AitLift -- Keeping the air hoses on

Topics relating to Lift Kits, Suspension, Steering...

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SilverGhost
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Re: Has anyone determined a bag combo for the 2WD crowd?

Postby SilverGhost » Sun May 06, 2007 3:53 am

hpc3 wrote:I probably don't need bags yet but when my towing stuff increases I'd like to add these for the levelling if anything else.
I contacted Kevin at AirLift again last week for an update. He still says the kit for the Kia Sorento (#60792) will work. In my opinion, those bags probably would provide some added rear end support when towing, but only marginal (if any) benefit for non-tow everyday driving.

If my rough measurements and calculations are reasonably accurate (and that's a big "if"), those bags would allow the 2WD PF springs to freely compress slightly more than one inch. The bags designed for the 4WD PF allow only one half inch free spring compression on that truck. Unfortunately, using the 4WD bags on a 2WD PF pretty much eliminates ALL unsupported compression due to a difference in spring length, and ride quality would probably suffer.

If you decide to try the Kia kit, please post your impressions.

Dave


amr40509
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Re: Has anyone determined a bag combo for the 2WD crowd?

Postby amr40509 » Sun May 06, 2007 5:27 am

SilverGhost wrote:
hpc3 wrote:I probably don't need bags yet but when my towing stuff increases I'd like to add these for the levelling if anything else.
I contacted Kevin at AirLift again last week for an update. He still says the kit for the Kia Sorento (#60792) will work. In my opinion, those bags probably would provide some added rear end support when towing, but only marginal (if any) benefit for non-tow everyday driving.

If my rough measurements and calculations are reasonably accurate (and that's a big "if"), those bags would allow the 2WD PF springs to freely compress slightly more than one inch. The bags designed for the 4WD PF allow only one half inch free spring compression on that truck. Unfortunately, using the 4WD bags on a 2WD PF pretty much eliminates ALL unsupported compression due to a difference in spring length, and ride quality would probably suffer.

If you decide to try the Kia kit, please post your impressions.

Dave
Free spring compression? My 4wd kit has a spacer (probably somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4") on top of each bag, the bag and spacer fill the entire void even at 5psi. At higher pressure it actually increases the ride height in the rear, even unloaded. I would say that w/ the included spacer being used there is 0" free spring compression as the pressure of the bag is always in play.

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SilverGhost
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Re: Has anyone determined a bag combo for the 2WD crowd?

Postby SilverGhost » Sun May 06, 2007 6:17 am

amr40509 wrote:My 4wd kit has a spacer (probably somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4") on top of each bag, the bag and spacer fill the entire void even at 5psi. At higher pressure it actually increases the ride height in the rear, even unloaded. I would say that w/ the included spacer being used there is 0" free spring compression as the pressure of the bag is always in play.
That's great to know. As I said, my information is iffy.

As closely as I can measure, my springs are 9.25 inches top to bottom. I'm gonna drive to my dealersip and crawl under a 4WD to measure its spring height. Maybe knowing the actual difference will be useful in deciding which kit to buy.

Dave.

hpc3
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Thanks for the info Dave. One thing I did notice

Postby hpc3 » Sun May 06, 2007 6:50 am

is that the 2WD version seems pretty stable in "jerk" manuvers on the road vs the 4WD... granted I did not get a weeks worth of time with the 4WD but the day or so I drove one it felt a little different as expected.

I'll report back if/when I get them. I'm pretty bad about not being able to leave things stock. Hoping to get time to install the wife's iPod gateway/kit today.

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SilverGhost
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Re: Thanks for the info Dave. One thing I did notice

Postby SilverGhost » Sun May 06, 2007 9:02 am

hpc3 wrote:is that the 2WD version seems pretty stable in "jerk" manuvers on the road vs the 4WD... granted I did not get a weeks worth of time with the 4WD but the day or so I drove one it felt a little different as expected.

I'll report back if/when I get them. I'm pretty bad about not being able to leave things stock. Hoping to get time to install the wife's iPod gateway/kit today.
I went to my dealer and compared the rear spring measurements of a 2WD LE to a 4WD SE. As closely as I could measure, they were identical in length and diameter. Based on that, I should be able to use the 4WD Airlift kit on my 2WD.

But I'm still puzzled that my owner's manual shows that each 4WD PF model stands 0.4 inches taller than it's 2WD counterpart. Since both have the same tires/wheels/body, and since my parts dept. said that the springs had different part numbers and prices, I had conluded that the difference was due to the spring length.

The manual also shows that the 4WD SE is 0.3 inches taller than the 2WD LE. Am I missing something?

jorgecar
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Postby jorgecar » Sun May 06, 2007 1:07 pm

...if the springs are the same length, then they have different spring rates...that's why one Pathy sits lower than the other, even though they must pretty much weigh the same.

My 2 cents.

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SilverGhost
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Postby SilverGhost » Sun May 06, 2007 2:33 pm

jorgecar wrote:...if the springs are the same length, then they have different spring rates...that's why one Pathy sits lower than the other, even though they must pretty much weigh the same.
I believe you're correct about the spring rates being different, because the 4WD springs did appear a bit heavier.

I must not have been completely accurate in measuring the spring lengths earlier. I went back and took more measurements. This time, I measured ground to fender edge at the wheel centerline. The LE 2WD's were 34 1/2, 34 5/8 and one was 34 3/4. The SE 4WD was 35 even. Nissan spec's the overall height of the SE 4WD at .03 inches more than the LE 2WD, which is consistent with my measured differences.

Still, considering the info amr40509 gave a couple of posts back, I would choose the 4WD Airlift kit rather than using a one-inch smaller bag that wouldn't provide support until the springs had compressed a bit.

amr40509
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Postby amr40509 » Mon May 07, 2007 4:46 am

are you measuring these on a lift or on the ground? Seems like on the ground wouldn't really be a useful number at all. I would have to assume that even a difference like a full tank of gas ((like 125lbs) would make a slight difference (we are talking about 1/10th's of an inch here) between two random trucks.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Mon May 07, 2007 6:31 am

I'm interested in getting this kit for my 4wd PF.
what would be some of the main advantages of this kit?
it is mainly for towing, a firmer ride?
thanks.

amr40509
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Postby amr40509 » Mon May 07, 2007 11:57 am

mtbpath wrote:I'm interested in getting this kit for my 4wd PF.
what would be some of the main advantages of this kit?
it is mainly for towing, a firmer ride?
thanks.

First of all, it probably sounds like I work for them or something -- I am in no way connected to any parts company or retailer -- just an end user. I have no gain here.

On my '06 4x4 the rear was always kinda soft, and after about 7-10K miles it felt like it actually got a little softer as it broke in. For normal daily drives I keep about 15lbs of air in the bags and it seems to really take some of the softness and slop out of the rear. Less body roll and less 'skipping' over uneven pavement.

When towing they make an even larger difference, major improvement there.

The best part -- they are dirt cheap. Might as well give them a shot, hard not to at that price.

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RacerZX
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Postby RacerZX » Mon May 07, 2007 2:22 pm

BTW, remember that the air bags don't just push up on the truck, but also inflate out to push appart the coils of the springs. In the manual they specifically say that for maximum effect you should inflate the bags before placing a heavy load on it, and in my expiriance I've seen that to be true.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Tue May 08, 2007 1:15 pm

I am convinced to getting this air lift kit.
thanks for all the feedback and comments concerning this kit.
not is there anything else I should order from 4x4parts.com since I'm going to order this lift kit?

Carl, question, the air hose at the top of the airbag. you mounted it where you have easy access to reach and fill it?
according to the picture it would appear you have quick easy access to it.

I was thinking it would be neat to have a mini air compressor and anything you can fill it up.

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RacerZX
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Postby RacerZX » Tue May 08, 2007 1:28 pm

I took the hose lines over to the trailer hitch plate.

There are lots of accessories if you want them, like air compressors and auto-levelers and such: http://www.airliftcompany.com/load_support_index.html

LittleStevie
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Installed 60792 Airlift 1000 kit on 2WD

Postby LittleStevie » Sat May 26, 2007 2:26 pm

Hey everyone, I've been on one of the other Pathfinder forums for a while, but new to this one. I had similar discussions with Kevin of Airlift, recommending the 60792 (Kia Sorento) kit for the 2WD R51 Pathfinder. After putting it off for a while, not knowing which kit would be right, I went for it and installed the 60792 on my '05 this morning.

When inflated to ~30 PSI and the truck is sitting normally, the air springs fill up all but about an inch from the spring seat. It does not look like the airlift spring is engaged during the normal unloaded condition, but the air bladder does fill the spaces between the coils. I don't notice any change in rear ride height, but forgot to take pre-installation measurements so it's subjective.

Although the Airlift instructions recommend a tee installation, I've kept them separate to help with sway control, and who knows if I'll ever have to level side to side. I took the truck out for a short test spin and initial impression is that handling is somewhat improved. I obviously have not had a payload in the truck yet, but looking forward to the next Home Depot haul. During the next week I'll try dropping air pressure down to 20 PSI, see how it responds.

Unfortunately, for someone choosing between the 4WD Pathfinder and Kia Sorento kit, I don't have a reference on what the 4WD kit on the 4WD Pathfinder would do. I can say that even though the springs seem short and do not fill the entire cavity, there is definitely a handling improvement, I would say worth $80. I'm not sure about theory of operation, but this may be an ideal case in that the spring rate is increased slightly for better handling, but then the springs will fully engage when loaded for heavy towing or hauling.

Sorry so long of a post, hope this helps anyone out there trying to make the same decision for the 2WD Pathy.

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SilverGhost
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Re: Installed 60792 Airlift 1000 kit on 2WD

Postby SilverGhost » Sun May 27, 2007 5:13 am

LittleStevie wrote: hope this helps anyone out there trying to make the same decision for the 2WD Pathy.
That helps a bunch, and confirms what I suspected. Thanks!

It also makes me more inclined to consider the 4WD kit for my 2WD truck, because I want more firmness at the rear when unloaded.

More when I get around to doing this.

Dave


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