Thread: Converting Disco rear to airbags

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?

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

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

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?

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

Originally Posted by 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

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

Originally Posted by Slunnie

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?

Originally Posted by MrFollies

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.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

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.