Airbag Man
Heavy Duty Airbag Kit
LandCruiser 200
Step-by-Step installation
- A quality trolley jack
(Min 1800kg rating, Min 450mm lift)
- A pair of chassis stands
(Min 1800kg rating)
- A reciprocating saw or hacksaw
- A drill with a ~35mm holesaw
- Flat and phillips screwdrivers
- A 5mm allen key (for KDSS vehicles)
- Assorted spanners and sockets
- A torque wrench
- An airline cutting tool or sharp knife (for cutting air lines)
- Silicone sealant
- Thread locking fluid (eg Loctite 243
or 263
)
Airbagman Installation
Click to Enlarge
Step 1 - Prepare the vehicle:
- If your 200 has KDSS, then release the two shutter valves 3 turns.
- Raise the vehicle so the rear wheels are off the ground, and support it on chassis stands. Leave the jack under the diff centre, so you can raise and lower the axle as required during the installation.
- Remove both rear wheels, and place them under the chassis for extra safety when you're working under the vehicle.
- With the jack taking the weight of the axle, remove the bottom mounting of both rear shocks, and the sway bar brackets on each side.
- Remove the diff breather hose and remove the bolt holding the brake line bracket to the axle, just above the differential. This will allow the axle to drop without straining the breather/brake lines.
- Lower the axle on the jack until the springs are loose.
- Remove the springs from each side, complete with the internal bump stops.
NEVER work under a vehicle that is supported by a jack (or jacks) alone.
Click to Enlarge
Step 2 - Prepare the components:
- Place the bumpstops in a vice, and cut four segments off each one, so only the top segment remains. Ensure the cut surface is smooth and free from sharp edges.
- Drill out the hole in the centre of the bumpstops to approximately 35mm in size. A quality holesaw is typically the best tool for the job. Ensure the enlarged hole is smooth and burr-free.
- Fit one of the the elasticised ends of the high pressure sleeves over the airbag, and position it so the tapered ends sit neatly and evenly over the upper and lower shoulders of the airbag as shown. Repeat for the second airbag.
- Install the airbag into the coil spring, with the air inlet valve at the top.
- Remove the rear sill/scuff trim by levering out the small round screw cover, and removing the retailing bolt. The trim then unclips by pulling upwards. Then cut an 'X' into the rubber grommet as shown.
- Remove the driver's plastic kick panel. It's removed by unscrewing the plastic nut near the accelerator pedal, then pulling towards the centre of the vehicle to release the plastic clips.
- Remove the driver's sill/scuff trim. It unclips by lifting upwards.
- Remove the B pillar lower trim. It unclips by pulling towards the centre of the vehicle.
- Enlarge two of the blank factory switch plates to accept the paddle switches. You can do this (carefully) with a sharp knife.
Step 3 - Running the airlines:
Where and how you run the airlines will totally depend on what sort of inflation system you'll be using (e.g. air control kit, or basic tyre inflation valves). This guide will assume you're installing the same setup as me.
- Remove the protective split tubing from the airline that came with the airbag kit, and refit it to the two longer black airlines that came with the air control kit.
- Place a band of electrical tape onto each end of one of the airlines, and use that one for the RIGHT side of the vehicle. This will help avoid confusion during later connections.
- Start running each airline with the protected end i.e. the end with the split tubing) at the top spring seat. I suggest leaving around 300mm of slack hanging down from each spring seat.
- Run the left side airline across the crossmember to meet the other airline, then run both airlines forward along the right side chassis rail. Ensure the lines are regularly secured with cable ties, and they are kept away from sharp edges and hot objects (e.g. the exhaust).
- Run the airlines from the chassis rail, up through the grommet, then along the sill into the driver's footwell. You can secure the airlines in the factory clips, and seal the hole in the grommet with some silicone.
Step 4 - Run the airline from the compressor:
- Using some tape, attach the red supply line that came with the air control kit to a rigid piece of wire. You can then push the rigid wire through the factory wiring grommet into the engine bay. The grommet is located behind the dash above the accelerator pedal.
- Pull the air line through to your compressor connection/manifold, which in my case is located on the passenger side firewall.
- Connect the airline to the compressor/manifold using the supplied fitting(s), and then secure the airline away from sharp/hot objects using cable ties.
Step 5 - Guage/Pod and electrical connections:
- Extend the three wires on the gauge so they will be long enough to reach from the gauge location (in the pillar pod) to the required connection points. The three wires connect to:
- Red: Connect to Accessory/Ignition power (I will be connecting this wire to my existing air compressor dash switch).
- Purple: Connect to dash illumination power. This wire dims the gauge when the headlights are switched on. I'll be connecting it to an existing dash switch.
- Black: Connect to a good chassis/body earth point.
- Remove the grab handle on the driver's side 'A' pillar, by levering out the screw covers, removing the screws, then unclipping the handle.
- Remove the plastic 'A' pillar trim piece by lifting out of position. Use extreme caution not to damage or interfere with the side curtain airbag or wiring.
- Insert the Airbag Man digital gauge into the pillar pod and secure with the supplied bracket and screws, ensuring it's mounted with the correct orientation.
- Connect the two supplied pressure sensor wires to the back of the gauge.
- Run all the wiring from the pod down between the A pillar and the dash.
- Install the new pillar trim into place by first pushing the lower edge into position, then aligning the trim to the mounting holes for the grab handle. Refit the grab handle using the original bolts and trim covers. Again, use extreme caution not to damage or interfere with the side curtain airbag or wiring.
Step 6 - Connecting and testing the airlines:
- Always cut the airlines with a dedicated airline cutting tool or a sharp knife. Do not use pliers/scissors etc, or the connections are likely to leak.
- Trim the airlines for each airbag, ensuring there is sufficient slack to allow for full suspension travel. You can then connect the airlines to the airbags, running them through the cut-down bumpstops, with the taper in the centre hole sitting against the airbag. Don't replace the spring/airbag assemblies into the vehicle yet.
- Pre-cut some small pieces of airline to begin connecting the paddle switches.
- Using the red supply line, connect the inlet valves of each paddle switch together, using one of the supplied junctions (Y piece) as shown in the photo.
- Make the connections to the outlets of the paddle switches as shown. It looks complicated, but is quite simple. Connect a black airline segment to each paddle switch, then to a junction. Connect a pressure sensor to one side of each junction (the other side will connect to an airbag).
- Thread the red supply airline and the two black airlines (running to the airbags), plus the pressure sensor wires out through the hole in the dash where the paddle switches are to be mounted, and connect all the airlines and pressure wires as shown in the photo. Leave the paddle switches hanging out of the dash hole.
- Turn on the compressor, and pressurise the airbags to their maximum 60psi.
- Spray all the airline connections with a soapy water solution to check for air leaks. If any leaks are present, remove the airline from the connection, re-cut it, re-attach and check again for leaks.
- As carefully and neatly as possible, feed the airlines and wiring back through the hole into the dash until the paddle switches sit properly in the dash. You should then tidy and secure the airlines behind the dash with cable ties, ensuring there are no kinks in the lines.
Step 7 - Install the paddle switches, restore trim panels:
- As carefully and neatly as possible, feed the airlines and wiring back through the hole into the dash until the paddle switches sit properly in the dash. You should then tidy and secure the airlines behind the dash with cable ties, ensuring there are no kinks in the lines.
- Refit the B pillar trim panel by pushing it back into place (it's secured by plastic clips) into the B pillar.
- Refit the driver's kick panel, by clicking it into place and refitting the plastic hand-nut.
- Refit the front sill/scuff trim by clipping it back into place.
- Refit the rear sill/scuff trim panel by clipping it into place, then replacing the retaining screw, then replacing the round screw cover.
- You can find the new factory-fit dash switches on eBay here (fog) and here (driving).
- If you don't have sufficient free space in your switch panel, complete aftermarket panels are available with additional slots.
Step 8 - Refit the coil/airbags into the vehicle:
- With the airbag about half way into the coil spring, slide the black support collar down the airline so it sits on top of the airbag.
- Install the cut-down bumpstop into the top of the coil spring.
- Reposition the top of the coil spring into position, taking care to feed the airline up through the chassis spring support as you do so. Ensure there is sufficient excess airline to allow full suspension movement.
- With the top of the airbag in place, position the bottom of the coil spring on the axle housing. You may have to rotate the spring to align it correctly.
- Lift the axle using the jack, and reattach the lower shock mounts, the sway bar connectors, the diff breather hose and the brake line mounting bracket.
- Re-Check the position of the airbag and sleeve, and manipulate them if required.
- Refit the wheels and lower the vehicle back to the ground.
- Re-tighten the KDSS shutter valves if applicable.
Step 9 - Finishing:
- Place the provided wallet in the glovebox with the owners manual, for future reference.
- Affix the supplied warning sticker to the dashboard.