replacing air suspension

[chimpy]

i have bought a kit from a site in the usa for a replacement air suspension kit www.airbagit.com

i have bought the "fast" aka "II" kit for my lexus. so it should arrive this week sometime, but i just want to get the idea of what i need to do to make the process a little quicker.

i am not worried about how i replace the struts, as i have done that before, but more importantly, i want to know what is the go with the airlines, like where should u/can i run them through? Where are the standard ones, how are they attached in (can i just tape my new lines to the old ones as i pull them out and they will be pulled through to where the std ones went.

Anyway, any info would be great, i have already read the tutorial about how to put in springs, there is not too much info in there about how to remove the std system first.

cheers guy,

Alex

 

[Lambo]

hi chimpy, Having wrecked my donor sc400, the air lines to the front solinoids are easy to get at they are short and just run from the solinoids to the front struts, but are clipped in place.
The rear plastic line changes to a steel pipe inside the wheel well and runs from the front solinoid assemby back under the driver, under the car inside a black plastic cover and comes out up into the boot to the rear solinoids next to the fuel tank
Regards
Lambo

 

[chimpy]

so where exactly is everything, i mean like

the air compressor
the soleniods

what else can i remove/should i even bother, just leave it in there. whats 10kg in 1800kg

 

[Lambo]

hi chimpy, the compressor is behind the plastic panel infront of the drivers wheel on a right hand drive car, the front Solinoids are there also, the rear solinoids are on the floor in the boot next to the fuel tank behind the rear seat, you will have to take out the cloth trim covering the fuel tank and they should be on the drivers side on the floor. i would probaby remove the factory compressor its small but gives you somewhere to mount the new compressor ??? supplied in your kit
Regards
Lambo

 

[Miles B]

When does your kit arrive? I'd love to hear how it works out.

 

[chimpy]

this is the new kit that i bought

the tank will have to sit in the boot, but i dont know where to mount the compressor.

Thanks for the help, ill tell you how it goes once i got it in.

Alex

 

[Miles B]

I would put the compressor next to the tank. You might choose to lose the spare tyre, or you could maybe put it where the CD changer used to go if yours is busted like mine. Or just lose a bit of boot space. It's all illegal though right?

 

[chimpy]

well, i found the compressor, for me its actually on the left of the car(when sitting inside the car) buut i didnt see any/many airlines coming out of it. I assume that like, its the compressor because it has writen on it "NITROGEN GAS UNDER PRESSURE, DO NOT REMOVE!"

on another note, ill write up a tutorial when i am doing my car so that people in the future can have some idea of how hard it is.

 

[tkn20s]

you should have no troubles bolting in that air system you have bought.

the hardest part will be plumbing up the air lines, and wiring the system up.
should definately have it knocked over in a weekend.

i notice your in melbourne, if you have troubles, give glenn at www.airide.com.au a call. hes located eastern suburbs.

 

[chimpy]

would you happen to know if the kit about that i bought has the water trap?

 

[Lambo]

hi chimpy, Sorry but i don't understand why the pump would have that written on it, i took the pump out of my car to repair it and disasembled it, all it is an electric motor with a small compressor looking thing on the end that has a 1" piston inside, the only thing i can think of that would have nitrogen gas warning on it would be a gas shockabsorber, if your car is Right hand drive it is definately infront of the drivers side front wheel behind the plastic inner guard it is up behind the bumper it has a small filter on it that attaches to the rear of the bumper, there is heaps of space up in ther to mount the new compressor and tank so you should not have to loose boot space,maybe the pic will help.
Regards
Lambo

 

[chimpy]

This is my engine bay

This is the thing under the cover on the driver side. To me it looks like its the cruise control or something.

This is the thing under the non-driver side. The nitrogen thing

Yeh, from what i knew the air springs were filled with nitrogen gas, not oxygen or anything.


LOL, any help would be good.



Also, does anyone think that i should like, be very very careful removing the struts and air compressor, meaning, it being under pressure or something.

 

[chimpy]

Ahh, dont worry, its under my AFM i think. Ill check it out later. Thanks for the help. Or is that the ABS... oh god!

Best to just stick the car on jackstands and find out.

 

[Miles B]

Ahh a UCF11... that's a Celsior.

From Neil Griffiths:
Nitrogen Charged Trac Control Pump


Thanks Neil!!

 

[Lambo]

Hi Chimpy, you are getting closer by the minute, it is under the front guard, behind the inner guard, infront of the front wheel, the thing infront of the AFM is the ABS, the only way you can get at the suspention pump is to take off the wheel then remove the plastic panel infront of the wheel and there it is should look exactly like the pic i posted above
Regards
Lambo

 

[chimpy]

oh sweet, ill get there soon

do the standard airlines run under the car, or are they inclosed somewhere?

 

[tkn20s]

would you happen to know if the kit about that i bought has the water trap?

yeah from that picture it looks like it comes with a water trap.

is that what you were asking?

 

[chimpy]

Yeh i was, i am 100% new to this air suspension thing.

Not new to cars but more safe around 200sx's, skyline and the nissan such. Not techno filled boats (which i love)

hehe

 

[Lambo]

hi chimpy, Having wrecked my donor sc400, the air lines to the front solinoids are easy to get at they are short and just run from the solinoids to the front struts, but are clipped in place.
The rear plastic line changes to a steel pipe inside the wheel well and runs from the front solinoid assemby back under the driver, under the car inside a 8ft long black plastic cover and comes out up into the boot to the rear solinoids next to the fuel tank
Regards
Lambo

Hi Chimpy have a carefull read of my previous post above it answers all your questions.
Regards
Lambo

 

[Dust]

How did you go with this conversion? Interested in doing the same thing, would love to know how it went.