This system is slotted between the Backcountry and the Pintop. It will be slightly less dirt capable than the Pintop with a softer on-road ride. It is far more dirt capable than the Backcountry with a very similar on-road ride. You'll see in the video, i drove it pretty hard in the dirt and it moves quite a bit - this is a direct result of valving it softer. A backcountry would move similarly, while a Pintop would stay for more composed. BUT, the additional valving in the Pintops leads to more road feel, while these are more muted to small/medium road imperfections.
We're releasing these for the 3.5" and 5.5" Diesel (these are done, releasing these in the next 1-2 weeks, shipping early July), AND the 3" Gas (in the shop right now). This project is why I've been absent on here - i feel like I've lived inside shocks for the past 12 months with this project.
The shocks are awesome, they're an aluminum body that's hard anodized for corrosion and scratch resistance, all billet parts are black ano making for a super refined looking shock package. The ride is a direct result of customer feedback; everyone wants a 2.5" shock, but most want them to err toward on-road compliance and are willing to sacrifice offroad performance to achieve this. I valved these with this feedback in mind. I removed the Dominators from my rig to install these and have not put them back on because these ride so nice in my daily commute. I'll throw the 3.0's back on before my next dirt trip.
Personally, I love the King offerings as i prefer a controlled ride that gives where it needs to but feels supportive and maintains control in reasonable off-road terrain. I am surprised how much i am enjoying my Carli-SPEC shocks as they're a whole different feel. For example, i turned into a parking lot that had a steep, angled driveway and was surprised how soft it felt and how much the axle traveled with such little force applied. I am used to my 3.0" kings that would hold the nose higher moving far less for the same force input. The Kings beg to be driven hard and fast. The more aggressively you drive, the better they feel. These Carli-SPEC shocks are stoked to cruise around - they don't require an aggressive driving style to achieve a compliant ride.
I can ramble on all day - I love this stuff, lol. I'm an open book - happy to answer any questions!
TL;DR Highlights:
- 2.5" shocks have FAR more oil capacity than a 2.0" so they'll last a long time between rebuilds
- Valved less aggressively than the Kings - less offroad performance, more on-road compliance.
- Hard Anodized finish on aluminum shock body, Black Ano Billet ends (vs. our Kings that are ZINC plated Steel)
- We spec a very high-quality red shock oil so it'll be near impossible to heat them up and fade them with the valving we have in them. (King's OEM oil is inferior to this, BUT their blue oil is amazing - just cost prohibitive to put it in all shocks)
- We've achieved an aesthetic that our customers previously paid $1,200 (in addition to the cost of the shocks themselves) in custom color fees to customize their kings.
- Everyone's favorite part, this shock package will be $500-$600 cheaper than our King offerings depending on application.
- The Kings beg to be driven hard and fast. The more aggressively you drive, the better they feel. These Carli-SPEC shocks are stoked to cruise around - they don't require an aggressive driving style to achieve a compliant ride.
. Curious how these stack up on-road as far as body roll vs. the Backcountry? For the brief time I ran Backcountry shocks on my truck there was some added roll that took some getting used to vs. the King's (and ultimately why I put the King's back on after deciding to keep my 2021).
