Air Ride ?'s...yes I have searched. (CROSS-POSTED)

[atl]

I have a 97 EB with the Air Ride all around. Since I bought it used last year, I knew it was riding hard. Just real rough on crap roads,loosing my rear etc. It sits lower than others on the road. I searched this site, found out some info and here is what I have.

When I turn on the 4x4 option, the rear raises 2-4 in. I can then cut off the air ride switch, and it stays lifted for about 2 days, tops. Also I did the trick on the front by compressing the sensor, the front lifted about 3-4 in. and I cut off the switch.

Well, the front only stayed lifted about 30 min. maximum.

I test rode it with both the front and back raised, air ride switch off, and it rode great. That is how I want it to ride. Excuse my ignorance on this subject, but is it because this allows more travel in my shocks?

Would a body lift help?

Do I have leaks? if so where do I go from here?

Is the system supposed to slowly leak, while the compressor pumps them back up? If so, is there a way to keep the compressor on to keep it lifted, while being in normal driving mode.

From what I have read here, there is still no real deffinitive answer on what it takes to get rid of the air ride system completly. Some say there should be no problem, some say the rear sags, some say the leafs need relpacing too.

I do not off road, and I do not want it lowered. I just want a good heigth, with a normal ride. I dont have a ton of money to put in this (my 65 t-bird gets all my money), but seriously, the ride quality i have now just sucks. Everything rattles and shakes.

Thanks for any info.

 

[rhyno]

I have a 97 EB with air ride as well. I think that what you are describing is simply normal for a 6 year old truck that never did ride like a caddy. If your shocks have never been replaced then that would be a good place to start to better the ride quality.

I think that if your air system was malfunctioning you would get a warning on the computer consol. I sometimes get a 'Check air ride system' alert because of the altered ride height of TT, WAR153, & aal.

 

[atl]

So the slow "leak" is normal I take it?

I just dont want to buy new oem shocks and get the same crappy ride. I only have 50,000 miles so far but bought it with 32,000 and the ride was just as bad.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

my 96 work's just like it's supposed to..in 2wd it rides nice but it rides nicer in 4x4..in 4x4 it raises 2in's and rides like a dream..mine hold's air as long as the truck is running..as soon as you shut it off the truck drop's(it's supposed to)..and in 4x4low it raises 4in's and rides kinda stiff(normal)..so they should hold air as long as the truck ir running and in 4x4/4x4low..in 2wd im not sure how much air is in them..

i hope this makes sense(?)

 

[atl]

Ak: yeah, that is how mine works, but I cut off the air ride switch after it lifts, and it holds for a while, but then goes back down to normal. So I was wondering if it was normal for it to go back down.

Gracias´

 

[blue_97_v8]

well there's the prob..DO NOT turn the system off..that's why your truck is falling back down..the system will contiune to add air as needed to the air bag's to keep eveything where it sould be...when you turn the system off the bag's loose all air..causeing a bad ride...just turn the system ON let it air up and don't turn it off unless you have to jack the truck up

 

[atl]

"when you turn the system off the bag's loose all air"

thats what I was asking, but perhaps you missed my first post. I raise it by putting it in 4x4 and compressing the front sensor, but I do not want to drive around in 4 wheel drive, hense cutting off the system.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

the bag's keep air in them in 2wd....so just leave the system ON in 2wd and you ride will be nice and soft...as said by my dad "blue_97_v8" don't turn the system off unless you jack the truck up...you ride will be nice and soft

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

the truck will sit at the same highth as normal explorer's in 2wd..it may not seem like it but it does..

 

[atl]

"the truck will sit at the same highth as normal explorer's in 2wd"

it doesnt

"it may not seem like it but it does.."

I dont hallucinate anymore, it does not

"ON in 2wd and you ride will be nice and soft."

it does not

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

well then there's somthing wrong.!

 

[hydroxy]

ok, here is what goes on. I have a 1995 limited w/ the ARC system.

When it is in 4x4 low, it will raise 2 inches (not 4). When you turn the switch off, it cuts off the compressor. IT SHOULD NOT LEAK AT ALL. this means it should STAY the same level as long as the switch if off. No matter how long it is off for. Keep in mind, that now they are acting as 'normal' shocks (not adjustable), so a full tank of gas will alter the height. I wouldn't think that the ride would be better after you raise it, seeing as how there is more pressure in the shocks, it would take more force for the shock to compress. I dont remember off hand how exactly the ride quality is when I have it raised the 2 inches w/ the compressor off.

Also, what kinda tires are you running? PSI? If you have lower profile tires, w/ high PSI that will make your ride worse.

I'm curious as to where this sensor is that you compress in the front, I was unaware that there were any external sensors that measured the ride height. I thought that it was all internal. If you have pictures, that would be great.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

WOW..my info was kinda bad..huh..but why does my truck raise up 4in's in 4x4low?..i have mesured it and it is 4in's.and 2in's in 4x4..have my seser's been moved?

i had no idea the bag's where supposed to hold the air forever

yes there is senser's out on the spring's i think(back) not sure about the front

 

[hydroxy]

if the bags weren't suppose to hold air... think about what would happen if someone left the switch off forever... the shocks would bottom out eventually... which would not be good =P

I dont know why it raises 4 inches... but the manual says it has a range of 2 inches. Where do you measure the 4 in? from the edge of the wheel well to the wheel? (look at BlackMagic's writeup on how he lowered his explorer to see the measuring I'm talking about).

Do you know exactly where the sensor is in front/rear?

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

i have been mesuring from the ground to the edge(lip) of the fender..and from the top of the tire to the fender lip..and every time in 4x4 i raise up 2in's and in 4x4low i raise 4in's..don't ask me why..lol..the seser is somwhere on both rear leaf's(this is what i have heared..im trying to find them so i can lift it with the arc)

""the truck will sit at the same highth as normal explorer's in 2wd"

it doesnt

"it may not seem like it but it does.."

I dont hallucinate anymore, it does not"

well here's a few pic's of my limited ARC explorer IN 2WD next to my dad's 97 XLT NON ARC explorer.....
now this is not the leavelest spot i could find..but it's dark out and it show's my truck sit's just as high as a normal explorer...when in 2wd

 

[atl]

ok, now we go this goin....Ak, I about fell out laughin when i read this, "well then there's somthing wrong.!"!!!!!!!

hydroxy, turn your wheels all the way right, now look behind your left tireand you will see what looks kind of like a mini shock. It is clipped on, BUT, you can grab a hold of it twards the top, and turn and it will release the top of it and enable you to compress it....Ill tell ya man, that front end will RAISE!

Now my theory why I thought it might be normal for the shocks to somewhat leak. If the air ride system is supposed to be on all the time then that pump just compresses when it needs to, to keep it from botttoming out. High speeds it lowers, slow cruise it raises, while raising higher in 4x4, but alll the while it is compressing/decompressing to compensate. My pump is working all the time...right when i get out of the car, a miniute after i roll away etc. .... That is just kinda what I thought to keep myself from thinking I actualy had a leak.

 

[hydroxy]

All the time it is working? Mine is hardly on that often... when I start up for a minute or two, and when I get out for maybe 30 seconds or so. I'm not sure how you can diagnose it... if it is the shock that is leaking, you could buy a new one, and just install it in each position until you find the location where it stays level... that would get annoying really fast though.


that is really weird that yours raises 4in... I wish mine did that.

if you ever find the sensors in the rear, PM me.

I would go out and check my ride height, but my ex is in the shop...

 

[hydroxy]

Ak LTD - I knew I had seen your explorer before... did your dad post about removing the trim?

 

[Texan01]

I don't have air ride on my X but on my old '86 Pontiac 6000-STE that had the air ride rear suspension, I had to replace the shocks(13 year old factory shocks and noisy as all get-out), and the release valve in the compressor to get it to work right. after I did all that it worked pretty well, and it would hold air in the system for about 3-4 days. Probably would of gone longer but I boogered up a connection.

So yes it should not leak down unless a sensor is bad and telling the system to release the air, I had to re-adjust the sensor on my STE because it would never kick on when the car was loaded, but if I manually moved it, I could jack the rear of the car about 6" higher than the front. I would run for about 5 seconds on startup and then only as needed, hardly ever on the road, only when I was carrying people around (it was funny when the compressor started up and the people in the back would hear it buzzing away, I'd just tell them that the car's complaining about their lard-butts)

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

yeah my dad posted about the molding's..right before i joined this site