ICON Coilovers for Tacoma: 2.5 VS IR vs RR vs Extended Travel vs CDCV (2005–2023)

You lifted the Tacoma, or you're about to, and every forum thread says "just get ICON coilovers." Then you open the listings and it's 2.5 VS IR, 2.5 VS RR, Extended Travel, CDCV... and suddenly a simple upgrade turns into a decoder ring. Here's the short answer: for most 2005–2023 Tacomas that see pavement and dirt roads, the standard ICON 2.5 VS IR coilover kit is the right place to start. The extended-travel, remote-reservoir and CDCV versions earn their keep once you add upper control arms, drive hard on long dirt miles, or want to tune damping yourself.

The stock front end isn't built for how you actually use the truck

Factory Tacoma struts are tuned for an empty truck on pavement. Add a bit of lift, a set of 33s, a roof rack, a fridge and recovery gear, and the front end starts to wallow on washboard and dive under braking. ICON's 2.5 Series coilovers use vehicle-specific shock length and valving, a larger 2.5" shock body and more piston area than stock, which ICON says gives more travel and better ride quality on- and off-road.

You want lift you can adjust, not guess at

Every ICON 2.5 VS front coilover kit in this lineup is height-adjustable. Per ICON, that's 0–3.5" of front lift on 2005–2015 Tacomas and 0–2.75" on 2016–2023 trucks. That's enough to level the truck or clear bigger tires: ICON lists 33" x 11.50" as the recommended aftermarket tire size, with a note that anything bigger may need fender trimming. One fitment catch straight from ICON: these kits will not fit a 2WD Tacoma with 5 wheel lug studs. ICON also notes that 2017–2023 Tacoma TRD Pro models have a front lift height range of 0–1.25" over stock.

Then the alphabet soup hits

This is where most people stall out. All four kits share the same core: a 2.5" shock body, ICON coil springs, and a fully rebuildable design. So the real question is which of three upgrades you actually need. Here's what each one means, using ICON's own descriptions.

IR (internal reservoir): the everyday upgrade

The 2.5 VS IR coilover kit (ICON part 58630) keeps the oil reservoir inside the shock body, so it bolts into the factory location with no reservoirs to mount. ICON lists CAD-plated shock bodies, 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum CNC-machined parts and FK rod end bearings. It works with the factory upper control arms, which is why it's the coilover in ICON's Stage 1 and Stage 2 Tacoma systems.

Extended Travel: more droop, but it needs arms

The Extended Travel 2.5 VS IR kit (part 58635) is a longer coilover for more wheel travel. ICON is clear that the extended-travel length requires aftermarket front upper control arms. If you're not adding UCAs, this isn't your shock.

RR (remote reservoir): for long, hard dirt miles

The Extended Travel 2.5 VS RR kit (part 58735) moves extra oil into a remote reservoir. According to ICON, that greatly increases oil volume and heat-shedding surface area, so the shock resists overheating and cavitation under hard use, which is what causes damper fade on long corrugated roads. ICON includes sway bar relocation brackets, reservoir mounting brackets for tire clearance, a billet aluminum upper mount and a 5/8" PTFE-lined spherical bearing. It's also extended travel, so it needs aftermarket UCAs.

CDCV: adjustable compression damping

The Extended Travel 2.5 VS RR CDCV kit (part 58735C) is the RR kit plus ICON's Compression Damping Control Valves. CDCV controls fluid flow under compression, and ICON lists 10 external compression-damping settings so you can dial the front end firmer or softer by hand depending on whether you're on the highway, crawling rocks or running fast desert roads.

Which ICON coilover fits your Tacoma build

Daily driver with weekend dirt: start with the standard 2.5 VS IR on factory arms.
Adding UCAs for more droop and alignment at full lift: step to Extended Travel IR.
Loaded overland rig doing long washboard days: Extended Travel RR.
You want to tune it yourself: Extended Travel RR CDCV.

Don't forget the parts that go with it

If you go extended travel, pair it with ICON upper control arms: the Tubular UCA Delta Joint kit or the Billet UCA Delta Joint kit. ICON also recommends matching the front with its 2.0 or 2.5 Aluminum Series rear shocks so the truck stays balanced front to rear, such as the ICON 1.5–3" rear 2.0 RR shocks for the 2005–2023 Tacoma. Whenever you change ride height or arms, get a professional alignment.

The easy way to get it right

If you'd rather buy the whole front and rear as one matched system, ICON's Tacoma stages bundle these coilovers with rear shocks and, at Stage 3 and up, the UCAs. Our ICON Stage 1 vs Stage 2 vs Stage 3 guide walks through what's in each box. You can also browse the full ICON Vehicle Dynamics collection. If you just want the front coilovers, start with the ICON 2.5 VS IR coilover kit for the 2005–2023 Tacoma and build from there.

Not sure which kit fits your truck? Email info@ventureoverlandcompany.com or call 612-482-8159 with your year, cab, drivetrain, current lift and tire size, and we'll match the right ICON setup to how you actually drive.

FAQ

What's the difference between ICON IR and RR coilovers?

IR (internal reservoir) keeps the shock oil inside the body for a simple bolt-in install. RR (remote reservoir) adds an external reservoir that ICON says greatly increases oil volume and heat dissipation, so the shock resists fade under hard, sustained use.

Do ICON Extended Travel coilovers need upper control arms on a Tacoma?

Yes. ICON states that the extended-travel length requires aftermarket front upper control arms on the 2005–2023 Tacoma.

How much lift do ICON 2.5 coilovers give a Tacoma?

ICON lists 0–3.5" of adjustable front lift on 2005–2015 Tacomas and 0–2.75" on 2016–2023 Tacomas.