8.2 e-locker with KDSS and airbags (1 Viewer)

[rommelrommel]

Not sure how much interest this will get, but figured I’d toss it up. I always liked the bags, especially for towing convenience. Mine are also in quite good shape, Pacific Northwest weather probably playing in my favour here.

The axle was a pull out of a 2011 4Runner trail with a front end collision, so I expected it to be fine and so far has been. I had a Elmkeith PCK welded on, and have Treaty Oak KDSS spacers. My drivers side KDSS piston bushing was worn through on the bottom, so I replaced both and kept the good one for a spare. The axle came complete with rotors so I didn’t have to buy those. I swapped my calipers and put new pads on since I was at it. Ebrake hardware I just picked the best of what there was from the two trucks. A friend blasted it for a case of beer, and put some random grey marine epoxy on it he was spraying anyways as a freebie, and I threw some tremclad over that just to make it black. Dunno if it will hold well, but don’t care. I got the factory switch and plug and play harness from Wil Oberdick at Dark Illusions Fabrication, and I also used a CH 4x4 locker switch in series as the factory switch doesn’t give much protection from an accidental actuation without the ECM part. To run it, you press the switch, and turn the dial. When it has locked in, the light on the switch is illuminated giving a visual indication it‘s locked. I also linked the axle and locker breathers, and ran them up near the gas filler, far beyond where I would ever get them submerged. The airbag spacers I had made by another friend, they use a M10 bolt on the bottom to bolt to the spring seat, and the top hole is a near friction fit for the bottom pins of the airbags. It also has a set screw that puts some further torque on the airbag pins, I don’t think I’ll ever pop one out with the way I drive.

 

[rommelrommel]

I shoulda taken more pictures, but this is how they bolted onto the 8“ previously. They‘re solid mild steel.

 

[Mr Chuck Norris]

I dig the airbag spacer! With a corresponding bumpstop spacer, or just a swap to Durobumps, it would ride like stock but get the lift height of the spacer. Great idea.

 

[rommelrommel]

Yeah I forgot, there are durobumps front and rear too. My factory bumps were not awful but with the 2” lift I figured they were worth doing. I walked through a couple cross ditches intentionally off camber to test, seems like if I have the approach/departure/clearance I can do them no issues at all now. The locker really walks the truck out with a minimum of drama.

 

[Rednexus]

Yeah I forgot, there are durobumps front and rear too. My factory bumps were not awful but with the 2” lift I figured they were worth doing. I walked through a couple cross ditches intentionally off camber to test, seems like if I have the approach/departure/clearance I can do them no issues at all now. The locker really walks the truck out with a minimum of drama.

Looks like a great setup! If you don't mind me asking, what was the cost for the complete 8.2 rear? I've found a few around here for ~$2K with a locker, but the price is similar to a East Coast Gear Supply complete 8" 3rd member with a Harrop.

 

[rommelrommel]

I ended up paying about $2000 Canadian including freight, which is what made this much more appealing than going another route, plus keeping airbags and KDSS with almost no effort.

I probably would have never broken an 8” either, but given the wash in cost the stronger 8.2 seemed like the easy choice.

 

[yeos]

Very nice to know that the 4runner axle will swap over too. Though I am not kdss equipped, I have been looking for an 8.2 swap in the pnw as well.

 

[Cooperd0g]

I'm not sure I followed completely, but you did you have to weld on the KDSS mounts?

 

[rommelrommel]

I'm not sure I followed completely, but you did you have to weld on the KDSS mounts?

No, because the trail has KDSS and the mounts are located in the same place. It's bolt up. The only welding I did was for the panhard mount. I think it's actually harder to find a 4runner axle with the locker and without KDSS, as those are in the 4runner TRD Pro only (I think.)

 

[Cooperd0g]

No, because the trail has KDSS and the mounts are located in the same place. It's bolt up. The only welding I did was for the panhard mount. I think it's actually harder to find a 4runner axle with the locker and without KDSS, as those are in the 4runner TRD Pro only (I think.)

Okay, that is what I thought. Do you have more details you could share on the air bag spacers?

 

[nitteo]

same here, i still love the self leveling of the oem airbags. where can i get a pair for mine? or specs so maybe i can have it fabbed!

 

[rommelrommel]

I can get a basic drawing up later today. You still need to adjust the sensors to get your lift tho, as the trailing arms stay in more or less the same spot.

 

[Mr Chuck Norris]

I can get a basic drawing up later today. You still need to adjust the sensors to get your lift tho, as the trailing arms stay in more or less the same spot.

Another point is that longer shocks will also be needed, as the mounting points are farther apart. Unless someone fabbed/purchased a stem mount extension which does exist.

 

[Cooperd0g]

I can get a basic drawing up later today. You still need to adjust the sensors to get your lift tho, as the trailing arms stay in more or less the same spot.

Thanks. I suppose that even having to adjust the sensors it still places less strain on the bags since they have the spacer to help with the lift vs all air. But I’m just guessing.

 

[nitteo]

Thanks. I suppose that even having to adjust the sensors it still places less strain on the bags since they have the space to help with the lift vs all air. But I’m just guessing.

this is exactly it. we need spacers to coincide with the lift so the airbag is in oem spec pressure and not have to over inflate to reach said height. ive seen it done with prados in australia, but the ones that make it in australia have not answered my emails.

 

[rommelrommel]

Another point is that longer shocks will also be needed, as the mounting points are farther apart. Unless someone fabbed/purchased a stem mount extension which does exist.

It’s certainly better to have longer shocks, but many people are rolling on just tricked airbags.

 

[rommelrommel]

Thanks. I suppose that even having to adjust the sensors it still places less strain on the bags since they have the space to help with the lift vs all air. But I’m just guessing.

Yes, moving the sensors is no problem at all. It’s overinflating the bags to their max to get lift that is hard on them. By using a spacer like this (or even a bigger spacer if you want to go higher) gets the bags back into their intended range and PSI.

 

[Mr Chuck Norris]

It’s certainly better to have longer shocks, but many people are rolling on just tricked airbags.

True, for a small lift amount (maybe 20-40mm) it would be okay but you're still sacrificing suspension downtravel for lift. As the height increases the ride will become more and more terrible as the shocks top out and cause lots of chassis movement.

 

[rommelrommel]

So 3” round mild steel (or aluminum, or whatever you have that you can work with) and I made them 2” thick as that corresponds almost directly to lift height. It can be a bit bigger and still fit within the bottom part of the bag. A bit smaller is probably fine too, but this was just a common size I could buy and not have to turn it down on a lathe. Wider all things being equal should be more stable. Strength isn‘t really an issue. My hesitation on any sort of plastic would be lateral forces on the bolt that secures it to the axle.

On the bottom you want a M10 bolt, and a heavy fender washer for it. It takes some finesse to get the bolt through the washer and the airbag seat, I think a 20mm long bolt is about best, but depends on what you’re doing on the bottom for washers. The hole in the spacer is centred and I suggest 3/4“ deep, and threaded to match your bolt thread. You might get a M12 through, but the clearance from axle tube to air bag seat is a factor. I used metric for the sake of not having imperial hardware on a metric truck but it doesn’t matter.

The top, centered 53/64“ hole which is about .82”. If you’re going to coat it, allow for the thickness of the coating. Going a bit big doesn’t compromise it, a bit small obviously won’t fit (or come out easily some day.)

For the locking set screw, whatever reasonable sized set screw you have around. Mine are 1/4 I believe but you want big enough to have some meat and not be super weak, it’s probably gonna corrode in there no matter what. This could also easily be omitted, the factory bags have about zero retention and just putting the pin into a deep hole rather than sticking it through a 1/8“ metal seat will fight the potential pop-out problem a lot. I am probably taking mine out, I worry they’ll corrode over time and make it hard to get the bags out should I need to eventually.

 

[rommelrommel]

Not to scale low quality picture