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Ironman 4x4 ATS Lift kit

18K views 58 replies 18 participants last post by  Rav4-lim  
#1 · (Edited)
Does anyone have any real reasons as to why they aren't getting the Iron Man new lift kit for the gen 5 rav4?? I see some people getting it installed and loving it & then others who don't even have it saying not to.... lol
I personally have it already & will be installing this weekend. Haven't seen any issues so far out of the box. Will be testing it out extensively as we are in the harsh Nevada desert over here asap. Haven't seen much discussion about it on here
 
#2 ·
I'm kind of interested in your experience installing it and trying it out. Are you doing the work or having a shop do it? Let us know what the ride quality is like both on and off road post-install.

Though I don't think I'll be doing this (hmmm 🤔), I'll admit I'm a little jealous. I came from the FJ Cruiser community and did several mods to that ride that I enjoyed installing and using. I've been a little less adventurous with my RAV... I've heard generally positive things about the Iron Man 4x4 products and they tend to run a few good sales through the year.
 
#3 ·
I’m having a friend who works on yotas install it for me. I absolutely will check in after at least two weeks after install. Have a trip to off road planned to test it out.
I’ve heard generally good things about the company as well. They are based in Australia & cater to the off roading out there.. they did R&D before releasing it so I don’t see why they would put out a bad one to ruin peoples cars.
 
#9 ·
Here's my initial experience with the Ironman ATS kit. Ironman ATS Lift Kit and Wildpeak ATs - feedback

After not being able to sort out the vibration and knocking noise, I had the entire kit removed, and I'm back on stock suspension with both the vibration and knocking noise now gone completely. Honestly, for a product to break after its first actual use off-road is disheartening to say the least. I removed the kit as I wasn't prepared to deal with warranty issues if the actual damage was anything other than the shocks themselves, as Toyota can easily point to the aftermarket kit and claim that as the cause. Not a great experience with iron man products, unfortunately. I hope others have a better experience than I did.
 
#10 ·
Here's my initial experience with the Ironman ATS kit. Ironman ATS Lift Kit and Wildpeak ATs - feedback

After not being able to sort out the vibration and knocking noise, I had the entire kit removed, and I'm back on stock suspension with both the vibration and knocking noise now gone completely.
Almost any lift kit can have problems due to the increased angle of the CV axles, which can bind up, thus causing a catching feel.

Many other lift kits have spacers to lower the rear differential case, thus reducing the rear CV axle angle. The Ironman lift kit does not show spacers, thus they would have greater CV angles and greater problems with the CV joints binding. (BTW, lowering the rear case reduces the ground clearance which, IMO, negates the main reason for a lift kit in the first place).
 
#11 ·
Yeah, I just wish Ironman4x4 had done a better job at testing thier kit. I'm not the only one who's had vibration issues and a knocking shock after a bit of off-road driving. Anyone installing this needs to be prepared for possible issues. The guys who did mine have stopped offering it to customers because they don't want any comebacks after my experience.
 
#12 ·
Sorry to hear that it didn't work out, the setup definitely looked promising. Hopefully Ironman will make improvements to the kit. Too bad KYB is not interested in our corner of the market, there is a JAOS kit in Japan for the RAV but the lift is only 40mm or so.

Cheers
 
#13 · (Edited)
Ok everyone..... after a month and a half of having it on here is my review SO FAR! Now, I will be doing another one once the kit has been on for 6 months.

So far my overall experience with it has been great. We have taken it off roading, a few couple hour trips, & fully loaded up the rav. Now... the part everyone is wondering about... Do we have shakes?? Yes... I have very very minor shakes between 15-20MPH. Now what I'm not sure about is if its caused from where it was installed (friend who works on toyotas) or if its the CV's yelling at me lol. I have an appointment with Toyota (july 18th) for a service & i was going to have them check it out them. I've had close friends get their kits installed at Iron Man themselves with no issues at all(some with bigger tires then mine). On the trail is handles like BUTTER. I had the Eibach coils on before & they were so rough compared to these. From speeding down washboard roads to washed out forest roads it felt great. @daveasher34 mentioned a knocking noise but I have not heard that in any way on or off pavement. I did not get the chance to take any photos before! IM SORRY EVERYONE!!! Sag is a bit better compared to Eibachs when fully loaded but I also didn't want them to be TOO stiff as I like the comfort of a nice ride. I'm not too sure what else you guys want to know about but i am available for any questions.

I did reach out to Iron Man to see if they know other people are having this issue & what they suggested for it. They did respond saying they didn't know about anyone having this issue & suggested an alignment. But I have had 3 alignments since getting installed & a tire balance which they are aware of. Will keep updated on this also as they would like an update after appointment at Toyota so i will share how it goes with them after.
 
#21 ·
Ok everyone I apologize for the delay in update.. the situation has definitely escalated so I've been talking to a higher up in the company. Toyota did determine the lift is what's causing the shaking... NOW before everyone gets discouraged right away (the part that's been taking so long) is I have been trying to work with them on getting a solution. I don't know what that excat solution is at this time. As you guys have to understand they are a HUGE company so things take time, even a simple email can take a week or two to hear back on. I cant speak on much yet because I want to give them a chance but the second I can tell y'all, I will.

Thank you!
 
#22 ·
Ok everyone I apologize for the delay in update.. the situation has definitely escalated so I've been talking to a higher up in the company. Toyota did determine the lift is what's causing the shaking... NOW before everyone gets discouraged right away (the part that's been taking so long) is I have been trying to work with them on getting a solution. I don't know what that excat solution is at this time. As you guys have to understand they are a HUGE company so things take time, even a simple email can take a week or two to hear back on. I cant speak on much yet because I want to give them a chance but the second I can tell y'all, I will.

Thank you!
Thanks for the update! I’ve been close to pulling the trigger on the kit, but these stories are a little worrisome. I’ve emailed Ironman a few times, but have never gotten a response. Will try calling tomorrow. I’ve only heard great things about the company and the products looks great. But maybe the RAV4 kit needs a little more R&D.
 
#23 ·
Wish I would have read this sooner.. after visiting the Ironman booth at Overland Expo West, I decided to pull the trigger on the lift and take advantage of their Labor Day sale. 
The shop I brought my Rav to has been fantastic and providing great customer service (even on part of Ironman - they are an authorized dealer) but I have been having all the same issues.. 
The shop has provided me with responses from Ironman;
In regards to the vibration while accelerating in the lower speeds, Ironman stated “it’s a rav thing” the shop asked on and they said “we heard some vehicles have had luck with adjusting the weight.” Shop tried and said it did nothing. 
I have been getting noises from the rear and we replaced the sway bar links, and was still getting noises and Ironman says “the rear springs will pop out from where they sit and they have to be reinserted, sometimes driving on them will help them settle and stay in place”
So this weekend I am tasked with hitting some trails to try to settle them. 
Lastly, I’ve been getting noise from the front and the shop suspects that the strut is bad from Ironman. But I read in another post someone was experiencing a clunking noise and I wonder if it’s not the same issue. 
It sits nice, looks great and I feel like it has potential. Doesn’t sound like there are any solutions?
 
#26 ·
In regards to the vibration while accelerating in the lower speeds, Ironman stated “it’s a rav thing”
Ouch, that's a pretty poor response. Ahh, what a bummer! I actually ordered the kit during the Labor Day sale as well, but haven't had time to schedule an install yet. Now I'm wondering if I should just return it. I was really looking forward to having extra ground clearance and better performance, but it just seems like Ironman is not properly supporting the Rav4 at this time and I'll be chasing a money pit dead end. It would be great if they actually cared to hop on these forums and chime in. For every person I've heard not having issues, there are two who do. Not a great success rate.

Is it just too much added height? I wonder what the issue is.
 
#24 ·
Ok everyone I apologize for the delay in update.. the situation has definitely escalated so I've been talking to a higher up in the company. Toyota did determine the lift is what's causing the shaking... NOW before everyone gets discouraged right away (the part that's been taking so long) is I have been trying to work with them on getting a solution. I don't know what that excat solution is at this time. As you guys have to understand they are a HUGE company so things take time, even a simple email can take a week or two to hear back on. I cant speak on much yet because I want to give them a chance but the second I can tell y'all, I will.

Thank you!
Hey Reaper,
You working with Toyota or Ironman?
 
#27 ·
W/O new A-arms, I would be hesitant to lift a Rav4. I would imagine this is why the TRD Off-Road only gets approx. ÂĽ" of lift over standard Rav4s. You're changing the angles too much at 2" and there's not enough adjustment or you're at the very limits of adjustment and why some people get no vibrations and some people get vibrations. I would assume that as the Ironman front coils/shocks soften a bit, you'll get back into the adjustment range.
 
#28 ·
Ok I’m going to attempt the install this weekend with a friend since I never returned them. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Will see how it goes.

This might be a stupid question, but Jefe if the full 2” lift is possibly what’s causing the shakes because of CV angle, is it possible to cut the springs by a .5-1” or so to strike a better balance? So it’d be a shorter lift, but improved suspension. Again, showing my ignorance here, but just curious if that could be a solution.
 
#31 ·
UPDATE! I'm not sure if this will notify everyone but here we go lol

Toyota said there is nothing else they can do except suggest upgraded CV's (which we know, don't exist at the moment). We had a friend at SEMA this year who asked Iron Man about the knocking issue & they stated they had a solution for it, for people to reach out to them so they can tell them what they can do, but I'm not sure what EXCATLY that is at the moment. I did mention it to Iron Man I am having that same "knocking issue" after hitting a pothole like others. They want me to be very specially identify what's causing the noise. I'm waiting on my mechanic to have free time to check it out. Once they let me know I will share it here. Besides that, overall, still a good lift kit. NO issues at all on the trail or dirt service roads. I have noticed as time goes by its less & less. Even in different modes. Eco I can BARLEY feel it & even in sport its nothing compared to how it was before. My theory is since it's such a stiff lift kit it's going to take a while to FULLY settle. We had ours installed May & it's been 7 months since then & its day & night compared to before.

I had a full inspection yesterday at Toyota as we were buying out our lease & they didn't mention anything concerning which made me happy lol

One last time to add, I'm sad they added the spring load options AFTER I got mine. I was one of the firsts so it wasn't even an option & now if I want the stiffer coils (because if that was an option when buying I would have gotten it) I would have to pay more ;(

Thats all for now! As things happen, I will keep updating here.
 
#33 ·
Ok everyone..... This will be our last update.


The last update mentioned CV shakes, which we are going to be adding subframe spacers to eliminate that. As anything above 2inches it is recommended to keep the cv axles as close to spec as possible. Which is what I was told by Toyota when the rav was taken to get looked at.
Well in November we went out to Utah for work and off roading. We were on a service road, hit a pothole & finally heard that noise everyone talks about. It was the loudest bang I've ever heard coming from the lift kit. After babying it & coming back home every bump we hit we would hear it. Few weeks later we were running errands around the city, hit a pothole & the sound stopped. Almost like it pop itself back into place. Come January we have a new noise coming from we thought were the coils. Every time we would pull into a parking spot or pull out (brakes or not) its making what sounds like knocking noise. Even at traffic lights when the light turns green and we hit the gas. Almost like the coils are trying to settle or hitting the strut. As someone who doesn't drive much for work (6 miles to be exact) & then minor off roading on the weekends this is super concerning.
We were already in contact with a few people at Iron Man by this point, but the responses were few and far in-between with no solution (at least not mentioned to us from them). We had updated them with every issue along the way. At this point we have paid Toyota to look at the rav twice, we had paid our mechanic twice to look at it, got the alignment they suggested & paid to get the rav weighed at a truck stop like they wanted.
So, after my last email on 4/4/24 with no response, again, I'm going to be changing the kit. I'm worried it is now damaging the rav4 and I can't afford we keep having it looked at with no help. Especially when the kit comes with a 4-year warranty and it's been MAYBE a year since install and MAYBE 7,000 miles on it. I'm going to be adding the Subframe Spacers that were mentioned and going with the Northwoods Performance lift kit while keeping the iron man struts as I've never had an issue with those.

I want to take a moment to say sorry to all of you.. I know you were wanting an update way sooner, but I was holding out hoping Iron Man would give me a solution we could do that i could report back with. This is all super disappointing as we RELY on our lift kits to preform to what they promise. Epically when you're in the middle of nowhere. I've spent COUNTLESS hours in this Rav4 over the past 3 years and all these new noises came from the kit after installing it. We also had the Eibach coils on with a heaver setup & no issues. Tried to keep this as positive as possible but all we can do at this point is share our experience.



Trying to make an effort to check this more but if anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out on Instagram as we are on there more often!
 
#34 ·
Ok everyone..... This will be our last update.


The last update mentioned CV shakes, which we are going to be adding subframe spacers to eliminate that. As anything above 2inches it is recommended to keep the cv axles as close to spec as possible. Which is what I was told by Toyota when the rav was taken to get looked at.
Well in November we went out to Utah for work and off roading. We were on a service road, hit a pothole & finally heard that noise everyone talks about. It was the loudest bang I've ever heard coming from the lift kit. After babying it & coming back home every bump we hit we would hear it. Few weeks later we were running errands around the city, hit a pothole & the sound stopped. Almost like it pop itself back into place. Come January we have a new noise coming from we thought were the coils. Every time we would pull into a parking spot or pull out (brakes or not) its making what sounds like knocking noise. Even at traffic lights when the light turns green and we hit the gas. Almost like the coils are trying to settle or hitting the strut. As someone who doesn't drive much for work (6 miles to be exact) & then minor off roading on the weekends this is super concerning.
We were already in contact with a few people at Iron Man by this point, but the responses were few and far in-between with no solution (at least not mentioned to us from them). We had updated them with every issue along the way. At this point we have paid Toyota to look at the rav twice, we had paid our mechanic twice to look at it, got the alignment they suggested & paid to get the rav weighed at a truck stop like they wanted.
So, after my last email on 4/4/24 with no response, again, I'm going to be changing the kit. I'm worried it is now damaging the rav4 and I can't afford we keep having it looked at with no help. Especially when the kit comes with a 4-year warranty and it's been MAYBE a year since install and MAYBE 7,000 miles on it. I'm going to be adding the Subframe Spacers that were mentioned and going with the Northwoods Performance lift kit while keeping the iron man struts as I've never had an issue with those.

I want to take a moment to say sorry to all of you.. I know you were wanting an update way sooner, but I was holding out hoping Iron Man would give me a solution we could do that i could report back with. This is all super disappointing as we RELY on our lift kits to preform to what they promise. Epically when you're in the middle of nowhere. I've spent COUNTLESS hours in this Rav4 over the past 3 years and all these new noises came from the kit after installing it. We also had the Eibach coils on with a heaver setup & no issues. Tried to keep this as positive as possible but all we can do at this point is share our experience.



Trying to make an effort to check this more but if anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out on Instagram as we are on there more often!

If it’s any help, I’m on Eibach springs and Ironman struts and am still having issues with noises. I read somewhere that a design flaw on the Ironman struts is what is causing the bang. When I’m rolling at low speeds over mild bumps (parking lots included) I get a rattle almost as if the struts are shot but that doesn’t happen 100% of the time.
 
#46 ·
Reading all of this and thinking “damn, I really wanted to lift 2” more on my rav4 adventure” but all this reviews says otherwise. Mine is a daily deiver and family vehicle so hearing noises like that compromises the ride quality on and pretty new vehicles by making it sound like an old one. Guess I’ll settle with the eibachs for now.