If your idea of overland travel is a lightly packed, moderately built truck or SUV, then the new Ironman 4×4 IM2.5 suspension series is for you.
Compared to their twin-tube Nitro and FoamCell Pro series, which are made for more aggressive off-road driving and heavily built rigs and can feel a little harsh on less-aggressive vehicles, the IM2.5 shocks and struts prioritize comfort for lightly modified vehicles.
The difference is in the construction and valving, but make no mistake, they’re still built tough and up to the task of real trails and technical off-road terrain.
Where their FoamCell Pro shocks use a twin tube design, the IM2.5 shocks use a more common mono-tube. This gives them plenty of room for a stout 2.5″ (57mm) diameter outer cylinder, which provides several benefits:
- Larger oil volume and 60% more surface area for better cooling
- Larger diameter piston for better damping control & ride comfort
Besides being single-wall, it’s also made of aluminum, making it 30% lighter than their steel twin-tube shocks and offering better heat management.
The piston shaft is hardened steel, and a thick 20mm (0.79″) in diameter.
The rear shocks are designed to be mounted inverted, putting the shock body higher, away from flying rocks. A replaceable lower dirt shield keeps those rocks and debris from striking the piston shaft and scratching it, which could let oil leak through the seals, eventually killing performance as oil leaks out and air seeps in.
Fun fact:
Not only are they fully rebuildable, you can custom tune them if you’re willing to fiddle with the shim stack. Note that shim stacks typically only affect high-speed compression damping, not low speed, but still cool. Not for you? Your local suspension tuner can do it. No idea what I’m talking about? No worries, these should be great out of the box for their intended use.
The front struts are built with an adjustable coil spring seat, letting you adjust your lift and ride height in minute increments. And, they ship with coils pre-installed, matched to your vehicle’s setup.
The kits add 2″ to 3″ of lift (depends on vehicle), with about 2″ range of adjustment on the front struts. Minimum recommended lift is 1.5-2″ depending on model.
Key features are:
- 20mm Hardened steel piston rod
- Type-2 hard anodized 3-4mm extruded 6061-T6 aluminum body
- Billet aluminum piston w/ PTFE-Teflon band w/ O-Ring seals
- Billet aluminum IFP with NOK seals
- 200psi nitrogen IFP chamber
- Fuchs hydraulic damping oil
- ACME threaded body at coil seat
Regarding comfort, another key difference of the IM2.5 series is the use of natural rubber bushings inside the shock mounts. This provides more vibration damping and cushioning compared to the metal or urethane bushings commonly found on off-road shocks.
And while you may need to replace those softer rubber bushings now and then, and it is fully rebuildable, the shocks are covered by their 4-year/unlimited mileage warranty and designed to be maintenance free.
Lastly, they come with gloss black coil springs and dark anodized shock bodies. Where their Nitro and FoamCell Pro models have bright green coils and white shocks, the new IM2.5 series is stealthier, perfect for understated builds. But you can also get IM2.5 with green coils if you want…
Ironman 4×4 FoamCell Pro vs IM2.5 – how do I choose?
It’s mostly based on your vehicle’s weight. There are a couple of tuning options, but here’s the short of it:
Buy IM2.5 if…
…you’re adding a roof rack, bumper, and maybe a rooftop tent in the rear, and lightweight bumper and synthetic cable winch in the front. Basically, keep it under 200lbs in the front and under 660lbs in the rear and you’ll have a much more comfortable ride with IM2.5.
Buy FoamCell Pro if…
…you’re also adding a dual-swing out to your rear bumper, external rear-mounted spare tire, full sliding drawer system inside, and extra lights in the back. And if you have a heavy bumper, steel-cable winch, and more lights up front. Basically, if you’ve got 200+ pounds up front and 800+ lbs in the rear, you’ll want the heavy-duty support of the FoamCell Pro shocks.
Notice there’s some wiggle room in the back, a gap between 660lbs and 800lbs. That’s because they offer heavy-weight springs for the rear to add a little more support without the increased low-speed damping you’d get from the FoamCell Pro shocks.
Important to note:
The shock tuning is vehicle based, not load based, and they only offer a medium-load spring for the IM2.5 struts. But with FoamCell Pro kits, you can choose from multiple spring rates front and rear.
Ironman 4×4 IM2.5 Pricing & Availability
The Ironman 4×4 IM2.5 shocks are available now in some markets, pricing is $350 AUD for shocks and $631 AUD for coil-over struts. Currently available for these vehicles:
- Toyota Land Cruiser 200-series (2015-22)
- Toyota Land Cruiser 300-series (2022+)
- Toyota Hilux (8th gen, 2020+)
- Toyota Tundra (3rd Gen/2022+)
- Toyota 4runner (5th gen/2009-24)
- Toyota FJ Cruiser (2006-22)
- Toyota Prado (2009-13, 2013-17, 2017-24)
- Isuzu D-Max (2019-22, 2023)
- Mazda BT-50 (2020+)
- Ford Ranger (2022+)
- Ford F-150 (2021-24)
- Volkswagen Amorak (2023+)
For North American markets, it’s available now as part of complete lift kits ($1,799 and up) for:
- 3″ Lift – Toyota Tacoma 2005-2023
- 2″ Lift – LHD Toyota 80-series Land Cruiser / Lexus LX450
- 3″ Lift – Ford F-150 2021+
More vehicles and models, and wider North American availability, coming over the next few months. If you’re not pushing the limits of terrain or your GVWR, the new IM2.5 series might make your daily drives and trail explorations a little more pleasant.
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