I just had a shop install a cornfed 3/2 lift. I went to go pick the truck up and the front end now bounces up and down like a bobble head. I had one of the guys tell me that is what happens when you put spacers on a vehicle. He said it kills the springs and strut and rides like a "cement truck". Another guy thinks there must be air in the line and that I need to bleed the system. The instructions from Cornfed mention nothing about this. Yet another guy thinks that the struts blew because there was too much tension on the springs.

My car is still sitting at the shop with my new tires and wheels, I am refusing to take it until I can figure out the problem.

Does anyone know what is going on and a solution to fix it?

 

Spacers do effect your spring rates, and cause a firmer (stiffer - bouncier) ride in the truck. If its horrible....then I dont know, most guys say they can live with it, and I've never really noticed it, but our setup is a little different than yours...

 

are you just using the stock struts with spacers? If so, then yes your ride will be very bouncy and harsh. Spacers take out 2" of travel that the suspension would otherwise be cycling.

Not sure what air in the line they are talking about, front struts dont use air, and i doubt the spacers blew out the front shocks.

 

Yes I am all stock except the spacers. The shop seems to think that some of the fluid that runs through the shocks from the xreas system came out when they took the front strut off. They think there should be a way to bleed the system to get out whatever air came in when they unhooked the line.

I know if should get a little harder. But if I step on the brake the front of the car just continues to bounce up and down.

To make matters worse my brand new terra grapplers 285/70/17 were rubbing so bad I had to put my stock set-up back on. Now my truck looks like a grass hopper... and the bouncing up and down makes it look l ike it is ready to hop away.

I bought Eagle Wheels series 137 for my wheels. They are 17x8 with -4mm offset at 4.25 BSM.

 

after looking through the Cornfed instructions I have determined that the shop screwed up a step.
The instructions say "Carefully pull the coilover down out of its mount, using care to not overextend or strain the XREAS hose at the bottom of the front shock."
The shop took the hose off completely to put the coil into the compressor.

Did they just ruin my XREAS system? Is that why I am bouncing so badly?? Is that why my tires which Burtman and Cornfed say will fit without rubbing are not working???

 

sadly, my guess is YES. seems like once the XREAS lines have lost fluid/been tampered with, they need dealer-TLC to be fixed: $.

let us know what you find and good luck!

 

Well I have confirmed it my XREAS is shot. I must replace all the sruts that were disconnected. Now I need to fight with the shop over how they are going to fix their mistake.

 

1. There is absolutely no need to disconnect the XREAS to instal spacers.

2. There IS a way to disconnect XREAS without losing more than a drop from each corner (if that!). You have to disconnect at the valve on the chassis rail. I have done it! However I reiterate, you do not need to do this to instal spacers.

3. Spacers will not make your ride ntoiceably stiffer of bouncier. What crap. The spacers may provide some preload but you would be hard pressed to notice that. I ran Daystar spacers for about a year with no noticeable change is suspension dynamics. I got those spacers from a friend who had the same experience. the only reason to change was to cater to increasing mods.

5. I have removed my XREAS and on-sold it to another user who had their system screwed up by a shop. All plugged back in and works fine with no air bleeding necessary. If in fact someone does screw up and get air in the lines there is no way to bleed it. You have to go with a whole new XREAS.

6. If you have to go with XREAS forget it and go with OME. Lots to gain in ride quality and bang for buck. Got to be cheaper than buying a new XREAS system!

4. The shop screwed up PERIOD. There would be no doubt about this. Where are you located?

 

Xreas?

 

I am in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

 

Bummer. If you were in SoCal I would have been happy to try help you out. I hope you get things resolved quickly.

Cheers
Mark

 

Do a search. Its a crosslinked oil filled suspension system found on the 4th gen 4Runner.

 

I spoke to another shop here that does a lot of lifts. They seem to feel that Toyota is full of it and that there must be a way to fill the line again. They say that the line would not leak unless there is an air opening up top. (which makes sense based on gravity and vacums) There is a service advisory that discusses the struts leaking oil out of the top and what degree of leakage is normal. These guys think that means Toyota did that because too many dealers were thinking the strut was trashed )based on an ordinary strut) and replacing them under waranty. Anyway I am headed there today so they can look at it...

 

The whole system is trashed not just the front as I was originally hoping...

The good news is the guy feels bad that the other shop screwed up my truck and is giving me a good deal on my new coilover system. Bye Bye Xreas.

 

Um... if it was me I would be all over the shop that installed the lift!!! They messed up and they should be paying for you new system..period!! Get a lawyer and have them replace it for you. Good luck