Arnott Generation 3 Air Springs

[Megalodon]

Has anyone tried these on their P38? A company by the name of Hard Range Austrailia sells a complete 2" lift kit with the Arnott Gen. 3 Air Springs and raised bump stops. I want put 265/65/R18s on my truck, but don't want the body of the vehicle to settle on the tires if the EAS system ever went out. Raised bump stops would prevent this nightmare.

Has anyone tried raising thier bump stops?

 

[skippy3k]

If you are dead set on keeping your EAS, then the GEN III's are the ticket. Excellent design and excellent quality. The company, at least years ago, had great customer service.

As for increasing your bumpstops for fear of EAS failing, you should just ask yourself...is the fear worth all the benefits? The benefits being...the ability to raise and lower your vehicle? I'm not trying to start another EAS flamewar (though it has been awhile!), but I also had an EAS equipped P38. One day I sat down and thought about all of the precautions I was taking in the event of my EAS failing. Spare airbags (front AND rear), valve kit, compressor, EAS reset utility, bumpstops, etc etc. Every time I set out on a trip, I worried about the EAS. For what? So I could raise or lower my truck or have it auto-level when loaded? Those things seemed like a luxury, not a necessity. A true "necessity" is to get to my destination. I also require enjoying the trip rather than stressing.

So I ditched the EAS and all the stress and worry and weight on my shoulders. My trips have never been better.

 

[NikeCheck246]

To answer the two questions you posed, the Arnott Gen IIIs are the best bags money can buy. They are engineered opposite to the factory setup, providing a stiffer ride on the highway and a softer ride offroad, whereas the factory springs are soft on the road and hard off.

The bumpstops would probably be a benefit. I have never run them, but they couldn't hurt.

 

[Megalodon]

So yesterday, with the help of an awesome friend, I put the Gen 3s and Bilstein shocks on the front. What an incredible difference! Now when I am in high mode the ride is cushie and soft. I have made my high mode even higher than factory with the use of the EAS Unlock Suite. Later this week we are going to swap out the rears. My tires just so happened to be worn out, so I am switching those out for 265/60/R18s. I am hoping the deflated spare can be squeezed into where the 255/55/R18 spare once was. Has anyone been able to do this?

 

[gl4x4]

The stock sized tire barely fits. I doubt anything bigger is going to work

 

[gl4x4]

If you have a Mercedes with air suspension or a new RE keep the air suspension.

I love my coil springs.

 

[1MITCH1]

I am hoping the deflated spare can be squeezed into where the 255/55/R18 spare once was. Has anyone been able to do this?

You need a hammer

 

[Megalodon]

So now that I put the Gen IIIs on, by how much can I recalibrate my ride height in high mode? Does anyone have any numbers on this? Does anyone know what would happen if I put in a height that is too high? Does it just max out, or does it keep trying to fill the bags until the explode?

 

[Megalodon]

Gen 3s are terrible on the trail. The right rear bag blew twice and then I had to throw in the towel on my trip and drive home with my tail between my legs. I was the only Range Rover on the trip with three other Toyota Land Crusiers and ended up having to limp home after the first day.

 

[Megalodon]

Any thoughts on what would keep causing the right rear bag to blow? The top is coming disconnected from the rest of the bag. One theory is that as the truck is put into high mode the linkage arm slightly pulls the axel to the left side, which is likely pulling on the top of the bag since the body of the truck is not moving to the left side. Am I screwed with the air bags? Could I lengthen the linkage arm? Should I go back to stock bags where I never had a problem, or should I just give up completely and go to coils?

 

[Megalodon]

Skippy3K, what type of coils did you switch to? Did you go for a 2" lift or higher? How has driving on the highway been since after the switch? What is your clearance like?

 

[Megalodon]

The Bilstein shocks I put on the front and rear may have too much travel in the rear, causing the rear suspension bags to bottom out before the shocks do. I am going to put the factory rear shocks back on and a new rear axle housing. I am also not going to allow any further travel in the rear than what factory had programmed. The front I will allow to ride higher since I haven't had a problem with those bags and would like the front to sit just as high as the rear. Any thoughts on this? This is going to be my last stand before giving up and going to coils.

 

[Megalodon]

If anyone has blown any air bags before, which ones did you blow? Was it the rear right bag like me? Were they factory bags or Arnott? Had you programmed the EAS to ride higher than the factory high mode? What was the situation? Were you driving up something crazy and bouncing all over the place or were you just rolling down a well paved street? How old were your bags when one of them blew? I appreciate all of your feedback.

 

[p m]

So yesterday, with the help of an awesome friend, I put the Gen 3s and Bilstein shocks on the front. What an incredible difference! Now when I am in high mode the ride is cushie and soft. I have made my high mode even higher than factory with the use of the EAS Unlock Suite.

This was really asking for it.
One fellow I know drove his 95 P38A all over the place with air suspension until its timely death, but he had spacers under the airbags.

 

[pdxrovermech]

too much wheel travel is what is pulling the bag apart. you should go with shorter shocks. or just switch over to the always dependable coils.

 

[Megalodon]

To be fair to the Arnott Gen 3s, the likely cause of the bags getting pulled apart is due to the saddle (the pedestal that the bottom of the bag sits on) was deformed from the pounding that occured during a bad recovery technique, causing the bottom of the bag to no longer sit flat. Instead it was sitting at an angle. When the wheel was extended, there would be more pull on the opposite side at the top of the bag since the bottom of the bag wasn't sitting flat. I am now having this heated up and bent back into shape, then reinforced to prevent the deformation from occuring again. I have also calibrated the rear ride height to be back in-line with the factory high mode. My mechanic checked the length of the shocks against the length of the bags and the shocks should bottom out before the bags.

 

[crown14]

The arnotts only give you 1 inch over stock, you probably set the high mode too high. Get some limit straps.

 

[Megalodon]

I have reset the rear high mode to be the same as the original factory high mode. I have brought the front high mode up a little above factory to allow the truck to ride roughly at the same hight in the front as in the rear. Has anyone ever installled limit straps in the back before on a P38? My mechanic says they arn't needed since the travel of the shock is less than the length of the bag.

 

[996TURBO]

Did you inform Arnott of that problem? I bet they replaced it on warrantyatriot: