kevinhasley

I am a newbie when it comes to lifting vehicles. So I took my 2004 4Runner to some local experts to install my newly purchased lift kit from Nitrous Enterprises. With disregard to advice from NE, they removed the hydraulic strut line for the XREAS system. This is, however, only after talking with a local Toyota service who said that they can bleed the system after removing the strut line. My truck now still sits at the local service place after about 4 days of going back and forth on how to proceed with bleeding the system.

Has anyone gone through this kind of situation?

lee

dude, your first error was buying an NE lift kit. return it NOW.

this site will inform you on why you need to get rid of that kit ASAP:

http://www.buyerbeware.ws/

r0cky

In regards to what to do - get the Toyota mechanic to talk to the shop guy who is working on your truck, or get a tow truck to take your truck from the current shop to a Toyota dealership so they can work on it directly from there.

bulldog-yota

Firstly I would not recommend you use the NE kit, see website lee has pointed too.

Second, did the XREAS system leak any fluid when they disconnected it?

The XREAS system has specific disconnect points, where each shock can be disconnected. ALso before you can disconnect any shock all 4 wheels must be hanging with no wieght on it. That said, nobody I'm aware of has disconnected the XREAS shocks with good results.

SO if they disconnected the shocks and lost no fluid, you might be lucky and they can just put it together. Then have it checked out by a dealer.

The way to install a lift kit with XREAS is to keep the shock lines connected adn use coil compressors while the shock is connected to the vehicle.

The recommended and tested lifts are Daystar and Revtek, but Revtek claims that their system does not work with XREAS. But various members have been running their lift kits with XREAS for some time. I have used my DAystar with XREAS now for quite some time, 1 year and 16k miles or so with numerous offroad trips. The XREAS is still fine.

Good luck!! Let us know what is happening.

kevinhasley

I read the frightening forum that was put together about NE. I can remove the system and return the vehicle to normal mode, but I still have a major issue that the strut line was removed by my off-road shop (authorized by the Toyota service dealer). After it was removed and reconnected, the Toyota dealership is now trying to wipe their hands clean and say they cannot do the bleeding.

Mickdady

At this point I would have them put it all back together and go to a different dealership than the one you were corresponding with. Tell them something is wrong with the suspension. Once it is all fixed go get a revtek kit. (or daystar)

Good luck getting your $ back from NE

Sorry man, they screwed me too. Unfortunatly I was one of the first.

Good Times

And this is the reason why you will never see any aftermarket vendor openly state that their lift kits work with xreas because of the liability like this.

kickaha

I smell something.

A Toyota mechanic cannot "authorize" another shop to do something and then take the blame when something goes wrong. Even if they gave the shop the correct information, they have no control over the mechanic at the shop and how the work was done. It's really the shop's responsibility. If it was a Toyota shop, you'd be golden.

Anyway, remove the kit, return the truck to stock and drive it for a few thousand miles (offroad too). Enough to take it in for at least one regular service. Do that (take it in for service) at another Toyota dealership. If it doesn't fail after a few thousand miles, you're good. If it does fail, take it to the new Toyota dealership to have it fixed under warranty.

kevinhasley

The off-road shop said that there was oil discharged. My Toyota service dealer said they were waiting for a call from Houston who should know how to fix the system...

UPDATE: I just got a call from my Off Road shop that says Toyota will not talk with him and told him if he needs to talk any further, contact an attorney.

I have several calls into this service center to their customer service relationship manager. I am just trying to find out what the hell is going on.

kickaha

Man, this really smells.

Again, the off-road shop is responsible for their own work. Why would Toyota take responsibility for someone else's work? That doesn't make sense.

See above for how to get Toyota to fix the system. BTW, you don't say anything about what, exactly, is wrong with the truck other than there was a little leakage.

lee

go to a different dealership!

r0cky

can you get your truck towed to a dealership? possibly one you haven't been to before? you may have to eat the $$ to get the stuff fixed ... but it's better to do that and be done with it than to wait around to get it all sorted out the way you'd like. once everything is at least fixed enough to drive, THEN take action.

the number one priority is to get ahold of someone - a dealership or individual mechanic - who can/will repair whatever happened with the XREAS system.

what did happen, by the way? did the fluid leak out? (nevermind, just read that yes, oil leaked out)

unfortunately, if fluid leaked, you'll most likely need to take it to a dealership or some place where people have dealt with the system before. dealerships are more likely to have dealt with XREAS than an offroad shop, merely because more XREAS trucks come into dealerships for work.

kickaha

BTW, the title of this is "Help! 2005 4Runner Hydraulic Strut System" and yet you say that, "I took my 2004 4Runner to some local experts...". So, is it a 2004 or 2005? Not that it matters much. The only thing that really matters is whether it is under warranty. A 2004 might possibly be out of warranty by now.

kevinhasley

It is a 2004 (sorry, typo).

kickaha

How many miles (is it still under the original -- not extended -- warranty)?

bulldog-yota

I remember somebody posting here or on t4r.org that they had their dealer fit the XREAS at the dealership. If I can only get that person, you might be able to contact them and the dealer who did it. They will have to know how to pressurize the system again, or at least what components to replace.

I already posted on t4r to see if anybody can remember who it is.

r0cky

Good luck, Kevin!

kickaha

Hey Kevin,

If you get a chance and don't mind, could you post close-up pictures of your NE spacers? Curious to see what they look like.

kevinhasley

I will as soon as they are removed from my truck

bulldog-yota

You might want to check this out and contact this guy.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showth...1999#post81999