air bags for rear springs

[drnick]

Hi,need advice for 2011 4runner,I would like to increase the capacity by installing air bags in rear coil springs,there are 2 that are made;air lift 1000,&
one made by Firestone,both appear similar,my question is ;which is the better one and how hard is it to install for a DIY?,THX

 

[Bildro]

They will NOT increase the capacity, only increase the handling when towing. I would go with the firestone. From what I heard, they are made better so They are the ones I ended up getting after dooing research ie. the search button on the top tool bar.

 

[drnick]

Bildro,it seems that 2wd rear spring is diff then 4wd,and ther is no listing for
2wd in either firestone or air lift for 2011 4runner....older vehicles seem to have more options for vehicle upgrades...all I want to do is decrease the sag
when I hitch up trailer,which has a high tongue wght.:redbrick:

 

[Titanpat57]

I have the Airlift 1000's...and they work great.

I installed them myself, and my mechanical ability is limited. I chose to crush them and slide them in between the springs...in hindsight I would've jacked the truck up, and remove the springs, and re-install the coils...I just don't have jack stands.

I ran the airlines to rear of the bumper, sticking down...so there pretty easy to fill.

I generally tow with a minimum 400 lbs. of tongue weight...and it has dramatically changed the handling.

 

[fun_runner]

I have the Airlift 1000s too. No complaints at all. This is my second set. Had them on my 96 and now have had them on my 97.

 

[Ti-Ben]

I have the Firestone and they do the job fine.

I didn't go with the Air Lift because the air inlet is on the bottom, meaning that the inlet hose moves along with the suspension. With this design, there will be a leak at some point.

 

[brockeverly]

I have the Airlifts. Ti-Ben is dead on with the inlet being on the bottom of them, can really be a pain in the ass. Any articulation can easily pull things loose so if you go with them, leave a lot of play in your air lines. I regularly take my truck off the beaten path, often with my trailer on, and have yet to have an issue but I know that eventually I probably will. I ran the lines through the frame rails and up to the top of the bumper. They are right there in the open when the hatch is opened, prefect position IMO. Pics are below

And yes, they will still flex just fine even with 25psi in them :lookout:

 

[fun_runner]

Apparently the Air Lifts are different on the 3rd gens. My air lines are up top.

 

[Ti-Ben]

And yes, they will still flex just fine even with 25psi in them :lookout:

Your 5th gen is awesome. They start to grow on me!

 

[azn-sensation]

I have the Airlifts. Ti-Ben is dead on with the inlet being on the bottom of them, can really be a pain in the ass. Any articulation can easily pull things loose so if you go with them, leave a lot of play in your air lines. I regularly take my truck off the beaten path, often with my trailer on, and have yet to have an issue but I know that eventually I probably will. I ran the lines through the frame rails and up to the top of the bumper. They are right there in the open when the hatch is opened, prefect position IMO. Pics are below

And yes, they will still flex just fine even with 25psi in them :lookout:

Hey brock, how much of the bump stop did you cut off? The instructions show to cut off 4 sections but it looks as though 3 will need to be cut off.

 

[brockeverly]

Hey brock, how much of the bump stop did you cut off? The instructions show to cut off 4 sections but it looks as though 3 will need to be cut off.

I answered your PM, but for the sake of people searching I will post the answer here as well.

I cut off three sections. If you are lifted you can probably get away with cutting less, but it really does not matter much.

 

[brockeverly]

Your 5th gen is awesome. They start to grow on me!

Thanks! I was not too much into them either at first, but I love them now.

 

[Flexus]

Maybe this helps someone. airlift bags larsdennert.com

 

[bofa]

I was reading some of the reviews on Amazon and there was one from an '06 4R owner that said you can install them with the inlet at the top.

I installed these on my 2006 Toyota 4runner. I tow a 4k lb boat and the 4runner's rear was sagging without these installed. Now I can level the rear with only 24 lbs of pressure. I'm a happy camper. I have a beef with the instructions, however. I would make the following modifications to the instructions for the 2006 4runner.
1. No need to remove the coil springs for installation. You can use a frame lift to allow the axles to hang freely. I was able to deflate the air lifts to fit between the spring coils. It was fairly easy to do so.
2. Instead of pointing the stem down, point it up. The problem with pointing them down is that the axle is in the way of drilling the 9/16" hole in the bottom of the coil support to allow the stem to protrude. There is a hole at the top of the coil support and the tubing will fit without any problem. Do, however, install the round protector on the bottom of the cylinder.

Anyone try that or see any reason not to?

Edit: Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/LIFT-60809-Se...UTF8&colid=1MN64MPI5MW94&coliid=I4UIAW6MW3PTQ

 

[stever1000]

Could air bags be used to level the 4runner when parked in an uneven campground and sleeping in the back? i.e. add more pressure to the side of the truck that is low?

 

[03v8raleigh]

Could air bags be used to level the 4runner when parked in an uneven campground and sleeping in the back? i.e. add more pressure to the side of the truck that is low?

If your ran the lines independently then yes you can control the rear right and left pressures independently, but the height gains would be negligible and this is probably a pointless use for the airbags. I would just carry a couple pieces of wood in the trunk and park on those to level the truck..

 

[stever1000]

If your ran the lines independently then yes you can control the rear right and left pressures independently, but the height gains would be negligible and this is probably a pointless use for the airbags. I would just carry a couple pieces of wood in the trunk and park on those to level the truck..

The suspension would flex if I used wood blocks. That's my issue

I read that the airbags can give 1-2" of lift when inflated so I thought it would work...

 

[Ezlife45]

I had airlift in another vehicle for years. They worked great until they started leaking. Then they were a pain in the butt. Had that car over 15 years.

Next time I'll try the firestones because they look more robust.

 

[J.A.]

The suspension would flex if I used wood blocks. That's my issue

I read that the airbags can give 1-2" of lift when inflated so I thought it would work...

I get about 1/2" at 35#.

 

[Mutant]

I have AirLift 1000 bags installed on my 01 4R. I do not recommend them if you are going offroad. The nipple to hose connection is at the bottom of the airbag which makes it a real PITA to install them without completely removing the rear springs. You are, in fact, supposed to DRILL out the existing small hole in the center of the coil spring seat so that the tiny pathetic black clamp can fit to seat inside of this hole (on airbag nipple). The bags leak. It is a poor design. Mine worked fine for about 2 months, then one hose blew off because the puny clamp failed. Then other bag started leaking where nipple attaches to bag. They are cheap for a reason.