GX 470 Airbag conversion gone wonky. Any ideas how to fix it?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Aug 3, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
2
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
I have an '07 GX 470 with about 95,000 miles on it.
Just last week the airbags stopped working and I was riding on bump stops. Not a great situation.
I read a ton on this (and other forums) and decided to take on a coil conversion. Airbags sounds like a constant issue.
I didn't want a lift at all though, so I bought the Metal Tech stage 3 conversion:

I also figured I should replace the rear shocks while I'm in there. Several old posts said if I didn't the ride would be pretty bad because those rear shocks are probably worn out so I bought some Bilstein 5100s.

Then I did the install. Living in Michigan, it was a rust filled adventure, but after about 8 hours and a few new tools, everything was good to go.
The only problem is the truck looks like this:


Obviously a big lift in the back. The stage 3 metaltech is supposed to be stock height though. I drove it around the block and it feels much better. It just looks dumb.
Any idea what I need to do to fix it?

I'm a notice at working on trucks and the concept of lifts so I appreciate and help. Thanks for the future wisdom.
 
Assuming you were shipped stock-height springs (and they didn't accidently ship you lift springs), the rake might be due to your front suspension being worn out. These rigs sag pretty bad, especially in the front, at high mileage, and can easily droop around an inch. Mine was super-sagged at 145K. In your case this may be exacerbated by the coil spring conversion having around 0.5" of lift baked into it.

Easiest option IMO would be to replace the front shocks with another set of Bilstein 5100s with new stock-height springs. My understanding of the 5100 fronts is that they have an adjustable lower spring seat and you could set it with a minor amount of lift and level things out. The rear springs may also settle a bit after you drive on it for a few weeks, but probably not more than 0.25" or so.
 
Good advice above…
It’s also possible that the rear will “settle” a bit after a few hundred miles. Most do.
I’d give it a week or two before doing anything else…
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom