Full airbag conversion for 80 series - need info

Have you tried trucksprings .com I found their technical people tobe very good

If the rear is the same as a 100 series the only real modification that is done are the bump stops - they have an extension that is slightly offset. If you are handy with a welder etc you could make them yourself. Other than that I don't remember from my own experience in anything in particular that needed modifying when installing the rear airbags. The hardest thing is to get the old coils out.

But why the front? Do you need to lower the front - tricky, 'cos the rear does not have much room to be lowered from the standard airbag ride height (about 2-3" clear of the bumpstop) and you would upset your steering and suspension travel.

I came to the conclusion that the front was more trouble that it was worth (the mods are a bit more extensive too) and I could get a good result from just using a standard 2" lift kit - in this case from Lovells, at close to a 10th of the price.

I use Tough Dog adjustables - so far reasonably happy with them, more so considering they are an American shock and I have never particularly liked the valvings from that place, preferring the Euros in particular Bilstein. But the TDs have so far held up - see how they go.

The kit is dear. Overly dear IMHO, and if you can source it from the US for less, go for it. The local market is protected and they charge what they like.

Is it worth installing airbags (in the rear at least)? Very much so. The ride dynamics are seriously improved over standard, regardless of the load being carried. Wheel travel - not fully tested, but much better than standard. Not sure of the equivalent 2" lift kit, possibly equal if not slightly worse. Not as good as a 4" lift kit, but you can also get that in the airbags too.

If you are in SY, PM me and come and have a look at my LC100 - that is the best way to make a decision.

viz

Can't help you with your 80 series, but i just fitted firestone ride-rite air bags to my navara, the truck ones with 5000kg max, they fitted in nicely and makes the ride alot more comfortable even without a load.

cheers,

Lance

Try www.probag.com.au I've had good service from them on a rear set for a patrol with 2" lift. Had them in for about 2 years incl Cape York. had some issues fo my own making and they were very helpful after sale. When I did it the consensus was the front was not worth it and created instability in the handling dept. As I recall full kit incl Compressor, tank, valves, bags, mounts etc was about $1,500

OT

Whilst mine is a Patrol and therefore the mounting arrangements differ, I can comment on the performance of the Firestone air springs I have on both front and rear. The mounting kits are from AirbagMan.

The main reasons for fitting these were to be able to adjust ride height to terrain, and for ease of loading and unloading my traytop camper. They do these jobs very well.

Ride height: Even though I have about 4.5" to play with I only vary the ride height by about 3". That still gives a range from 1" below standard, (good for smooth tar, lowers drag and fuel consumption) to 2" above standard (hood enough for most tracks, and I can take it higher if necessary, for short distances). Restricting the range keeps alignment and steering straight and true.

Loading: Brilliant. To load the camper I just drop the rear to the bumpstops (about 3" below standard), back the ute under, and pump the springs up until it reaches the desired height. To unload, the procedure is reversed. This saves quite some time, as the conventional procedure is a slow winding of the jacklegs.

I have Edelbrock shocks tuned to match the air suspension, and the big surprise for me has been the very smooth ride, even over fairly uneven terrain, even corrugations (up to a point, then nuttin' helps !).

The next step is a nifty wireless remote control system which, with a small onboard compressor, allows height setting from outside the vehicle. As yet they're only available to control two bags, but a 4-bag unit is in the works.