Air Susp To Coil/Shock Lots of Questions

[Wero]

First post newb here. I ran several searches before creating this thread, and while I did get ideas I wanted to pose a few specific questions for my situation. Mini novella warning (sorry).

2002 EB AWD Expy with the 4-wheel air suspension. Leak somewhere made compressor very loud. I replaced it with a new Arnot compressor and it was quiet again... for a while, which is what pretty much confirms a leak. Now it's noisy again, and probably close to failure.

I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm going to do an air suspension conversion, and my first question is am I better off buying one of the kits, which some seem a little expensive, or do I source the parts and make my own kit?

If I go with a kit which one is best? Strutmasters, Suncore, Monroe, etc.?

Most of these questions (and probably all of them if I go several pages back) have been asked and answered, but here's where I get a little more specific. My Expy, Woody, has 311K miles and has had no real problems (knock on wood). I have had some front end suspension work done to hopefully correct tire scalloping in the inner row of tread, and I've replaced the alternator, but other than that the motor and tranny run well.

Due to the high miles I'm thinking about Strutmasters' Deluxe 4-Wheel Air Suspension Conversion Kit (Ford Expedition Air Suspension Conversion Kit (-XN44-1-BUN-FE) | Strutmasters.com), since it has some other suspension parts. However, price is kind of high at close to $800.

There's a Monroe 90010 kit (Monroe 90010 Monroe Suspension Conversion Kit : Amazon.com : Automotive), that while it has not other suspension parts it's a quarter of the price, and still has the coil over front shocks.

I'm also thinking that a little bit of a lift would be kind of nice. I'm no big wheeler guy, and certainly don't want to be big wheeler commuter guy, but a couple or more inch lift and a little bigger tires would be kind of cool (doing my Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunt).

So what do you think: kit or not? Little lift or not (meaning I probably couldn't do a kit)?

I'll stop my babble now, but would appreciate any tips or advice any of you have to offer. I'm ready to get new tires (due to the scalloping issues I previously mentioned - and yes I do rotate the tires, and still get approximately 75K miles on them, as these are only 4th set of tires in the 311K miles), so I want to do the conversion now. I also think the conversion may correct the tire scalloping problem. Please help. Thanks in advance!

Damn that was long. Sorry!

**Edited to add: Dang it, I just saw the sticky on the top of the page. I'll read it again, but still open to suggestions, ideas, or opinions.

 

[jbanks]

I just converted my 1998 Lincoln Navigator yesterday using the Monroe 90006 kit. I also purchased new Moog Lower ball joints and upper control arms, sway bar end links and caster/camber kits from Rock Auto. You could get all this for around $400 total from Rock Auto.

I ended up needing two tie rod ends and an axle(boot was slinging grease and a replacement axle was $63) that I bought locally at O'Reillys for another $110 (I got their cheap lifetime warranty tie rod ends instead of moog)

The kit you reference includes 1. Upper Control Arms 2. Sway bar end links 3. Four(all inner and outer) tie rod ends 4. Plus All the same stuff from the Monroe kit.

I highly doubt it's worth double the cost....or I know it's not to me. They don't show, that I could see, what brand the control arms, tie rods, and end links are. Their kit also does not include the lower ball joints.

If you just had some front end work completed to fix a scalloping issue, you probably got new lower ball joints and maybe new upper control arms. I have to imagine if you had a bad tie rod end that would have been noticed. They are easy to change and you would be needing an alignment anyway.

I guess my conclusion is....if you buy the strutmaster deluxe kit, you could be buying parts that you don't need and have already replaced.

On mine I ended up not replacing the lower ball joints(even though I ordered new) because they had already been replaced with Moog ball joints that showed no sign of being bad(The truck is new to me, I didn't get to fully inspect the truck before I ordered some of the parts). The upper ball joints and control arm bushings were trashed and had never been touched. I went ahead with the Two tie rod ends because I was going to have to get an alignment anyway. The truck also already had the adjustable caster/camber parts, so I didn't need those either.

 

[Wero]

Thanks, JB, I appreciat it. I agree, and have pretty much ruled out the Strutmasters kit, and will probably do the same as you. I just want to make sure I have everything before I start taking her apart. I'd like to replace some worn and cracking bushings/rubber while I'm doing it. Thanks again!

 

[wyo_vr4]

I basically second what jbanks posted. Go with the 90010 Monroe kit + whatever other parts you want to swap out. The 90010 was made for Expeditions, the 90006 for Navigators. The 90010 will probably give you an inch or two of extra lift vs stock. The springs are slightly larger than on the 90006. I used the 90010 on my 99 Navigator and cranked the torsion bar in the front to level it out.

 

[Expeditionary]

check out my sticky on air suspension, i made it to eliminate all these threads

 

[Sasquatch]

Hey- new to the site, and at the risk of sounding like a dumb a##, I'm looking for the "sticky"....where might I find that?

 

[Expeditionary]

Hey- new to the site, and at the risk of sounding like a dumb a##, I'm looking for the "sticky"....where might I find that?

It's the top thread in the suspension section, should say STICKY: Air Suspension

 

[tnoel]

Can someone help me please? Im new to this and I want to post a thread...and yes I have no clue on how to do this. Thanks for the help.

 

[districk81]

help w/air suspension convertion kit info

i need to convert from air to coil springs but for my rear suspension for a 2000 2wd and need to know what all i need and were i should get it. can i save money and go to the junkyard or should get ever thing at the auto parts? any suggestions will be appreciated

 

[districk81]

Thanks, JB, I appreciat it. I agree, and have pretty much ruled out the Strutmasters kit, and will probably do the same as you. I just want to make sure I have everything before I start taking her apart. I'd like to replace some worn and cracking bushings/rubber while I'm doing it. Thanks again!