AirLift Air Spring Installation



After about 2 years with the 2" lift installed, I found that the rear springs seemed to "soften." Although the ride height seemed to be all right, this was only true when the Pathfinder was unloaded. Any time I carried passengers in the rear seat or when I towed, I found that the rear sagged. Over larger road bumps, the rear suspension would occasionally bottom out.

To remedy this problem, I decided to add some Air Lift air springs, which supplement the existing coil springs when the vehicle is loaded and improve handling by reducing side-to-side sway.

After some research, I selected the Outback Special which is a full-featured kit that contains the air springs and an on-board air compressor that allows quick, in-cab adjustment of the air spring pressure.

I purchased my kit #65742 from www.carparts.com for a total of $177. I selected this online vendor because of the $30 rebate for new customers. The kit retails for about $187.

The spring kit was relatively easy to install. The most difficult part was routing the air line and wires from the remote gauge to the compressor, and finding a suitable location for the compressor. The entire installation took me about 6 hours to do, but I spent an hour trying to figure out how to mount everything.

First, remove the air springs and associated hardware from their packaging. Shown below are the springs (red), plastic spacers, air hose, and a plastic bag containing the t-fittings and air valve. This is the basic kit, without the compressor. With this kit only, it is possible to manually inflate the springs at a service station.

Next, prepare the vehicle for the installation. Jack up the rear of the vehicle, place the frame on jack stands, and remove the wheels.
Here you can see that the jack is under the rear axle, and the jack stands are beneath the frame where the lower suspension link attaches.

Next, remove the lower shock bolts and swing the shocks out of the way. (Make sure the jack is still supporting the axle at this point.) Removing the lower shock bolts will allow you to drop the axle enough to remove the coil springs.
Note: it may also be necessary to unbolt the sway bar brackets on the axle to allow more droop. Lower the jack and allow the axle to droop. You may need to disconnect the differential breather hose from its bracket on the body to keep it from stretching. Also keep an eye on the brake line (which extends from the top of the differential).

The spring on the left will be removable first (it may even fall out), since the panhard rod attaches to the right side of the axle, limiting its travel. To remove the right spring, place the jack under the left shock mount, then jack up the left side of the axle until the right spring is easily removable.

With the springs removed, follow the AirLift installation instructions. Remove the factory bumpstop with a 12mm socket.

While it's possible to install the springs so as to independently control their pressure, the use of the air compressor kit requires both springs to be interconnected so they have the same pressure.

You'll need to drill out the hole in the lower spring perches to 3/4" and remove any sharp edges. Continue the installation by cutting 2 lengths of air hose so they can reach the center differential with a few inches of slack. Insert the hoses onto the air springs, clamp them on, then insert the air springs into the removed coil springs. Install the coil springs into the spring perches, fit the plastic spacers onto the lower spring perches, then feed the air hoses through the holes in the lower spring perches.

After the coil springs are installed, jack up the axle and bolt everything back together. Route the air hoses to the center of the diff, connect a T-fitting, then route another length of hose to the frame where the air valve will be located. I found this location to be easy to access.

After everything is attached, inflate the air springs to at least 5 psi to verify that there are no leaks. I used a portable 12-volt air compressor to inflate the springs.

Installation of the compressor and gauge is more of a challenge, due to the unavailability of suitable mounting locations for the gauge on the dashboard. I ultimately found a great place for the gauge in the glovebox.

To do this, I removed the glovebox, drilled a 1/2" hole in the back of it and the dash assembly behind the glovebox, and routed the air line and wires to the gauge. I used the provided screws and some double-sided tape to attach the gauge to the glovebox. The air line and wires are routed along a plastic channel located beneath the carpet at the door jambs and back to the rear of the cargo area behind the plastic panel.

The compressor is mounted - actually it's kind of stuffed inside the body cavity above the right wheel well. I used packaging foam to wedge in the compressor. The air hose is routed from the compressor to the air springs through a hole in the bottom of the right rear corner of the body, then along the inside of the rear bumper. It's important to keep the air hose away from the exhaust pipe.

The AirLift installation instructions indicate very clearly how to connect everything.

So far, the air springs work perfectly, although they make a little bit of "squeaking" noise as they rub against the coil springs. I've found that increasing the pressure can actually lift the rear of the vehicle, useful, especially if the springs have started to sag.

 Back to the Main Page