Air lift 1000 good? better? recommended?

[nissanh]

My 4runner is leveled out with front-end lift and rear 99 tall springs. Whenever I add cargo to cargo area it started sagging. Thought of going with OME or super flex springs and those make the ride hard and will lift the rear end even more (which I don't like).

Anyone recommends airlift 1000 Part number 60743?

ebay: Air Lift 60743 "Air Lift 1000" Air Spring Kit Rear 96 02 Toyota 4 Runner | eBay

What are the pros and cons?
How long it takes to install the air bags?
Can I do it without pulling the springs out of the truck?
Thanks

 

[shootmymime]

My 4runner is leveled out with front-end lift and rear 99 tall springs. Whenever I add cargo to cargo area it started sagging. Thought of going with OME or super flex springs and those make the ride hard and will lift the rear end even more (which I don't like).

Anyone recommends airlift 1000 Part number 60743?

ebay: Air Lift 60743 "Air Lift 1000" Air Spring Kit Rear 96 02 Toyota 4 Runner | eBay

What are the pros and cons?
How long it takes to install the air bags?
Can I do it without pulling the springs out of the truck?
Thanks

very simple and easy way to help with towing.

I bought some a year ago but never installed them. superflex work better than i thought.

Pros: adjustable height control, ride great under load and fill up super quick, cheep way too without buying new springs. I like the fact that you can have them deflated and have it be your daily driver, then when going to tow fill them up to like 10psi and your good to tow

Cons: the constant adjustability or just leaving them pumped up all the time can cause harsh driving while not towing.

Installing the air bags are simple around 45 min, attach the nipple on the top of the airbag that screws in. completely deflate the bag and fold it in half long ways, (still full length just half the width) then slide it in between the coils and release, the bag will start to inflate on its own.
Hook up the line to the nipple on the top and route the line.
Repeat for the other side.

The hardest part is installing the line and deciding where it should go that its easy to fill.

Now caution, im not sure if you can run these if you already have the factory bumpstop cones that are inside the coils already, you may have to remove them. maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[nissanh]

OK,
So I don't have to remove the springs? Yes, the bump stops has to be cut somewhere close to the top. I don't want to mess with the pan hard bar as that is pain in the neck to line up with the mounting holes once removed.

Say I installed the air lifts and deflated (no towing). Without the bump stops, would this leads to excessive body roll? (I have the anti-sway bars)

 

[shootmymime]

OK,
So I don't have to remove the springs? Yes, the bump stops has to be cut somewhere close to the top. I don't want to mess with the pan hard bar as that is pain in the neck to line up with the mounting holes once removed.

Say I installed the air lifts and deflated (no towing). Without the bump stops, would this leads to excessive body roll? (I have the anti-sway bars)

Yup don't have to remove the spring.

No it will not create any more body lean by trimming those coil bump stops. That's what your sway bar is for. If that's still installed you won't notice and difference.

 

[xcmtb83]

I remember from when I installed mine that the manufacturer said that installation could be completed with coils still installed. If you are able to do this a big bravo to you as I certainly wasn't able to. They also recommend a min psi of 5 when not towing. I would follow this recommendation especially if the instructions have you trim the bumpstops like mine did.

 

[nissanh]

help

I remember from when I installed mine that the manufacturer said that installation could be completed with coils still installed. If you are able to do this a big bravo to you as I certainly wasn't able to. They also recommend a min psi of 5 when not towing. I would follow this recommendation especially if the instructions have you trim the bumpstops like mine did.

So with 5 PSI and not towing, do you feel the suspension to be harder ot softer than before or don't feel a difference?
Did you route the air hose lines from the top holes (located on the truck body) or from the bottom holes located on the axle? I saw a hole at the bottom (axle end).

 

[jcush87]

Hello, I just installed the airlift 1000 in my 96 about 3 months ago. I had to pull the coils, I felt like I would spend more time fighting the coil then the time it would take to pop them out. Plus, I couldnt get at the driver side bump stop very well with the coil in place. you have to make like 3 different cuts so the pieces are small enough to fit through the coils. I ran the lines through the bottom, to the center of the axle, up the brake lines and back to the hitch.

I had rear sag when I had a baby and toddler in the back seat with some minimal beach stuff. needless to say when I tow my 4500lb load with about 480lbs on the tongue, I am just riding on the bump stops which is just not safe to operate a car like that.

I wanted to originally do 906 springs, but was worried about having a ride that was too stiff unloaded and having a ton of rake.

The ride is a HUGE improvement, my car can actually take a moderate load now, and at 30psi (full) it sits level with the boat and rides great (except for worn out shocks that need to be replaced as soon as I get a second to work on my car!)

I would still be interested in trying 906s, but didnt want to risk the stiffer ride, so this didn't pose that risk, and is cheaper. It doesnt take much at all to pump the bags up with a standard bike pump.

 

[nissanh]

Thanks for letting me know that air lines can be run through the bottom. When I first looked at it, I too felt running through the bottom probably the way to go.

I also looked at 906's and it will lift the rear end as well as the ride will be stiff unloaded.

There are 3 grooves in the bump stop and which one you cut? the one at the very top?
I really don't want to remove the pan hard bar. I spent more time to get it lines up with the mounting holes when I did the spring swap few years ago.

 

[Robb235]

Thinking about adding airbags to the rear too. My '99 tall coils don't look so tall anymore. They especially sag when towing a boat.

 

[shootmymime]

Thanks for letting me know that air lines can be run through the bottom. When I first looked at it, I too felt running through the bottom probably the way to go.

I also looked at 906's and it will lift the rear end as well as the ride will be stiff unloaded.

There are 3 grooves in the bump stop and which one you cut? the one at the very top?
I really don't want to remove the pan hard bar. I spent more time to get it lines up with the mounting holes when I did the spring swap few years ago.

Thinking about adding airbags to the rear too. My '99 tall coils don't look so tall anymore. They especially sag when towing a boat.

so guys i dont think ill be installing mine.
ill sell you mine $60 shipped (used from another guy on here) but the catch. they are for 4th gens. if you think they will work sweet for you. i just decided to install my cones back in with my super flex and that works good for me.

 

[Vibrant4Runner]

Curious how you get air in/out of these once installed. Is there a valve you blow in to like on an inflatable toy?

Serious question still...

 

[nissanh]

airbags

so guys i dont think ill be installing mine.
ill sell you mine $60 shipped (used from another guy on here) but the catch. they are for 4th gens. if you think they will work sweet for you. i just decided to install my cones back in with my super flex and that works good for me.

Well.... I bought/paid a set on ebay few hours ago....
Thanks for the offer.

 

[nissanh]

Toy?

Curious how you get air in/out of these once installed. Is there a valve you blow in to like on an inflatable toy?

Serious question still...

Just like how you inflate/deflate a tire.

 

[Robb235]

so guys i dont think ill be installing mine.
ill sell you mine $60 shipped (used from another guy on here) but the catch. they are for 4th gens. if you think they will work sweet for you. i just decided to install my cones back in with my super flex and that works good for me.

Thanks, but I'm going to buy new on this one. For $20 more, I can have brand new. I also don't want to fool with it if it's supposed to be for a 4th gen.

Summit Racing has a location just south of Atlanta, so I think I'll go pick up the airbags today and install on Saturday.

 

[xcmtb83]

So with 5 PSI and not towing, do you feel the suspension to be harder ot softer than before or don't feel a difference?
Did you route the air hose lines from the top holes (located on the truck body) or from the bottom holes located on the axle? I saw a hole at the bottom (axle end).

In the summer I noticed no difference. On the colder days in the winter the ride is definitely stiffer. The plastic looses a lot of flexibility with the colder temps. On extremely cold days ride quality does suffer. I have since installed new 4600 shocks so hopefully some of the poor ride characteristics will be cured.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I think there is more than one bumpstop style on 3rd gens. For my style of bump stops, 1996, they recommend that I run the lines down through the hole in the spring perch on the axle housing. I went against their recommendations and went through the top plate of the bumpstops. I wasn't sure why they recommend going through the bottom. I feared that the air line would get pinched after unloading the spring (through articulation off road) as going though the bottom hole didn't allow for a lot of freedom of movement for the line to pass through the hole should it need to (this would only be large suspension movements e.g. off road).

For the most part I found the air bag to stay towards the top of the coil when the spring was extended. Even though the bags stay towards the top of the coils I took a precaution. I installed tension springs to keep the line pulled up out of the coil should the airbag be stuck in the middle of the coil during suspension movement. I then machined some platforms out of HDPE for the bags to rest on. At the time of installation I was intending to run some '99 coils down the road so I thought the 1/2" puck would help out with the longer coils.

Initially I had each side plumbed independently to combat the driver side lean that seemingly all 3rd gen 4Runners and 1st gen Tacomas have. I accomplished this by adding a few more pounds to the driver side. I have since installed OME trim packers to combat the driver side lean and changed the plumbing to universal.

In summary, my install was a little unorthodox so take it for what it is worth.

Oh, and don't forget to pick up a Viair 90056 0 to 35 PSI Tire Gauge, perfect range.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/VIAIR-2-in-Tire-Pressure-Gauge-0-35-psi-90056/202948493

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/34007886@N03/14625011834" title="20130802_210509 by xcmtb83, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/14625011834_b9441b4ba5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="20130802_210509"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/34007886@N03/14440520037" title="20130730_203748 by xcmtb83, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5542/14440520037_1c7b4b0488_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="20130730_203748"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/34007886@N03/14646834503" title="20130730_205307 by xcmtb83, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/14646834503_a27073f90e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="20130730_205307"></a>

 

[vanion2]

They use these all the time on motor homes to take some of the rough out of the ride. Some people claim they are a crutch for not having a proper springs or enough axle leafs. My opinion is they are light, they are proven to work, they are adjustable, and they are significantly less expensive than springs/leafs (I know leafs are not relevant to the 4Runner) so I would say go for it.

 

[Robb235]

Well, I ended up buying it from Amazon with next day delivery. It showed up this morning!

 

[nissanh]

I'll get mine on this Thursday, so I'll be busy on Friday to get it on.
Robb235, can you please take few pics and post it here? I am thinking about buying a farm jack to left the rear-end so the springs come loose, but heard not to left two wheels at the same time with a farm jack. Would really like to see how you do it.

 

[Robb235]

I'll get mine on this Thursday, so I'll be busy on Friday to get it on.
Robb235, can you please take few pics and post it here? I am thinking about buying a farm jack to left the rear-end so the springs come loose, but heard not to left two wheels at the same time with a farm jack. Would really like to see how you do it.

I'm at the point where I'm trying to figure out how to get the "puck" thing into the spring. I was hoping to do this without removing the coil, but it looks like I'm going to have to.

 

[SST221]

I installed the air bags about 3 weeks ago. I did not use the "puck" thing, I went the route of cutting the jounce bumper down to the last section. I routed the air line through the bottom hole and then routed the individual lines to a "t" above the spare. I drilled a hole in the receiver hitch and mounted the air valve so it sit right next the receiver for easy access. I run 7.5lbs which works perfect for me as a DD and then 25-30lbs for when I am loaded. With this set up I have about 2 inches of travel before it hits the bag so it is like a progressive rate on the down travel. Very happy with the set up and yes i did remove the coils, just seemed like the best way.