XREAS Replacement Advice

G

GoBucks!

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My suspension is shot so I'm looking to go down the XREAS replacement road. I know there are several (hundred!) existing threads on this, and I've spent a TON of time reading them, but they all seem to apply to lifted vehicles, people who offroad, or people who don't tow.

I have a stock 2008 V8 Limited and tow a heavy boat (about 6500lbs) in the spring and fall. Not looking to raise it or anything, and never offroad. I currently get some substantial rear sag when I tow.

I'm wondering if the 5100s and FJ Cruiser springs are what I would need? Is this an advisable setup for heavy towing? Assuming I can't find any FJ springs, what are my options? I appreciate the advice and opinion!
 
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i think if you are equipped with the rear air suspension, you need to get some extra parts, also with towing heavy load, i suggest adding some airbags too.
 
riceandpho said:
i think if you are equipped with the rear air suspension, you need to get some extra parts, also with towing heavy load, i suggest adding some airbags too.
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No rear air suspension (that's the leveling option, right?). I'm hoping with the right springs and shocks, I'll be able to avoid the need for airbags since I'm towing just a few times a year and no more than 30 miles at a time.
 
If you tow a lot, bags are an ideal purchase.

You can get a slightly stiffer spring but most options that I know of will include a lift.

The thing with towing is you either setup the truck got towing which makes the unloaded ride too stiff or its setup for regular use and you get a saggy rear.

Personally, if I tow, I would get bags with the stock springs, new shocks and call it a day. Probably your best option.

If you want a 100% stock setup, I have front and rear springs and shocks off my SR5. You can have them for free if you want it, just pick it up from me in San Diego.
 
Bumbo said:
If you tow a lot, bags are an ideal purchase.

You can get a slightly stiffer spring but most options that I know of will include a lift.

The thing with towing is you either setup the truck got towing which makes the unloaded ride too stiff or its setup for regular use and you get a saggy rear.

Personally, if I tow, I would get bags with the stock springs, new shocks and call it a day. Probably your best option.

If you want a 100% stock setup, I have front and rear springs and shocks off my SR5. You can have them for free if you want it, just pick it up from me in San Diego.
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I think I'll go that route; thanks for the friendly advice.

Appreciate the offer for the parts, but being in Vermont, I'm literally almost as far away as I can get from you in the U.S.!
 
bags are cheap, you get the firestone brand or the airlift brand, both cost between 100-110. both have similar install procedure, but the fittings is what makes it different, i go with firestone since i like there install fittings, all you need is to make sure the cuts are clean. insert and a small tug to make sure its in place.

if you want bags, all you need to do is maintain a 5 psi when not towing, then air up to like 20 to 30 if you have a heavy load.
when i did a heavy cargo load, i pump to 25 psi and loaded up 10 80pound concrete bags, rears didnt bottom out, i also had some extra back there so it was maybe over 1000 pounds in the back.
 
Since I'm up to 142,000 miles on these springs and have towed a near-max heavy load numerous times, do you think it's worth replacing the springs while I'm back there installing the air bags anyway? How do I tell if the current springs are worn/shot?
 
GoBucks! said:
Since I'm up to 142,000 miles on these springs and have towed a near-max heavy load numerous times, do you think it's worth replacing the springs while I'm back there installing the air bags anyway? How do I tell if the current springs are worn/shot?
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honestly, since theres alot of miles already, and you have everything apart front and back, i do whole new springs and shocks and bags, to me its a good upgrade, i wish i did my suspension swap sooner, so much floating on high way dips and it was telling me its time. i do have a constant weight in the rear, the bags just there in case i need it.
but for your needs, the bags is a must to help the rear sag with heavy towing. too much air with no load will cause the rear to be super stiff.
 
My XREAS started puking about a year ago. I picked up some new takeoff Tacoma TRD parts and some secondhand FJ rear springs. All that went in with the Firestone airbags.

I liked the firestone ones better because they install with the hose facing up. It runs through the bumpstop and to the fill fittings. The airlift ones route the hose down through the spring perch on the axle and require some mods along with a more precarious hose routing.

I keep about 10psi in mine most of the time even though I don't tow. The back of my truck is full of a few hundred pounds of fridge and recovery gear. When I load the truck fully (me, kids, dogs, camping gear) I'll bump it up to 15 or 20.
 
Good info here.

I have a 2006 limited with the xreas AND rear air suspension control.

Xreas is going bad and i want to replace with stock shocks.

Sounds like they are both separate systems, correct?

So i could replace the xreas but keep the rear air suspension??

Thanks
 
ronsmith843 said:
Good info here.

I have a 2006 limited with the xreas AND rear air suspension control.

Xreas is going bad and i want to replace with stock shocks.

Sounds like they are both separate systems, correct?

So i could replace the xreas but keep the rear air suspension??

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes you can. I have done it and its pretty simple.
 
GoBucks! said:
Since I'm up to 142,000 miles on these springs and have towed a near-max heavy load numerous times, do you think it's worth replacing the springs while I'm back there installing the air bags anyway? How do I tell if the current springs are worn/shot?
Click to expand...

Yes, 100% you should change the springs when you change the shocks. I do this everytime I change my shocks. at 140,000+ miles, it will look like you lifted your 4runner bc the old springs were so worn.
 
ronsmith843 said:
Good info here.

I have a 2006 limited with the xreas AND rear air suspension control.

Xreas is going bad and i want to replace with stock shocks.

Sounds like they are both separate systems, correct?

So i could replace the xreas but keep the rear air suspension??

Thanks
Click to expand...

I replaced my XREAS system with Bilstein 6112s/5160s and kept the rear air. Works fine.
 
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