Thanks for reading my post. I had to tow a VW R32 on a U-Haul "auto transport trailer" this last weekend. Without going into detail, let's just say it was the worst drive of my life. Seattle roads are pathetic at best and I can't even tell y'all how many rim destroying potholes I hit. I felt so bad for my GX. Anyway, got the job done but now after turning off the engine and waiting a bit the rear end settles all the way down. The rear does come back up when the vehicle is turned back on so, based on a quick forum search here, it would seem my air bags are done for. Not a big surprise as the tongue weight was probably way over the limit. Could anyone confirm if that the air bags are gone or is it possible the shocks need to be replaced as well? Thanks for the advice.

 

If the rear ride height bleeds down after you've shut off the truck, and raises back up when the truck is started, that sounds like airbags leaking. Is it both sides, or just one?

 

Thanks for the reply. Both sides. We didn't use the car yesterday and upon inspection this AM it seems as though the rear is sitting on the bump stops. Pretty sure the air bags are leaking and will need to be replaced. This GX has about 180,000 miles on it and I'm pretty sure these are the original bags, so I guess the trailer towing debacle probably did them in. Question - if it were your GX, would you go ahead and replace the struts as well? Thanks again.

 

What's the age of the shocks? If they are original still, then I'd definitely replace them all.

If it was my truck, I'd replace the airbags with springs, which I've done.

 

It looks like your air springs might be damaged, causing your car to sag. Replacing them or switching to coil springs should fix the problem. You might also want to check the shocks and other suspension parts for any damage while you're at it.

 

I would plan on replacing both sides. I replaced mine. I had 200K miles when I replaced them. I ordered the air bags online from 1AAuto.com. There are YouTube videos on how to replace them. I did struggle disconnecting the air lines but once I figured it out, things went fairly smooth.

 

The Lexus OEM rear shocks are stunningly expensive - about $1k each at the dealer. You can get them mail-order for about $675 each. The reason why they cost this much is that they have the remote valving adjustment (the soft..firm **** on the center console)

If they're not leaking and pass the "bounce test" I would keep them.

Or go for a rear coil spring + shock swap. You'll lose the height control for towing, but if you're OK with some back-end sag, you'll save a lot of money.

Chip H.

 

you can find "OEM style" shocks on ebay for about 600/pair....they look like, smell like and work like toyota KYB shocks...are they real? not sure, but a 16 year old truck....even if they last 5 years....the only thing that makes me wonder if they are chinese reproductions...the top nut is not metric...its 3/4" locking nut...stock was 17mm....but everything else has toyota/lexus markings...