Xreas longevity poll
- Thread starter DannyLlama
- Start date
ToyotaDoodz
New member
190,000 on my '03 Sport and the XREAS never had a problem of any kind. I also had a 3" Revtec lift on it.
Note, I'm not a Baja racer type either but it saw a LOT of very hard offroad miles all over the Ouray, CO area as well as New Mexico and rough Arizona trails over a 10 years span.
Treat your rig like it has to get you there and back home again and it will last a LONG time. :boink:
PS, your poll does not allow for those of us that NEVER had to fix it.
Note, I'm not a Baja racer type either but it saw a LOT of very hard offroad miles all over the Ouray, CO area as well as New Mexico and rough Arizona trails over a 10 years span.
Treat your rig like it has to get you there and back home again and it will last a LONG time. :boink:
PS, your poll does not allow for those of us that NEVER had to fix it.
HokieRunner
New member
My X-reas wasn't leaking but the system was on its last legs, performance-wise, when I swapped it out for Radflos @ 120k miles. Those were mostly highway miles with the occasional dirt/gravel road. It wasn't abused and I was happy to get 120k out of them.
matthewkristof
Member
~125k for me on my 07 (purchased new). I drive the car a lot, exclusively highway/streets...no offroading. I replaced them (really expensive) because I personally liked them and thought they performed well. I know the Bilstein's are more cost effective, but for my uses of no trail riding or mudding, I figure replacing it would be fine.
Bossman
Senior Member
My X-Reas failed at 138,000 km (or 85,750 miles). There was a leak in the system - in the line behind the Driver’s Side Centre Control Absorber. Leak was likely caused by corrosion of the line due to road salt used up here during our Canadian winters.
Fluid that had dripped onto the driveway was the first indicator of some sort of problem. As more fluid leaked out of the system, the suspension became worse.
I removed the entire X-Reas system (too costly to replace - but the lines are still there), and installed the standard 4Runner SR5 suspension (to keep it relatively stock).
Fluid that had dripped onto the driveway was the first indicator of some sort of problem. As more fluid leaked out of the system, the suspension became worse.
I removed the entire X-Reas system (too costly to replace - but the lines are still there), and installed the standard 4Runner SR5 suspension (to keep it relatively stock).
TechWrench
Senior Member
Just purchased (within last 6 weeks), my 2nd '03, a V8 limited. It has 263k on it, and at first the suspension seemed to be OK. But last week, I started to notice a bit more bounce in the ride and reverberations in the suspension after hitting a bump. It kept getting worse, and then noticed a fluid leak in the driveway where I part. Yesterday, I got underneath it, and found two leaks in the tubes connecting the front shocks where they cross under the rear of the engine. Both leaks were not associated with connections, but from corrosion to the lines. So, I just ordered a set of Monroe front struts and rear shocks from Rock Auto. Cost was way better than even thinking about repairing the Xreas system. If the ride is the same as my other '03, SR5 V6 without Xreas, I will be happy. I have a copy of the service record from the previous owner, and he never had any work done on the Xreas prior to this failure. To be fair, most of his driving was highway, back and forth to work on interstates. He wasn't the type to off road, so it wasn't abused other that upstate winters.
I did not vote since u had the truck only over a week. However when i swapped to fj coils i noticed that the shock did not rebound very quickly as oppose to new shocks or bielsteins. Im not sure if that is normal for xreas. Does it electronically pump fluids to rebound on road????. So far 140k and bo signs of leak. Its why I did not switch them out. Although not as stiff as my 3rd gen with billies. . It rides smoother and does not wheel hop on the road like symptoms of blown shocks.
You cant compare it to the day you just got it. You body will get use to it over time. Its why shocks are recommended to be replaced at 60k for ride improvement eventhough its not leaking.
While I understand this with standard shocks, the XREAS is a closed system. How do the shocks wear out over time if they don't leak?
BlackWorksInc
New member
Inside shocks are metal reed valves that help control the rate at which the fluid moves. This is what provides dampening force and allows the shock to manage the spring rebound. While these reed valves are made of spring steel, much like any metal; working it back and forth eventually wears it out.
Think taking a paper clip and bending it back and forth until it breaks, the same happens to the reed valves. Though they may not outright break, the rate at which they flex may start to change which will affect the dampening characteristics of the shock. Eventually it may become bad enough that the shock is no longer able to effectively do its job even though it hasn't leaked a drop.
Most OEM manufactuers suggest 50k to be a rough average for shocks. I've met representatives from both Tokico and Monroe who say that their average OEM (think Corolla, Camry, Malibu; not Corvette, GTR, ect.) shock is meant to last at least 50k, where after that mark they may degrade in performance and/or fail.
So even though it's a closed system, and it's not leaking, the internal components degrade over time affecting ride quality? Those of us with 100K+ miles are just deluding ourselves that there's nothing wrong?
Lolrax
New member
I sold my 5th gen with XREAS over a year ago and drove something else for a while. I now have a 4th with 100K (miles) and the XREAS shows no signs of leakage. It may not be leaking but it's very bouncy and floaty, clearly shot. Not everyone is deluding themselves, but I bet if a few guys could go back in time and drive one off the lot they would realize their system is cooked.
Think wear. In automotive standards BAR does bot allow repair shops to use the word required replacement if the shock is not leaking. They can use the word recommend replacement for improve ride. Think of it like a running shoe you can still wear them when they are worn but its not the best for your feet if you were to run long distance. These valves can leak through internally in the shock.
BlackWorksInc
New member
Have you ever heard about how to boil a frog alive? If you drop the frog in boiling water he jumps out, but if you put him in temperate water and slowly raise the temperature he will boil himself.
Same concept, your perception of the brand new XREAS compounded over 100k & almost a decade of regular driving will result in skewed memories and assessment. You probably won't notice a difference if any until the shocks fail outright and the ride becomes ridiculously bouncy and/or stiff; or you replace them with new ones.
inscarguy
Member
that's correct to a point. I drive three different cars pretty much every day, GMC sierra, chevy equinox, 4runner. to this day I cannot tell a difference on the 4runner, nice comfortable ride, no float, no teeth chattering ride, no awkward handling. to this day family and friends still comment on how comfortable the 4runner is on the road.
my sierra on the other hand is a different story 138000 miles and i'm on my second set of bilsteins, ride is pure crap. bumpy, if a series of bumps are hit the truck bounces all over the place borderline dangerous. the ones in there now only have 8000 miles.
Matt fe2o3
New member
Boiling a Frog.... Thanks that has a lot of uses. Seriously, well said.
