Converting Disco rear to airbags

[walker]

I have decided to convert the rear of the Disco from coils to airbags.

I am not going to go down the standard LR SLS path, but just have manually operated airbags.

Has anyone does this before?

My thought is to start out with some D2 SLS airbag top and bottom mounts in place of the coil spring mounts. These should be compatible with the airbag bellows sold by the airbag man. Then I can get a set of airbags in the correct length.

Does anyone have a set of mounting plates from an SLS Disco they want to sell or get rid of. Maybe someone who has converted their vehicle to coils.
Even a set of P38 mounts may be ok.


thanks,
Adam

[OffTrack]

I have decided to convert the rear of the Disco from coils to airbags.

I am not going to go down the standard LR SLS path, but just have manually operated airbags.

Has anyone does this before?

My thought is to start out with some D2 SLS airbag top and bottom mounts in place of the coil spring mounts. These should be compatible with the airbag bellows sold by the airbag man. Then I can get a set of airbags in the correct length.

Does anyone have a set of mounting plates from an SLS Disco they want to sell or get rid of. Maybe someone who has converted their vehicle to coils.
Even a set of P38 mounts may be ok.


thanks,
Adam

My understanding is the coils use additional mounting plates, not the other way around. If you remove the bottom plate and top spring isolator the stock airbags clip into existing metal work.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=58771&stc=1&d=1365469201

cheers
Paul

[walker]

Thanks Paul. I hope you are correct but the Landrover mechanic I am dealing with seems to think you need to have SLS plates.

Can anyone else confirm this?

[clubagreenie]

There's no specific SLS system plates listed there or in the paper book.

[OffTrack]

Thanks Paul. I hope you are correct but the Landrover mechanic I am dealing with seems to think you need to have SLS plates.

Can anyone else confirm this?

He's wrong.

Have a look at Urban Panzers air bag replacement tutorial:

www.discovery2.co.uk / Rear Suspension Air Bags (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/Rear%20Air%20Springs.html)

You can see the bottom of the airbag engages with the welded bracket that the bottom coil plate bolts onto.

There are two holes in the top spring mount that the pins on the airbag engage with.

cheers
Paul

[walker]

Thankyou all.

Yes, i just had a closer look at Rave and you are both correct.

[walker]

Been thinking abouth over the bast 1/2 hour :D I was going to go with aftermarket air bellows custom for the 2" lift, but it might be a lot easier to use the Landrover style airbags and just fit the 2" spacer under the bag. I would then run the pipe work to a tank and manually activate each bag.

Only thing I am not sure about is whether the original bags were made to work in this way (ie pump up to a set point and leave) or whether the SLS system worked by venting the air when it was compressed a lot then pumping back up. I would not think it would do this but I recall someone telling me years ago that the SLS compressor was always working when driving, constantly adjusting the air in the bag.

[clubagreenie]

The original bags are an air spring rather than an airbag (like a load levelling/carrying device) and so may rely on some dynamic movement of gas in and out of the bag through the valve system. Running them at a static pressure may give a hard ride.

[walker]

I guess we will find out.

[twr7cx]

Why run them with manual inflation? It means that you don't have the self leveling part of the setup. Why not just fit poly bags to your coil spring setup?

[walker]

I have had poly bags before and they caused me nothing but trouble. They also restrict and get in the way of full articulation when off road, and end up getting pinched between the coils when deflated.

The manual setup is purely for simplicity. I think there would be a lot of work and money involved in installing a full factory SLS system. With switches in the dash to manually deflate or inflate the airbags I think it will give me exactly what I need.

[OffTrack]

I've calculated about $1200-1400 if you buy everything as OEM or genuine where there is no OEM part available. The wabco compressor unit accounts for $5-600 of that. Contitech bags $3-400 a pair. Hose harness, exhaust filter and height sensors make up the balance.

[twr7cx]

I've calculated about $1200-1400 if you buy everything as OEM or genuine where there is no OEM part available.

Not that expensive at all considering it would mean that you have a complete brand new system so are unlikely to have any air bag or compressor failures for a good 10 years...

[ozscott]

Offtrack you might have posted this up previously but can you post up your findings for part numbers and sources.

Cheers

[OffTrack]

I've attached a list of parts needed to do the bulk of the SLS system.

What is missing from the list is the wiring harness, and I think possibly a fusible link.

The pricing is taken from brit-car.co.uk, you'd have to add shipping obviously.

cheers
Paul

[slug_burner]

I am not familiar with the details of the logic used in the D2a SLS but I think that the changes in air volume occur slowly in order to ensure the control system does not go unstable and have the system venting and pumping endlessly. My system occasionally adjusts and only to accommodate an increased static (not dynamic) load. I therefore believe that the manual system will work fine.

[Nova]

Hi Walker,

I assume you have done the install by now, is it going well?

I am looking to do something similar but as yet undecided whether to convert to SLS or just use manual bags. I would be interested to find out how well it has worked for you.

Cheers,
Nova

[walker]

Hi Nova,
I installed them last weekend. So far they are great. Much nicer ride, just the right firmness. The suspension is articulating as it should. I only have airbags hooked up to shrader valves at the moment, just so I can use it this weekend. I just use my little compressor to pump them up. In the coming weeks I will hook the bags up to a dedicated compressor with a gauge and control buttons on the dash.

I have only used them on road so far, but am going away camping this weekend so that will be the real test.

But I would totally recommend it. I also like the idea of manual control and not using Landrover control gear.

On my last D2 I had SLS and while the airbags were fine, the compressor failed twice and valve block failed once.

[isuzurover]

On only just saw this thread. I have had manually controlled air springs on the rear of my 110 for almost 2 years now.

I only need to adjust them after large changes in load or large changes in ambient temperature.

I posted up a thread with pics back in 2010 if anyone wants to search.

[ozscott]

Did you have to get it engineering certified?

Cheers

[antond]

The factory air setup raises slightly while driving and lowers slightly when stopped. There is a further lower when to doors are opened. A bit fussy for my liking but there appears no SLABS control setting otherwise. On side slopes it also compensates for body roll and puts more air into the lower side airbag. There may also be some interaction whilst in low range at extremes of suspension travel, though not sure. The air lines are too small for dynamic changes while driving.

[MrFollies]

Walker, could you please give some more details on what you did and the costs involved? Did you use genuine bags and your own custom lines or did you find some after market bags?

Did you end up lifting it like you wanted to do?

[walker]

Yes, I used aftermarket genuine bags made by Dunlop. I then used my own compressor, lines and switches.
I bought the bags from Paddocks in the UK, but all the other gear I bought from Air ride in Melbourne. Air Ride Suspension Supplies - Air Ride Suspension Supplies - Air Suspensions Systems and Auto Electrical Products for Rods, Customs and Classics (http://www.airide.com.au)

I just went in and explained what I needed to do and they made up a custom kit for me with all the necessary parts including tank and compressor. The standard dash gauges require the airlines to be fitted to the gauge but this is very hard to do on the D2 dash. So I had air pressure senders fitted to the solenoid block which allowed me to fit a digital gauge to the dash. All the fittings supplied by air ride were top quality including proper wiring looms between the solenoid block and the dash mounted gauge and switches.

The bags cost me $240 delivered for a pair and all the other gear including tank and compressor totalled $900. If you could fit cheaper gauge instead of the digital gauge then you could take almost $400 off this price.
I mounted the compressor and solenoid block on the rear floor which is then covered and protected by the rear drawer system I custom made.
I also installed spacers from Les Richmond to give me a 50mm lift.

I have just returned from a 4 week trip to Cape York and it all performed faultlessly. Very happy with it.

Here are some pics

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1602.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1603.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1604.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1605.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1606.jpg

[MrFollies]

That looks really nice. It's great to know that it's fairly easy to do a conversion.

Did you end up doing a lift as well or did you just leave it standard?

[TD50WA]

Thinking of doing the full conversion to sls myself, though I'd like to be able to override the system to lower the back so I can get a roof top tent under my carport roof.....only an issue when this is fitted.
Would it be possible to fit some sort of override to allow this without sending the computer into a hissyfit?....I know it can be done mechanically, its the computer side that concerns me.

Cheers
Kev

[Slunnie]

Thinking of doing the full conversion to sls myself, though I'd like to be able to override the system to lower the back so I can get a roof top tent under my carport roof.....only an issue when this is fitted.
Would it be possible to fit some sort of override to allow this without sending the computer into a hissyfit?....I know it can be done mechanically, its the computer side that concerns me.

Cheers
Kev
Kev you can setup the rear totally independent of the factory SLS system. There are aftermarket manual and automatic controllers available.

[MrFollies]

Kev you can setup the rear totally independent of the factory SLS system. There are aftermarket manual and automatic controllers available.

I assume the aftermarket automatic controllers don't do any sort of SLS type stuff, just keep the bags at equal pressures?

[joel0407]

I assume the aftermarket automatic controllers don't do any sort of SLS type stuff, just keep the bags at equal pressures?

I've red about a few different systems, some keep height, some keep pressure, some are adjustable with remotes. All sorts of types.

I'm keeping the factory SLABS controlling mine.

Happy Days.

[walker]

Kev you can setup the rear totally independent of the factory SLS system. There are aftermarket manual and automatic controllers available.

Yes, that's right. My system is totally independent of computer system and I manually set the ride height. I did this because from previous experience I found it was faults in the slab or compressor that caused me the most problems so I have not used any landrover products except the bags. You can get a fully independent and controllable SLS system which would have been nice but it was another $800.

MrFollies, yes I did lift it.

[Slunnie]

This is one that I was looking at last night from Walkers link that does automatic height control with height options.

I thought it would be a great work around for the current ride height rules. Low on the road, high when playing.

[TD50WA]

I was actually asking if there was a way to keep the factory system working, but have a system in addition just to deflate the bags without causing havoc to the slabs ecu. Only need it to get under carport on occasions.
Quite happy with factory setup otherwise.
Cheers guys

[walker]

You can do that. You can buy a remote control from Landrover that will allow you to drop to bumpstops. The control is pretty cheap, but unless you have a nanocom you will need landrover to change settings on slab.

[TD50WA]

Can you reverse or drive forward with the car lowered with the fob?

[walker]

That I don't know.

[turps]

This is the kit I am going to use on my GU when I eventually get it - Automatic Digital Ride Height Controller (http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=131/category_id=71/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd131.htm)

Allows complete manual control or multiple height settings. So does what SLABS does. But can allow you to do what ever you like.

I just wish I could put airbags on the front aswell well as rear on my D2 without spending a fortune.

[walker]

Yes, I'm with you. I would love a kit to put airbags on the front. There is a kit for the Defender but not for the D2 yet. I will be working on it in the future. If I can relocate the shocks then it would be a simple process......maybe.

[turps]

Yes, I'm with you. I would love a kit to put airbags on the front. There is a kit for the Defender but not for the D2 yet. I will be working on it in the future. If I can relocate the shocks then it would be a simple process......maybe.

Does the defender run the shock up the center of the coil standard?

If you could get an airbag in the front. I would probably do some saving to get the Dakota kit to run it all as well.

[walker]

Yes it does. I am not sure how the Defender kit works, but the position of the shocks are moved.
Yes, if I could get all 4 airbags then I would go for the Accuair kit.

The guy at Air Ride was telling me that he has sold quite a few of these kits to Landrover mechanics who have used them to run the Range Rover airbags.