I know, I know.... I shouldn't have bought a SE if I was planning on lifting it, but I did. Actually, when I bought my 4runner I didn't plan on doing anything to it but with all the coilover manufacturers rumored to be making adjustable coilovers I just can't help myself. I had a pair of SAW's on my Taco and loved them. My question is, has anyone bitten the bullet and scrapped the Xreas yet? Can you just remove the shocks and the rubber lines leaving the hard-piping in place? How do you drain the system -- will the oil just run out? So many unanswered questions.....

you don't have to scrap the xreas to put a lift on. there are plenty of spacer-based lifts available, and plenty of other coilovers for xreas in the works.

i don't know of anyone who has removed xreas, most people just work around it to get the lift they want .... as i said, spacer lifts are abundantly available, and i know of a few companies that are currently working on coilovers for those with xreas.

if you don't want to wait, then your best bet would be to check out the repair manual. i'm looking at the pertinent page right now and will do my best to describe what it says/shows:

in the front: loosen the nut of the eye union (the part where the xreas line attaches to the strut itself) SLOWLY to bleed out the oil and lower the pressure inside the absorber.

in the rear: loosen the bolt that attaches the xreas line to the top of the shock, drain the absorber oil.

actually ... it's a lot more complicated than that. if you want, i have some diagrams that show what you need to do and explain better, if you want me to send them to you, just PM me your email address and i'd be happy to.

I dont know of anybody that have removed their XREAS yet. Plenty of spacer kits availible for XREAS now, so you can check those out.

If you want to go with a new spring/shock/coilover lift, I only know of a few options avalible. I would say wait a while to see what is availible next year or so and just use a spacer kit as a stop gap.

I'm on XREAS and on spacers for the time being. I went Daystar, but feel that a bit more lift would have been better, especially in the back. The skid on my fuel tank had to bear the brunt on a couple of occasions with the low back.

Revtek seem to have been the flavor of the day, and now NE is getting some traction as well. Daystar have a few as well, but seems to be playing second fiddle to Revtek.

As to removing the XREAS, it is very possible. It is however a relatively complex operation. You have to lift all 4 wheels of the 4R of the ground to take all pressure of the shocks (all of them). Then there are dosconnect points for all the shocks, also for the center balancer pieces on the frame. Once all this is off you can remove the lines. Then just put in whatever you want. As 4route said it is descibed in the repair manual, also option for disposal.

If anyone is ditching, or has ditched, their XREAS, I would be interested in buying them to add to my Limited. That is, if it is possible. I don't really have any plans to lift my ride as I don't have 4WD to be able to utilize a lift, and love how it corners at the stock height.

Luxury, if you love how it corners without the XREAS, wait till you get the XREAS on there! I myself plan on lifting and keeping the xreas on.

Herman

O really? well that's news to me.

well, maybe "plenty" is overstating it ... but a few, for sure.

like I said, o really?

I'd like to know who...