I'm sure it's difficult, but I don't know what was expected of Toyota here. You're electively deleting a major hydraulic system on an 11-18 year old vehicle, not "servicing" it.
Removing AHC is horrible and I never want to go through that hell again (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nukegoat
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It is awful, but still better than paying $800 for someone else to do it for you.
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No worries, I know the feeling of getting your butt kicked by a difficult job. But if "service by a bushman in the middle of nowhere with a primitive set of hand tools" is the goal, better save some energy to replace that untrustworthy EFI system with a dead-nuts reliable carburetor, the mamby-pamby power steering setup for a good old manual rack and those shmancy power brakes for some cable-operated mechanicals. I assume you've already replaced that timebomb of an auto trans for a manual, right?
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Those things arent known to fail like the AHC but I see your point/fallacyNo worries, I know the feeling of getting your butt kicked by a difficult job. But if "service by a bushman in the middle of nowhere with a primitive set of hand tools" is the goal, better save some energy to replace that untrustworthy EFI system with a dead-nuts reliable carburetor, the mamby-pamby power steering setup for a good old manual rack and those shmancy power brakes for some cable-operated mechanicals. I assume you've already replaced that timebomb of an auto trans for a manual, right?
In all fairness, I've only ever known of one AHC total failure. That was a buddies LX whose failed on the way to HIH8. Mine was excellent. However, my tbs and coils were spent. When considering the cost of replacing those components, I decided to just go with a conventional suspension. It was certainly a pain to remove all the AHC components. However, until that point, I had zero issues with my AHC and overlanding. It was so ridiculously "overbuilt" that I never had a concern. I would have taken it on any adventure.
Well, for the record, some of those things are documented failure points (MY2000 auto trans, ABS pump, power steering rack) but yes, my argument is mostly a logical one. The AHC is just another hydraulic system, and not even a very complicated one at that. The two main strikes against it, IMO, are the fact that it is rare among vehicles in the NA market and it requires periodic maintenance that most original owners either never did or performed incorrectly (by unknowing vehicle techs). That means that, by the time us enthusiasts get a hold of them, these rigs have suffered years of AHC neglect. Couple that with the fact that an "easy" (relative term) fix is readily available and you have the spread of the idea that AHC is failure-prone and should be ripped out as soon as you pull the new rig into the driveway.
BTW, I think it's perfectly ok for people to swap out the AHC because they WANT conventional suspension or because they legitimately weigh the rig down so much and beat on it so hard it's not practical anymore (I'm looking at you @geanes ). I just tend to bristle when the AHC gets slapped as a "known to fail" system but 90% of the documented cases never even hooked up Techstream or checked that there wasn't washer fluid in the reservoir.
I bought my 06 LX with 78k 3 years ago with every single maintenance item documented with receipts from a Lexus dealership.... awesome right!? Well... First thing I did was perform a AHC flush and the fluid was black. Dealers don't seem to pay attention to this component. I now flush the fluid annually and has never been black, only slightly discolored brown (from pink).
Unless you wanting more than a 2 inch lift I really dont understand why anyone would not love AHC. At a moment's notice I can drop the car to fit in the garage with a roof rack, travel down the freeway without worrying about being top heavy, and handle tough outdoors with a 2 inch lift.
If you have AHC and it's not ruined by mistreatment, I'd say keep it!
Unless you wanting more than a 2 inch lift I really dont understand why anyone would not love AHC. At a moment's notice I can drop the car to fit in the garage with a roof rack, travel down the freeway without worrying about being top heavy, and handle tough outdoors with a 2 inch lift.
If you have AHC and it's not ruined by mistreatment, I'd say keep it!
Yep. What he said. I love mine. Heck... after 14 years, my original globes are starting to go bad (they are consumables) and I decided I am just going to replace them. Even with old globes, it still works well enough for anything I have thrown at it. AHC is just too handy to rip out IMHO.
I would have liked to keep mine in my last LX. It even had new upgraded globes installed. For all the reasons @Joe Bob mentioned.
Now that I have a conventionally suspended LC, I don't miss the AHC. I'd say if the system is in good working order or can be repaired without major head ache, that's the route to go for most people. Otherwise, go with the conventional.
Now that I have a conventionally suspended LC, I don't miss the AHC. I'd say if the system is in good working order or can be repaired without major head ache, that's the route to go for most people. Otherwise, go with the conventional.
I left mine in there. It looked like a massive pain to get everything out just to save a bit of weight.
My rear left shock blew so I grabbed a saw and cut all shocks out (too rusty to even bother to undo those nuts)
My rear left shock blew so I grabbed a saw and cut all shocks out (too rusty to even bother to undo those nuts)
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Again, I have no idea how it feels when it works right. Now you guys are making me curious. If it were working, though, I may have had a harder time justifying ditching it all. You know, that seductive sense of retaining something just because it isn't broken (e.g. rear heater, rear a/c). For now, I just needed the cheapest solution (that I can resell, fortunately, since others are probably looking to ditch their AHC) that allows me to drive the rig around before I take "lil mr. sawzall" and "lil mr. angle grinder" to that sweet sweet sheet metal.
I don't enjoy the dirt road trail outdoors stuff, and I am not really a big fan of camping either, so it's critical this thing will whisk me across the rubicon in a day
What's up with ll the rust?
If Rubicon is what you are after you need a rock crawler, not an IFS overland rig. Get an 80 and throw some 37s and lockers on it. I hope newbs dont read this thread and think ahc is worthless... it's a great system for overlanding.
Oops... posted in wrong thread... deleted message
In the context of the rest of his sentence I think he meant to say that the Rubicon isn't important. I don't think people get the impression it's worthless - just that it's not for everybody on an older vehicle. It seems to me almost ridiculously durable and long lived for what it is - like twice the life of similar European active suspensions.
I think he was suggesting he likes the drive but not getting out of the car, therefore the car needs to get him through. I think we are in Agreement that AHC is badass, and that it is not for everyone based on their specific needs. For me it is freaking amazing! Cheers
Lol... I think I'm confused.He already has one of those.
