Yup. If you let your shocks be what restricts you on compression (drop) eventually you will blow them out. The same is true with extension (lift) but not to as great an extent. Unless you have a really quick system.

In an ideal set up your air bags (or the ground) will be the limiting factor in your drop. (You do not want stresses applied to parts that were not designed to carry them.) For lift the ultimate option for limiting your stroke is some sort of strap. The strap should reach full extension before either the shocks or the air bags. This reduces stress on both the shocks and the air bags, leading to longer life. Most choose to use nylon straps originally designed to limit 4x4 truck suspensions.

On a side note, straps are also used on many competition air hopping systems. Artificially limiting the stroke of the bags causes the suspension to "lock up" and throw the vehicle into the air. The probably won't be the case with most air systems on Scions, but you never know. Again, nylon straps are most typically used, but some prefer the old school method of "chaining" introduced by "old school" hydraulic hoppers. In this case a chain is bolted or welded in place in lieu of the nylon straps. They are stronger, but quite a bit noisier than nylon straps.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not going to limit the lift because i don't see me lifting it any higher then stock heigh would be, and in any event it would be lifted via 3/8" valves and 3/8" line (which is like 1/4" ID?). The only thing that i see stressing parts is dropping on stock shocks, which i'm going to fix that eventually. I'm glad there is a somewhat reasonably priced way to get a shorter shock though

Also, the bags aren't going to have to much wear from leaving the car dumped a lot will they? They were designed to lay out on their bump stops right? I'm just wondering if, over time, having it dumped all the way on the bags bumpstops, it will somehow wear the bags?

 

Hey rton thanks but what auto parts store do i get those at any

 

On my car the wheel wells are whats holding it up. My tires sit flat in the wheel wells. As far as i can tell I have more travel in the bags, and shocks, just need smaller wheel/tire combo or tub the door jambs.

Also even with short shocks I can lift higher then stock in the rear. With the stock shocks I got alot higher then stock.....Let me see if I can find a pic.

BTW I got my shocks from Napa online.

 

Its a crappy pic for my point. But those are 18's and you can see how high it lifted with the stock shocks. This was a full airlift kit just as they sell it, and installed like the directions said to. (has since been redone to fix all their BS design problems)

 

Nice info spider, and pic. That's why i'm having a hard time deciding wether to keep my wheels or go bigger I don't want to end up having to cut up all the wheel wells etc.

and blackwidow, people get them from Napa and like spider said, Online too. How much $$ shipped were they spider? I'd rather just order them thru the store to save on shipping costs if it's going to be a lot

 

1) Item: Shock - Sensa-Trac - Rear
Product Number: NS 5870
Quantity: 2
Price: $29.99
Core Price: $0.00
Total: $59.98

______________________________
Subtotal: $59.98
Tax: $3.60
Shipping: $4.95

TOTAL: $68.53

 

THANKS SPIDER

 

wow not bad at all, payday soon

 

Man, I like the way it looks. Keep up the good work. I hope everything works out like you want too.

 

Thanks man, nice meeting u and seeing your xB in Miami. You have a nice air ride setup . I still need to call that shop and find out what air struts those are that you have up front

 

Ordered my Monroe Sensa-Trac's. I'll be picking them up tommorow morning @ Napa and installing them probably Sunday morning. Can't wait to get that extra 1"~ and/or better ride

 

here is a few pic's of my xA on air

 

Xa Looks good. Got any pics of the whole car? What setup are you running?

 

Damn, what setup like spider said? I hope my front go's that low with 15"s, i guess the xA's front is lower stock then the xB? Or the strut towers are diff or somethin, unless u did a lot of work to get it to go down that low.

-----

I installed my Monroe rear shocks today, and they are a LOT more comfy then stock. I can't tell if i'm all the way down on the bags bumpstops or if my tires are hitting, haven't had enuf time to check it, but the shocks are deffinitely worth the money. I got them for $68 with tax @ a local Napa store (they had to order them, i got out of shipping and it came to them faster then it would've gotten to me if i ordered them online). I took a lot of pics of the easy install, i'll upload them when i get home for work .... speaking of that, gotta go back now.

 

running the S.S bags in the rear with the FBI brackets, in the front is Air Lifts air struts (same ones easy street sells). I have 18's so its not on the ground yet. Sofar I have done nothing but just install everything nothing done to the frame yet. Going to remove the sway bar up front and make or mod the rear end to get about 2 more inches in the back. Going to try to get it to lay body. Might not be that much to get the front to lay out with the Fab body kit but the back will take some work.
The struts are the same xA or xB no dif. I did install the Monroe shocks in the rear but the old ones never did bottom out on the xA. I could tell they help out some but no big great improvement.

 

Coo. Those wheels are like 18" or 17" right? Are they hitting before the SS bags bottom out? Just wondering cause mine definitely went lower with the Monroe's. Probably just an 1", but the main reason i got em is cause the stock shocks were bottoming out before my bags did.

Is your alt. belt rubbing the sway bar up front with it all the way down? I hear that some people have this problem and others don't.

 

they are 18's and the back is not touching anything just bottoming out on the bump stops in the bags. Asfar as the front the tires are hitting the fenders so I am going to remove the saw bar so the front wheels will camber in and lay out better. Never looked to see if the belt was hitting but i will look and let you know

 

Cool ^_^

 

hey rebel what store did you buy your rear bag stuff from, i went to guage store - aswome people to deal with (front struts) suicide doors - ordered 1 and 1/2 week ago and they have'nt even sent it out yet (tank, compersor , gauge, airline, so on) Fbi - same as suicide doors they are just flat out DICKS (rear bags, water trap, rear brackets) this sucks