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IRONMAN 4X4 vs The Competition
How our lift kits line up against Rough Country, ICON and Bilstein, brand by brand, and why Foam Cell Pro is built for loaded overland trips and the daily drive alike.
Start Here
The Short Version
What every Nitro Gas, Foam Cell Pro and IM2.5 kit brings. How each brand compares is set out card by card below.
- ✓New springs in every one. Each of those kits replaces the spring. Lift & Level keeps the factory coil, for height and tire clearance.
- ✓A load rating chosen for the weight you carry. Named ratings from Light through Extra Heavy, chosen at the kit level, with the ratings offered set by your platform.
- ✓One part number for the kit. Springs, shocks and the lift hardware listed for your platform come under one part number, with the rear leaf pack included on leaf sprung platforms.
- ✓Valved for your vehicle. Every part number is valved for its vehicle application. After install, recheck the torque at 310 miles and after off road use.
Foam Cell Pro
Big Bore Body. Foam Cell Inside.
Built for the loaded overland trip and the daily drive alike.
Foam cell technology separates oil from gas with a closed cell foam insert instead of a pressurized nitrogen charge, so there is more room for oil inside the tube, and the top seal only sees pressure when the shock is working. That is what holds damping steady deep into a long, loaded, washboard day.
Dedicated Overlanders
Long, loaded days on washboard are where foam cell earns its place: damping that holds steady deep into the day, nothing external to snag or damage a long way from help, and springs rated for the bumper, winch, drawers and water you carry.
Daily Drivers
Foam Cell Pro is built for daily driven trucks and SUVs as much as for loaded overland rigs, so the same set that holds up on washboard is the set you commute on the rest of the week. Choose the rating for what you usually carry: the heavier the rating, the firmer it rides empty.
Brand By Brand
How We Line Up, Brand By Brand
Three well known names. Here is where each one separates from IRONMAN 4X4, with the full comparison a click away.
Four Series
What Type of Build Are You Planning?
Choose the series built for the toughest thing you ask of your vehicle, not the easiest.
Lift & Level
The Easiest Upgrade. Bigger Tires Start Here.
Daily driven trucks and SUVs. Includes all necessary spacers and brackets for lifting and leveling your truck without breaking the bank, allowing for bigger wheels and tires.
Shop Lift & Level
Nitro Gas
The Smart Upgrade. Better Than Stock in Every Way
Weekend warriors and daily driven trucks and SUVs. Durable twin tube shock design with nitrogen charge and increased shock diameter over stock, allowing better performance on and off road for little investment.
Shop Nitro Gas
Foam Cell Pro
The Workhorse Series. Outlasts Everything on the Trail
Overlanders, outdoor enthusiasts, heavily loaded trucks and SUVs, and daily driven trucks and SUVs. Increased oil capacity without needing a traditional nitrogen charge, so the Foam Cell shock is tough and requires little to no service.
Shop Foam Cell Pro
IM2.5
The Flagship Series. Unmatched Composure & Control
Performance enthusiasts, lightly and heavily loaded trucks and SUVs. Advanced monotube technology allows for precision performance and a planted, composed ride on and off road.
Shop IM2.5Lift & Level |
Nitro Gas |
Foam Cell Pro |
IM2.5 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load Ratings: | ||||
| OEM | Light, Medium, Medium Plus, Heavy, Extra Heavy | Light, Medium, Medium Plus, Heavy, Extra Heavy | Light, Medium, Medium Plus, Heavy, Extra Heavy | |
| Shock Design: | ||||
| Twin-Tube, shocks included with certain kits only. | Twin-Tube | Twin-Tube | Monotube | |
| Shock Diameter: | ||||
| Up to 2.1" (53 mm) | Up to 2.1" (54 mm) | Up to 2.8" (71 mm) | Up to 2.5" (63.5 mm) | |
| Rebuildable: | ||||
| No | Serviceable | Fully rebuildable | Serviceable | |
| Warranty: | ||||
| 4 Year / Unlimited Mile | 4 Year / Unlimited Mile | 4 Year / Unlimited Mile | 4 Year / Unlimited Mile | |
| Every kit includes the parts listed for your platform. Check the kit page for anything your build also needs, such as longer CV axles on a 2022 or later Tundra lifted 2.5 inches or more at the front. Our warranty carries its own conditions and exclusions, and is worth reading in full. | ||||
Proving Ground
Tested On The Australian Outback
We use the Australian continent as our proving ground. Our suspension is engineered and field tested in desert heat, on outback tracks and across the kind of distance that punishes equipment: sustained load, relentless washboard and a long way from the nearest shop. That is the environment Foam Cell Pro was built for, and it is why our range is organized by load rating and not by lift height alone.
IRONMAN 4X4 traces back to a Melbourne suspension manufacturer founded in 1958. Our products have been specified by fleet and military organizations and have completed the Dakar Rally.
By Platform
Kits Built For Your Vehicle
Every kit is specified per platform, so start with the vehicle you actually drive.
On independent front suspension trucks, the Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra, Ford F-150 and Lexus GX, a lift that keeps the factory coil, our own Lift & Level included, leaves its load capacity untouched. Every Nitro Gas, Foam Cell Pro and IM2.5 kit replaces the spring, and you choose the rating. Owners running a bumper and a winch on a Tacoma or a 4Runner are the clearest case for a load rated front coil, and heavily loaded overland Tundras and Land Cruisers are the clearest case for Foam Cell Pro.
Frequently Asked Questions on Lift Kits
How does IRONMAN 4X4 compare to Rough Country, ICON and Bilstein?
Each brand separates from us in a different place, which is why each has its own comparison. Against Rough Country, it is load ratings, the Foam Cell Pro rebuild path and the shock warranty. Against ICON, it is the warranty on the shock, the spring at their entry tier, where the 2.5 EXP re-uses the factory coil, and damping that arrives dialed in where ICON build external adjustment on selected platforms. Against Bilstein, it is what arrives with a B8 5100, which outside two Jeep kits is sold as a shock: our Nitro Gas, Foam Cell Pro and IM2.5 kits include the spring and, on a leaf sprung truck, the rear leaf pack, which Bilstein do not sell. Where the B6 4600 and B8 5100 are sealed, Foam Cell Pro is built to be resealed. Every Nitro Gas, Foam Cell Pro and IM2.5 kit is built around a load rating chosen for the weight you carry.
What is Foam Cell Pro?
Foam Cell Pro is our big bore twin tube series. Foam cell technology separates oil from gas with a closed cell foam insert instead of a pressurized nitrogen charge, so there is more room for oil inside the tube, and the top seal only sees pressure when the shock is working. The body measures up to 2.8 inches (71 mm), there is no remote reservoir to route or protect, every part number is valved for its vehicle, and every kit ships with new springs in a load rating chosen for the weight you carry.
Is Foam Cell Pro good for daily driving?
Yes. Foam Cell Pro is built for daily driven trucks and SUVs as much as for loaded overland rigs, so the same set that holds up on washboard is the set you commute on the rest of the week. The load rating sets the ride, so choose the rating for what the vehicle usually carries: the heavier the rating, the firmer it rides empty. Our lift kit finder matches the rating to your accessories in about a minute.
Is Foam Cell Pro built for overlanding?
Yes, it is the series we built for it. Overland builds carry weight that never comes off: a bumper, a winch, a rooftop tent, drawers, water. Foam Cell Pro kits pair springs rated for that weight with a big bore foam cell shock that holds damping steady deep into a long, loaded, washboard day. There is no external hose or canister to damage a long way from help, and the shock is fully rebuildable by design, with a seal kit sold as a part for listed part numbers.
Is Foam Cell Pro rebuildable?
Yes. Foam Cell Pro is fully rebuildable by design, with a seal kit sold as a part for listed part numbers. Check the fitment list for your part number and have a qualified suspension technician reseal it, and the same shock goes back on the truck.
Do IRONMAN 4X4 lift kits come with springs?
Every Nitro Gas, Foam Cell Pro and IM2.5 kit includes new springs, in a load rating chosen for the build. Lift & Level kits keep the factory coil and are built for height and tire clearance.
Which load rating do I need?
The one built for the weight your vehicle carries every day, not just its curb weight. A steel bumper and a winch load the front; drawers, water, a second battery or a rooftop tent load the rear. Ratings run from Light through Extra Heavy, and the ratings offered depend on your platform. Our lift kit finder asks about your accessories and how you load the vehicle, and returns the rating to match.
What do I check after install?
Recheck the torque on newly installed hardware after two weeks or 310 miles, and again after off road use. Check ride height in the first few hundred miles while the springs settle in, and have a professional alignment done after installing a suspension lift.
What warranty comes with an IRONMAN 4X4 kit?
Our suspension lift kits and parts are covered for 4 years with unlimited miles. Like any warranty, ours carries its own conditions and exclusions, and it is worth reading in full at ironman4x4.com/pages/warranty.
Which IRONMAN 4X4 suspension series should I buy?
Lift & Level for height and bigger tires on a daily driven truck. Nitro Gas for weekend warriors who want a full suspension upgrade at our most accessible price point. Foam Cell Pro for overlanders and heavily loaded rigs that need load support, heat management and a rebuildable shock. IM2.5 for performance enthusiasts who want monotube precision and the most composed ride in our range, on and off road. Our lift kit finder picks the series and the load rating for your vehicle in about a minute.
Get The Kit Built For Your Load
Answer a few questions about your vehicle, your accessories and how you load it, and we will return the series and the load rating to match.