AHC just get rid (2 Viewers)

[medtro]

Explain to me why my AHC reservoir all of a sudden went empty driving at highway speeds without a single leak.

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replacing AHC globes/accumulators

Hi All, Just to share some new found knowledge... After driving around with bone jarring suspension for a few months, I finally got round to fixing it yesterday. The sudden tailtale drop in AHC fluid reservoir level told me the globes had finally (after 320,000km) gone. So I ordered some...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[jsloden]

All I know is that my ahc has 450k miles on it and it performs perfectly. I have replaced the globes and the rear springs. It's the smoothest riding vehicle I have ever owned on the highway and I can press a button and lift it when I need to get over anything rougher. Mine is completely rust free though. If I had rust issues I would probably be in the tear it out and replace it crowd.

 

[take123]

I was hesitant of AHC until I got my '06 with it, and it's grown on me. Mine isn't rusty crusty and it works well so far. Makes for a nice ride. The convenience to raise the vehicle up when needed is a nice feature.

 

[Kabanstva]

Search

See post #1

replacing AHC globes/accumulators

Hi All, Just to share some new found knowledge... After driving around with bone jarring suspension for a few months, I finally got round to fixing it yesterday. The sudden tailtale drop in AHC fluid reservoir level told me the globes had finally (after 320,000km) gone. So I ordered some...

forum.ih8mud.com

Read

I said there was no leak. Your link refers to a leaking globe. I topped off my reservoir and the fluid stayed level for another several thousand miles until I finally yanked the system.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

Idk if that thread states they were leaking. But for individuals still running AHC, worth looking at the design of those globes.. might lend some understanding toward why your level would fall without any leaks.

 

[medtro]

Read

I said there was no leak. Your link refers to a leaking globe. I topped off my reservoir and the fluid stayed level for another several thousand miles until I finally yanked the system.

Leak was not mentioned in first post. I searched that entire thread and didn't find any hit on "leak" from the author. The common theme I see is "The sudden tailtale drop in AHC fluid reservoir level".

 

[Raine14]

As an A&P tech I find it both sad and funny that so many think a coil spring and shock is more robust than a hydraulic system, especially one as simple and minimal as the AHC system.

“I bought a ‘98 LX and the AHC was junk! Ripped it out and my IronMan Chinese setup is awesome!”

For starters your AHC was nearly 30 years old and likely had never been serviced at all. Please share how awesome traditional springs and shocks ride after 30 years of use.

Replace the globes, height sensors, rear springs, rubber bushings (dampeners, control arms, sway bars, etc), flush the fluid and adjust the torsion bars using tech stream and it will ride like a brand new $75k luxury vehicle. And last another 20+ years. It’s literally just a pump, dampeners, accumulators, metal lines and fluid. There’s nothing to it. You know what else is hydraulic? Your brake system. Why don’t folks freak out and worry they’re gonna get stranded because of that over complex hydraulic brake system?! Lol

My ‘06 had 275k miles on the original system when I bought it last year and it still functioned fine despite being neglected and worn. After overhauling it, which cost less than replacing it with coils/springs, it now rides like a brand new vehicle. And far better than any single coil setup you can buy.

On the fly adjustment to make the ride soft or firm, automatically senses highway speeds and lowers the vehicle to improve aerodynamics/mpg, can be lowered to pull into garages or unload gear, and can be lifted nearly 2” for off-road use.

And it has suprisingly good flex for off-road usage and combined with the center diff lock and atrac system makes for an extremely capable off road vehicle. And quite frankly if you think it’s not good enough you should just skip the coils and do a solid axle swap.

But I digress…

Keep ripping out those AHC systems. Those of us with AHC thank you for making vehicles more scarce and valuable.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

As an A&P tech I find it both sad and funny that so many think a coil spring and shock is more robust than a hydraulic system, especially one as simple and minimal as the AHC system.

“I bought a ‘98 LX and the AHC was junk! Ripped it out and my IronMan Chinese setup is awesome!”

For starters your AHC was nearly 30 years old and likely had never been serviced at all. Please share how awesome traditional springs and shocks ride after 30 years of use.

Replace the globes, height sensors, rear springs, rubber bushings (dampeners, control arms, sway bars, etc), flush the fluid and adjust the torsion bars using tech stream and it will ride like a brand new $75k luxury vehicle. And last another 20+ years. It’s literally just a pump, dampeners, accumulators, metal lines and fluid. There’s nothing to it. You know what else is hydraulic? Your brake system. Why don’t folks freak out and worry they’re gonna get stranded because of that over complex hydraulic brake system?! Lol

My ‘06 had 275k miles on the original system when I bought it last year and it still functioned fine despite being neglected and worn. After overhauling it, which cost less than replacing it with coils/springs, it now rides like a brand new vehicle. And far better than any single coil setup you can buy.

On the fly adjustment to make the ride soft or firm, automatically senses highway speeds and lowers the vehicle to improve aerodynamics/mpg, can be lowered to pull into garages or unload gear, and can be lifted nearly 2” for off-road use.

And it has suprisingly good flex for off-road usage and combined with the center diff lock and atrac system makes for an extremely capable off road vehicle. And quite frankly if you think it’s not good enough you should just skip the coils and do a solid axle swap.

But I digress…

Keep ripping out those AHC systems. Those of us with AHC thank you for making vehicles more scarce and valuable.

Nah man, I went back to drum brakes. They’re incredible.

Idk man, this whole argument feels equivalent to “I wore out a pair of shoes in 4th grade, shoes are trash and a garbage system. Haven’t worn shoes since”.

 

[Raine14]

Add…

Another common theme I see posted is that AHC sucks for towing because with a heavy load the vehicle drops into low.

That’s by design. The system reduces pressure and allows the torsion bars and rear springs to mechanically carry more of the load.

AHC is awesome.

LX > LC

AHC > coil springs

60 offset OEM wheel > 15 offset Chinese wheel



But to each their own. Just blows my mind that so many folks willingly pay nearly double the price on the used market for the 100 series version that cost significantly less new, has an inferior fit/finish/materials and has a significantly inferior suspension. And they aren’t even more scarce, almost an equal number of LC/LX built for the 100. Just because the rear hatch says “LandCruiser” instead of Lexus.

But I’m a rebel. I also stand firm that the 100 and 200 are far superior to the 80. And I say that as an 80 owner.

IT’S THE LAST “REAL” LAND CRUISER!!! SOLID AXLE!!! Yeah. It also rides like a school bus, get horrendous mpg, has the power of a moped and has an engine that needs overhauls/head gaskets as regular maintenance along with several other issues. Better as a dedicated rock crawler? Absolutely I agree. But so is a Jeep. That’s not what the LC represents. As an expo/overland rig its successors are superior. And they are far superior in terms of reliability. Fight me.

Ok. I’m done. But AHC is awesome.

 

[GTV]

LX > LC

AHC > coil springs

60 offset OEM wheel > 15 offset Chinese wheel



But to each their own. Just blows my mind that so many folks willingly pay nearly double the price on the used market for the 100 series version that cost significantly less new, has an inferior fit/finish/materials and has a significantly inferior suspension. And they aren’t even more scarce, almost an equal number of LC/LX built for the 100. Just because the rear hatch says “LandCruiser” instead of Lexus.

But I’m a rebel. I also stand firm that the 100 and 200 are far superior to the 80. And I say that as an 80 owner.

IT’S THE LAST “REAL” LAND CRUISER!!! SOLID AXLE!!! Yeah. It also rides like a school bus, get horrendous mpg, has the power of a moped and has an engine that needs overhauls/head gaskets as regular maintenance along with several other issues. Better as a dedicated rock crawler? Absolutely I agree. But so is a Jeep. That’s not what the LC represents. As an expo/overland rig its successors are superior. And they are far superior in terms of reliability. Fight me.

Where does my LC with AHC fit in?

LC has that handsome face, but I wouldn’t mind having a lot of the LX features (I’ve even added a few to mine).

If I had to do it all over again I’d buy an LX and nose swap it.

 

[Raine14]

Where does my LC with AHC fit in?

LC has that handsome face, but I wouldn’t mind having a lot of the LX features (I’ve even added a few to mine).

If I had to do it all over again I’d buy an LX and nose swap it.

Nice! The 06-07 LC with the optional AHC are not only very rare but also the best models for the LC100. But ironically probably the least desirable to the masses.

Those early years are nearly a decade older and are missing a significant number of mechanical and cosmetic upgrades that the later years received. The early years were also produced at nearly a 10:1 ratio of the ‘06-07 models (roughly 20k vs 2k ea LC/LX) which gives the later years a rarity bump in value.

‘06-07 LX has VVT-I (power increase), 5-speed transmission, AHC, A-TRAC, upgraded LED taillights, LED instrument cluster, night vision, much better fit and finish with higher quality parts (Levinson audio, wood steering wheel and dash, far less plastic- almost none, far more sound proofing materials, etc) and is the newest/youngest model year of the 100s and with only roughly 2k produced each year are the rarest model years. Most are 1 or 2 owners with a very lengthy Lexus service history, too.

Yet folks will seek out and desire a 98-02 LC and even pay significantly more money for it. Just because it says “LandCruiser” on the back and has a factory rear locker. Never mind that the A-TRAC system is superior to a rear locker and the 98-02 have a very weak 2 pinion front diff that’s probably the most significant mechanical issue amongst all 100s. They are a decade older, have the non-VVT-i engine with less hp, 4-speed transmission that gets slightly worse mpg and absolutely sucks for towing and have a very dated 90s Toyota pickup style dash and instrument cluster. And there were roughly 20k produced each year making them the most common model, the LC even outnumbers the early year LX. Most of them have been sold 4/5 times and have suspect maintenance history, too.

It’s all about that emblem, I guess.

Another key factor I forgot earlier is vehicle history; on average a Lexus will be maintained better than a Toyota. Lexus has better dealer service centers and owners are more likely to regularly use dealer service center. When I was searching for a 100 I was mostly looking for a ‘03-07 LX or ‘06-07 LC AHC. LCs I looked at had 4+ owners. And all of them, whether 1 or 4 owners, only had dealer service records for the first 4-5 years. That left nearly 15 years of unknown history. Whereas most of the LXs were 1-2 owner and all had a full Lexus service history practically from new until current date. The ‘06 I ended up buying had 275k miles but it was a 1owner southern vehicle with over 100 Lexus service entries from 2006-2022.

 

[Wilsil]

I thought every LC100 Sahara had AHC?

 

[Fairgame]

I don't think there is any right or wrong and as I work in the bush I like my vehicles simple and problem-free therefore tend to modify them to suit my environment. A broken shock or spring is very uncommon but can be fixed. Someone mentioned the complexity of the braking system and I would have thought that could be replaced/modified with 80 series parts? I am happy with my suspension and have two 100 series and one 80 and they are seriously good cars. The way I see it your beer spillage is much less with the AHC.

 

[IndroCruise]

I thought every LC100 Sahara had AHC?

Top of the line Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara vehicles marketed in Australia and manufactured in Japan were fitted with AHC/TEMS (same as LX470) only from Aug/September 2005 (the final "face-lift" version) until superseded by the 200 series in 2007. The lesser LC100 models marketed in Australia did not ever have AHC/TEMS.

These final Sahara versions came either with 2UZ-FE V8 petrol (gasoline) engines or with the much more expensive 1HD-FTE straight-6 turbodiesel engine -- easily the pick of the bunch in my prejudiced opinion!

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My 2006 Sahara with 1HD-FTE and AHC/TEMS is a treasure at around a mere 230,000 kilometres travelled and is now in the hands of my son-in-law in Perth, Western Australia. Mrs IndroCruise goes to Perth to visit the grandchildren; I go to visit this vehicle!!

AHC/TEMS stays on this vehicle!!

Sadly, the evolution to the AHC/AVS as fitted to the LX570 (and LX450d) was not included in the LC200 Sahara at any time. Instead, Toyota made the move to KDSS which is a different animal altogether and certainly not the equivalent of AHC/TEMS.

My LC200 Sahara is a fine vehicle -- but I still think the LC100 Sahara with AHC/TEMS rides better over the rough stuff, especially washboards/corrugations, also much less pitching, diving and body roll on fast roads. And it is so easy and inexpensive to maintain this suspension -- just requires a little time on IH8MUD learning how it works -- and that is all there for free!!

 

[Wilsil]

12 years ago I was looking for a LC100 4.2 TD, but with high mileage and high asking price, the 4.7 V8 LX470 was a steal.
Looking to change to a ute for touring with a canopy in the near future.

 

[Raine14]

I thought every LC100 Sahara had AHC?

I have no clue about versions made outside the US. But considering the Lexus LX isn’t sold outside the U.S. that makes the LC the top trim elsewhere so that would make sense they had AHC standard, or at least more commonly. I know some LC100s have upgraded i

 

[Wilsil]

I have no clue about versions made outside the US. But considering the Lexus LX isn’t sold outside the U.S. that makes the LC the top trim elsewhere so that would make sense they had AHC standard, or at least more commonly. I know some LC100s have upgraded i

Uh, I have a LX470 outside the US.
So your statement is incorrect. You know that the world is bigger then only the US right?

 

[GTV]

I have no clue about versions made outside the US. But considering the Lexus LX isn’t sold outside the U.S. that makes the LC the top trim elsewhere so that would make sense they had AHC standard, or at least more commonly. I know some LC100s have upgraded i

Dude. Look at @Wilsil's location and signature and tell us again how they don't sell LX's outside of the U.S.

Dang it, @Wilsil beat me to it!

 

[baltistyle]

You know that the world is bigger then only the US right?

Well yes. Its not like we live on an island. Sorry I had too. Nothing against anyone, just a joke