New SUSPENSION offering incoming: We are solving this problem head on! We're working with Dobinsons suspension and Perry Parts to produce a lift strut with longer travel and improved bottom out feel. These struts alone will provide 1.75" of lift. We are working on a combination kit similar to what I'm running in this video and HD rear springs will be available as well.
Awesome honest video Ian!! As you know, I too run a Frankenstein Lift kit, haha. It's so unfortunate that Eibach discontinued their lift Springs. I ran the Traxda 2" kit from 8K to 51K and then the 3.5" kit from 51K to 121K. But here's my current Frankenstein setup that was put together by Manny from New Age Performance: FRONT -NO STRUT SPACER (shocking right?) -2023 Pilot Trailsport Struts modified by New Age Performance with strut extenders -Eibach Lift Springs for Ridgeline -New Age Performance Subframe spacers (They're 1.5" or taller) Mid Subframe -Traxda 1" sub frame spacers REAR -NO STRUT SPACER (again, shocking right?) -Bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks -New Age Performance shock extenders -Eibach lift springs -2x Sumo Spring helpers (because of my heavy build) -New Age Performance Subframe spacers (great than 1") -Swapped Ridgeline control arms Because of my decently heavy build (still within limits though), I find the Traxda Rock Sliders to be such an important part of stiffening and bracing the chassis to resist twisting forces and limit body roll. It's amazing how my Passport Handles with these mods and having about 4.25" of lift and 33" tires (measured at 32" diameter which is 2.5" taller than stock, which effectively gives a 1.25" lift for a total lift of 5.75".
Thanks for the good info Ian. I want to really thank you for my skid plates and undercarriage setup I got from you. Oh, and those cat skid spacers you sent out were the answer to remove the intermittent rattle I had (between skid and cat). I recommend your products to anyone that has a Honda Passport/Ridgeline/Pilot.
I have a Frankenstein kit too! Front: Flatout lift struts (video review coming soon), Subframe drop: 1” HRG Rear: two eBay spacers welded to 3 1/4” total lift Moog 81649 rear springs Tuff Country 62201 rear shocks (longer than stock shocks) Firestone W237604135 rear air-springs (I tow a pontoon boat).
@@awshupe5705 I like the 17" wheels personal. +20-30mm Offset is going to get you to flush. Bora if you want to do spacers. I don't run any, many others have had luck with them. I've been a Toyo fan boy as of late. I enjoyed the Yokohama MTs I used to run.
I know yourself, Manny at NA, and potentially a few others are messing with suspension setups (not just lift spacer kits); I'd love a video about that when you're comfortable sharing your findings. Especially for those of us not lucky enough to get the Eibach springs.
Hey there thank you for this info! I think I understood what you're saying... I'm wondering if you feel confident that the combo HRG 2.5" lift plus the Traxda axle relocation kit will address all the drive part issues that we see without a subframe drop? or does the HRG kit you're recommending include the subframe drop kit? (I'm a real novice to this and got lucky with my Honda Element by installing an 2" Aerogenics lift kit which handled everything.) It doesn't look like there's a real "plug-n-play" for the Ridgeline. I want more clearance for two tracks/camping etc. Thanks for any insight.
The HRG2.5" kit comes with the 1" subframe drop. That gets your geometry back to into a very safe place. That allows the axle relocation to work well. The end result is a beefier look but its not miles high! Also, We're going to be releasing details shortly on our lift strut for the ridgeline. We've partnered with the best in the business and we're excited.
Love your point of view and impartial take on the spacer lift front. What's your take on the Flatout coilovers since they're the only non-spacer suspension option offered out there? Especially given the mixed reviews, JonDZ and Manny's aversion to them, and even CampingRandy having some issues with them as of late according to his latest TH-cam live? Is it worth to keep waiting for another option from those like Manny, or is it worth going with Flatout now?
I've never talked with anyone at flatout so I have no personal experience. The theme seems to be love them or hate them. They require people to be very involved with their suspension and I'd say most people aren't there and don't care. They just want a lift and for it to ride the same. So spacer lifts work very well. I'd say some of Manny and Jon's stuff may be to extreme for people as well. They're going for max flex on stock axles and trying to accommodate the full Overland builds at the same time. A spring and strut lift right off the shelf isn't here just yet.
@no-lodesigns Thank you very much for the reply! I'm looking for more travel for faster off-roading rather than rock climbing...with tempered expectations. I know I'm not going to get to Baja Ridgeline territory without the big bucks, but I'd be happy with 2-3 more inches of travel over stock. I'll keep researching.
I think 2" subframe drops are going to become standard affair for the people pushing the platform. I'd say they're in there early stages. I'm glad to see them offered.
Will your skid plates work without a lift at all? Also I have a 24 Ridgeline will they fit? (on your website it shows they fit only to model year 2023).
Dealers and aftermarket parts seem to me, to be a deal preference... Either way, it is expensive when compared to others kits because of how it's made. The 1.5" kits are all going to cause the same amount of strain on the drivetrain. Some use different quality of parts. Not sure if that was helpful. Let you know if you have a follow up. Thanks,
I couldn't find where to buy the 1.5" front and 1" rear lift. Do you offer that? Also, does that allow for a different tire size or is the stock tire size still best for that? Thanks!
I'm looking at doing a 1.5/1" kit also for my 2023 touring pilot with the 20" HFP wheels. I love the wheels and just want a little more clearance. Recommendations please. Its either a kit or wait for the next Pilot Trailsport in 2026/27.
I'm not aware one way or another. The kits I mentioned maintain a near factory drive line angle. Honda may call your bluff if a CV dies but between Myself and other there are probably over a million miles with these lifts. You're more likely to damage the CV during installation than to have a problem down the road.
New SUSPENSION offering incoming: We are solving this problem head on! We're working with Dobinsons suspension and Perry Parts to produce a lift strut with longer travel and improved bottom out feel. These struts alone will provide 1.75" of lift. We are working on a combination kit similar to what I'm running in this video and HD rear springs will be available as well.
Awesome honest video Ian!! As you know, I too run a Frankenstein Lift kit, haha. It's so unfortunate that Eibach discontinued their lift Springs. I ran the Traxda 2" kit from 8K to 51K and then the 3.5" kit from 51K to 121K. But here's my current Frankenstein setup that was put together by Manny from New Age Performance:
FRONT
-NO STRUT SPACER (shocking right?)
-2023 Pilot Trailsport Struts modified by New Age Performance with strut extenders
-Eibach Lift Springs for Ridgeline
-New Age Performance Subframe spacers (They're 1.5" or taller)
Mid Subframe
-Traxda 1" sub frame spacers
REAR
-NO STRUT SPACER (again, shocking right?)
-Bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks
-New Age Performance shock extenders
-Eibach lift springs
-2x Sumo Spring helpers (because of my heavy build)
-New Age Performance Subframe spacers (great than 1")
-Swapped Ridgeline control arms
Because of my decently heavy build (still within limits though), I find the Traxda Rock Sliders to be such an important part of stiffening and bracing the chassis to resist twisting forces and limit body roll. It's amazing how my Passport Handles with these mods and having about 4.25" of lift and 33" tires (measured at 32" diameter which is 2.5" taller than stock, which effectively gives a 1.25" lift for a total lift of 5.75".
Thanks for sharing your build front to back Jon!
Thanks for the good info Ian. I want to really thank you for my skid plates and undercarriage setup I got from you. Oh, and those cat skid spacers you sent out were the answer to remove the intermittent rattle I had (between skid and cat). I recommend your products to anyone that has a Honda Passport/Ridgeline/Pilot.
Thank you, Sir!
I have a Frankenstein kit too!
Front:
Flatout lift struts (video review coming soon),
Subframe drop: 1” HRG
Rear:
two eBay spacers welded to 3 1/4” total lift
Moog 81649 rear springs
Tuff Country 62201 rear shocks (longer than stock shocks)
Firestone W237604135 rear air-springs (I tow a pontoon boat).
Great video. What are your thoughts on wheels, wheel spacers, and wheel backspacing? Also, what 32” tires do you recommend?
@@awshupe5705 I like the 17" wheels personal. +20-30mm Offset is going to get you to flush. Bora if you want to do spacers. I don't run any, many others have had luck with them.
I've been a Toyo fan boy as of late. I enjoyed the Yokohama MTs I used to run.
@@no-lodesigns what wheels are you running, if you don’t mind me asking?
@@awshupe5705 I'm running a vision flow in a +30mm 17x8
I know yourself, Manny at NA, and potentially a few others are messing with suspension setups (not just lift spacer kits); I'd love a video about that when you're comfortable sharing your findings. Especially for those of us not lucky enough to get the Eibach springs.
Hey there thank you for this info! I think I understood what you're saying... I'm wondering if you feel confident that the combo HRG 2.5" lift plus the Traxda axle relocation kit will address all the drive part issues that we see without a subframe drop? or does the HRG kit you're recommending include the subframe drop kit? (I'm a real novice to this and got lucky with my Honda Element by installing an 2" Aerogenics lift kit which handled everything.) It doesn't look like there's a real "plug-n-play" for the Ridgeline. I want more clearance for two tracks/camping etc. Thanks for any insight.
The HRG2.5" kit comes with the 1" subframe drop. That gets your geometry back to into a very safe place. That allows the axle relocation to work well. The end result is a beefier look but its not miles high!
Also,
We're going to be releasing details shortly on our lift strut for the ridgeline. We've partnered with the best in the business and we're excited.
Great information and thank you for sharing 🙌🏻
Love your point of view and impartial take on the spacer lift front. What's your take on the Flatout coilovers since they're the only non-spacer suspension option offered out there? Especially given the mixed reviews, JonDZ and Manny's aversion to them, and even CampingRandy having some issues with them as of late according to his latest TH-cam live? Is it worth to keep waiting for another option from those like Manny, or is it worth going with Flatout now?
I've never talked with anyone at flatout so I have no personal experience. The theme seems to be love them or hate them. They require people to be very involved with their suspension and I'd say most people aren't there and don't care. They just want a lift and for it to ride the same. So spacer lifts work very well. I'd say some of Manny and Jon's stuff may be to extreme for people as well. They're going for max flex on stock axles and trying to accommodate the full Overland builds at the same time. A spring and strut lift right off the shelf isn't here just yet.
@no-lodesigns Thank you very much for the reply! I'm looking for more travel for faster off-roading rather than rock climbing...with tempered expectations. I know I'm not going to get to Baja Ridgeline territory without the big bucks, but I'd be happy with 2-3 more inches of travel over stock. I'll keep researching.
"For a Ridgeline" come on now, F all the haters!
I keep seeing HRG 4.5 kit but have yet to see a review on them, what’s your take.
I think 2" subframe drops are going to become standard affair for the people pushing the platform. I'd say they're in there early stages. I'm glad to see them offered.
Will your skid plates work without a lift at all? Also I have a 24 Ridgeline will they fit? (on your website it shows they fit only to model year 2023).
Yes. We designed them to work with the stock truck and then worked to make them fit with the different lifts.
I don't hear the jsport kit being mentioned much. It looks to be more expensive but it's one my Honda dealership supports. Thoughts? Thanks.
Dealers and aftermarket parts seem to me, to be a deal preference...
Either way, it is expensive when compared to others kits because of how it's made. The 1.5" kits are all going to cause the same amount of strain on the drivetrain. Some use different quality of parts.
Not sure if that was helpful. Let you know if you have a follow up.
Thanks,
👍🇨🇦🤠
How you feel about the Truxxx 2” pavement princess just to fit a 31” tire ?
I couldn't find where to buy the 1.5" front and 1" rear lift. Do you offer that? Also, does that allow for a different tire size or is the stock tire size still best for that? Thanks!
Which vehicle are what year are we talking about?
I'm looking at doing a 1.5/1" kit also for my 2023 touring pilot with the 20" HFP wheels. I love the wheels and just want a little more clearance. Recommendations please. Its either a kit or wait for the next Pilot Trailsport in 2026/27.
Are there any lift kits that don't void the warranty now that the Pilot Trailsport is out?
I'm not aware one way or another. The kits I mentioned maintain a near factory drive line angle. Honda may call your bluff if a CV dies but between Myself and other there are probably over a million miles with these lifts. You're more likely to damage the CV during installation than to have a problem down the road.