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Air Ride????


Scrub2k
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I just got an 87 GL-10 Turbo, and i think the air ride on it is messed up cause the back end is sitting like way low and it scraps on everything i can hear it click when i hit the height button on the dash and the Height control light comes on but it still doesent do anything, is there anything i can do to the car to help this? :cornfuzz:

 

-Matt-

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I also have an 87 GL-10 Turbo.. It came with Air ride, but it was taken off and replaced with regular struts/shocks.. you may have sprung a leak in the air boots.. That seems to be a common problem.. however, there are those that know more about those things than I do.. I just know that mine works just dandy with standard suspension in place of the air ride.. maybe ask electrycmonk.. he has the air ride on both of his wagons and seems to knw a bit about it.. His 87 GL-10 Turbo has air ride and a lift kit.

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Replacement with standard shocks and struts seems to be the order of the day. The parts to repair the air-ride systems are really expensive new, and most of the used stuff has the same problem - doesn't work. I'm sure you can fix it, but Subaru will probably want a kidney for the parts. Brand new lifetime warrantee name brand (KYB for instance) shocks and struts can be had for $150 or less for all 4 corners...

 

GD

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Since this happens to almost all air suspension at some point (not just on subarus) you would think someone has developed a niche market around it. Maybe there is a way to get them patched? resealed? white ooze in a can (fix-a-flat style LOL)?

 

I wonder if getting them "rebuilt" is possible and maybe finacialy equal to or better then getting all new standard McPhearsons?

 

Just a thought if you REALLY wanna keep the air bags. They are pretty neat :D

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Hrm.....i do like the idea of keeping the airbags, but i dont have alot of money to through around, so i guess ill just hafta get some regular struts and springs, would the struts and springs off another subaru non-airride work? or do i need to buy brand new?

 

Thanks for all the Help.

 

-Matt-

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People were actually doing that, I would look on Google for it.

 

Just find another Wagon donor car to get the whole strut assembly out of and swap em over.

 

Have seen more than a few people put $2000 into these cars air systems. Struts, labor, alignment, etc are not cheap and its a dealer only part.

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now that that pesky w32 nachi virus is dead i ummmm see a person looking for advice.

 

I also see alot of excellent advice on the ease and cost of the conversion. I have heard many of them do it and seem rather painless to do, I however admit to enjoying the ride of the air system. and the lifted one is riding just fine too.

 

if your curious i just least night did a search on http://www.car-parts.com for air struts and found the North Carolina salvage yeard that i have delt with in the past has rears but there are others out there too.

 

It's not that riusky either as every yard i have delt with over the last ummmm 7 or 8 years via the net has been very good about replacement if its fubar in a time window thats reasonable etc.

 

personally the air ride is easy to deal with if you have the FSM and some time on your hands.

 

just out of curiousity is the front adjusting when you push in the high to low button? or does it seem to sit "really high?"

 

I'd suggest trying this experiment with ignition off for starters.

1. remove the fuse for height 15A

2. 12mm wrench on the air nut on top of the front struts.

 

*** loosen till you start to hear air rush out but not all the way, occasionally the lil o-ring under the nut/cap have flown out and hit the ground on me so let them sorta seep out the first time till you see the hose and o-ring - okay?

 

3. once the front two are flat out, snug them back down...not too tight mind you "reefing down doesn't help here". put a jack at the rear lifting points and lift it up about 3-5 inches approx from its full flat position. (this is approx. enough for the height control CPU to see that they are "low" and need to be leveled out.

 

spray the airlines down with some water or soapy water prefered to see if it is leaking at the solinoids.

 

The rears have these two plastic nuts that can be unscrewed or yanked out and a 10mm(?) nut that is to the rear of the strut and that allows easy sight of the rear solinoid for inspection.

 

4. put fuse back in and turn ignition to full on(dash lights up and all) just don't startt the car.. not necessary. compressor should start right up or in a few second it will activate.

 

5. listen for the 4 seperate struts solinoids to cycle on and off. you'll wanna have the radio off in the garage to hear them all from anyone of the different wheelwells.

 

6. if the rear does start to inflate it will raise it completely off the jack and it may take about 2-3 minutes to acomplish this.

 

7**lucky number 7. IF any of the airlines seem to be leaking there are a few things that can be done to fix the leak and its a rather simple/no brainer. after turning it all off and jacking that particular side all the way up (for the elbow room and visibilty of the job to be.....

 

use a small screw driver and your fingers to slowly and softly pry the 4 plastic clips away from the shelfed edge washer sealing ring and that will allow you to easy it out from them..... the o-ring on the blackish colored airline has a retaining ring so you don't have to worry about it for the rears like you do on the fronts.

 

after removal use a qtip(i like it) and some alcohol or spray some brakeparts cleaner on the swap and wipe out the chromed area that the oring would seal against. then do the same with the o-ring on the hose... but with a soapy water instead... save the o-ring from the chemicals !!!

 

then try to put a VERY LIGHT coat of silicon on the o-ring only and not the whit-ish plastic clip tube.

 

Then reinstall the hose in the solinoid. i'd spin it a little once in the clips and then leave it alone and lower that side back down to that 3-5 inch above flat postion again and.....go turn on the ignition.

 

that should be enougfh of a head start to give you a better feeling of the system.....

 

good luck and K.I.T.

 

-steve in Denton, Tx AKA electryc_monk

 

http://www.geocities.com/electryc_monk

 

or the USMB msn photo's page under electryc monk for the lifted photo's

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these are the clean versions.

 

Same slut different dress

same stuff different day

 

yes on the bohica -in face i knew of a (then local to the base i was on) group of marines that made their jerseys for the softball team name as Bohica's. hehehe

 

and the MSDS I'm surprised you never heard of :

My-Stuff-Doesn't-Stink

or its real world name

Maintance Safety Data Sheet

 

Dad showed me a "book" before he retired (Air force standardisation (DOD logistics in the end)) this was the glossary of all known offical acronyms of all the armed services and DOD

 

size was something like 11 inches by 14+ inches and almost 3 inches thick. standard printer font.

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