Dirt King has officially entered the mid-travel suspension market with its new 2.0 Internal Floating Piston (IFP) suspension kit. This is a more economical option compared to the top-tier 2.5 DCA shocks. Don’t mistake less expensive for cheap, though, as these are still a significant upgrade over the stock suspension.
They come preset with 2″ of lift to level your 4Runner and include a spanner wrench for easy preload adjustments. That allows the coilovers to grow with your build as you add weight like aftermarket bumpers, a winch, lights, and armor.
The 2.0 IFP dramatically improves ride quality over rough terrains such as washboards and potholes. The increased wheel travel also allows for better articulation and damping on larger dips, providing enhanced comfort and control without the complexity of remote reservoirs.
Table Of Contents
Overview
Specifications
- 2″ hard-anodized 6061 aluminum bodies
- Internal floating piston
- Induction-hardened 5/8″ shafts
- Provides up to 3” of lift (front) – Must be paired with aftermarket UCA
- Works with 1.5″ of lift (rear)
The 2.0 IFP coilovers provide increased suspension travel and feature vehicle-specific valving to optimize ride comfort for a variety of terrains. Constructed with an aluminum body, they run cooler than traditional steel-body shocks and are corrosion-resistant. If you live in an area with harsh winter conditions, these will hold up much better on salt-covered roads.
Dirt King uses a proprietary Maxima custom blend, a light-viscosity, semi-synthetic oil that minimizes friction and is highly resistant to extreme operating temperatures. The cold-wound, high-tensile alloy steel coil springs ensure a consistent spring rate and maintain ride height.
This suspension kit is completely bolt-on with no custom fabrication needed to install it. The coilovers are also fully rebuildable and serviceable.
What’s Included
Front
- IFP Series Coilovers
- Sway Bar Relocation Mounts
- Spanner Wrench
- All necessary mounting hardware
- Installation instructions
Rear
- Smooth Body Shocks
- Shock Shaft Boots
- All necessary mounting hardware
- Installation instructions
Installation Notes
The installation process is fairly straightforward with little to no deviation from any other coilover on the market. Dirt King’s goal was to provide an excellent mid-travel option that was easy to install. I won’t cover the installation process in detail here, but I have some observations to note after watching the mechanic at DK HQ install my set.
Upper Control Arms
Both the 2.0 IFPs and 2.5 DCAs require you to upgrade your upper control arms since they offer increased suspension travel. I paired my 2.0 IFPs with DK’s new Ball Joint UCAs to keep everything uniform and avoid any potential compatibility issues.
Radiator Support Brackets (non-KDSS)
If you’re running the OEM front skid plate, or an aftermarket skid plate like RCI that requires you to keep your radiator supports, the provided sway bar spacers will push your sway bar into the driver-side support. There are solutions like the ARB Radiator support bracket, that let you retain that support. However, I found that most aftermarket skid plates like CBI and Cali Raised have you remove those supports.
Having an RCI front skid, I ended up cutting the bracket on the driver’s side to retain the bolt location.
Rear Coils
It’s worth noting that Dirt King does not include rear coil springs. So, you’ll need to ensure your rear coils aren’t too tall or short. The 2.0 IFP smooth bodies allow up to a 1.5″ lift, so rear coils exceeding that will potentially damage and degrade the shocks’ performance. I opted to switch my 2.0″ lift springs out for the Eibach Load Leveling System with the 200lb constant weight springs.
Final Thoughts
These new shocks were released just as I was ready to upgrade my suspension. I was sitting at about 100,000 miles on my previous Eibach kit and that wear and tear had become very noticeable.
Now, the ride on the road feels much smoother. There’s also reduced body roll, especially with the added weight of bumper, lights, winch, and skids. Off-road, the truck feels just as planted, and not as stiff as with my previous coilovers. On the first few trails, the ride was outstanding even at 38PSI on my Arroyo Tamarack MTs. Not airing down wasn’t even something I’d considered doing previously. My buddy who was along for the ride, and has joined me on many trails over the years, also noticed how much more comfortable the ride was comparatively.
I’m excited to get into some of the longer trips I have planned and really see how far I can push these shocks. Dirt King knocked it out of the park with them and they should be on everyone’s shortlist when considering upgrade options.
