Seen Ls 400 Air Suspension For Sale?

[rollingini]

i have '90 ls400(a) ....my rear strut is leaking air but if i pick up my rear and help it pump some air it stays untill i turn off till morning.... how hard is it to change air struts on lexus ....is this diy for average joe with good mechanical knowledge or is this mechanics jobs

i found my needed part just wondering if its worth to buy it and do it myself???

ebay listing of air suspension for ls400

thanks

[lexluxury]

go to lexls.com to see if there are pics on how to DIY.

recently got a quote for 2 hours labor to install one strut. if you can get them cheap, would be a quick fix for not much money, especially if you DIY. you would need to be careful not to cut the air line (at the top of the strut) and to hook it back up properly to get the air back in the strut and working properly. if you are not a DIY on a regular basis, i'd advise taking it to someone experienced with air suspension (NOT your neighborhood mechanic who's never worked on air suspension).

that said, any strut that old is at the end of its life. the life of air struts is between seven years or 80 to 100K. the elements alone will cause the rubber to develop vertical grooves, which will turn into cracks, etc. even if you cannot see fluids leaking, if you see the vertical grooves in the rubber, that strut is leaking air.

you can buy a OEM air strut rebuilt (like new, to specs) for around 400 from arnottindustries.com. these struts come with a lifetime warranty. if you plan on keeping your car, this would be the longer term solution, and you won't have to be redoing your struts (who knows when).

but, what you are looking at (on the web) would be a cheap fix. btw, i noticed that arnott is bidding on those struts. (they're trying to get them to use the core for rebuild). it's a small world.

i have '90 ls400(a) ....my rear strut is leaking air but if i pick up my rear and help it pump some air it stays untill i turn off till morning....  how hard is it to change air struts on lexus ....is this diy for average joe with good mechanical knowledge or is this mechanics jobs

i found my needed part just wondering if its worth to buy it and do it myself???

ebay listing of air suspension for ls400

thanks

←

[wwest]

First be sure it isn't one of the pressure control/release valves mounted in the trunk.

[prix]

there is an on/off switch for the air suspension in the trunk (next to the tool kit on my 1st gen LS400). is that what you are talking about? if so, yes, check that. you can tell if the strut has 'collapsed' by looking at the car. is the tire rubbing or close to rubbing the wheel well? is it sagging on one tire? sears can do a free suspension check and tell you whether they see any fluids around the strut. if they do, it's the strut and it needs to be replaced as soon as you can get to it. first make sure it IS the strut.

First be sure it isn't one of the pressure control/release valves mounted in the trunk.

←

[prix]

there are pics there for replacing struts, btw. i checked.

go to lexls.com to see if there are pics on how to DIY.

recently got a quote for 2 hours labor to install one strut.  if you can get them cheap, would be a quick fix for not much money, especially if you DIY.  you would need to be careful not to cut the air line (at the top of the strut) and to hook it back up properly to get the air back in the strut and working properly.  if you are not a DIY on a regular basis, i'd advise taking it to someone experienced with air suspension (NOT your neighborhood mechanic who's never worked on air suspension).

that said, any strut that old is at the end of its life. the life of air struts is between seven years or 80 to 100K.  the elements alone will cause the rubber to develop vertical grooves, which will turn into cracks, etc.  even if you cannot see fluids leaking, if you see the vertical grooves in the rubber, that strut is leaking air.

you can buy a OEM air strut rebuilt (like new, to specs) for around 400 from arnottindustries.com.  these struts come with a lifetime warranty.  if you plan on keeping your car, this would be the longer term solution, and you won't have to be redoing your struts (who knows when).

but, what you are looking at (on the web) would be a cheap fix.  btw, i noticed that arnott is bidding on those struts.  (they're trying to get them to use the core for rebuild).  it's a small world.

i have '90 ls400(a) ....my rear strut is leaking air but if i pick up my rear and help it pump some air it stays untill i turn off till morning....  how hard is it to change air struts on lexus ....is this diy for average joe with good mechanical knowledge or is this mechanics jobs

i found my needed part just wondering if its worth to buy it and do it myself???

ebay listing of air suspension for ls400

thanks

←

←

[Gumart1]

Prix - Would there be visible fluid leaks from an air strut? I thought it was basically compressed air, and that a rapid leak would be heard, and a slow leak would be seen by the visual drop in that corner. One thing for sure to check is the rubber surround on the strut itself. Small verticle cracks can produce small leaks and will only get worse. Age is usually the main culprit. I don't think I would buy any of these on E-Bay even if they were currently working. They will die very soon because of age. I am facing replacement or conversion on my 91 as well, just need to verify if my compressor is still good. Arnott Industries as mentioned on the forum is a lower cost option to air strut replacement. $400 vs. $1100 at the Dealer. I just spoke to them today - they've been rebuilding them for Lexus for about a year. They have one test LS in their shop to work with. The lifetime warranty is limited - not sure what the restrictions are. Frankly it is a much lower cost but for a rebuild I think $400 is still high. It is not brain surgery, but it is a Lexus ;) and that air ride is sooooo smooth!

there is an on/off switch for the air suspension in the trunk (next to the tool kit on my 1st gen LS400).  is that what you are talking about? if so, yes, check that.  you can tell if the strut has 'collapsed' by looking at the car. is the tire rubbing or close to rubbing the wheel well?  is it sagging on one tire?  sears can do a free suspension check and tell you whether they see any fluids around the strut. if they do, it's the strut and it needs to be replaced as soon as you can get to it.  first make sure it IS the strut.

First be sure it isn't one of the pressure control/release valves mounted in the trunk.

←

←

[prix]

Gumart

Yes, you can see fluids around a leaking air strut. On mine, from the time it was first spotted by a mechanic (minor leak, he said), within three weeks it was soaked! The limitations to Arnott's warranty are, keep your receipt and keep your car. It's only warrantied for you for that car. I wasn't able to find these anywhere else. The Lex dealer didn't know about them, not did another mechanic I spoke to. We're cutting edge! I bought them largely based on the LT warranty and on assurances that they use the same mfr in Europe who does BMW's airbags for rubber components, etc. I was questioning how they tested them, how they knew they were OEM quality etc. I don't know...my other options were ... an $1100 strut! That's a no brainer for me. Here's how they told me to check the remaining struts: Lift the car, take off the wheels, let the axle (?) drop down so you can the struts and the rubber that cups around the struts (the rubber bladder thing-ey). Look for vertical grooves in the rubber. If you can see that, your struts are leaking air (however subtly). In short, they said the struts are leaking way before you can visually spot the fluids. And, leaking struts are the leading cause of air compressor failure (it has to work harder...I'm just repeating what I was told). This is way more than I ever wanted to know about air struts (in my entire lifetime), but I am sure you can get even more detail if you want. My goal is to get my car working again. Yes, I'm trying to keep the air ride.

Prix - Would there be visible fluid leaks from an air strut? I thought it was basically compressed air, and that a rapid leak would be heard, and a slow leak would be seen by the visual drop in that corner. One thing for sure to check is the rubber surround on the strut itself. Small verticle cracks can produce small leaks and will only get worse. Age is usually the main culprit. I don't think I would buy any of these on E-Bay even if they were currently working. They will die very soon because of age. I am facing replacement or conversion on my 91 as well, just need to verify if my compressor is still good. Arnott Industries as mentioned on the forum is a lower cost option to air strut replacement. $400 vs. $1100 at the Dealer. I just spoke to them today - they've been rebuilding them for Lexus for about a year. They have one test LS in their shop to work with. The lifetime warranty is limited - not sure what the restrictions are. Frankly it is a much lower cost but for a rebuild I think $400 is still high. It is not brain surgery, but it is a Lexus  ;) and that air ride is sooooo smooth!

there is an on/off switch for the air suspension in the trunk (next to the tool kit on my 1st gen LS400).  is that what you are talking about? if so, yes, check that.  you can tell if the strut has 'collapsed' by looking at the car. is the tire rubbing or close to rubbing the wheel well?  is it sagging on one tire?  sears can do a free suspension check and tell you whether they see any fluids around the strut. if they do, it's the strut and it needs to be replaced as soon as you can get to it.  first make sure it IS the strut.

First be sure it isn't one of the pressure control/release valves mounted in the trunk.

←

←

←

[Gumart1]

Prix - Did you talk to the same woman at Arnott that I did? I was given exactly the same info - It's a father and son business, and they do a ton - I am jealous! That's a fair warranty. I was told that very soon they will be selling brand new replacements and not rebuilt, but who cares with the warranty? They are buying every air strut lately on E-Bay. I see what they bid and I realize what they make in profit on each of them rebuilt. However, as you said, it beats $1100 Dealer price. My situtation is interesting. My car it seems has a slow leak, but I haven't once heard my compressor doing it's job to pump it up. It must be working, correct, or the car would not be driveable at all? Also, I wonder if the strut actuator ever goes bad and how to check this. And also can lekas appear at the air line connections.

Rollingini - YES! You can change them yourself. It is even easier than coil struts because you do not have to compress anything. I have found the best source for the replacement is the original shop manuals. Let me know if you have any questions.

Remember also that your car still has many other shared suspension components, and that there may be more work ahead besides the air struts At least that's the case with mine.

[prix]

talked to several people there, two seemed v. knowledgeable. one named paula. are you going to buy from them? they've sold 2-300 of the rebuilts in the past 8 months or so, when they first started. i would much rather have waited until new ones were ready, but had no choice. there is no way of knowing what they are going to ask for them either. i've seen others selling the arnott strut on ebay and they are asking 615 (in one case) and 535, in another. our 400 price was way better. I have no idea as to your other questions, but I was left with the impression that any leak in the struts (slow or otherwise) puts more stress on the compressor. compressors should last the lifetime of the car, typically, unless you have leaks and don't take care of them. i am concerned about having driven my car w/o knowing i had leaks for quite some time, and even after i got it properly diagnosed, took forever to figure out what to do about it (to locate arnott in other words). here's one bit of info you may find useful. the guy who worked on replacing my air struts, said that unlike regular struts, you don't necessarily have to do both sides, due to the air leveling. so even if you put a new strut on one side, one that changes the suspension to firmer at that side, the air leveling would take care of the difference between that 'ride' and the other side. i still did the safe thing and replaced both sides, and got a diagnosis on the rear struts. if/when they go, arnott will likely have the new ones ready to market. if that air compressor ever goes, i will really question my sanity (as to why i tried to 'save' this air ride quality). good luck...

Prix - Did you talk to the same woman at Arnott that I did? I was given exactly the same info - It's a father and son business, and they do a ton - I am jealous! That's a fair warranty. I was told that very soon they will be selling brand new replacements and not rebuilt, but who cares with the warranty? They are buying every air strut lately on E-Bay. I see what they bid and I realize what they make in profit on each of them rebuilt. However, as you said, it beats $1100 Dealer price. My situtation is interesting. My car it seems has a slow leak, but I haven't once heard my compressor doing it's job to pump it up. It must be working, correct, or the car would not be driveable at all? Also, I wonder if the strut actuator ever goes bad and how to check this. And also can lekas appear at the air line connections.

Rollingini - YES! You can change them yourself. It is even easier than coil struts because you do not have to compress anything. I have found the best source for the replacement is the original shop manuals. Let me know if you have any questions.

Remember also that your car still has many other shared suspension components, and that there may be more work ahead besides the air struts At least that's the case with mine.

←

[lexluxury]

one more thing, and i want to make this clear in case anyone has a thin wallet and is ffretting about buying one strut v. two (both fronts or both rears). the mechanic did say it wasn't 'critical' that you do both sides at once, but he did say it was 'best'. so i'm doing both. got the report that both rear struts are fine...no grooves showing yet. whee.

as to that ebay deal, if he can get them for not much (i'm tracking them, haven't checked to see where they are quotewise), and if he isa DIY, then god yes, put 'em on. they could last another 2, 3, 4 years, you never know. if labor is free, it's a chance he could take, a cheap chance. if he has to pay someone 3 or 4 hrs labor to install at 75 per hr, then it's not as good a deal, but sure could be worse (like what we're paying), or, positively catastrophic, like having to buy new at 1,040 per!!

talked to several people there, two seemed v. knowledgeable. one named paula.  are you going to buy from them?  they've sold 2-300 of the rebuilts in the past 8 months or so, when they first started.  i would much rather have waited until new ones were ready, but had no choice.  there is no way of knowing what they are going to ask for them either. i've seen others selling the arnott strut on ebay and they are asking 615 (in one case) and 535, in another.  our 400 price was way better.  I have no idea as to your other questions, but I was left with the impression that any leak in the struts (slow or otherwise) puts more stress on the compressor.  compressors should last the lifetime of the car, typically, unless you have leaks and don't take care of them.  i am concerned about having driven my car w/o knowing i had leaks for quite some time, and even after i got it properly diagnosed, took forever to figure out what to do about it (to locate arnott in other words).  here's one bit of info you may find useful.  the guy who worked on replacing my air struts,  said that unlike regular struts, you don't necessarily have to do both sides, due to the air leveling.  so even if you put a new strut on one side, one that changes the suspension to firmer at that side, the air leveling would take care of the difference between that 'ride' and the other side.  i still did the safe thing and replaced both sides,  and got a diagnosis on the rear struts.  if/when they go, arnott will likely have the new ones ready to market.  if that air compressor ever goes, i will really question my sanity (as to why i tried to 'save' this air ride quality). good luck... 

Prix - Did you talk to the same woman at Arnott that I did? I was given exactly the same info - It's a father and son business, and they do a ton - I am jealous! That's a fair warranty. I was told that very soon they will be selling brand new replacements and not rebuilt, but who cares with the warranty? They are buying every air strut lately on E-Bay. I see what they bid and I realize what they make in profit on each of them rebuilt. However, as you said, it beats $1100 Dealer price. My situtation is interesting. My car it seems has a slow leak, but I haven't once heard my compressor doing it's job to pump it up. It must be working, correct, or the car would not be driveable at all? Also, I wonder if the strut actuator ever goes bad and how to check this. And also can lekas appear at the air line connections.

Rollingini - YES! You can change them yourself. It is even easier than coil struts because you do not have to compress anything. I have found the best source for the replacement is the original shop manuals. Let me know if you have any questions.

Remember also that your car still has many other shared suspension components, and that there may be more work ahead besides the air struts At least that's the case with mine.

←

←