Quote:
Originally Posted by 2000se
Tell me more about replacing the XREAS system pls..Who did the change out, how much did it cost etc..etc..
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it's a bit of a long post, but I feel the context is important
after 155k miles I noticed a slight weep in my rear passenger absorber. no dripping, but some dust accumulation on the absorber. so naturally I started to search for alternatives to the XREAS because of the cost + I thought about an upgrade. I didn't need a top tier aftermarket system and I wasn't looking to add 2-3" of lift and run massive tires. I still need my vehicle as a daily driver which sees almost all highway use. I looked into bilstein (5100s I believe) and icon with icon being the more expensive option (I don't remember what icon setup I looked it, I think it was a 1" lift with stock rake)
this was in early 2021 when part shortages and supply chain issues were causing all sorts of problems. I must have called maybe 5 shops all within 1-2 hrs from me to get some pricing and ideas (I don't really live in a big city). one shop called back, said they were short on parts and staff due to corona, and said they'd contact me. they never did
I went to my local toyota dealer to have them take a look. Given the mileage I was fully expecting to have to replace all 4 corners + the hard lines because that's what everyone says you need to do when a shock goes bad. the absorbers come over pressurized from the factory and a slight fluid loss does not mean you need to replace the hard lines. in my case I caught the weep early. I replaced all 4 corners, I have all the part numbers, they replaced some bushings too, maybe front springs, did an alignment, etc. total cost was about $3,300 CAD after tax. you need a tech that knows what they are doing and uses the pintle valves properly to minimize any fluid loss when servicing the system. I spoke with the tech who did the work for a bit and he explained the entire process and the steps he needed to take - so I was satisfied the work wouldn't be for nothing
for me, the cost of an aftermarket system would total around the same give or take a few hundred $. I would have had to wait probably 6-8 months for availability at the shop I wanted. if I waited and the absorber leaked too much fluid and I couldn't get aftermarket I'd then have to replace the hard lines. also my OEM XREAS lasted 155k miles, if I can get another 100k+ miles out of my new shocks I would be happy with that. I also didn't want to be driving half a day for any subsequent suspension issues to an aftermarket shop