2022 Lexus LX600 (4th gen)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_suspension
edit: noted this part is interesting (and confusing
):
The air suspension designs from Lincoln, Land Rover, SsangYong, Chrysler, Subaru, Audi, Volkswagen, Tesla, Porsche, and Lexus models feature height adjustable suspension suitable for making it easier to enter the vehicle, clear bumps, or clear rough terrain. The Lincoln Continental, Town Car, Navigator and Mark VIII also featured an air suspension system which offered a controlled but smooth ride. Jaguar and Porsche has taken this to the next level on their XJ and Panamera models, with a system that changes the spring rate and damping settings, among other changes, for their sport/track modes.
Hydraulic systems adapt much more quickly than air systems, thats why they are used over air.
perhaps i'm unclear if the lx600 has a true "hydraulic suspension" vs just having the hydraulics for the EHC (electronic height control) feature? since ehc is optional, i guess this would be answered if all lx600's have hydraulics whether wit ehc or not!?
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For instance with Mercedes, my S560 has Airmatic, which is an air suspension. If you get Magic Body Control or ABC or e-ABC, those are hydraulic suspensions. The air takes too long to adapt the suspension in the ways those systems do.
But comfort vs sport, they don't "soften" the air strut or "firm" the air strut, its all in the dampers. The air system does react to load to level out the car's ride. But in order to say, pump up one side of the suspension to react to turn heaving or front and rear squat/dive, you need a hydraulic suspension.
perhaps i'm unclear if the lx600 has a true "hydraulic suspension" vs just having the hydraulics for the EHC (electronic height control) feature? since ehc is optional, i guess this would be answered if all lx600's have hydraulics whether wit ehc or not!?
Lexus Champion
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Hydraulic is also much more robust than air, as also noted. I fully expect 300k+ out of mine with regular fluid changes. I would be a little weary buying a used car on air.
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And hydraulic systems have just as many potential drawbacks as air. Mercedes air suspensions for instance are WAY more reliable than their hydraulic suspensions.
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This is untrue.
Lead Lap
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The adjustable ride characteristics are always dampers/spring rates. The air components replace the actual shock/strut unit itself but it still had adaptive dampers if the suspension is adaptive. Old air suspension systems had no adaptive dampers, for instance the air suspensions in our LS400 and LS430 as well as the one in the Lincoln and on my old Explorer had air suspension but no adaptive ride characteristics. Just load leveling and height control.
For instance with Mercedes, my S560 has Airmatic, which is an air suspension. If you get Magic Body Control or ABC or e-ABC, those are hydraulic suspensions. The air takes too long to adapt the suspension in the ways those systems do.
But comfort vs sport, they don't "soften" the air strut or "firm" the air strut, its all in the dampers. The air system does react to load to level out the car's ride. But in order to say, pump up one side of the suspension to react to turn heaving or front and rear squat/dive, you need a hydraulic suspension.
Previous versions of the LX did indeed have a true hydraulic suspension...not sure about the LX600.
For instance with Mercedes, my S560 has Airmatic, which is an air suspension. If you get Magic Body Control or ABC or e-ABC, those are hydraulic suspensions. The air takes too long to adapt the suspension in the ways those systems do.
But comfort vs sport, they don't "soften" the air strut or "firm" the air strut, its all in the dampers. The air system does react to load to level out the car's ride. But in order to say, pump up one side of the suspension to react to turn heaving or front and rear squat/dive, you need a hydraulic suspension.
Previous versions of the LX did indeed have a true hydraulic suspension...not sure about the LX600.
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Lexus told Motor Trend their AHC is the most advanced in the world, at least at the time of the article published. Sorta hearsay-ish, but still. That whole article basically showcases how overbuilt the 200LX was.
Lexus claims the self-leveling hydraulic suspension is the most sophisticated on Earth. I don't know about the "on Earth" part, but the LX 570's ride is quite plush, and the 6,109-pound monster is more than happy to attack a corner. Climb underneath and you can see two green hydraulic spheres (just like a Citroën!) protected by what looks like two anti-roll bars with the end links cut off. The hydraulic dampers — assisted by steel springs — are the major point of departure between the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus.
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...70-first-test/
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That may be, but I'm not worried in the slightest about a hydraulic suspension in an LX. I am aware that at least older Mercedes hydraulic systems were disastrous, the ABC. However the old OLD 600 Pullman had hydraulics that operated EVERYTHING including the windows and I believe that was pretty robust if kept up. That was in the 1960s FWIW.
And those old 600s, talk to some people that have restored them lol, those hydraulic systems are a NIGHTMARE. Jay Leno did a video about his 600 and restoring it, you should watch it.
Lexus told Motor Trend their AHC is the most advanced in the world, at least at the time of the article published. Sorta hearsay-ish, but still. That whole article basically showcases how overbuilt the 200LX was.
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A quick search of the LX570 forums returned multiple threads of failures, the most recent one was quoted from Lexus $29,000 to repair lol.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lx-...to-repair.html
Unlike an air suspension failure, a hydraulic failure also spills all the fluid out which ruins your garage floor or driveway.
The bottom line is, both air and hydraulic suspensions are less reliable than standard coil suspensions and have a MUCH more dramatic cost to repair.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lx-...to-repair.html
Unlike an air suspension failure, a hydraulic failure also spills all the fluid out which ruins your garage floor or driveway.
The bottom line is, both air and hydraulic suspensions are less reliable than standard coil suspensions and have a MUCH more dramatic cost to repair.
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A quick search of the LX570 forums returned multiple threads of failures, the most recent one was quoted from Lexus $29,000 to repair lol.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lx-...to-repair.html
Unlike an air suspension failure, a hydraulic failure also spills all the fluid out which ruins your garage floor or driveway.
The bottom line is, both air and hydraulic suspensions are less reliable than standard coil suspensions and have a MUCH more dramatic cost to repair.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lx-...to-repair.html
Unlike an air suspension failure, a hydraulic failure also spills all the fluid out which ruins your garage floor or driveway.
The bottom line is, both air and hydraulic suspensions are less reliable than standard coil suspensions and have a MUCH more dramatic cost to repair.
I wouldn't want to RESTORE a 600 but at the time, the hydraulics were revolutionary and durable from what I remember.
I don't ever anticipate having any suspension problems for the life of this vehicle (will report if I do), so I'm not sold the suspension is markedly "less reliable"....but the bolded part of your sentence I absolutely agree with.
Edit: Here is a link that lays it all out for any 200/AHC fan but you need to scroll down a dozen posts or so. Diagrams and everything.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/ahc...#post-12565137
Last edited by AJT123; Jan 31, 2022 at 03:58 PM.
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BUT, when you select between comfort, normal and sport the hydraulic suspension is not softening the pressure in the struts, its the dampers that are firming up or loosening up. From the article:
The optimum damping force can be obtained by controlling the damping force control actuators arranged on each of the wheels in accordance with the manual switch operation and driving conditions.
Of course some have failed, just like any other vehicle sometimes things fail, but it's not a "common issue". I could pull up what you did for basically any vehicle. You picking the $29,000 repair is quite an egregious example. But AHC in general is known to be very reliable and durable. I could direct you to tons of links on IH8MUD that suggest the opposite, endless. Change the fluid every 60k. Many times problems arise from it when people work on it who don't know what they're doing.
With that said, I have told people over and over again the air suspension is worth the risk...I would say the same about the AHC but it absolutely does increase risk of a costly repair. You gotta pay to play.
