How does one upgrade on the stock air suspension?

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Socialseb83

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When i got my LR4, the salesman went on and on about the air suspension. So when people upgrade it, do they get rid of the stock air suspension? Do they add to what’s already there? Are there better options than the stock, which still work with the terrain response system?
Please forgive the noob-ness of these questions but i am a TRUE noob to the off-road world.
 

Bryan Jones

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A search on this site would definitely help. As of now, no one that I know of currently runs springs on their LR4, the LR3 however has a conversation kit, but again I'm not talking anyone running it on an LR4
 

ryanjl

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The good news is the air suspension on the LR4 is already really damn good for what it is.

The bad news is there's not really any way to "upgrade" it. You can swap over to coil springs, but they are actually worse off road, and really only better the air suspension in long-term reliability. That said, the air suspension is pretty reliable when you keep it maintained, so the coil suspension has only been desirable to those who don't want to spend the money to make that happen.
 

Socialseb83

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The good news is the air suspension on the LR4 is already really damn good for what it is.

The bad news is there's not really any way to "upgrade" it. You can swap over to coil springs, but they are actually worse off road, and really only better the air suspension in long-term reliability. That said, the air suspension is pretty reliable when you keep it maintained, so the coil suspension has only been desirable to those who don't want to spend the money to make that happen.

so basically, don’t worry about “upgrading” it, just keep it well-maintained and i should be good? I doubt i’ll be doing any SUPER CRAZY off-roading either, but SOME off-roading is definitely in the horizon so i wanted to make sure i was well-prepared for that.
 

ryanjl

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so basically, don’t worry about “upgrading” it, just keep it well-maintained and i should be good? I doubt i’ll be doing any SUPER CRAZY off-roading either, but SOME off-roading is definitely in the horizon so i wanted to make sure i was well-prepared for that.

Not really. I think either Rovers North or Atlantic British carry some Bilstein replacement struts, but I think someone on here or on the LR3 side of the forum bought them and wasn't impressed.

The best thing you can buy is a iiD Tool from GAP Diagnostic. It plugs into the OBD port, communicates with your smart phone via bluetooth, and allows you to do all sorts of things with your suspension (and vehicle in general), clear codes, enter service modes, etc.
 

Steve T

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When i got my LR4, the salesman went on and on about the air suspension. So when people upgrade it, do they get rid of the stock air suspension? Do they add to what’s already there? Are there better options than the stock, which still work with the terrain response system?
Please forgive the noob-ness of these questions but i am a TRUE noob to the off-road world.


what are you looking to do? have more control over the EAS (Electronic Air Suspension)? if that is the case, there are a few options, I recently became a US Distributor for X-Lifter and use it daily. https://www.xlifter.com.

With X-Lifter, you can use it for adjustments "on the fly" it also overrides the 40mph limit for Access height or Off road height and allows for individual 1/2 inch incremental adjustments (manually) or it has 7 preset height adjustments and my favorite feature is it has a 1-touch auto level feature that I use for roof top tent leaving!

you can use the Gap iiD Tool. I have also used this but it does not allow for adjustments on the fly and leveling is tedious.
Mud Tech has a similar system and LLAMS is another unit that has good reviews.

Let me know what what you think and PM me if you want me to get on for you.
Steve
 

avslash

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The air suspension, for what it is, is pretty remarkable. It allows fairly serious offroading, while maintaining the ability to cruise comfortably on the highway.

First, you need to decide how far down the modification pathway you want to go. If you want to exceed 265/65R18 tire size, you should look very hard at adding the Proud Rhino strut spacers. These spacers bring their own set of compromises, but what they will do is allow you to remain mobile in the event of a total suspension failure that drops the truck to the bumpstops. Without these spacers, any tire larger than 265/65 will be crunched into the wheel wells, and you would essentially be immobile.

If running the spacers, you also need to run "lift rods" to keep the air strut pressure within a range close to stock. Without compensating for the 2" difference in strut height, your truck would remain at factory ride height, but with commensurately lower pressure inside the air struts, resulting a crappy ride quality.

Next, consider mods to increase the serviceability of the system. I run and recommend the GOE "Emergency Air Kit". This system allows you to segregate each individual strut in the event of a failure and manually inflate the strut from an alternative air source (on-board compressor, Air bottle, etc). With this system in place, you can compensate for any form of mechanical or electrical suspension failure with the sole exception of an actual ruptured air bag, which is a very rare occurrence.

A GAP tool is almost a must if doing the aforementioned mods to allow you to fine tune the settings after your mechanical changes as well. It can also be extremely useful in troubleshooting or compensating for issues.

If you want 100% reliability if heading into the sticks, consider throwing a spare front/rear strut assembly into your kit. These can be changed trailside if it comes to that. 4 tools, which you should also be carrying, will get the job done.

I would never consider changing to a coil setup. It would compromise what is so great about these trucks. Drive to the mall, or drive up a mountain. Just push the right button to make it happen...
 

m_lars

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The air suspension, for what it is, is pretty remarkable. It allows fairly serious offroading, while maintaining the ability to cruise comfortably on the highway.

First, you need to decide how far down the modification pathway you want to go. If you want to exceed 265/65R18 tire size, you should look very hard at adding the Proud Rhino strut spacers. These spacers bring their own set of compromises, but what they will do is allow you to remain mobile in the event of a total suspension failure that drops the truck to the bumpstops. Without these spacers, any tire larger than 265/65 will be crunched into the wheel wells, and you would essentially be immobile.

If running the spacers, you also need to run "lift rods" to keep the air strut pressure within a range close to stock. Without compensating for the 2" difference in strut height, your truck would remain at factory ride height, but with commensurately lower pressure inside the air struts, resulting a crappy ride quality.

Next, consider mods to increase the serviceability of the system. I run and recommend the GOE "Emergency Air Kit". This system allows you to segregate each individual strut in the event of a failure and manually inflate the strut from an alternative air source (on-board compressor, Air bottle, etc). With this system in place, you can compensate for any form of mechanical or electrical suspension failure with the sole exception of an actual ruptured air bag, which is a very rare occurrence.

A GAP tool is almost a must if doing the aforementioned mods to allow you to fine tune the settings after your mechanical changes as well. It can also be extremely useful in troubleshooting or compensating for issues.

If you want 100% reliability if heading into the sticks, consider throwing a spare front/rear strut assembly into your kit. These can be changed trailside if it comes to that. 4 tools, which you should also be carrying, will get the job done.

I would never consider changing to a coil setup. It would compromise what is so great about these trucks. Drive to the mall, or drive up a mountain. Just push the right button to make it happen...
What do you use to inflate the system with the GOE kit? It takes somewhere north of 175psi to raise the vehicle, correct?

You can run 265/70/18 without becoming immobile during EAS failure. It doesn’t seem like a big difference, but it equates to around an inch taller tire. I’ve got the Cooper S/T Maxx in 265/70/18. They do rub slightly while on the bump stops, but you can still drive.
 

avslash

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What do you use to inflate the system with the GOE kit? It takes somewhere north of 175psi to raise the vehicle, correct?

You can run 265/70/18 without becoming immobile during EAS failure. It doesn’t seem like a big difference, but it equates to around an inch taller tire. I’ve got the Cooper S/T Maxx in 265/70/18. They do rub slightly while on the bump stops, but you can still drive.

LR4 runs about 145 psi in the front air struts and 116 psi in the rear at "normal" ride height. I have a under hood compressor that's rated at 150psi, so normal height is attainable. You can also get into to tricks to make the compressor's job easier, such a as jacking a corner off the ground to get the corner you are working with at full extension. Alternatively, someone in your party could carry something like a Powertank. Those things are very handy for several different tasks.

I think you might be thinking of the earlier LR3's, which I understand used to run at something like 248 psi.
 

m_lars

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LR4 runs about 145 psi in the front air struts and 116 psi in the rear at "normal" ride height. I have a under hood compressor that's rated at 150psi, so normal height is attainable. You can also get into to tricks to make the compressor's job easier, such a as jacking a corner off the ground to get the corner you are working with at full extension. Alternatively, someone in your party could carry something like a Powertank. Those things are very handy for several different tasks.

I think you might be thinking of the earlier LR3's, which I understand used to run at something like 248 psi.
Yeah, I forget which vehicle forum I’m entering when I click the email link. I’ve got a 3, the AMK programming shuts off the compressor at 255psi. Even at 175psi it’ll have a hard time lifting the truck. It doesn’t matter that the 4 front struts run at 145psi, it needs more than that to raise the vehicle. I can’t imagine the 3 and 4 differ significantly in the psi they run in the bags.

I don’t ask because I doubt, I’ve looked at that system and have wondered how you get enough pressure into the system.
 

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