoping to log some decent miles before I really mess with anything, I want to make sure these are good and broken in and I have the rear setup done before I make any significant changes to height. With the performance comes compromises and I'm more focused on keeping quality split in bump vs droop travel over just cranking them to the sky.

Pics and specs to come tomorrow.....i know.....boringgggg

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[hodge-xj]

Also

149k on the nose today, posted for future reference.

149k = Icon Install


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[ram1500rsm]

Sooooo in a spur the moment move I got the icons installed. With work and weather being so ridiculous i wanted to get them in so I said eff it and went to town.

Now.....i suck and didn't take any measurements to compare. But I will. Promises. Initial assumption is about 2" of lift. Maybe a little less, but it's hard to say. Angles look a bit better, which is weird, but again I was more inclined to get it together and I wasn't really taking notes. I will say, there's a mile of droop compared to the 6112s.....like I maxxed my floor Jack under the crossmember and could barely get my tire on, so easily an inch over the 6112s. To be continued there.

I did drive it really quick just to settle the suspension in but not enough to really tell anything. Overall they feel alot different than the 6112s in that the damping is much heavier. Not harsh at all, just "firm" like a sports car.

I'm hoping to log some decent miles before I really mess with anything, I want to make sure these are good and broken in and I have the rear setup done before I make any significant changes to height. With the performance comes compromises and I'm more focused on keeping quality split in bump vs droop travel over just cranking them to the sky.

Pics and specs to come tomorrow.....i know.....boringgggg

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Give them a good shake over some rough terrain to break them in. They're brand new so those seals are begging to be settled down

 

[hodge-xj]

Give them a good shake over some rough terrain to break them in. They're brand new so those seals are begging to be settled down

With about 3 feet of snow and more coming I don't think I'll be hitting local for a while. [emoji107] good thing is my commute is torn up so bad they'll be getting a decent workout even for being on a "Street Queen"

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[hodge-xj]

@ram1500rsm here's those specs I promised you

22.75"-front
24.5" rear

26.375" front at full droop

11 threads visible on coilover
1" from collar to top of shock body

First pic is ride height, second is at full droop.

 

[hodge-xj]

Two more pics showing BJ angles.

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[hodge-xj]

Took the dog and went for a ride. Found the bumpiest road local and "tested" the icons out. Much different over deep potholes and washouts. Never once do they feel harsh either which is awesome. Hard to explain the difference, they feel very similar to the 6112s, but you can feel the difference in valving once you hit stuff harder, so it's the "same but different" in a way, IE less "oh ****" when you hit a hole or big bump. At least using my finely tuned "butt-o-meter".


For now I'm pretty happy with the stance and until I get my new rear coils in I'm gonna leave it alone. Once I add the rear drawers and weight I'll make the decision on the final rake it has. I'm hoping to maintain about 1" or so higher in the rear. I do have plans to add bumpers etc, so instead of constantly messing with the coilovers I'm just gonna do all my add ons and adjust/align it once. Plus the ride and angles at this height are really nice so that's something i don't wanna degrade either.

The front bumper gives the illusion it sits really low at some angles, especially with the stock air dam so I really wanna see how things look all done before I start messing with everything.

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[hodge-xj]

First real seat time with new front setup.....coilovers are the cats ass. I can imagine how much better custom valving feels cuz these are GREAT. They feel very similar to my 6112s when I ran those with the small spacer minimal preload combo, but you can feel a huge difference in valving. There's alot of spots that used to hit pretty hard that now barely rattle change in my ash tray.

Hard to convey in words but, I'm stoked!

Did some reading on accutunes website. I'll take true measurements at the shock body today for ride height vs droop to make a note. Won't be messing with these for a good a couple months still but I'll be able to compare new vs some decent miles.



Side note, I'm still curious as to what exactly weighs so much more on my diesel vs the Hemi. Did some digging and the motors weigh just about 500lbs each, so I can't imagine the diesels accessories weigh it down to cause an inch of discrepancy between lift heights in each model. As of now I'm at 2" lift at most, not complaining as my ride quality is phenomenal at this height, but still, there's a variable I cant seem to figure out.... rant over

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[4eyedconekiller]

Took the dog and went for a ride. Found the bumpiest road local and "tested" the icons out. Much different over deep potholes and washouts. Never once do they feel harsh either which is awesome. Hard to explain the difference, they feel very similar to the 6112s, but you can feel the difference in valving once you hit stuff harder, so it's the "same but different" in a way, IE less "oh ****" when you hit a hole or big bump. At least using my finely tuned "butt-o-meter".


For now I'm pretty happy with the stance and until I get my new rear coils in I'm gonna leave it alone. Once I add the rear drawers and weight I'll make the decision on the final rake it has. I'm hoping to maintain about 1" or so higher in the rear. I do have plans to add bumpers etc, so instead of constantly messing with the coilovers I'm just gonna do all my add ons and adjust/align it once. Plus the ride and angles at this height are really nice so that's something i don't wanna degrade either.

The front bumper gives the illusion it sits really low at some angles, especially with the stock air dam so I really wanna see how things look all done before I start messing with everything. View attachment 237554View attachment 237555View attachment 237556

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That looks like one happy pup!

Truck looks great!!

First real seat time with new front setup.....coilovers are the cats ass. I can imagine how much better custom valving feels cuz these are GREAT. They feel very similar to my 6112s when I ran those with the small spacer minimal preload combo, but you can feel a huge difference in valving. There's alot of spots that used to hit pretty hard that now barely rattle change in my ash tray.

Hard to convey in words but, I'm stoked!

Did some reading on accutunes website. I'll take true measurements at the shock body today for ride height vs droop to make a note. Won't be messing with these for a good a couple months still but I'll be able to compare new vs some decent miles.



Side note, I'm still curious as to what exactly weighs so much more on my diesel vs the Hemi. Did some digging and the motors weigh just about 500lbs each, so I can't imagine the diesels accessories weigh it down to cause an inch of discrepancy between lift heights in each model. As of now I'm at 2" lift at most, not complaining as my ride quality is phenomenal at this height, but still, there's a variable I cant seem to figure out.... rant over

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Man, don’t get me started. Getting a semi-flat stance has driven me nuts. I’ve gotten pretty close with the Eibach setup on the 3rd notch. If I wind up keeping it long term, I’m already thinking I’ll leave the lift alone and start upgrading hard parts next, because I don’t wanna go down that slippery slope.

Right now, it’s the most quiet, capable, best riding thing I own. My lowered SHO rides like a log wagon compared to it.

 

[hodge-xj]

That looks like one happy pup!

Truck looks great!!



Man, don’t get me started. Getting a semi-flat stance has driven me nuts. I’ve gotten pretty close with the Eibach setup on the 3rd notch. If I wind up keeping it long term, I’m already thinking I’ll leave the lift alone and start upgrading hard parts next, because I don’t wanna go down that slippery slope.

Right now, it’s the most quiet, capable, best riding thing I own. My lowered SHO rides like a log wagon compared to it.

Thanks! The dog loves truck rides. We usually take a cruise so she can just hang out. Normally it's a vomit free ride, but she got into the bird food before the drive lol.

I'm actually more focused on ride now and less about aesthetics. I'm gonna measure droop vs bump travel and MAYBE dial 1/2" into the front, but that would be at most. It just performs to well. Once i have the new storage setup in the rear it should drop it a bit and if I want more I'll add the 1.5 zone and be done.

At this point the front and back are so balanced feel wise I'm not looking to mess with it much, if I come up a bit more in front it will be just to split bump vs droop travel more evenly as opposed to looks. I csnt believe how well it rides for just bolt on parts. Best riding vehicle I've ever been in.

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[4eyedconekiller]

Thanks! The dog loves truck rides. We usually take a cruise so she can just hang out. Normally it's a vomit free ride, but she got into the bird food before the drive lol.

I'm actually more focused on ride now and less about aesthetics. I'm gonna measure droop vs bump travel and MAYBE dial 1/2" into the front, but that would be at most. It just performs to well. Once i have the new storage setup in the rear it should drop it a bit and if I want more I'll add the 1.5 zone and be done.

At this point the front and back are so balanced feel wise I'm not looking to mess with it much, if I come up a bit more in front it will be just to split bump vs droop travel more evenly as opposed to looks. I csnt believe how well it rides for just bolt on parts. Best riding vehicle I've ever been in.

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That’s phenomenal man. Ride quality is EXACTLY why I’m not changing anything right now. Might do lower arms/PHB to help keep the rear end from moving around so much on bumps. Can’t wait to see how yours does with the extra storage !

 

[hodge-xj]

That’s phenomenal man. Ride quality is EXACTLY why I’m not changing anything right now. Might do lower arms/PHB to help keep the rear end from moving around so much on bumps. Can’t wait to see how yours does with the extra storage !

I have the old man emu medium rate coils (660lbs constant load) comin, so it should sit about 1.5-1.7" lift (what I have now) with the extra weight. I just wanna ditch these spacers and get a bit stronger coil for when it does pull truck duty, if anything, the rear is actually too soft and I have some work to do this summer that is gonna require it to be a truck and not a Cadillac with a bed.

After some debating and thinking I'm not gonna get everything I want in a truck unless I build a brand new one and even than wants vs needs equates to compromises, so I'm throwing money into the old girl. I really do enjoy this truck too much to get rid of it. Plus, I can't stomache the idea of 50k when it's almost paid off.

Spring/ summer will be control arms, panhard and likely other odds and ends. I have some Nick nacks coming this week until the next purchase which will be a tune and than the decked system. But those are a bit $$ so I'm giving the wallet a break.

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[hodge-xj]

Notes for later

Coilover - 20 3/4" at ride height both sides ( +/- ) 1/16th

3/8-1/2" difference side to side at front fenders.

Rear fenders are the same at 40.5"
Front are :
D- 38.25"
P- 38.75"

Similar difference when measured to frame from gound.

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