AirLift 1000 air bag installed

[BruceTS]

Since I don't want to hijack another thread, I started this as a new topic......


For starters Lars Dennert did this mod a few years back and I have been wanting to do it for a while, but after my last trip to Johnson's Valley the decision was set in stone.....hehe


Joyce was having issues with her 4Runner sagging badly after I installed her tire carrier and she packed up for her trip to Moab. Her rig was riding on the bumpstops, so I suggested installing AirLift bags. They are so simple to install that I decided to do mine next, thank's to Joyce giving me a belated B-Day present, I finally got around to doing my rig as well.....

Here's a link to Lar's install, I did Joyce's the same way.....
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/larsdennert/4runner/airlift/


http://img242.imagevenue.com/loc137/th_07761_airbags_122_137lo.jpg (http://img242.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=07761_airbags_122_137lo.jpg)

Now as for my install, I had to route the air lines down towards the axle instead of the way Lar's did his, because of my dual spring set-up.



How do the bags work at full compression? Like if you were to stuff a tire on an obstacle?


Both air bags are linke together, this will allow the bags to compress easier when articulated.



Curious, can these Bags be installed in the LC coils that I will be running eventually?



yes, they can be installed in any spring combination, you may need to vary from the installation instructions a bit, depending on lift....



When I get a chance to play offroad I'll get some shots with it articulated..

tomorrow if I get done wiring my garage for 220v, I might build a RTI ramp........

[slosurfer]

Nice! :thumbup: I plan on installing a set of these in my van soon. Looking forward to your articulation shots.

[Skrillah]

I too have these bags, and have had them for about a year and half now. They have held up really well and I keep them at constant 30psi or so. The ride is stiff but I have grown used to it and I can easily load the rear full of crap without worry.

Good luck with yours, looks like a nice job on the install.

[SD4runner]

Yeah, I've wanted to do this as well. Even with the amount of lift I have, when I load up for camping trips, I am just about riding on my bumpstops.

I put a set on my dad's Tundra, and they have been great.

Where did you end up purchasing these at?

[BruceTS]

I got mine as a gift, but here's the best price I was able to find


http://www.autoanything.com/suspension-systems/61A2966A0A0A2180535.aspx

[YotaFun]

Not a bad price!

[Bob98SR5]

The ride is stiff but I have grown used to it and I can easily load the rear full of crap without worry.


ok, so the benefit is that you can adjust based on load, but are they so stiff that the ride is not that comfortable? so for example, if you aired down to, say, 25psi, does that mean the vehicel's rear end height decreases and the ride is still stiff? Or height decreases and softer ride? i'm getting confused here :confused:

[BruceTS]

re-read his comments, he keep his at 30 psi all the time, so when it's unloaded the ride will be stiff....

[Bob98SR5]

bruce,

i understand what he wrote hence the 2nd part of the question. so since you have them, at lower psi, i assume they will deflate and become shorter in height and less stiff...or is that assumption incorrect? thats what i'd like to know.

[slosurfer]

bruce,

i understand what he wrote hence the 2nd part of the question. so since you have them, at lower psi, i assume they will deflate and become shorter in height and less stiff...or is that assumption incorrect? thats what i'd like to know.


Bob, the less psi you have in them, the closer your ride will get back to what it was before the bags. Most people don't keep them at a very high psi when unloaded. That's kind of the point of them, to adjust them, to keep your handling with varying loads.

[Skrillah]

Bob,

Yes, you are correct. As you deflate they do lose their "stiffness" but not by considerable amount unless you cut the pressure at least in half (15psi). Having the bags in there is almost like having a block in there. When the rear gets lifted up while driving say when you hit a dip in the road or something, when the truck comes back down it gets stopped pretty abruptly by the bag. Whereas if you had a different spring set up and no air bags, when you hit that same dip in the road, the truck would ease down as the spring allowed instead of just slamming down on the bag. That is probably the best way to describe it, if that makes sense...?

Honestly, I should probably upgrade to a better system in the rear. At the time, I was a bit cheap and looking for a good fix to my load support problem, I probably should have just bought a heavier duty spring. The bags are cheap,do their job and I would keep them upon upgrade to a bigger system, but I wouldn't keep them inflated like I do now.

My comment above, when I said I was used to them is true. However, I'm sure I would notice a hell of difference if I upgraded to a better spring for the load/lift.

Edit: Given my experience and my use, I can't recommend them as a lift substitute or something to that effect because they do need to be aired up all the time to give you that. I got them for the load support, however once aired up, I liked what they did for the look of the truck so I left them. If you need them for load support, only when carrying loads as they are intended, they are great. They will give you the support you need so that you won't be on the bumpstops. I have towed a boat with them, along with various other loads for camping, moving, etc. and they performed great.

[BruceTS]

Airlift recommends to keep them at minimum of 5 psi, that's where mine ar at now, so my ride hasn't changed at all. They are only in there for times when I have a heavy load or towing my boat....

[Brunoski]

Bruce, do you have the airlift controller to air the bags up? I've been thinking about these too and wanted to tie them in to my ARB compressor.

[BruceTS]

I thought about adding a guage and solenoid to my ARB compressor, would be quite simple. I'll probably look into it in the future, but for now I'll leave it the cheap route since I won't be using them that much.