dont plan on spending big but went to dealership and was told my ahc failed and probably need all replacing and was going to cost alot. so i want to convert it as that is the cheaper route. any new set with torsion bar that under 1000? i just want regular stock height if higher would be better but if it kills the quality ride then i rather just go stock height. . please let me know what ya think
suggestions on what to buy so i can remove failed ahc. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Plor
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Not sur on price, but have been happy with my OME. I would reach out to Cruiser Outfitters. Let them know what you're trying to do and what your budget is. They will help you build the right set up. You could probably reuse your old torsion bars and just upgrade shocks and springs.
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I helped a buddy do this—if you are not in a hurry (which you unfortunately probably are if yours has failed completely), you can wait for people to sell used stock torsion bars and springs.
The AHC torsion bars are nowhere near as beefy as stock and I believe they won’t work without a whole lotta help from hydraulic fluid—you’ll need different ones.
We put my old springs and torsion bars on his rig, along with brand new genuine shocks.
We unfortunately didn’t realize the genuine shocks do NOT come with new washers (although they come with new bushings) and the ahc “shock” washers have flat sides making them incompatible. Had we realized this we would have set aside the washers from my shocks that we’d swapped out a week earlier, instead of resorting to Ribe Goldberg solutions....
I believe most aftermarket shocks come with new washers (my Dobinsons did), so if you get a whole kit you should be good, but if you buy genuine (new or used) be sure to grab all the washers.
The AHC torsion bars are nowhere near as beefy as stock and I believe they won’t work without a whole lotta help from hydraulic fluid—you’ll need different ones.
We put my old springs and torsion bars on his rig, along with brand new genuine shocks.
We unfortunately didn’t realize the genuine shocks do NOT come with new washers (although they come with new bushings) and the ahc “shock” washers have flat sides making them incompatible. Had we realized this we would have set aside the washers from my shocks that we’d swapped out a week earlier, instead of resorting to Ribe Goldberg solutions....
I believe most aftermarket shocks come with new washers (my Dobinsons did), so if you get a whole kit you should be good, but if you buy genuine (new or used) be sure to grab all the washers.
You can easily modify the OEM washers with a die grinder. Little bit of magic tool and you're set
@nukegoat, yup, that's exactly what we did--it is a totally acceptable route to go, but it was a bit of a goat rodeo and not having to do that after hours of sweating and cursing at AHC components would have been pretty nice. . . particularly frustrating as the garbage man had just carted my original washers away the day before . . .
jLB
Another one followed me home. Can we keep it?
Basic OME kit without diff drop or UCAs is ~$891:
OME 100 Series Land Cruiser Medium Duty Suspension Kit
This Old Man Emu suspension kit is made for the 100 Series Land Cruiser. Give your Land Cruiser medium duty suspension with this IOME set of shocks & springs.
www.metaltech4x4.com
It is going to be more harsh than a fully functional AHC system, but it does ride much better than a completely shot AHC system. I’d lean toward the 865 rear springs if you’re looking for more of an AHC replacement than a “lift”
Some other alternatives that are also under your $1000 number:
Dobinsons 1.5" Lift Kit Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series IFS V8 Gas 1998-2007 Heavy Load Rear - Dobinsons Direct
Complete suspension kit for 4x4 Off Road Use, fine tuned to match the vehicle Coils are specifically suited to the additional accessory load (weight) on the vehicle Nitrogen Gas Charged Shocks, Superior Design, thicker walls, longer travel High Quality Australian-made coil springs, heat...
www.dobinsonsdirect.com
Kits
Ironman 4x4 America offers parts and accessories for the off-roading enthusiast. Check out our website for more.
Jason at Trail Tailor Featured Products , Christo at Slee Sleeoffroad.com - Toyota SUV Off-Road Outfitters , or Cruiser Outfitters Cruiser Outfitters could probably put together something equivalent, as could a number of other vendors on the forum. They could also explain why the additional costs of a diff drop or UCAs might be worth the added expense.
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When they say that the whole system is damaged and with no specific price of repair of parts and parts also, the only thing you then know for sure that they are just not capable and knowledgable to repair it.
Or somebody must have added other oils to the system
Imo better to get a good second opinion first before you dump that superior suspension system
Agreed. Replacing the globes and “shocks” would be cheaper compared to a comparable good non-ahc suspension (fox, icon). It’s only around 1.5x the price of going with a cheap kit, and is about 10 times better.
- Thread starter
- #11
ok so i got a second diagnostics. they said my front right and my rear left show signs of bad shocks. and recommend me to replace all 4 . should i be able to so that myself and save some money. also my cv boot is leaking bad too.
jLB
Another one followed me home. Can we keep it?
You are aware, that the "shock" on an AHC vehicle is basically just a hydraulic piston? Damping is actually done by the accumulators.
Out of curiosity, what are the symptoms of your "failed" AHC? On bump stops? Leaving puddles? Lost all fluid? Harsh ride? Won't raise/lower? Not enough "graduations"? Flashing lights on dash?
In my experience, unless they're leaking like a sieve, the "shocks" are rarely the source of a problem with AHC.
Depending on your mechanical abilities, available tools, ability to read through this forum, and/or access to a FSM, you could probably swap them out, although the rears are a bit of a challenge.
I would take your Cruiser to a shop that actually understands the AHC system and see what they have to say. If you can repair your AHC for around the same price as an entry level traditional suspension setup, that would be a no brainer for me. AHC is awesome and I am going to keep mine going for as long as I possibly can.
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Yes, you are finally getting the right advice! The dealer has little to no idea what they are talking about. I have been through this! I replaced two shocks at the dealer which fixed absolutely nothing, and then they told me they wanted me to fix more parts. They are clueless! ***This forum is your best resource for sorting out your AHC system.*** My truck was on the bump stops a few months ago and I quickly and easily repaired it to 100% functionality for less than $400 including new fluid. Please trust me. And no suspension no matter how expensive can come close to your AHC. It is THE ultimate setup. Just fix it yourself.
What are the symptoms you are experiencing?
What are the symptoms you are experiencing?
- Thread starter
- #15
well. im just getting a really bumpy ride on any cracks or small bumps. roller coaster ride . i can still change my height to low or high and it perform good. and occasionally it will adjusted itself even when im in normal and driving on the street. can hear the hydraulic movement or sound. i change the comfort and sport and still bumpy ride. they didnt really give me an estimate today because they were waiting for lexus to call them up. i took it to a toyota dealership. if anyone wants to hear what they know about it i would love to have a more knowledgeable person hear it and explain to me what i really should do
jLB
Another one followed me home. Can we keep it?
You might be better served by doing a little reading through the the forum (searching on AHC), and doing a few tests.
A "graduation test", and getting your hands on TechStream w/ a mini-VCI cable to check your pressures might be a good start.
One starting point might be reading through this thread:
forum.ih8mud.com
A "graduation test", and getting your hands on TechStream w/ a mini-VCI cable to check your pressures might be a good start.
One starting point might be reading through this thread:
Definitive list of AHC maintenance items
My nagging "issue" with AHC is wondering if the suspension doesn't feel quite right. I feel bumps pretty well and I subjectively recall an older 100 series land cruiser standard suspension feeling like being on a cloud vs the small cracks in the road. The question is driving me insane when I'm...
forum.ih8mud.com
I’ll just say that the actuator valves (the body where the globes screw onto) can go bad as well. Those costs more than the globes, and if you have to change both the globes and those, then we’re talking around $3k. Let’s say you pull the trigger and then the accumulator and/or the pump fails. Another $3k. That’s the only problem with an ageing AHC. You can’t guarantee the life left in the parts that came with the truck. If you’re lucky (but for how long? 1 year? 3 years?) then it’s $1-2k, if you’re not, then it’s $6-7k - which is the league of the icon/fox stuff.
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- Thread starter
- #18
your thoughts makes really good sense lol. im may just go and convert it using landcruiser suspension.
I'm in the same boat, same debate.. I know that my "shocks" are very rusted and the top bushings are very bad -> I need new "shocks". I'm pretty sure my globes are also shot. All 3 height sensors are funky on my truck, so those need replacement as well sooner or later.
My fear is if I replace all above ($3k?), and something else that is expensive fails, or turns out to be bad (thinking about the actuators), then I either pump another couple $k's into the AHC and hope it will be fine for a while, or just throw out the first $3k, and go for a conventional suspension then. Either way it's pretty expensive (even compared to the price of the car), so I lean towards ripping it out right now and going with a normal suspension. I know I'm going to hate it after the AHC, but at least I don't have to worry about it anymore. It would be a different story of course if the truck was 5years old, but it being almost 20... Anything can happen with the original parts in it anytime.
I also have a 100 series of about the same vintage as yours with currently 500,000km. Had some issues two years ago with my AHC which I asked the local Toyota dealer to sort but they were initially reluctant to help. After reading all the material on this website worked out my issue was my weak globes sourced them from a guy in the UK at half the price of Toyota and had the Toyota dealer install and replace the fluid. Played around with torsion bars to get settings sorted and now back to the limo ride I had when I purchased the Cruiser brand new back in 2001. This is only the second time I have done any work on the AHC. The previous job was the replacement of a seriously leaking shock at about 150,000km. For me with most of my travel on the highway, I enjoy the comfort of the AHC. Do your readings, make a good assessment of the state of your gear, do your sums on costs and also consider how you might use Cruiser in the future. Some folk do not like the AHC or more particularly have not been able to get their head around the diagnoses and what to do to rectify the problems. Others are keen on regular bush bashing 4WD so need a suspension system set up for that with remote reservoirs and the like. Me I am an AHC fan and appreciate the comfort provided by this system although I acknowledge it requires some effort to work out its issues when they do arise. Good luck and best wishes
