Hi folks, I bought a 2005 LR3 with Atlantic British coil overs installed. Its very low and is practically useless for off roading. Whoever removed the original air shocks also removed the compressor and cut several of the lines, but they left all the sensors and valve blocks in, I can read live info of wheel height from my gap tool.
My question is, could I put either factory of aftermarket air shocks back on, fit air fittings to them and use my home or gas station compressor to raise and level the vehicle using the gap tool as my guide? I'd probably fot the 2" SYA kit too just so I could get home if there's a failure. Later on I would either fix the issues with the factory system or design my own air suspension controller.

 

Yeah, you can. You just need to use high pressure Schrader valves. Or another method is to install a push connect with a open/close valve and put a Schrader fitting after that so its not getting hammered with high pressure. You would have to set up each strut for that since you wont be able to easily operate the individual valves in the valve blocks. Also you will not have cross-link ability, which is a huge part of how the system works off-road, especially rock crawling. But yes, you could limp along I suppose. Your compressor will have to reach about 150psi minimum to get the struts to lift, which for an at home/shop compressor should not be an issue.

 

That's what I wanted to hear! My local breakers yard has all 4 air struts for $350, I think I'll pick those up this week and take a look at what fittings I need. I found a cheap 12V compressor good for 200psi on Amazon. Some unheard of brand, PTZNHZ Universal 1/4 NPT. Should do the job on the trails if need be. Well, at least once!

 

If you have the air tank or can get one cheap you could always refit the lines and use your compressor to fill the tank, there was a company in Aus that sold an emergency air kit which included shrader valves and fittings for each strut.

 

FYI, the lines are 6mm OD. Do not use 1/4", you need true 6mm push connects. The easiest method is to access the strut lines at the valve blocks. In front, you simply have to peel back the forward part of the wheel well liner on the passenger side. You can fold it right back on itself, its flexible enough. There is the valve block. Look up diagrams for the lines, what looks obvious is not. They are not push connect into the valve blocks, they are Voss. So you could remove them or just cut them a couple inches out. Then later, just use a straight coupler to connect them back if you want to restore the system. But at this point, the valve blocked have been open to air, water, whether already so are likely not in ideal shape. If a concert, cap the open lines. For the lines, you should just pick up high pressure 6mm pneumatic lines (amazon has em) to extend those lines up in the engine bay for easy access and the fitting you need.

The rear is awkward to get to but the valve block is on the driver side near the strut. Again, look up diagrams and same as above. May want to extend these lines so they terminate somewhere a little protected since that area can get loaded up with mud and crap. If worried about open lines, again cap em. Especially cap all open lines if doing water stuff.

Here is some tubing I myself was looking at.


Edit: Was going to add, I think $350 for four used struts is kinda high. If you know they are OEM and low miles maybe, but you can get stupid cheap ones on eBay. New for $300 pair/fronts. So I just make sure they are OEM/Delphi cause then its certainly a rip at that price. Just my 2 cents.