Icon Vehicle Dynamics: Coilovers, Stage Kits & Prerunner Fitment
Icon Vehicle Dynamics is a Riverside, California suspension manufacturer whose bolt-on 2.5-inch coilovers, tiered “stage” systems, and tubular upper control arms bridge the gap between overland daily-drivers and entry-level prerunner builds. Founded around 2007, Icon built its reputation on rebuildable, vehicle-specific shocks and patented Delta Joint control arms that let a stock-frame truck flex far harder than factory hardware allows.
If you are stepping up from a leveling kit toward real desert capability, Icon is one of the first names you will hit, and understanding how its lineup is organized saves a lot of guesswork. Before you spend, it helps to know the fundamentals covered in our long-travel suspension guide and the tradeoffs laid out in bypass vs coilover shocks, because Icon lives squarely in the coilover-and-stage-kit world rather than full custom fabrication. If you are still deciding what a prerunner even is, start with what is a prerunner.
Who is Icon Vehicle Dynamics?
Icon opened its doors around 2007 and designs, manufactures, and assembles its products in Riverside, California. The company grew from a niche Toyota and Ford Super Duty specialist into a full-line brand covering nearly every popular truck and SUV platform. Co-founder Dylan Evans has long been associated with the company’s testing philosophy, which the brand describes as extensive real-world validation, reportedly on the order of a thousand miles of mixed off-road abuse, before a system is finalized.
That heritage matters for positioning. Icon’s roots are in overland and hard-use daily-driver suspension, engineered to survive abuse while staying comfortable on pavement. As the extended-travel side of the catalog has grown, the same brand now reaches into mild prerunner territory, which is exactly the overland-to-prerunner span that makes it worth a close look.
Icon coilover types, explained
Icon organizes its shocks primarily by body diameter and reservoir style. Nearly all use vehicle-specific (“VS”) valving tuned per application and Icon-engineered coil springs. The main tiers you will encounter:
- 2.0 Series (VS IR): A 2.0-inch nitrogen-charged monotube with an internal reservoir. This is the entry point for lifts and mild off-road use, delivering a big upgrade over factory struts at the lowest price tier.
- 2.5 Series Remote Reservoir (VS RR): A 2.5-inch aluminum body with a remote reservoir for added oil volume and cooling. This is the workhorse for heat-generating desert and washboard driving.
- 2.5 VS RR CDCV: Adds Icon’s Compression Damping Control Valve, a reservoir knob that reportedly offers around 10 positions so you can dial ride quality from soft to firm without disassembly. This is the sweet spot for drivers who want tunability.
- 2.5 VS RR CDEV: The electronically adjustable version of the same platform.
- 3.0 Series: The largest bodies in the line, aimed at heavier vehicles and the most demanding high-speed use.
Crucially, Icon offers extended-travel versions of many 2.5 coilovers. These yield increased front wheel travel but generally require Icon’s tubular upper control arms to clear and to keep geometry sane, which is the natural on-ramp to a prerunner-style front end.
The Icon “Stage” system, explained
Rather than selling only loose shocks, Icon packages complete suspension systems as numbered stages. Higher stages add more capability and more components. The exact stage numbers available depend on the platform (one truck might reach a higher stage number while another tops out earlier), but the logic is consistent: each stage layers in more travel, better geometry correction, and upgraded rear hardware.
| Stage | What it typically adds | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Front coilovers / leveling, basic rear shocks | Lift + daily driving |
| Stage 2 | Adds tubular Delta Joint upper control arms | Overland, alignment correction |
| Stage 4 | Tubular UCAs matched to extended-travel coilovers | Mild prerunner, more wheel travel |
| Stage 8 | Multi-rate rear leaf + aluminum-series rear shocks | Heavy loads, aggressive desert use |
The stage approach is Icon’s biggest advantage for buyers who do not want to piece together a kit component by component, and it keeps the front and rear balanced. For a full picture of what a build costs once you start climbing stages, see how much it costs to build a prerunner.
Tubular UCAs and the Delta Joint
Icon’s tubular upper control arms are a signature product. They add strength and durability over stamped-steel factory arms, help retain proper alignment at lift height, and add caster for better on-center feel. They also allow the additional wheel travel that extended-travel coilovers make possible.
The headline feature is the patented Delta Joint (and the serviceable Delta Joint Pro), a hybrid between a ball joint and a heim/uniball. It is designed to provide a wide range of bind-free articulation through full suspension travel, while sealing out dust and water far better than an exposed uniball. For a desert truck that also sees pavement and weather, that sealed-but-flexible joint is a meaningful practical edge over open rod-end arms from more race-focused brands like Total Chaos or Camburg.
Overland vs prerunner: where Icon fits
This is the key positioning question. Icon is fundamentally a bolt-on, stock-frame brand. Its extended-travel 2.5 and 3.0 coilovers, tubular UCAs, and rear leaf packages will transform how a truck handles rough terrain at speed, and for a weekend desert explorer or overlander that is often all the capability needed.
But there is a ceiling. True prerunner and trophy-truck builds rely on custom long-travel arms, cut-and-turn spindles, bypass shocks, and fabricated bedsides, the kind of work covered in our Tacoma prerunner build guide. At that level, many builders move to King or Fox coilovers and bypasses paired with a fabricated front end. Think of Icon as the premium factory-width package that gets you most of the overland-and-mild-desert experience without cutting the frame, and as an excellent foundation you can build past later.
Which Icon Vehicle Dynamics product for your build?
- Overland / daily driver on a budget: A Stage 1 or Stage 2 kit with 2.0 or standard 2.5 VS coilovers. Comfortable, sealed, and rebuildable.
- Weekend desert and washboard at speed: Step up to 2.5 VS RR CDCV coilovers so you can add compression damping when the pace picks up. Heat management from the remote reservoir is the real win here.
- Aspiring prerunner on a stock frame: Choose an extended-travel 2.5 system (often a higher stage) with tubular UCAs to gain front wheel travel while keeping bolt-on simplicity.
- Heavy or loaded rigs: Look at Stage 8-style packages with a multi-rate rear leaf and aluminum-series shocks.
Pricing varies widely by platform and configuration, but as a rough guide a front coilover pair typically runs in the four-figure range, and complete multi-stage systems commonly land anywhere from roughly $2,000 to $4,000-plus once tubular arms and rear hardware are included. Always confirm current pricing for your exact application. If you would rather match components across brands, our Dirt King comparison is a useful next read, and the fab shop directory can connect you with an installer.
Where to buy Icon Vehicle Dynamics
Icon products are sold through a wide dealer network and directly via the manufacturer. Confirm the correct kit for your year, model, and drivetrain before ordering, since fitment and stage availability differ by platform. See the official lineup at iconvehicledynamics.com.
Building yours? Dial in the suspension, then dress the part with our off-road apparel and gear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Icon coilovers good enough for a prerunner?
For an entry-level or overland-leaning prerunner on a stock frame, yes. Icon’s extended-travel 2.5 coilovers paired with tubular UCAs deliver a large jump in wheel travel and high-speed control. For a full long-travel or trophy-truck-style build with fabricated arms and bypass shocks, most builders move to a race-focused package, but Icon makes an excellent starting foundation.
What is the difference between Icon’s 2.0 and 2.5 series?
The 2.0 series uses a smaller-diameter body with an internal reservoir and sits at the entry price tier for lifts and mild use. The 2.5 series has a larger body, more oil volume, and available remote reservoirs and CDCV adjustment, giving it better heat management and tunability for aggressive desert driving.
Do I need tubular upper control arms with Icon coilovers?
Not always. Standard-travel coilovers can run with factory arms in many cases, but extended-travel coilovers generally require Icon’s tubular UCAs to clear and to maintain correct geometry and alignment. The tubular arms and their sealed Delta Joint also add durability and caster, which is why they are bundled into the higher stage kits.
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