1998 Lx470 Replace Self Leveling Suspension Any Input Tyou!

J Diem · March 12, 2012

I have a 1998 LX470 with 127,000 miles, interior and exterior in very good shape. I am having problems with the front end bouncing and have read the forums about replacement of the accumulators. The dealership wanted thousands of dollars and would not guarantee that it would fix the problem. I do not want to spend several thousands of dollars, more than 4 with no guarantee. I have priced a conversion kit from Suncore for 545,00. I have also priced shocks for a 1998 Toyota Landcruiser that has the same chasis. I have read one forum that said this would pass inspection. Front shocks surrounded by springs 160.00, rear shocks 120.00 and rear coils 100.00. This is 165.00 less than the Suncore conversion kit that looks to be exactly the same parts. My concern is that the computer will send out some type of warning or signal and a warning light will stay on at the interior console. Has anyone done this conversion and was there a problem, and if so was there a solution. ANY INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!

THANK YOU

sharpie · April 3, 2012

I just replaced the entire AHC system in my 99 LX with a lift and standard suspension setup (old man emu). If you are looking for a pump and motor assembly to repair your AHC I have the one I took out listed on eBay here: goo.gl/4zzpI

LexiKon · April 20, 2012

I hope you haven't done this already!!!

The AHC is what makes an LX470 what it is. I had the same issue on my 2002 LX470 with over 230K miles. Mind you, I bought it 8 years ago with 32K miles, so as you can see, this car has been through a lot.

That being said, I was having the same issue with my car for the past 2 years, where the front of the car was all the way at the bottom, and it felt like I would go air borne if I drove on a rough road. I went to the dealer and got the exact same answer, "It'll be $280 for diagnosis, we might have to replace the AHC system to find out if that's the issue, cost will be over four grand...yada yada yada."

Anyway, I did months and months of research. During this, I changed the Suspension oil ($50 from the dealer, do not use any other oil) - No results. Then I figured, I'd bite the bullet and change both of the "Front Height Control Accumulators". I teamed up with a mechanic, and he bought them for me (at his price) from the Lexus dealer closeby for a little over $500 a piece. I took the car to him to get them replaced, thinking it'd be an all day job. Turns out, it took him one hour. It's a simple unscrewing-!Removed! back job underneath the car, and bleeding the suspension fluid so no air is trapped in them (usually this would have resolved the issue if your Accumulators are bad), but I got no results. I could feel the sweat dripping down my spine now. I had just dished over $1,000 for something that wasn't even the issue.

So the mechanic looked around some more. My mistake was that I didn't get it diagnosed by him before I asked him to order the Accumulators for me. What was the find after 10 minutes of looking around?

The front passenger side "Height Control Sensor" was in pieces and needed to be replaced. So he called up the dealer again and I picked it up for another $300+. After installing this, the mighty LX470 car rose it's head as it used to, when I met him the first time.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

GET IT DIAGNOSED THOUROUGHLY BY A TRUSTWORTHY MECHANIC BEFORE DOING ANYTHING.

Total cost was a little less than $1,800 including labor (which could have been around $500). But I don't regret it a bit because it's been two months now, and I have driven the car for over 4,000 miles, and it rides 'in the air' the same way as it was riding the day I bought it.

A WORD OF CAUTION and/or ADVICE:

PLEASE HAVE YOUR SUSPENSION FLUID CHANGED AT EVERY 60,000 MILES TO MAKE THE AHC SYSTEM LAST FOREVER. I was never told this until I ruined it (or may be not).

sixpax · April 28, 2016

Hello Folks,

I have a 2005 LX470 with 145K miles on it. Love the ride, however recently I ran into rear suspension problem where the rear of the truck has bottomed down and will not rise. My mechanic has the techstream computer that he hooked up to the truck however there are no error codes. he went step by step and finally found out that the oil was not being pumped into the rear shocks. So far this is what has been done to the vehicle:

1. Changed rear accumulators -both

2. Changed the Suspension control valve which pushes the oil into all 4 wheels.

however the truck still does not lift. Finally yesterday we replaced the suspension Computer/ECU-. However when he started the truck the truch still wont lift. The front suspension works fine with no issues.

Is there a certain procedure we need to follow after replacing the AHC suspension ECU/computer? does the system needs to be reset properly. The mechanic says that the rear height control sensor is fine. He also said that the problem does not seem to be mechanical but either electrical or with some kind of electronics. Any help suggestion would be appreciated.

mvy · August 12, 2017

Read my reply just posted. I just installed a kit, no problems and no worries and rides great. These suspensions when they start to fail will cost you thousands to keep going, not worth it. My problem was external rust, so changing the fluid would not have helped.

Steve Van Duyn · August 23

I have a 1998 Lexus LX 470. I have a malfeasance case against a certified mechanic and shop for parking the SUV in harm's way while in the work process of repair. Salt water, snow, snow plow damage and flood plain parking for over a year with no vehicle protection or removal. Consecutive withholding as why he was failing to get the work done over that year, with always the promise of tomorrow. The malfeasance destroyed the hydraulic system, induced wild animals and rodents to attack the harness, firewall, and hoses by the approximate parking to their homes. That they made in abandoned wooden buildings. No Toyota or Lexus dealer, restorer, or repair shop wanted to tackle the job. Lawyer up. I'm looking for one now. So having mechanical experience, and restoration experience myself all the way to Pebble Beach. I knew it could be done, but not within the realm of sanity by a shop and its rates based on the vehicles value. I looked into buying one, at my dealer who refused the work, had no new ones available, Could get a near new one at 128,000K projected out the door. Since the hydraulic system literally collapsed. I cut it out; 8 hours labor, three men on and off, removed and replaced all of the original hydraulic lift and shock action, junked the rear springs rechecked the torsion bars. Then cut out, replaced and junked the failed parking brake cable, removed and replaced the failed rear brakes, removed and replaced the parking brake shoes, Removed and replaced the failing master cylinder, removed and replaced the failing parking brake light and warning buzzer switch in the console, removed and replaced all interior, engine, air filters. Removed and replaced all differential, transfer, transmission, lube, fluids and filters. Replaced the spark plugs, gas, oil and their filters. Replaced the sun roof track, rail and motor. Replaced the front wheel bearings, seals, and grease. Replaced the necessary u joints. Replaced the computed necessary ABS wheel speed cables, sensors and pump motor. New tires, balance, mount, greased all Joints. Presently I'm looking at the body panels, handles, painting costs, glass costs from the rocks, salt and impacts from the salt trucks and plows, caused by where they left it. So now I drive it, and I am still chasing an ABS light.

If your looking for a replacement for the lift system, to manual. The three I uncovered all have the same manufacturer's shocks, and springs. They are all camouflaged by individual paint schemes, stripes, and names. The same package can be bought for 340 to $750+-. Look on the net or at your Auto Parts store, mine came from the net with free shipping. They are all manufactured by Strut Masters. So far so good, preset rear spring ride is mid to high the hydraulic setting on the rear. The front is adjustable by torsion arm adjusting bolt and clocking the spline position to A arm. Follow the instructions, get out your ruler, flat ground to the top of the wheel opening arch at all openings. Go little higher on the drivers side, because of the constant weight of a driver. Get your wheels aligned after. You can go up or down up front; with a wrench and a reclock of the spline. The back can be also, be modified easily by a different shock or spring alteration. Better luck wished for all of you, than mine.

.