Upgrade 3: Suspension

For the suspension, the choice was easy. Austin went with Icon Vehicle Dynamics’ stage 5 kit with upper control arms. This kit has the ability to lift the truck from 1.75 inches to 3 inches and allows you to manually adjust the ride height as well. According to Austin, “The suspension is the most plush I have ever felt. With the lifted truck you can still take corners at high speeds and don’t feel like you’re going to tip over. The quick adjustability of the suspension is awesome; in about 30 seconds, I can adjust it softer when I head to the trails with just a twist of the knob.”

The installation was a bit more difficult than we originally anticipated, but not insurmountable by any means. The upper mounts for the rear shocks had to be filed down so the shock caps didn’t hit the brackets. We also had to drop the DEF tank about an inch in order to allow the bolt on the rear driver’s side to be removed. The front was a little easier, if not somewhat more precise. Removing the front coilovers was as simple as following the instructions.

The upper control arm ball joint, however, was very difficult to get to move to the proper angle at first. Coming fresh from the factory, the joint was very stiff and hard to line up. Once we “broke the seal,” so to speak, it became much easier to move and make adjustments.

“I could not be happier with this suspension,” states Austin. “Adjusting the ride height is easy with the tool from IVD. Overall the suspension is well worth the money and washboard roads are a thing of the past. This suspension is breathtaking; it is hard to describe in words how well it works and how smooth the truck feels when you’re driving over some rough terrain.”