Flatout Trail Runner, in-depth look..

For as long as people have been lifting cars that weren't meant to be lifted, there has been a product hole in the market. Other companies offer spacer lifts which are great for ground clearance on a budget. Then there are spring/ shock-spring/ strut combos...some are "meh" and others are a bit pricy and lack any adjustability. Then you have what we're known for - fully adjustable coilover suspensions.

In our quest to lift the world, we set our sights on the mid-level market...the people that are intimidated by coilovers (and think just because it's a coilover, it's going to ride harsh, so it's never an option) often find themselves looking into the assembled strut/ shock options. You have your entry-level offerings, your slightly better on sale 24/7/365 offering and then a massive leap to the top. But, all of those options lack one thing...adjustable damping. That's where we set our sights.

We had a few 'non-negotiables' in bringing these to market:

Adjustable Dampers:

This was a no-brainer. Nothing else exists in a pre-packaged, ready to go, ready to lift option. Our dampers have 10 points of adjustment; 1 - Offroad, ramping up to 5 - OEM ride, ramping up to 10 - A "sport" version of an OEM shock. Just turn the dial to 5, drive every day. When you want to be a Trail Runner, go to 1. Quick and easy adjustment. Knobs are in an easily accessible location on the side of the shock body.

OEM-Like Ride Quality:

This one was easy. As our assemblies use OEM-spec springs, you'll get an OEM-like ride.

As many OEM parts as possible:

This one is important. Suspension is a wear item. It's constantly moving, you can't avoid it. In the construction of the Trail Runner, we set up with suppliers of OEM-spec parts (including aforementioned springs). This does a few things. If you break a shock top mount, run to your local auto parts store and grab a replacement. But it also leads into our next key factor..

Cross Compatibility:

We want these to be modular. So using common parts, the Trail Runner can accept top mounted spacers (for more height) from any manufacturer that adapts to the OEM top mount. Our perches are OEM spec so it can use a spring from OEM to any manufacturer that pair with an OEM spec shock. You can upgrade these with lift springs, overload springs, etc. You can change the top mounts to any top mount designed for the OEM shock. If someone makes a heavy-duty top mount meant for the OEM shock, they'll work. On vehicles using leaf springs, we provide lift shackles, but you can also change the leaf spring with no compatibility concerns.

No Loud Colors:

One complaint we saw a lot was people wishing "that suspension wasn't that color." Our goal was to make this as OEM-like as possible, so we made the suspension all black. It doesn't draw unwanted attention. When you take your car in for service, there's less chance of someone's attention going to your suspension.

Price/ Value:

These are obviously more expensive than other offerings, but those other offerings offer less, so that makes sense. We wanted these to be priced below our GR lineup, but building adjustable shocks takes more parts and they cost more. But, these are priced less than some of the other assembled kits that don't give you adjustable dampers.

So, how do these provide lift? Well, we have three ways of doing this - some use all three, some will use two, it depends on the shock itself, available geometry, etc. 1. Increase body length. 2. Raise the perch height. 3. Increase length of the shock rod. Doing alterations in multiple areas helps to spread the lift out. If we just increased body length, that would just push the suspension down - so it'd be an expensive strut top spacer type of lift. Using multiple targeted areas, we are able to increase droop, increase compression stroke range and not put any additional stress on key areas. These are about longevity, because what good are they if we push them to the limits and they fail offroad?

If you are looking for an easy way to lift your car/ crossover/ SUV, with no set up, no maintenance, and no fuss; then this is the suspension that's for you.

What one of our customers had to say:

"I swapped out the OEM suspension for the Trail Runner and couldn't be happier. It took about 3 hours in my garage. Installation was straight forward and the result was very satisfying. I am now 2 inches taller all around. So far the ride quality is very similar to OEM. This is with the dampening dials set to five. I'm excited to test out the other settings on different terrains. I was also pleased that I didn't need to recalibrate the Subaru eyesight. Everything works as it should and I recommend this kit for anyone looking for a lift with easy installation and a similar ride feel."