2003 xreas control absorber leaking

[WTS]

Hi, My right side xreas control absorber is leaking fluid. I'm just wondering if I can just replace the control absorber and be good to go. Or does it leaking mean it is draining all of the hydraulic fluid from that side of the system.

I understand there are valves that close when the system is taken apart to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the system but what does it mean in the case of the absorber leaking.

Thanks for any insites into this from all of you who have been working on your own xreas systems in the past.

If I remove the xreas system do I have to also replace the rear airbag system that came factory installed and install new rear coils or can I keep it and just install normal shocks in the rear.

 

[AndroT100]

Hi, My right side xreas control absorber is leaking fluid. I'm just wondering if I can just replace the control absorber and be good to go. Or does it leaking mean it is draining all of the hydraulic fluid from that side of the system.

I understand there are valves that close when the system is taken apart to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the system but what does it mean in the case of the absorber leaking.

Thanks for any insites into this from all of you who have been working on your own xreas systems in the past.

If I remove the xreas system do I have to also replace the rear airbag system that came factory installed and install new rear coils or can I keep it and just install normal shocks in the rear.

Hello! I am also dealing with XREAS...just have the fronts seeping a bit.

Toyota will tell you that you have to replace the all the lines and control/pumps. And maybe the coil-overs and shocks. I do not believe the airbags are part of the XREAS system and that they can stay. This written, new coils are inexpensive and you may like them in any case. My local dealer wants $3850 to replace my whole XREAS system and this is with a 38% reduction in the cost of the parts.

 

[firebirdguy]

Hi, My right side xreas control absorber is leaking fluid. I'm just wondering if I can just replace the control absorber and be good to go. Or does it leaking mean it is draining all of the hydraulic fluid from that side of the system.

I understand there are valves that close when the system is taken apart to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the system but what does it mean in the case of the absorber leaking.

Thanks for any insites into this from all of you who have been working on your own xreas systems in the past.

If I remove the xreas system do I have to also replace the rear airbag system that came factory installed and install new rear coils or can I keep it and just install normal shocks in the rear.

depends on how bad its leaking, if just seepage then its probably ok to replace just the shock but if its wet or been leaking awhile it probably lost too much fluid & would need serviced by a dealer & as posted above, the price is ridiculous!

most people just remove the xreas & install shocks that meet their needs, if mainly street driven or light off road i suggest & use the KYB shocks, they come complete with front springs & will raise the front about 1" over stock & have an excellent ride. about $100ea at rock auto & $40-50ea for the rears.

you can keep the rear air bags & springs.

 

[xtremewlr]

Try searching this forum? This has been gone over so many times already. So many options for replacing the crap XREAS without spending a ton of money.

 

[AndroT100]

depends on how bad its leaking, if just seepage then its probably ok to replace just the shock but if its wet or been leaking awhile it probably lost too much fluid & would need serviced by a dealer & as posted above, the price is ridiculous!

most people just remove the xreas & install shocks that meet their needs, if mainly street driven or light off road i suggest & use the KYB shocks, they come complete with front springs & will raise the front about 1" over stock & have an excellent ride. about $100ea at rock auto & $40-50ea for the rears.

you can keep the rear air bags & springs.

How does the handling of the KYB shocks compare to the XREAS? I am at this moment trying to decide which way to go...Bilsteins, KYB, OME, Dobinson, etc.. Really want to keep close to, or improve on, the ride/handling of the XREAS and only want about 1" lift.

 

[xtremewlr]

How does the handling of the KYB shocks compare to the XREAS? I am at this moment trying to decide which way to go...Bilsteins, KYB, OME, Dobinson, etc.. Really want to keep close to, or improve on, the ride/handling of the XREAS and only want about 1" lift.

Best bet in that case would be to go with the take off 3rd gen Tacoma Bilstien springs and shocks in the front, get new 4Runner Bilstien rears to match (you can use the Tacoma ones but the 4Runner shocks are valved for the heavier vehicle) and 2007 up FJ rear coils. That will give you the 1" or so lift you are looking for and rides great on and of road. And it should be less than $500 in parts.

 

[WTS]

Thanks for all the answers guys. Basically I just want to keep it as close to stock as possible. I just want to reuse the factory coils that are on it now. So there seems to be some votes for KYB struts/shocks, now about the bilstien 4600 series or is the 5100 series better for stock handling/feel.
thanks.

 

[Keros]

Hi, My right side xreas control absorber is leaking fluid. I'm just wondering if I can just replace the control absorber and be good to go. Or does it leaking mean it is draining all of the hydraulic fluid from that side of the system.

The front left is connected hydraulically to the rear right, and front right to rear left. Follow the lines that come out of the shocks... So, no, if it's weeping, leaking, etc, you should replace them expediently rather than have a full on failure at a terrible time. As far as I can understand, if one corner fails completely, the opposite corner will as well, as that they share hydraulic fluid.

I understand there are valves that close when the system is taken apart to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the system but what does it mean in the case of the absorber leaking.

I've not heard of this. My understanding was that the 4x shocks come in two "kits" FR/RL & FL/RR, two pairs of two shocks, and the long hydraulic lines connecting the the shocks together. Intended to be replaced altogether. A tech would lay out both pairs of shocks and then lift it all up into the chassis a piece at a time, avoiding kinking the lines. All discussions I've read about XREAS is that the system cannot be bled.

If I remove the xreas system do I have to also replace the rear airbag system that came factory installed and install new rear coils or can I keep it and just install normal shocks in the rear.

Yeah, I thought I could keep the RAS system. But in practice, it just didn't work well without the XREAS. The ride height was too low and I kept hitting the bump stops. Pumping up the bags by changing the sensor positions fixed that but then it handled terribly. I got the conversion kit for it and used MOOG OEM springs. Note you'll need to get bump stops from a non-RAS truck. I chose to go with the "super bump" kit... I don't recall who makes it at the moment. But they're amazing, especially if you're not lifting the truck much.

Thanks for all the answers guys. Basically I just want to keep it as close to stock as possible. I just want to reuse the factory coils that are on it now. So there seems to be some votes for KYB struts/shocks, now about the bilstien 4600 series or is the 5100 series better for stock handling/feel.
thanks.

Depends on what you refer to as "close to stock handling". The body roll control of the XREAS is very difficult to mimic with mechanical parts. If you're used to how the truck cornered with XREAS, and liked its road holding capabilities, you should prepare yourself for a new vehicle that just isn't like the old one.

"Road holding characteristics" around here is generally what gets to the trail head in one piece... anything more than that is vanity when the truck's got 800lbs of armour & gear, and 33-35" tires.

The ADDCO sway bars are the only option I could find that gets the truck close to how it went around corners with XREAS.

 

[WTS]

Just on the way home today my right side absorber must have lost all of it's fluid, now I can tell there are no shocks(RR and LF). So I guess it will be the bilstien 4600 shocks/struts sooner than I thought.

Yes I know it's not going to take mountain highways in BC like it did with the xreas but I'll have to take a little more care with the body roll. Yes after driving it for 16+ years it might be different for sure. But I also drive a Lexus RX350 and you probably know how those roll in the corners-nothing like the xreas system that's for sure, ha-ha. I'd like to keep the xreas but not at the costs Toyota would want to fix the one side, then who knows 1 or 2 years later the other side goes. I hope to sell it in a couple of years after I get out to the island(Vancouver Island), then I'll probably buy another Lexus of some sort. Would be nice to get a GX460. Of course their equal of the xreas is no doubt even more expensive it needs fixing.

Interesting that you say yours sat lower in the rear airbags after changing it out. I talked with a couple of shops that specialize in 4runners and I told them I wanted to keep the airbags but dump the xreas and they said they have done lots and they never mentioned any problems with the rear sitting lower. And really I don't see why it should, the air pump should set the level regardless of what shocks are there. Unless you had alignment problems with your leveling system it should work just fine. I know mine still works fine as I lower and raised it from time to time and even sometimes I can hear it releasing air when I shut it down after parking. I guess I'll find out when I change them out though.

 

[ght4R]

Just finished swapping out my XREAS with Tacoma TRD fronts and 4Runner specific 4600s. The front shocks had clearly been seeping for years, hard to say if there was any fluid left.

I was driving a Sport Edition that just had the XREAS replaced in June of last year. The Bilstein 4600s feel a little more floaty, but other than sharper corners the ride is comparable and so far I like the ride and stance. For less than $300 I think itÂ’s a great option to swap out the tired, leaking XREAS.

I wouldÂ’ve gone with the 5100s but they were on backorder and I didnÂ’t want to wait until July for the rear shocks to come in.

 

[WTS]

Well after just experiencing what no fluid in the RR/LF shock feels like, you would definitely know if there was no fluid in the system. It is like not having a shock in those corners at all, especially when braking it just dives to the front left. I'll be going with the stock coils which are on there and the bilstien 4600s and keep my air bags in the rear with 4600s. Yeah it won't corner the same but oh well.

 

[firebirdguy]

How does the handling of the KYB shocks compare to the XREAS? I am at this moment trying to decide which way to go...Bilsteins, KYB, OME, Dobinson, etc.. Really want to keep close to, or improve on, the ride/handling of the XREAS and only want about 1" lift.

the KYB handle very good IMO, they do everything my non leaking xreas did aside from harder corners, the kyb have a little more body roll but thats expected with a mechanical vs fluid coupled system. the way to improve body roll is using poly sway bar bushings to tighten up the cornering. with teh 10% stiffer springs & shock valving of the kyb & poly sway bar bushings you should be very happy with the corner handling & street driving.

 

[WTS]

where did you get the poly bushings from.

 

[firebirdguy]

I've not heard of this. My understanding was that the 4x shocks come in two "kits" FR/RL & FL/RR, two pairs of two shocks, and the long hydraulic lines connecting the the shocks together. Intended to be replaced altogether. A tech would lay out both pairs of shocks and then lift it all up into the chassis a piece at a time, avoiding kinking the lines. All discussions I've read about XREAS is that the system cannot be bled.

the xreas system has one way check valves at each shock to prevent fluid from leaking or air from entering when any given shock is removed, they can be changed individually by the dealership or a competent mechanic that knows how to work on the system. they are not intended for bleeding, they re just one way check vales.

 

[Keros]

Interesting that you say yours sat lower in the rear airbags after changing it out. I talked with a couple of shops that specialize in 4runners and I told them I wanted to keep the airbags but dump the xreas and they said they have done lots and they never mentioned any problems with the rear sitting lower. And really I don't see why it should, the air pump should set the level regardless of what shocks are there. Unless you had alignment problems with your leveling system it should work just fine. I know mine still works fine as I lower and raised it from time to time and even sometimes I can hear it releasing air when I shut it down after parking. I guess I'll find out when I change them out though.

I too could find no real explanation for why it didn't work just fine. One day I hit a speed bump too fast and hit the bump stops so hard the steel straps that held the bilstein 5160 reservoirs onto the chassis broke off, dropping the shock reservoirs into the rear suspension.

It became clear something had to change, and fast. So I ditched the RAS for standard coils and super bumps. Handles big bumps with grace and dignity now.

 

[WTS]

Well after I get mine done I'll report back. I just ordered my struts/shocks(bilstien 4600) from Essex Distributors in Richmond this morning so hopefully should have it all done by this time next week and hopefully I won't have to play with the airbag leveling adjustments. Actually if it sits a little lower that won't bother me as I think it sits a bit too high in the rear anyway.

 

[firebirdguy]

where did you get the poly bushings from.

i havent bought them yet as i really dont notice any issues with cornering, very happy with the KYB's after 2 years for normal driving.

there is a few threads on here about the poly bushings & you have to measure your bars to know what size to order. most use energy suspension brand bushings.

 

[WTS]

Well as it turns out, I ordered the 4600 series frt/rear, paid for them(from Bilstein Canada), then they said they had no stock on the rear shocks and no ETA from Bilstein for them. SO they offered me the 4600 for the front and the 5100s for the rear(same price). So I said okay ship them, then they came back 20 minutes later and said we'll give you all 5100s for no extra cost over the 4600, so of course, ha-ha, I said ship'em I'll take them.

So I guess I'll see how the 5100s turn out, but I'm still going to keep them at "0" lift(stock height).

Apparently Bilstein is having real product problems as far as trying to keep up with demand in North America. I guess with this covid crap going on it would seem that people have a lot of time on their hands, well at least 4runner owners as those seemed to be the ones they are out of stock on.

Now I see my inboard boot on the left front axle is torn, so now I have to replace it. My mechanic says it's cheaper to buy the toyota "whole axle" than to try and just replace the boot. He says it's cheaper because it takes a lot less time(and time is money in shop time costs). I trust him considering he was my neighbour and I've known him for about 35 years.