Tip: Removing Lexus Air Suspension Air Lines And Possible Temp Fix For

[ChrisKaye]

Hi chaps,

After a week of fighting trying to remove the air line from my RX300 SE-L rear strut, without having the £50+ tiny plastic Toyota Special Service Tool (SST), I found a cheap, brilliant alternative!

A fuel hose "quick disconnect" tool. Commonly found for £2.55 on eBay (from China) or next day £6 from amazon! The size you need to use is 1/4" and you put the tool around the air line and slide into the strut and push it in hard till you hear it click. Simply simultaneously slide the tool and air line out of it's connector. PS make sure car is jacked up as you don't want your hand squashed if your bag still holds air!

I'm trying a tip found on the LS owners website and am using "Stans Tire Sealant" to see if this makes any difference extending the life of the air bag whilst still searching for second hand struts to refurb.

My near side rear bag is the worst of the lot (followed by offside front) at holding air and I have nothing to lose. A Turkey baster (huge pipette, if you will) fits a drinking straw in the nozzle and allowed me to squeeze 30ml of the tire sealant deep into the strut, avoiding the pipe work and any danger of blocking it.

Over the last 2 days, the bag is losing air at a slower rate than before but I think I will need to remove the strut to manipulate the goo into the worse areas to seal.

Stans tyre sealant is really fluid and smooth like liquid rubber, it doesn't have chunky bits floating around in it like other tyre sealants (OKO for example).

[steve2006]

I'll watch this with interest.

Is there not a coil spring conversion for the RX?

[ChrisKaye]

Hi Steve,

Thank you, but I love the air (and a glutton for punishment) so no coilies for my Lex just yet!

Chris.

[PCM]

Hi Steve,

Thank you, but I love the air (and a glutton for punishment) so no coilies for my Lex just yet!

Chris.

Me too!

Enjoyed raising the height for some BIG local floods ( for local people ) earlier this week.

[ChrisKaye]

Just a quick update, the goo is working brilliantly on the low pin holes in the air strut bag/sleeve but there is a hole further up the sleeve that the goo cannot reach. There's a few air struts on fleabay at the moment but look worse than those on the car already, for silly money £200 up, each!

Just need to try putting goo in the other struts now I know it won't block the air tubes!

I have some more toys coming in the post shortly and will do a post showing them on and in action =) (approx £20!)

[Timeboy]

was going to try this to mine but found bag ok however a lot of movement at top

does anyone know if you can replace top mount as all motor factors sell top mount for coil spring only

[ChrisKaye]

Can't find a part number :(

But I'd suggest trying to torque the bolts up on the mount.

One of my MR2's had clonking noise during heavy braking and uneven road surface, was quoted silly money for replacement, and upon fiddling, I noticed the bolt for the mount was only finger tight! A quick adjustment and all was good (until alternator seized, huff!)

[ChrisKaye]

After a bit of trial and error, should anyone want to know, the airlines/air hoses to the shocks/struts are 5mm outer diameter pipe.

4mm OD tubing will fit through the valve and into strut body (useful if sealing small leaks with Tyre Sealant).

I've ordered some air/pneumatic "push fit" T pieces and will be testing a schrader (car tyre) valve on the T, in-line with the compressor hose, this should allow me to inflate/deflate each corner independent of the compressor. Tubing costs a little more than a quid per metre, the T pieces less than 3 quid each. Schrader/tyre valve is less than a fiver. Biggest problem with cobbling the above bits together was sourcing a 5mm T connector (they are out there, honest!) and 5mm schrader valve (can only find 6mm but still looking).

When installing on the car, you can leave the existing hose intact, and hide the T piece and schrader valve in the wheel well using the square cut out the existing air line runs through. I'll post some pics up when I get the bits sorted.

I'll mainly be using the above for testing/fiddling with my leaky rear strut air bags, but for a car with good/fair struts and a compressor failure, this may keep you on the road whilst sorting a replacement!

Chris.

[Timeboy]

hi

got my shock off today front left

all but hanging on air line thru centre of shock

how do you get this out as in shock really tight

richard

[ChrisKaye]

Do you have the fuel line release tools like I pictured above in the thread?

The air line is 5mm so the 1/4" tool just about fits.

I had to wire brush around the metal collar on the strut where the air line entered and also cleaned the dust/rust/crud off with a rag and WD40.

Clip the tool on the air line with the protruding sleeve facing towards the strut and slide it right in and give it a hard push, it'll be tough but you'll either feel it "give" and move in about 5mm and/or hear a click. You can then pull the air line out with the tool in-situ.

The air line is held in place by two teeth, one each at 180degrees, the sleeve protruding from the tool has to "lift" up the teeth to release a little collar on the air line, make sure the tool makes contact with the teeth, as a tooth may go down the side of the sleeve that has the split to get it on the line and not "lift" when you push the tool in.

The workshop manual pages say to replace the plastic 2 tooth clip and also the "o" rings when you pop the line out, but if you are careful and keep everything clean, you may be OK.

If you have to, buy the replacement 2 tooth clip from Toyota/Lexus but go to machine mart/elsewhere for the rubber "o" rings as these aren't special and cost a fortune from the dealer!

Take the ones of your strut so you can get the right size.

I may have a second hand strut going spare in a week, so let me know how you get on!

Be careful so your strut doesn't drop!

[ChrisKaye]

Here's a diagram, it's for a gx470 just ignore first image, rest is the same!

[Timeboy]

hi

don't know if there is supposed to be a little recess at top of strut by thread for tool to slip into as the inner metal is level at top with outer thread is that normal

or is air pipe partly out

[ChrisKaye]

Hi,

I'll be doing mine on Saturday (front off-side).

Typically the air fittings on the front look different to the rear, so will look into this a bit further. My replacement front struts haven't come with air fittings so I have nothing to compare it with off the car.

Have a look at one of the links here to see the workshop manual pages for front strut replacement:

http://www.justanswer.com/lexus/7lr7c-lexus-rx-330-trying-change-strut-mounts-realized.html

[ChrisKaye]

And another link to an online repair manual:

http://workshop-manuals.com/lexus/rx_330_awd/v6-3.3l_(3mz-fe)/steering_and_suspension/suspension/suspension_strut/shock_absorber/component_information/service_and_repair/front/page_7465/

Both guides posted only say you need to undo the clamp holding the air tube and then unscrew the bolt holding the air line in to the top centre of the strut mount. The end of the air tube maybe fused to the o-ring but even then, they say the o-ring is re-usable unlike the rear ones!

When reassembling, use a little white or MP grease on the o-ring....

[Timeboy]

Hi

got to get front left airline unfortunately £242 from lexus and a front strut , dont want to buy these and find compressor is no good so may just put some coils springs on no future probs then

does anyone know what needs to be done to computer system and is there any vsc problems with this change i assume they bolt on perfectly without changing front hub just a like for like swap

Many thanks for any info

[ChrisKaye]

Any investment you make you'll probably recoup selling your old air parts.

Struts will swap with no VSC adjustment required. You may need to fiddle the height sensors so as not to get warning lights on the dash but more of a niggle than MoT failure. Might as well replace ARB bushes and stabiliser links as these may suffer when you swap from air to coils...

Have you tried 2nd hand/breakers for replacement air parts yet? Infrequently bits come up on eBay too...

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

[Timeboy]

hi

does anyone know of a working air strut available front passenger side rx300 2003

[Timeboy]

hi managed to get some slightly worn air struts think will try do a bit of a refurb on them in mean time got a set of coil shocks to go on so can stil be used

going to do a swap this weekend need airs off to work on so no problem half hour a side

does anyone know if the stabiliser link arms are same length as think eyelet on strut is about 10mm lower not sure if extra push will effect anti roll bar

 

[ChrisKaye]

Hi, the stabiliser links are a bugger to get off and the rears are different size to the fronts but left and right at each end are the same size.

Try and soak in wd40 or equivalent the day before you go to remove them and if you don't have a locking vice grip, go out and get one (Screwfix has some good ones at reasonable prices).

[Timeboy]

hi

yeah managed to get them off ok

just seem to have to push down on link arm into anti roll bar quite alot a good 2-3 inches wonder if needed a slightly smaller arm ine is 30cm which is the same as one on my sisters that does have coil springs just wasnt sure if the attach bracket fitted to strut is lower down than on air strutt

[Timeboy]

hi

got all working although rear goes up very high wont come down, I have read various posts on here with height sensor failure I a not getting any codes for this although it was mentioned once or twice about broken rear wires .Does anybody know where this breaks take place as seem quite common don't want strip all wiring apart if I can locate an area where this is most likely to be

thanks

 

[David_lx]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here, but I was interested in the subject. I found the tool 09730-00010 eBay sold in less than half the price, and I have already bought one, if anyone needs it

http://www.ebay.es/itm/112033086526

[montevardi]

First and foremost i hope everyone is well  at this trying time.Thank you for a most informative review of your airbag issue.

My question if anyone can help me is what bore is the air bag piping and the inflation valves .Is it 4m or 6m fittings please.

thank you in anticipation

[montevardi]

For myself the problem is an air leak from body of the rear air suspension valve solenoid oem mounted on crossmember in front of spare wheel well.It has three air pipes one in two out one to each air bag.it would appear the body of the unit is cracked and i cannot find a used one anywhere.   

[RgrWynne]

Hi David try Paul Frost at Lexussparesdirect 07590 072646. He breaks only LS430’s and has all the parts, is very helpful and has an excellent reputation. He is not far from you, Rgds, Roger