xtrmnop

I tried looking this up but no luck. I know that replacing the air suspension are expensive. Right now my ride height Norm light is constantly blinking on my dash and also the previous owner mentioned not to touch the height controls. I would love to buy new air shocks but little out of my price range. Also coilover conversions are pretty up there too.

Can i just get the regular strut from a non air suspension LS400 and use them. What year will work for a 91 LS. If it does then I'll probably get a used one from the junkyard and remove the air suspension computer on my LS.

Any feedback would be great. Thanks.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you didnt look this up at all and didnt even both searching......

Asia-H.T.

iTrader: (9)

yes he didn't, there's plenty to be found about A/S on here.

If you remove the computer the whole system will be dead. The shocks will hold their air for some time, but eventually they will lose their pressure, just like a tire.

You should confirm what's the problem, if the shocks are completely torn then they should be replaced

Strutmasters air too normal suspension conversion isn't that expensive. In the end you would have spend more on the A/S, believe me

VIP92Ls400

So let's say that all the bags are bad/leaking. I can get them from arnot for $300 each. So that's $1200. I have done some research and the bags are the most common issue. I think that is very reasonable to have all new ones at all 4 corners. They even have an awesome warrantee. Get yourself a Japanese controller for a couple hundred from eBay and your set. I just don't see why everyone complains about the "rediculous" cost of the a/s. Like we have said before, it's a flagship car tha cost well over 30k in 1991, I wood love to have a car with a/s. Just my thoughts.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you failed to consider the cost of the dead compressor and dead A/S computer, both of which are known to fail over time.

also, that's $1200 at LEAST, assuming all the lines are still good after 15-20 years. Considering you can replace with conventional suspension (new) for ~1/3-1/2 the price, or go coilover and STILL save ~200-300, it becomes easy to see why the A/S is rarely taken seriously.

oh, if i remember correctly, Arnott will NOT warranty the bags if you were found to be using an air suspension ride height controller, as that's the number one reason (outside of age) for the factory bags to kick the bucket.

trukn1

No one is saying that there are not options, however it would take a REAL enthusiasts , such as myself and a few others here, to invest the money necessary to replace the A/S on a car which is fast approaching 20 years old; and not think twice about it. Face it, you can get the bags for $1200, as you stated,,aftermarket air controller ($700 minimum depending on year),,and if you are not mechanical you have to pay someone to do the work to install; you have pretty much crested the $2K point by now. Most people are not willing to invest that much money into the car, and just want a cheaper alternative in order to just keep the car rolling so they can enjoy. A/S was NOT installed in every LS here in the states, and the shock/spring combo can be just as comfortable. Just so happens that converting a worn out A/S system with that of a shock/spring combo is the cheaper alternative. Bottom line, as the LS ages and becomes more available/affordable to a larger group of younger buyers, not everyone is gonna be able to afford the cost of maintenance. No fault there, we ALL have to choose what our pockets can afford. This is why our forums exists; to help put options/alternatives on the table so that people can choose those options which work best for them.

VIP92Ls400

I def undersand those points. Depending on what u want/can spend to fix the a/s will determine what u do to fix or convert it. My only point on the matter is that it is not as expensive compared to other makes/models. Fir the performance and reliability u get, it's def worth it. For a system to last as long as the ls400 a/s, is unheard of in the automotv feild. Like I said, jet my thoughts.

Asia-H.T.

iTrader: (9)

Dont forget about the sensors on top of the shocks.. these are expensive also, and there are four of them!

Ride height sensors on the undercarriage can cause a mess too, four of them also... and no, these aren't cheap also.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the A/S on my car. But it's way to expensive for a car this age. There are so many components that can, and will fail

xtrmnop

Thanks for the input guys. Yeah I got the car free but I don't think is justfiable to spend $$$ on suspension which would be almost the price of the car. I might just ride it out till I sell the car next year.

trukn1

Since you don't plan on keeping the car very long, and you really aren't interested in dumping a ton of money inbto her, then your cheapest option WILL be to use a shock/spring combo for the suspension. You can either go the used route(if you can find it) or new shock/springs. Shocks will cost around $70-$80 apiece, and spings will cost somewhere around $300 for the set. Would be great if you were mechanical, and you could save yourself some money to do the labor yourself. If not, on the new route, you will be looking at somewhere close to $700 for parts alone. Used WILL save you some money if you can find it. Good luck in your search.

VIP92Ls400

The first step is to diagnose the actual problem with your a/s. You don't even know what's wrong so you may not have to convert the system. If you do not know what you are doing, I would suggest taking it to the dealer and paying an hour of diag (prob around $100). They will find out what is causing your lght to blink and any other issues you have (you didn't mention if it leaks down or any other issues). Then make your decision from there. What if you have a bad sensor and the system can be fixed for a couple hundred. In either case, your first step is to diagnose the problem, then decide what to do.