I am planning a pretty heavy sub-box for the back of my xB. I was thinking to keep the rear from sagging, a pair of the helper airbags would be just the ticket. I have been digging around trying to find info on them but I am coming up blank. This is not the full air suspension, just a bag that you slip inside the rear coil's and put a few lbs of pressure in to help the springs out when hauling a heavy load. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

What you are referring to is the "Coil-rite" system by Firestone. They list applications for both the xA (4156) and Toyota Echo (411. One of those two kits should work for your xB.

Here is a link to the Firestone site that deals with their "Ride-Rite" "Coil-Rite" and "Sport-Rite" systems...
http://www.ride-rite.com

Here is a PDF of the installation instructions for that specific system...
http://www.ride-rite.com/installatio...tions/4118.pdf

Retail pricing for the basic system using Schrader valves should run you a little over $80 plus applicable tax and shipping.

 

can this be used to raise and lower the car with coil springs or is it just to help the load on the springs so you dont bottom out?

 

Otherwise Chassis tech sells direct bolt on bags for the rear that would work with your shocks and help you out tremendously.

 

I don't know that it is possible to give any worse advice than what you just gave.

 

At best the Coil-Rite system would lift the car from the standard spring height, but never lower it. This is considered a "supplemental" system. The existing springs have a specific spring rate that holds up the car. As you add pressure to the Coil-Rite system you add to that spring rate. By supplying a high enough spring rate it will actually begin to "unload" the existing springs and lift the car.

And just to add to my other post... STAY AWAY FROM CHASSIS TECH!!!

If you want a bolt on system that will work with your existing rear shocks, take a look at the new Airlift/Easystreet rear kit.

 

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. Just couldn't find it anywhere. Thanks so much

 

Thanks, RTon20s.

I have a similar request, except that I'd really like to raise my xb somewhat, on the order of an inch or an inch and a half, so that I won't tear it up on fishing trips- on gravel roads in various states of improvement, or even national forest access roads, many of which are little more than dirt...

The referenced firestone kits might just serve in the rear, but the front is another story. I wonder if any means is available for the front.

Yeh, I know it's not a Jeep, and that I'll have to deal with the front lip and protecting the radiator, also with some handling degradation. I just don't want to high-center getting into the campground...

 

Jhhnn,

There really is nothing out there in the way of a lift for the xB. One thing to keep in mind is that we have short overhangs front and rear, as well as the fact that nothing really hangs below the stock lip kit/ground effects. If you keep this in mind you can really avoid any potentially hazardous situations.

That being said, I think the best way to approach what you are wanting to do would be to use spacers. In the rear you might find a 1"-2" spring spacer that could work, but I don't think anyone has ever tried this. Given the design of the rear suspension in our cars, this could lead to problems with either the springs or spacers popping out. You would also have to make sure that the shocks could handle the new height and replace them with taller shocks if necessary.

In the front you are looking at some custom work. I would not recommend trying to get a standard spring spacer to work in the strut configuration. Even if you got a spacer to fit, you might quickly run into blown shocks because they were pushed beyond their design limits. You would be better off trying to find someone to build you a set of strut spacers. These are actually fairly simple to fabricate. All they (or you) have to do is fabricate a steel spacer that mounts into the stock strut tower and allows the strut to mount at the base. Be careful though as adding to much height could throw off suspension geometry and this would have to be compensated for in the spacer design.

Also keep in mind how your car would look during your day to day drives. You would have excessive wheel gap and could easily end up pretty top heavy. Would this really be worth it for an extra inch or two of ground clearance you would only need occasionally?

 

Thanks again, RTon20s. I'll investigate the firestone product further, see if I can just use them to keep the vehicle level with a load of gear and people. If they'll do that, it'll be a start in the right direction. And I really don't want anything radical, at all- not something that would be noticeable to anybody but a scion enthusiast. The way the car looks is already one of those love it or hate it deals, anyway, and another inch of wheel clearance in the fenderwells won't change that wrt the ROTW.

 

airrunner full air suspension raises the car higher than stock at full lift
if you want adjustability airrunner is the way to go es is also a good option for less money but has had a reputation for failure, and i do not belive that the front will be able to raise higher than stock with the air sleeve design of the shocks. ill keep an eye on this post and try and help in anyway i can. bring on the air!

 

oh yea and chassis tech makes horrible products.. i dont want to soil their reputation but ive seen their equipment fail many of occasions. i would not reccomend them for a daily driver.

 

Yeah, for the record I am not looking for full air suspension, no dropping frame, or riding high, all I want is something to bring the rear back to stock height and keep the tailpipes from dragging when I am hauling 400+ lbs of stereo plus 750lbs of passengers for less than $100 bucks. RTon20's hit the nail on the head, I had seen them for other applications but was having trouble finding them for the xB.

 

I dealt with real airride suspension systems on transit busses for 18 years- they're great for that application, but on my daily driver? No thanks...

 

i havent had the first problem with my airruner setup. its my daily driver and i havent run into a single snag in the system. th valves are manual so its no like driving a lowrider. the bags fill and dump slowly. i drive my car everywhere and have driven to vegas and back to havisu and back you name it my car has done it on air and i never have even had a leak or the first problem. its the only solution i know of for raising the xb safely. i have a fabulous kit on my car and raising the xb was my main concern when purchasing my air susp. i needed the clearence for all the same reasons you do. i wnet aith the airrunner setup and i could be happier with my decision. airrunner is very high quality and is designed for daily drivers. the car handles great as well and my ride has improved over my tanabe df210's

 

I inquired with tech support at Ride-rite. Their reply-

Unfortunately, we do not have a kit for the xB. The 4156 will only fit
the xA which has a different suspension. Thank you for your inquiry.


Sincerely,
Ride-Rite
Tech Support
www.riderite.com

Bummer. I'm having some strangeness about this, partly because the lowering spring kits are apparently useable on both the xA and xB, interchangeably....

Anbody know more about this? Sometimes tech support is just trained to look in the catalog... then say no if they can't find a specific crossover...

 

Go ahead and order the kit for the xA or for the Echo. Either one should work. I would probably take the xA of the the Echo though. They have to tell you what they did because they have not test fit their product on an xB yet.

 

"They have to tell you what they did because they have not test fit their product on an xB yet."

The latter part I'll believe, but they could have just told me they haven't tried it on an xB, rather than saying it won't fit...

I'm not sure I'm ready to spend my own money to do their R&D for them, find out what they told me was true... or not.

Maybe Notacop will give it a go, report back...

 

you can go with the tried and true method of rplacing your rear suspension with a full air suspension. two firestone bags or slam specialties witchever you prefer, brackets from fender bender international, 4 valves, airline, single dual needle gauge, switchbox, compressor and air tank of your choice. everything can be safely mounted on the underside of your car and run safley for the life of your vehicle.

 

Yeah but that won't be anywhere close to the $80 price tag of the ride-rite system. I have spent plenty on the system and am probably going to drop the cash for an alpine H701/C701 processor/controller combo since they are no longer being produced. I was planning on waiting a while for that, but if they are not going to be available I need to pick it up while I still can. That is $600 I was not planning on spending just yet. I just need something simple on a budget.