ICON Suspension Stages Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide
ICON suspension stages are ready-made upgrade packages for your truck. Bigger number = more parts and more capability. Stage 1–2 gives you a smoother ride and a lift. Stage 3–5 adds parts that keep your wheels aligned after that lift. Stage 6 and up is for serious off-roading. Most drivers are happiest between Stage 1 and Stage 3.
Treat this as a guide, not a spec sheet — what’s actually in each stage depends on your vehicle. A Ford Super Duty is laid out differently than a Tacoma, 4Runner, or F-150, so always check the parts list for your exact year, make, and model.
First: what does suspension even do?
Your suspension is everything between your truck’s body and its wheels. It has a few jobs:
- Hold the truck up — including all the gear, people, and trailers you add. The right setup also keeps a loaded bed or a towed trailer from sagging the rear.
- Soak up bumps — so the truck (and you) don’t take the hit. Tuned aftermarket shocks replace stiff or worn factory units, so ride quality improves on pavement and on washboard dirt.
- Keep the tires on the ground — tires in the air can’t steer, brake, or grip. More wheel travel keeps them planted longer over rocks and ruts, which means better traction and more control.
- Set your ride height — a lift raises the frame so you clear obstacles and deep trails, and makes room for bigger tires.
Factory suspension does these jobs fine on pavement. Off-road, it runs out of ability fast. That’s what ICON systems fix.
What is a “stage”?
Think of stages like good, better, best — but with more steps.
- Each stage is a complete package of parts that are designed to work together on your exact truck.
- A higher stage number means more parts and more capability — not just “more expensive.”
- The stages stack. You can start at Stage 1 or 2 now and add parts later to reach a higher stage. Nothing gets wasted. Moving up isn’t only about adding parts, either — you can also upgrade the shocks themselves, stepping up to a remote reservoir, or to a reservoir with CDCV or CDXS adjustment. One limit worth knowing: 2.0-series shocks can’t be converted to 2.5-series, so that jump means buying new shocks. Any 2.5-series shock, though, can be upgraded to the next level up.
Heads up: the exact parts in each stage vary from truck to truck, because trucks are built differently. The idea stays the same: every step up means more travel and more control. Always check the parts list for your exact year, make, and model. If a stage on your truck doesn’t match what you read here, that’s normal — the parts list for your vehicle is the final word.
The stages at a glance
| Stage | What it adds | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | New shocks and springs. Your truck sits higher, rides smoother, and fits bigger tires. What that looks like varies: on a Tacoma or 4Runner, Stage 1 usually starts with an IR coilover up front and 2.0 rear shocks, while a Super Duty is arranged differently. | Mostly street driving, some dirt roads |
| Stage 2 | Same as Stage 1, plus shocks with an extra remote reservoir so they don’t overheat on long, bumpy drives. | Regular dirt roads, towing, longer trips off pavement |
| Stage 3–5 | Adds stronger arms that hold your front wheels at the correct angle after a lift. Some versions let you adjust ride firmness with a dial. | Real trail driving, lifted trucks with bigger tires |
| Stage 6+ | Upgrades almost everything, front and rear. The most travel, the most adjustment, the most control. | Serious off-roading: desert speed, heavy loads, competition |
The parts, in plain English
These names come up on every product page. Here’s what they mean:
Coilover
Spring and shock in one unit. Many are ride-height adjustable.
Remote reservoir
Extra oil volume and surface area, so the shock stays cool under long, hard use.
Upper control arm
Corrects wheel angle after a lift. The Delta Joint stays sealed off-road.
| The part | What it actually does |
|---|---|
| Coilover | A shock and spring built as one unit. It soaks up bumps and holds your truck at its new height. Many ICON coilovers are ride-height adjustable, and some offer extended travel — those versions typically require an aftermarket upper control arm. |
| Remote reservoir | An extra tank of fluid attached to the shock. More fluid = stays cooler = keeps working on long, rough drives. Like a bigger radiator for your shocks. The added surface area gives the oil more room to move and shed heat, so the shock keeps performing under heavy or harsh use. |
| Upper control arm (UCA) | The arm that connects your front wheel to the truck. Lifting a truck tilts the wheels slightly wrong — these arms fix that. A UCA also keeps your CV axles from over-extending once you add lift height. Billet arms let you adjust both camber and caster; tubular arms have caster correction built in. |
| Delta Joint | ICON’s tough, sealed joint inside the control arm. It moves freely off-road but is built to survive daily driving, rain, and road grime. See our full Delta Joint explainer for the deeper story. |
| CDCV | A dial on the shock with 10 settings. Turn it softer for the commute, firmer for the trail or a loaded truck. No tools needed. |
So which stage should you get?
Don’t buy for the truck you wish you drove. Buy for what you actually do:
- “I drive to work, and camping a few times a year.” Stage 1. You’ll get the lift, the look, and a better ride.
- “I tow, or I’m on dirt roads most weekends.” Stage 2. The extra shock cooling matters on long, washboard roads.
- “My truck is lifted with bigger tires and I hit real trails.” Stage 3–5. This is where the wheel-alignment parts come in — the first stage that fully fixes a lifted truck’s geometry.
- “My truck is loaded with overlanding gear.” Mid- to upper stages with the adjustable dial (CDCV), so you can firm things up when loaded and soften them when empty.
- “I drive fast in the desert.” Stage 6 and up. Maximum travel, maximum cooling, maximum control.
- “I honestly don’t know yet.” Start one stage lower than you think. The system is modular — you can always build up later.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to install a full stage all at once?
No. Stages build on each other. Start small and add parts over time — everything stays compatible. One exception worth knowing: 2.0-series shocks can’t be converted to 2.5-series, so that particular move means buying the shocks outright rather than upgrading what you have.
Is Stage 1 “cheap” or low quality?
Not at all. Every stage uses the same ICON engineering and build quality. Lower stages just include fewer parts.
Will a higher stage make my truck ride rough on the street?
No — ICON systems are tuned for both street and dirt. Stages with the CDCV dial even let you soften the ride for daily driving.
Can I put bigger tires on with any stage?
Every stage includes a lift that opens up tire clearance. Exactly how big you can go depends on your truck — check the notes on the product page for your model.
What if I pick the wrong stage?
You can’t really get stuck. Because the system is modular, a “wrong” pick is just a starting point — add the missing parts later and you’re at the next stage.
The bottom line
You don’t need to memorize part numbers. Just answer one question: where does your truck actually spend its time? Match that to a stage, and ICON’s engineering handles the rest.
Still deciding? Feel free to give us a call to talk to an ICON expert at (951) 689-4266, or visit an authorized dealer near you.
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