Globes from asrparts.com - Kept AHC

[feelgoodbags]

Grateful for all the help and advice I've gotten from this site over the years.

Just a heads up for anyone looking for new globes. I just bought a new set for my 2006 LX 470 from A-Spec Racing. Their website is asrparts.com. It was $826 with free shipping for all four. They have NOK engraved on the top and a serial number starting with 25 on the side. Based on other posts, I am assuming, and hoping, that means they were manufactured in 2025 and by an oem source.

They've been on the truck for about a week now and the difference is night and day. It's like riding on a cloud.

Thanks so much to all those who have provided AHC advice over the years!!

 

[Rhetoric]

Did you take any pics before installing?

 

[feelgoodbags]

Did you take any pics before installing?

No. I didn't think that far ahead.

 

[feelgoodbags]

No. I didn't think that far ahead.

 

[uHu]

That "MUV200-500" would be a rear globe, right? (As the fronts are 400 cc and rears are 500 cc in volume.)

 

[feelgoodbags]

That "MUV200-500" would be a rear globe, right? (As the fronts are 400 cc and rears are 500 cc in volume.)

Yes, that's right. I should have taken pictures of all of them before install.

 

[Rhetoric]

Yes, that's right. I should have taken pictures of all of them before install.

The markings match up with what I see on pics of Toyota globes from Impex.

Your experience with them has been good so far? Did you measure how many graduations you had after install?

 

[feelgoodbags]

The markings match up with what I see on pics of Toyota globes from Impex.

Your experience with them has been good so far? Did you measure how many graduations you had after install?

They've been on for three weeks and they are still working perfectly. I haven't done the gradation test yet because I was afraid. I'm so happy that it has been working well that I didn't want to mess with it. But I should probably put my big boy pants on and actually test it. I'll do it today and report back.

 

[feelgoodbags]

Did the gradation test. Here are the pictures in order low, neutral, and high.

 

[IndroCruise]

Appears to be at least 12 graduations -- maybe 14 if the actual fluid level is concealed by the split in the tank moulding? Nothing to worry about here if the test was done with Front and Rear AHC pressures within the FSM-specified ranges.

If so, then ....

• A difference of 7 graduations at the AHC Tank between "HI" and "LO" heights would indicate that 'globes' overall have deteriorated with age and use (particularly at the membrane) and have lost too much nitrogen pressure to be effective, meaning poor damping and poor ride quality -- meaning change-out 'globes',
• A difference of 14 graduations at the AHC Tank between "HI" and "LO" heights would indicate that 'globes' overall are 'as new' -- meaning, still have all or most of the factory nitrogen fill pressure -- meaninng enjoy the ride (unless there are unresolved faults elsewhere in the AHC system).

The point about doing this test at FSM-specified pressures is important because this consistency ensures that test results are comparable as the years go by without the variability caused by testing at different AHC pressures. Different AHC pressures at the time of each test would affect the volume of fluid returned to the tank in the tests and make the results non-comparable with FSM numbers and also non-comparable with previous tests on the vehicle itself.

Not sure whether anyone has "broken the date code" on 'globes' as discussed at the link below?? Fabricating the 'globe' shell and then pressurising with nitrogen are different steps in the manufacturing process -- and may not occur on the same date or even in the same place.

It is unclear whether the 'globes' (and other AHC components) are manufactured in a Toyota or Lexus factory -- or are sourced from another supplier who specialises in making accumulators and suspension parts -- for example, such as Japanese company KYB whose brand appears on the Height Control Accumulator midway along the LHS chassis rail, on LX470 and LC100 vehicles fitted with AHC and TEMS systems.

Post in thread 'AHC -- How to break the 'Globe Code'????'

May 16, 2022

More data. Did my own globes yesterday, got new ones form Impex Japan. Old ones were original from 2000. How do I know? Becuase Toyota makes very high quality stickers that have survived my mudding, submersion, and God-knows-what else:

View attachment 3010596


Looks like they aren't putting stickers with dates on any more obviously. One of my new globes had a similar manufacturing code to our previous examples. Starts with 22, so I am hoping the first two digits are manufacturing year given that we had others in the past that would have reasonably correlated with this theory.

View attachment 3010603...

• IndroCruise

'Globe' details -- also called 'spheres', 'accumulators' and 'gas chambers'.

Height Control Accumulator -- branded KYB -- KYB Corporation - https://www.kyb.co.jp/english/

 

[feelgoodbags]

Appears to be at least 12 graduations -- maybe 14 if the actual fluid level is concealed by the split in the tank moulding? Nothing to worry about here if the test was done with Front and Rear AHC pressures within the FSM-specified ranges.

If so, then ....

• A difference of 7 graduations at the AHC Tank between "HI" and "LO" heights would indicate that 'globes' overall have deteriorated with age and use (particularly at the membrane) and have lost too much nitrogen pressure to be effective, meaning poor damping and poor ride quality -- meaning change-out 'globes',
• A difference of 14 graduations at the AHC Tank between "HI" and "LO" heights would indicate that 'globes' overall are 'as new' -- meaning, still have all or most of the factory nitrogen fill pressure -- meaninng enjoy the ride (unless there are unresolved faults elsewhere in the AHC system).

The point about doing this test at FSM-specified pressures is important because this consistency ensures that test results are comparable as the years go by without the variability caused by testing at different AHC pressures. Different AHC pressures at the time of each test would affect the volume of fluid returned to the tank in the tests and make the results non-comparable with FSM numbers and also non-comparable with previous tests on the vehicle itself.

Not sure whether anyone has "broken the date code" on 'globes' as discussed at the link below?? Fabricating the 'globe' shell and then pressurising with nitrogen are different steps in the manufacturing process -- and may not occur on the same date or even in the same place.

It is unclear whether the 'globes' (and other AHC components) are manufactured in a Toyota or Lexus factory -- or are sourced from another supplier who specialises in making accumulators and suspension parts -- for example, such as Japanese company KYB whose brand appears on the Height Control Accumulator midway along the LHS chassis rail, on LX470 and LC100 vehicles fitted with AHC and TEMS systems.

Post in thread 'AHC -- How to break the 'Globe Code'????'

May 16, 2022

More data. Did my own globes yesterday, got new ones form Impex Japan. Old ones were original from 2000. How do I know? Becuase Toyota makes very high quality stickers that have survived my mudding, submersion, and God-knows-what else:

View attachment 3010596


Looks like they aren't putting stickers with dates on any more obviously. One of my new globes had a similar manufacturing code to our previous examples. Starts with 22, so I am hoping the first two digits are manufacturing year given that we had others in the past that would have reasonably correlated with this theory.

View attachment 3010603...

• IndroCruise

'Globe' details -- also called 'spheres', 'accumulators' and 'gas chambers'.
View attachment 4039421

Height Control Accumulator -- branded KYB -- KYB Corporation - https://www.kyb.co.jp/english/

View attachment 4039424

Thanks!! Great information. I will check the pressures and report back. I did recently cross level using the torsion bars so that may have changed the pressures.