GX470 - best shocks for 2" lift and maintaining rear airbags? (2 Viewers)

[Rednexus]

Like many folks I've come to like the airbags on my '07 GX470. Mine is often used for hauling people and camping gear, so the auto-leveling feature is nice, as well as the option to jack it up 2" and improve the departure angle. We might also get a camper in the next few years, so bags would be great for towing. When I lift my GX later this year (~2"), I'd like to retain the factory rear air suspension (via either Airbagman extended bags or spacers with the OEM bags).

My questions are:
1. Who has done this?
2. What rear shocks did you use? At this time i'm leaning towards Ironman Foam Cell Pros, a Bilsten 5160/6112 combo, potentially Dobinsons MRRs, but am open to other suggestions.
3. How does it ride? From the GX460 thread, some folks mentioned an unsettling ride when aftermarket lift shocks were combined with airbags. I'm not that familiar with shock technology at this point in order to understand the types of valving and how they'd interact with a coil spring vs. airbag.

FYI, my GX sees a mixture of highway, washboard gravel, and actual off-road. The OEM suspension is acceptable on smooth pavement and at crawl speeds off-road but I've found it lacking on rough gravel and it feels pretty floaty on narrow/twisty paved roads. I'd like something to tighten up the handling, reduce nose dive under braking, and handle washboards/rough gravel better. If this can't be achieved with bags I'm OK switching to springs.

 

[NJGX470]

Like many folks I've come to like the airbags on my '07 GX470. Mine is often used for hauling people and camping gear, so the auto-leveling feature is nice, as well as the option to jack it up 2" and improve the departure angle. We might also get a camper in the next few years, so bags would be great for towing. When I lift my GX later this year (~2"), I'd like to retain the factory rear air suspension (via either Airbagman extended bags or spacers with the OEM bags).

My questions are:
1. Who has done this?
2. What rear shocks did you use? At this time i'm leaning towards Ironman Foam Cell Pros, a Bilsten 5160/6112 combo, potentially Dobinsons MRRs, but am open to other suggestions.
3. How does it ride? From the GX460 thread, some folks mentioned an unsettling ride when aftermarket lift shocks were combined with airbags. I'm not that familiar with shock technology at this point in order to understand the types of valving and how they'd interact with a coil spring vs. airbag.

FYI, my GX sees a mixture of highway, washboard gravel, and actual off-road. The OEM suspension is acceptable on smooth pavement and at crawl speeds off-road but I've found it lacking on rough gravel and it feels pretty floaty on narrow/twisty paved roads. I'd like something to tighten up the handling, reduce nose dive under braking, and handle washboards/rough gravel better. If this can't be achieved with bags I'm OK switching to springs.

I am curious as I pretty much want to do the same thing. Have you even been able to find a quality airbag spacer? I don't think you are going to be able to find out what the "ride" is like until you actually do it yourself and drive the truck. What one person says is soft another will call it stiff, ride quality is very subjective subject.

 

[Rednexus]

It does not seem like anyone makes a spacer but they also appear easy to fabricate from round stock with a drill press. I will likely go the extended bags route as my bags are 14 years old and probably not far off from failing.

 

[NJGX470]

It does not seem like anyone makes a spacer but they also appear easy to fabricate from round stock with a drill press. I will likely go the extended bags route as my bags are 14 years old and probably not far off from failing.

Right now I have replacement air bags made by Arnott. They are very good quality. However they don’t just sit into the bottom mount. They are keyed on the bottom and you have to twist them 90 degrees to secure them into the bottom mount. I guess you don’t have to do this but it nice to know they won’t lift out of of the bottom mount. Anyway I was trying to get at is it may not be so easy to machine a simple round spacer to fit under all bags. It is a little more than just drilling a round hole in some round stock. Especially if yours are going to need to be replaced and the Arnott bags are the best option right now.

 

[Rednexus]

Right now I have replacement air bags made by Arnott. They are very good quality. However they don’t just sit into the bottom mount. They are keyed on the bottom and you have to twist them 90 degrees to secure them into the bottom mount. I guess you don’t have to do this but it nice to know they won’t lift out of of the bottom mount. Anyway I was trying to get at is it may not be so easy to machine a simple round spacer to fit under all bags. It is a little more than just drilling a round hole in some round stock. Especially if yours are going to need to be replaced and the Arnott bags are the best option right now.

Some of the DIY spacers I saw utilized a set screw to secure the airbag mount in, which seems to be a viable solution.

Without a lot of folks having successfully done this, I think I'm gonna buy an Ironman FCP Stage 2 kit, initially NOT install the rear coils, do the airbag track with the OEM bags, and see how it rides. It it rides nice I'll either do the DIY spacer and new bags or install Airbag man extended bags and throw the Ironman coils on eBay.

 

[iwantoffroad]

check out what scott brady did on his gx 470 might give you some ideas

 

[Rednexus]

Had a change in plans. After a couple of days of finding my GX sitting low in the AM, I finally verified I wasn't accidentally hitting the "L" setting on the height control. My OEM airbags are leaking . I'm not willing to experiment at this point on leaky bags, so I ordered an Ironman FCP Stage 2 kit, a panhard bar relocation bracket, all new rear suspension and swaybar bushings and endlinks, and new LCAs (all-in for $2900).

I'll run it with coil springs for the time being and maybe convert back to airbags later if we get a camper. I'll update my build thread when the lift is installed.

 

[SmithGX]

Had a change in plans. After a couple of days of finding my GX sitting low in the AM, I finally verified I wasn't accidentally hitting the "L" setting on the height control. My OEM airbags are leaking . I'm not willing to experiment at this point on leaky bags, so I ordered an Ironman FCP Stage 2 kit, a panhard bar relocation bracket, all new rear suspension and swaybar bushings and endlinks, and new LCAs (all-in for $2900).

I'll run it with coil springs for the time being and maybe convert back to airbags later if we get a camper. I'll update my build thread when the lift is installed.

Another option would be to add helper bags to the coils. You can use the auto leveling system to inflate the bags only when needed. This seems like a great way to utilize the leveling feature without fully relying on airbags for suspension.

 

[Rednexus]

Another option would be to add helper bags to the coils. You can use the auto leveling system to inflate the bags only when needed. This seems like a great way to utilize the leveling feature without fully relying on airbags for suspension.

That sounds like an excellent option. Any feedback on which helper bags work well inside coil-converted trucks? Still depressing seeing my GX so low every morning and my lift is on backorder for a few more weeks.

 

[SmithGX]

That sounds like an excellent option. Any feedback on which helper bags work well inside coil-converted trucks? Still depressing seeing my GX so low every morning and my lift is on backorder for a few more weeks.

I've seen the firestones used for this purpose.

 

[rustycoon]

Just to follow up from the year 2024 - the video above never shows him getting the factory pump system hooked up and working. I’d sure love to see it work! I need it.