LC 200 airbags for towing (1 Viewer)

[Aircooled1]

I couldn’t find too much info regarding towing boats with heavier tongue weights. I did see a few threads on airbags and tried it myself. I hope this helps others because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. LC 200 series. The boat is 26 feet. Twin 150s. Package prob at top end of tow rating. But tongue weight was making it sag on the bump stops pretty badly. I got the “heavy duty” airbags from airbag man off eBay. THey’re firestone bags but sold by airbag man . They come with the HD fabric bag that protects the bags. Also comes with all the tubing and connections. Anyway, the installation was 3-4 hours from start to finish. Hardest part was getting springs in and out Once I dropped the axle. I ran the valves under the bumper with individual circuits for left and right. Tried it today At 50 lbs pressure in the bags and zero sag. Handled much better . If you’re thinking about getting the airbags, do it. Makes towing much easier And didn’t cost that much in terms of time or money.

 

[prwillard2]

I couldn’t find too much info regarding towing boats with heavier tongue weights. I did see a few threads on airbags and tried it myself. I hope this helps others because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. LC 200 series. The boat is 26 feet. Twin 150s. Package prob at top end of tow rating. But tongue weight was making it sag on the bump stops pretty badly. I got the “heavy duty” airbags from airbag man off eBay. THey’re firestone bags but sold by airbag man . They come with the HD fabric bag that protects the bags. Also comes with all the tubing and connections. Anyway, the installation was 3-4 hours from start to finish. Hardest part was getting springs in and out Once I dropped the axle. I ran the valves under the bumper with individual circuits for left and right. Tried it today At 50 lbs pressure in the bags and zero sag. Handled much better . If you’re thinking about getting the airbags, do it. Makes towing much easier And didn’t cost that much in terms of time or money.

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Got a link to the eBay shop that worked well for you? How long did shipping take?

 

[Aircooled1]

Got a link to the eBay shop that worked well for you? How long did shipping take?

Firestone COILRITE HP Polyair Bag Kit to Suit Landcruiser 200 Series STD Height for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Firestone COILRITE HP Polyair Bag Kit to Suit Landcruiser 200 Series STD Height at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Here’s the link. Unbelievably it only took about 1.5 weeks to get it from Australia.

 

[Dunbar]

Just ordered the Airman kit for a lifted 200. I like the increased pressure over stock 30lbs. @Aircooled1 , I have my first car still. 1970 convertible beetle 1.9L twin weber 44's. Also my dad's original owner of our 73' type 181, stock motor.

 

[82SC]

Wish they sold those bags separately.
Firestone kit is <100.
kinda mean to upcharge that much for 2 flimsy bags.
I used the Firestone kit as I’ll be towing something small. But for the bigger loads the ability to go pst 30psi is nice.

 

[TeCKis300]

Arguable but I personally I don't think much over 30psi is ever required for even the heaviest of loads. Sure I have AHC, but even with my 1200lb tongue on my 8k trailer, I'll only use ~18PSI in the bags.

Airbags primary purpose is to augment spring rate. Less so to set the ride height. Other tools like WD hitch (if used in the application) should be relied upon to level the ride and importantly, transfer load back to the front axle. No amount of pressure in the airbag will do the latter.

 

[sadovnik]

Arguable but I personally I don't think much over 30psi is ever required for even the heaviest of loads. Sure I have AHC, but even with my 1200lb tongue on my 8k trailer, I'll only use ~18PSI in the bags.

Airbags primary purpose is to augment spring rate. Less so to set the ride height. Other tools like WD hitch (if used in the application) should be relied upon to level the ride and importantly, transfer load back to the front axle. No amount of pressure in the airbag will do the latter.

Yes, but you can't always use a WD hitch. My Aluma 8122, for example will not accept a WD hitch as it will void the warranty. At least for my application, air bags are the only solution.

 

[Eighteen11R]

Here is a pretty good thread on towing...

Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser

I posted this on my personal blog at Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser but wanted to share it here directly so it would be indexed. I've read a number of different thoughts and opinions about towing with the 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser. One popular opinion which seems to come...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[FrazzledHunter]

I couldn’t find too much info regarding towing boats with heavier tongue weights. I did see a few threads on airbags and tried it myself. I hope this helps others because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. LC 200 series. The boat is 26 feet. Twin 150s. Package prob at top end of tow rating. But tongue weight was making it sag on the bump stops pretty badly. I got the “heavy duty” airbags from airbag man off eBay. THey’re firestone bags but sold by airbag man . They come with the HD fabric bag that protects the bags. Also comes with all the tubing and connections. Anyway, the installation was 3-4 hours from start to finish. Hardest part was getting springs in and out Once I dropped the axle. I ran the valves under the bumper with individual circuits for left and right. Tried it today At 50 lbs pressure in the bags and zero sag. Handled much better . If you’re thinking about getting the airbags, do it. Makes towing much easier And didn’t cost that much in terms of time or money.

View attachment 2740260

View attachment 2740266

Is everything besides the airbags on your LC (springs, shocks etc...) OEM/stock?

 

[Dunbar]

Arguable but I personally I don't think much over 30psi is ever required for even the heaviest of loads. Sure I have AHC, but even with my 1200lb tongue on my 8k trailer, I'll only use ~18PSI in the bags.

Airbags primary purpose is to augment spring rate. Less so to set the ride height. Other tools like WD hitch (if used in the application) should be relied upon to level the ride and importantly, transfer load back to the front axle. No amount of pressure in the airbag will do the latter.

Getting both. Heavy boat

 

[TeCKis300]

How heavy are the tongues on those boats?

 

[Dunbar]

How heavy are the tongues on those boats?

Don't know yet but have a scale on its way.

 

[Aircooled1]

Is everything besides the airbags on your LC (springs, shocks etc...) OEM/stock?

Yes all stock otherwise

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Yes all stock otherwise

Thank you! I've been following the threads related to towing/Bilstein's suspension upgrade/shocks & springs/air-bags etc... and I think you're the first one to write here about the experience of adding air bags to an otherwise 100% stock LC 200. This is my exact situation! I'm now convinced this is where I should start. I'll try and order them today. I'll also probably upgrade the tires to something like the Michelin's Defender LTX M/S. Thanks again!

 

[Dunbar]

Well the seller Airman canceled my order because Australia views the airbags as hazardous so they won't ship it to me in the US. I just want the cloth sleeves and lines that allow the Firestone kit to exceed 30psi. Might ping them if they have a contact us somewhere.

 

[HemiAlex]

Firestone bags for the 200, Redarc controller and it’s pretty great. I could see a fancy load leveling hitch helping but this is very happy at 65 mph up and down the hills.

45psi in the bags and rear Tires, mostly level and great steering feel. I should move the truck back on the trailer a tiny bit, but it’s very stable.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Firestone bags for the 200, Redarc controller and it’s pretty great. I could see a fancy load leveling hitch helping but this is very happy at 65 mph up and down the hills.

45psi in the bags and rear Tires, mostly level and great steering feel. I should move the truck back on the trailer a tiny bit, but it’s very stable.

View attachment 3737777

Just curious which Firestone airbags do you have?
I have the #4164 airbags* and the max pressure spec is 35 psi. I wanted to be able to go higher pressure if needed so I looked at Airbagman which can take up to 60psi. But, I got the Firestones.

I haven't had the need to go above 10-12 psi on my firestones towing my 5400# trailer with my 2018 LC.
I do have a weight distribution hitch, maybe that's why I can go so low on airbag pressure.

* Coil-Rite Air Springs for INFINITI, Lexus, Toyota | Firestone 4164 - https://www.firestoneairide.com/automotive/aftermarket/aftermarket-air-helper-spring-kits/coil-rite-kits/products/4164-coil-rite-air-springs/

PS: I have the REDARC Tow Pro Elite and it's worked out very well so far.

 

[2021 LC200]

My experience with a LC200 and a 7000 lbs loaded around 700 lbs tong weight travel trailer (have not measured the tong weight, so it is an expected amount or guestimate), without using a weight distribution hitch, that at 30 psi cold my Airbagman CR5051HP bags provide a near level and very stable yet comfortable ride. Have zero issues with sway, even when at 65 to 70 mph I get overtaken at 85 or 90 mph by an 18 wheeler in West Texas. I also have the flexibility to go up further without pushing the limit, which is good as I have yet to install my 12.5g LRA tank.

So I like the airbagman solution (Firestone + Kevlar sleeves) for longevity and flexibility. I would seriously consider for the coil spring fitted LC's, as the extra $$ is worth it IMO when otherwise you invest a days work (what I did) or spend on labor to install. I can also see for the LX with AHC per TeCKis300 it would be more than you need, could still be nice for the additional protection provided by the setup.

Whether you can purchase direct from Airbagman to the US I do not know. I purchased 4WDindustries, North of Sidney NSW, in 2021 and arrived about 3 weeks later by mail in the US. Currently showing sold out. Looks like other aftermarket suppliers is an option:

AIRBAG MAN HIGH PRESSURE AIRBAGS TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 200 Series 2007-2018 COIL (CR5051HP) - STANDARD HEIGHT

APPROXIMATE DISPATCH TIME FRAME IS BETWEEN 1-3 WEEKS STOCK LEVELS CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME SO WE WILL ADVISE IF THERE WILL BE ANY DELAYS AFTER YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR ORDER. OR FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US BEFORE PURCHASING. AIRBAG MAN AIR SUSPENSION HIGH PRESSURE HELPER KIT FOR COIL SPRINGS SUIT TOYOTA...

www.4x4offroadworld.com

 

[HemiAlex]

Just curious which Firestone airbags do you have?
I have the #4164 airbags* and the max pressure spec is 35 psi. I wanted to be able to go higher pressure if needed so I looked at Airbagman which can take up to 60psi. But, I got the Firestones.

I haven't had the need to go above 10-12 psi on my firestones towing my 5400# trailer with my 2018 LC.
I do have a weight distribution hitch, maybe that's why I can go so low on airbag pressure.

* Coil-Rite Air Springs for INFINITI, Lexus, Toyota | Firestone 4164 - https://www.firestoneairide.com/automotive/aftermarket/aftermarket-air-helper-spring-kits/coil-rite-kits/products/4164-coil-rite-air-springs/

PS: I have the REDARC Tow Pro Elite and it's worked out very well so far.

Same ones 4164. I should have read the instructions more closely. I ran them 400 miles like that. They didn’t blow or leak.

Zero on top, 35 on the bottom.