u/LegitimateOil1989

I’ve been with this setup since January and I’ve been pleased with the outcome.

Front : Dirt King 2.5” DCA coilovers (Part Number : DK-811989F) paired with Camburg Kinetik V2 upper control arms

Rear : Dirt King 2.5” smooth body DCA shocks (Part Number : DK-811889R) and an Icon 1.5” Add-A-Leaf pack.

I spent about a year going back and forth between Dirt King and King. I really had a difficult time making up my mind and when it comes to Dirt King, there’s not a ton of user reviews out there. Ultimately, I took the risk on DK and over all, I think they offer a really nice product.

On road (stock settings) : They’re firm but do a nice job of dampening the larger inputs. Firm but comfortable, for the most part.
Off road (stock settings w/ approximately +120-200 lbs in gear) : Ride quality is good on uneven surfaces does decent with minor washboards. There’s a sweet spot at 35-40mph. Low speed stuff it’s firm. Technical low speed stuff where you’re on and off rocks with the suspension unloading, it’s far too firm and jerky. With soft settings, there’s a pretty significant improvement but, I’m going to continue experimenting.

I’ve since added a fiberglass camper shell and the weight has helped the ride quality but increased roll. I use stock settings in the front and slightly firmer in the rear. All in all, this setup has given the truck more predictability and provides a solid improvement over the stock suspension.

Last week I visited and camped in Death Valley National Park.

The plan was :

Day 1: Drive from Lone Pine to CA-168, then Saline Valley to Steele Pass and camp at Eureka Dunes.

Day 2: Eureka Dunes to Ubehebe Crater, then Racetrack Valley Road to the Racetrack Playa & camp at Homestake Campground just south of Racetrack.

Day 3: Lippincott Pass to Saline Valley and out CA-190

It didn't quite play out the way I'd anticipated due to very high winds on April 21st but I ended up seeing much more than I'd planned for. Day 2, I drove from Eureka Dunes to Stovepipe Wells, got some service, downloaded some offline maps to OnX and continued to Echo Canyon. Explored Inyo Mine then moved on to Hole in the Wall Canyon. Feeling kind of defeated by the wind, 1 stayed outside of the park at Slab. Making the most of it, I woke up at 5am, caught the sunrise at Zabriskie Point. From there drove to Badwater Basin, then hiked Natural Bridge. Went back to the crater, hiked both Little Hebe & Ubehebe drove to Racetrack. Absolutely blown away by the drive to Racetrack and the Racetrack Playa.

Minus the defense-grade washboards, the drive out was absolutely incredible. From there I continued out Lippincott Pass to Saline Valley then out the 190.

I will go back & see more. I'd love to camp in Echo Canyon. Temps were very pleasant too. Steele Pass on day 1 reached 93 but after that my truck didn't register over 70.