Need help on options to replace 91 LS Air Suspension
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Need help on options to replace 91 LS Air Suspension
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.
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.
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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
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
Last edited by Asia-H.T.; 11-01-09 at 01:44 AM.
#4
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Air suspension
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.
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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.
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.
#6
So let's say that all the bags are bad/leaking. I can get them from Arnott 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 warranty. Get yourself a Japanese controller for a couple hundred from eBay and your set. I just don't see why everyone complains about the "ridiculous" cost of the a/s. Like we have said before, it's a flagship car that cost well over 30k in 1991, I wood love to have a car with a/s. Just my thoughts.
#7
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Air
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.
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#8
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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
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
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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.
#10
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.
#11
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Air
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.
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