Fox vs King vs Ride – The Great Shock Battle

September 4, 2024

How does the new kid on the block compare to the juggernauts of the suspension industry? Let’s take a deep dive into this subject as we compare each company’s features.

For this article, we will be comparing similar shocks from the Toyota Tacoma. Specifically, 2005-2023 front and rear shocks.

Fox is considered one of, if not the largest shock manufacturer in the off-road industry. They build shocks for everything from Mountain Bikes, Snowmobiles, UTVs, and Trophy Trucks to Factory options on trucks like the Ford Raptor & Jeep Rubicon.

King Shocks is one of the most well known shock brands in the off-road industry. They are Family Owned & Operated – 100% Designed, Manufactured & Assembled in the U.S.A since 1996. Their high performance shocks can be found on top tier race trucks all over the world.

Ride Shocks are designed, engineered, tested & assembled by the Team at AccuTune Offroad in San Diego, California. Although Ride Shocks brings a new name to the suspension industry, it comes with 19+ years of combined experience from a dedicated team of off-road enthusiasts. Learn more about Ride Shocks here.

FRONTS
Fox Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Coilovers, 1-3″ lift

SKU: FOX-883-06-178
Extended Length: 22.42″
Compressed Length: 17.19″
Travel: 5.23″

FRONTS
King Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Coilovers, 0-3″ lift

SKU: KRS-25001-119A-EXT
Extended Length: 22.60″
Compressed Length: 17.30″
Travel: 5.32″

FRONTS
Ride Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Coilovers, 1.5-2″ lift

SKU: 525412289
Extended Length: 22.60″
Compressed Length: 16.60″
Travel: 6.00″

– How Front Coilover Measurements Are Made –

REARS
Fox Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Shocks, 2-3″ lift

SKU: FOX-883-26-113
Extended Length: 26.00″
Compressed Length: 16.45″
Travel: 9.55″

PLEASE NOTE: The extended and compressed measurements have been adjusted so that we can compare Fox’s specs to King and Ride equally. Fox uses a different method to measure their extended and compressed lengths as seen in the diagram below.

REARS
King Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Shocks, 1.5-3″ lift

SKU: KRS-AT52121-01A
Extended Length: 25.25″
Compressed Length: 15.50″
Travel: 9.75″

REARS
Ride Shocks Tacoma 2.5″ dia Shocks, 1-2.5″ lift

SKU: 525412789
Extended Length: 25.61″
Compressed Length: 15.73″
Travel: 9.88″

– How Rear Shock Measurements Are Made –

As you can see in this diagram, Fox uses a method of measuring from the top of the shock body when communicating their extended and compressed lengths. This is different from King and Ride shocks, that measure from the center of the bushings. In the specs above, we have adjusted Fox’s measurements to allow us to more evenly compare those specifications across all three brands.

Shock Bodies Wrap Up

Aluminum shock bodies are less prone to corrosion and better at dissipating heat compared to their steel counterparts. The one-piece design can be beneficial from a simplicity standpoint, however a two piece design is modular with individual items that can be replaced if damaged. The two-piece design is also more compact and allows for a decorative cap.

Designs that contain a reservoir bridge can be clocked to conform to special installation instances or can even be positioned to avoid having the hose too close to frame members.

Both Fox and Ride are hard anodized, which means shock bodies will simply fade over time rather than flaking their coating and rusting like a coated steel shock will.

Shock Shafts Wrap Up:

Fox and Ride shock shafts are both hardened medium carbon steel, which have greater resistance to rock chips than the soft 4130 King uses.

Rod end design and quality is also something to consider for improved working lifespan of the shock components. Ride has an offset rod end design for improved vehicle fitment.

Fox and Ride use USA based FK Bearings on their coilovers. These are the top of the line components. King uses lower quality rod end bearings for their coilovers.

Shock boots are an effective defense at preventing dings and divots to exposed shafts. Dings from rocks are the #1 cause for premature shock leakage. Ride Shocks uses a shock boot in all OEM smooth body shock applications. The boot is specially designed with bottom holes to allow for debris to exit, and the rod ends contain a groove designed specifically to ensure the boot remains in place at all times.

Fox offers shock boots as an aftermarket option, however the holes in their boots are located at the top and do not allow for debris to escape.

King offers plastic rock guards, or shields, that help prevent rocks from hitting the shafts when kicked up. These can be found standard on some smooth body shocks and coilovers.

Coil Springs Wrap Up:

All of these manufacturers’ coil springs play a major role in holding your vehicle up against gravity, but the differences come when you compare the colors available, standard spring rates and optional spring rate availability.

Fox comes standard with a 600 LB spring. If you are someone looking to get a heavier rate because of the options/accessories you’ve added to the front of your vehicle, that comes at an additional cost (AccuTune will tune to match).

King does offer heavier spring rates (650 & 700 LB), however you must special order those (AccuTune will tune to match).

Ride offers several spring rates (550, 600 & 700 LBb/In) to accommodate different vehicle generations and added weight. Each shock also has custom tailored compression, rebound, and adjuster valving to match the weight that the spring is capable of supporting.

Oil Flow Wrap Up:

Oil flow is a critical element in allowing the shocks to be comfortable and tunable. Shocks with less oil flow can be harsh on short/fast shock movements such as rough roads, washboard sections, and choppy ruts. Too little oil flow can also make shocks too stiff on big hits such as speed bumps and whoops.

The -8 hose which Fox uses is the industry standard size for these OEM applications, while -6 hose which King uses is smaller than we typically see. The -10 hose being used by Ride is the largest we’ve seen for these applications.

King’s flow limitation on Tacoma front shocks is the -6 hose (note: many of their other shocks use -8 hose). Fox’s flow limitation is the adjuster ports in the DSC, while Ride’s flow limitation is in the remote reservoir hose.

Oil Wrap Up:

Shock oil is evaluated on a few main criteria: ability to lubricate, change in viscosity with temperature (viscosity index), and resistance to boiling (cavitation).

All three oils offer great lubricating properties, are known to work well with common seal materials, and serve their primary purpose well.

Shock fade happens as the shock gets hot and the oil begins to thin out, and act as lower viscosity oil. When this happens the shock loses damping, and also the oil does not offer the same protection to internal parts. A viscosity index of 400 is considered the gold standard and 100 is considered below average. Fox set the standard with a viscosity index of 375. King’s oil is average with a viscosity index of 150. Ride Shocks also has a viscosity index of 375.

Cavitation is a well known problem in shocks where the oil will boil and create air pockets. The air pockets are extremely damaging to internal parts and significantly reduce performance (loss of damping). Fox has a boiling point of 496 F, while King’s oil boils at 320 F, and Ride Shocks Oil boils at 615 F. While all of these temperatures are really high, they all assume atmospheric pressure. Shocks do not always have positive pressure, and boiling points can be a serious problem if you push your shocks hard.

Fox JM92 oil is the industry benchmark of conventional oil. It is known for its excellent performance and durability, especially at high temperatures. Ride uses a newer fully synthetic oil blend that matches Fox’s resistance to fading, exceeds it in resistance to cavitation, and withstands higher temperatures as well.

The Fox low speed adjuster acts like a bleed valve. Adjusting it more or less opens and closes a needle and seat which allows a measured quantity of oil into the reservoir.

Once oil reaches a high enough speed and pressure it diverts through the large shim stack into the reservoir, referred to as the high speed circuit.

The high speed adjuster increases preload on the shim stack and is responsible for tuning the pressure at which oil will start to flow through the disks (high speed circuit). By requiring higher pressure, the high speed damping is increased.

The mid speed adjuster style of King acts like a giant bleed valve, allowing more or less oil to pass through the piston as your turn the adjuster knob. Mid speed compression adjusters act like a very large low speed compression adjuster. They allow a large amount of free flowing oil when fully opened and allow none when fully closed.

The Ride Shocks low speed adjuster also acts like a bleed valve. Adjusting it opens and closes a needle and seat which allows a measured quantity of oil into the reservoir.

At low shaft speeds, oil flows through the low speed needle circuit and all the way into the reservoir. As shaft speeds increase, oil begins flowing through the first piston. After passing the first piston the oil will initially begin flowing through the high speed adjuster circuit.

As the high speed adjuster is closed or made stiffer, oil begins flowing through the second piston, which increases high speed compression damping.

Adjusters Wrap Up:

Compression adjusters play major role in ride quality by allowing the end user to make external adjustments for added weight or for handling rough terrain.

Low Speed Compression on a shock refers to the speed at which the shaft compresses into the shock body. Slow speed compression occurs when a vehicle is cornering, braking, accelerating and driving over large rolling bumps.

Mid Speed Compression can affect the high and low speed feel, to a point. If we want to control road feel, handling, and g-outs then we want to adjust low speed damping. If we want to control performance on big bumps or whoops we want high speed adjustment. Having a mid speed adjuster does impact both of these with one knob, but the amount of adjustment is not as great as if they were separate adjustments.

High Speed Compression happens when the shock compresses very quickly (not just because you are driving quickly). High speed compression occurs when hitting things like curbs, speed bumps, whoops etc.

King adjusters are a simple design and easy to operate with only mid-speed compression adjustment. The quick and simple approach is great for those that don’t want to tinker around much to dial in the ride feel they want.

Fox has a more robust design with high and low speed adjustment, however they are valved for only the stiffest application. The Fox adjuster is also digressive which means the shock gains significant low speed damping disproportionally to high speed damping, which can cause small bumps to feel too stiff.

Ride Shocks DPA adjusters have application specific valving for multiple use cases. The dual piston linear design makes the shock feel and perform more predictably to how it was set. It has also been designed with the most oil flow, that allows consistent performance throughout the entire spectrum of adjustment.

Seals Wrap Up:

Each company has invested countless hours into their seal design package. Each comes with benefits and compromises.

Some basic facts we have found over the years of servicing these shocks:

Dirt intrusion is the second leading cause of leaking shocks.
Boots are the most effective line of defense against dirt intrusion.
Multiple wipers are the next best line of defense.
HNBR (Hydrogenated Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber) is more durable and has a wider operating temperature range than NBR.

U-Cups are the most effective way to retain oil inside a shock body and tend to be more robust at sealing across a wide range of temperatures and shaft speeds, as compared to o-rings.

Valving Wrap Up:

The design of the shock and ability to flow oil is the first step in creating a shock that rides well. The second step is tuning it for the applications and situations it will be used in.

Weight band specific valving.

Fox and King rely on one tune developed for a single application, where as Ride Shocks utilizes the weight band approach. By having multiple SKU’s tailored to a variety of weight bands, front and rear, they can achieve the same consistent performance on a bare bones base model truck, as on a modded out overlander build, and everything in between.

Appearance Wrap Up:

Of course with any good comparison, color and design can play a big part in deciding which brand to go with. Fox, King and Ride Shocks have certainly designed their products to not only look amazing, but also perform well. As far as looks go, you really can’t go wrong with these 3 brands. Which shock color theme do you like more?

Rebuild/Service Wrap Up:

Rebuilding and servicing your shocks is going to come up at some point. In order to compare this category, you want to look at things like service intervals and parts availability. Comparing these things can help you identify which shock will be worth it in the long run.

Fox, King and Ride are all about the same. They recommend servicing every 50K miles for mild use. This includes daily driving and a few off-road trips per year. For heavier use, rebuild intervals may be more frequent.

Install Guides Wrap Up:

When it comes time to install your new shocks, the first step is to consult the installation guides provided by the manufacturer. These guides are meticulously crafted to help both professional installers and DIY enthusiasts understand the steps necessary for a successful and efficient installation. Typically, these guides include images and diagrams to ensure that the process is clear and that each step is executed correctly.

Not all installation guides are created equal. Some may lack critical details, forcing the installer to search for additional information online. This can be time-consuming and frustrating, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive and well-organized guide.

Fox has long been considered a pioneer in the industry. As the oldest company in this article, Fox has set a high standard for installation guides. Their guides are known for being detailed and user-friendly, providing clear instructions and helpful visuals to facilitate the installation process.

When King entered the industry, they further elevated the standard by producing even more detailed guides. King’s installation manuals include step-by-step instructions accompanied by color images, making it easier for installers to follow along and ensure that each component is correctly installed. The added detail and visual aids help reduce the likelihood of errors and improve the overall installation experience.

Ride Shocks offers comprehensive installation guides that are designed to be thorough and provide all the necessary information for an installer to complete the task with ease. In addition to the steps for basic installation, the guides also include extensive suspension setup information. This allows users to properly adjust their suspension to ensure they are getting optimal performance.

In summary, the quality of an installation guide can significantly impact the ease and success of installing your new shocks. Before you purchase, its worth taking a look through the install guide to make sure you are confident in your choice.

Final Wrap Up:

When weighing all the factors, specs, and features, who do you think provides the best overall product? The choice may be user dependent. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

4 replies

Kris Turner says:
September 4, 2024 at 8:51 pm

Hi,
I’m wondering if you have shock upgrades for the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 250 in the works? I’d really like to raise the truck an inch or so in the rear and 2″ or so in the front while improving the ride, especially on washboard and rough fire roads while maintaining highway handling.
Thanks
Reply
- Web Admin says:
  October 2, 2024 at 3:28 pm
  
  The 2024 Land Cruiser 250 should be similar to the new 4Runner, so I suspect we will be working on those in due time. Unfortunately no ETA yet.
  Reply
Christopher Thompson says:
October 2, 2024 at 1:51 pm

Like the specs on the ride shock a lot. Are you going to be making them for the 2nd gen tundras?
Reply
- Web Admin says:
  October 2, 2024 at 3:25 pm
  
  We’ve had several people ask the same question, so that application will likely make its way to the list of shocks to make next. No ETA at this time
  Reply

September 4, 2024

How does the new kid on the block compare to the juggernauts of the suspension industry? Let’s take a deep dive into this subject as we compare each company’s features.

Fox Shock Kit: 05-23 Toyota Tacoma, Front 2.5 Performance Elite Series Coilovers, 1-3″ Lift, DSC

King Shocks Tacoma 05-23 (6 Lug) Front 2.5 Dia. Remote Reservoir Coil-Over, Extended Travel, w/Adjuster

Tacoma Shocks 2.5 Inch Front Coilovers 1.5-2 inch Lift DPA For 05-15 Toyota Tacoma Ride Shocks, Weight Range 1

– How Front Coilover Measurements Are Made –

Fox Shock Kit: 05-23 Toyota Tacoma Rear, 2.5 Performance Elite Series, 2-3″ Lift, DSC

King Shocks Tacoma 05-23 (6 Lug) Rear 2.5 Shock, AccuTune Spec, 1.5-3.0″ Lift, W/Adjusters

Tacoma Shocks 2.5 inch Rear Shocks For 05-23 Tacoma 1-2.5 Inch Lift DPA Ride Shocks, Weight Range 1

– How Rear Shock Measurements Are Made –

Shock Bodies Wrap Up

Shock Shafts Wrap Up:

Coil Springs Wrap Up:

Oil Flow Wrap Up:

Oil Wrap Up:

Adjusters Wrap Up:

Seals Wrap Up:

Valving Wrap Up:

Appearance Wrap Up:

Rebuild/Service Wrap Up:

Install Guides Wrap Up:

Final Wrap Up:

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