10 with AHC...

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

Hi folks,

Thanks for all the interesting and inspiring write ups ...I've had to quit my job in order to read it all

Well, since I bought The Grey Eminence in 2001 with only 7km on the clock I cannot blame others for lack of maintenance or abuse related failures
After reading about all the trouble with AHC I must say I have been rather lucky. Sometimes we are fighting a bit...when I want to haul 4-4500 kg on the hook or something like that. I am still after 333.334 km on the clock riding on the original sensors (knock knock)

Last year the car failed on me though (notice the clear projection of responsability towards the vehicle!). I was about 500 km away from home a late friday -and TGE decided to enter "restonthetires" mode which is not recommended for driving!! Crawling underneath the lowrider car I found the linkage between LH AHC sensor and suspension were broken in 2 pieces. Appearantly broken from siezed joints on the linkage (lesson: Remove them and check their condition!). I removed the pieces and tried loosen the joints -and...broke the alu-housing ....

I collected the pieces and next morning I searched the area for a mechanic working on saturday!...hmm ...I found a guy and "tried" to explain to him what all these crumples were....and ended up with "can you please weld it all together in this position?"...he did his best and I returned to the car -and kneeling, praying and promising all kinds of things towards the dark heavy clouds above I put the car together again, started the engine........waited.....waited.........-and suddenly it started raising...all the way back to normal ..what a relief

Monday I went to Toyota, met the allwayshappywhenheseesme sparepart salesman ...."can I please have a quote on the front linkage to the AHC". The smiling man searching for the part...smiling more and more until his lips met at the back of his head, replied: "We can have them tomorrow. Do you want both sides while you are at it?...they are 1280 KR each" (122 GBP)!!!...
Next thing I remember the guys were waving the new Lancruiser 200 catalog in front of me, trying to snap me out of that instant coma their inhuman price policy had inflicted on me. Appearantly the staff is given paramedic education as a direct result of customer casualties at the spare parts department
They kindly guided me to the car...still suffering from mutism, I entered, stuck in the key and started my trusted friend. Lacking the idea of what to do next I whispered in a very low voice "home...please".... So thats why my nav system has this microphone feature! The route back home pop up automatically and saves me. I returned safely home from the 2 mile trip og thought to myself...well, its driving okay now, so why fix it??
TGE did not agree with this decision and tried 5-6 times the following 6 months to dismantle the linkage itself...but before it was completely detached from the car it went into the well known restonthetires mode -and I knew I had to fix it again

Then a friend of mine called and bragged about his new OME suspension (he had changed various sensors 5 or 6 times!) ...I promtly asked him about the "old useless sensor/linkage junk" he had removed. "Ehm, I think it in a plastic bag at the mechanics with the old junk springs and struts. If you can use it its yours" ....so I raced to his town and picked up the "junkbag" which was to me a "Guccibag" containing parts worth more 1000 GBP to me...

I know photo evidence is essential, so here it is......

This is how the linkage looked before I removed it after 6 months of (ab)use

This is the "restored" linkage from the "Guccibag" alongside the old linkage...

The new linkage fitted and working well.....


I also checked -and cleaned the sensors as recommended by uHu (thanks!), and later changed the hydralic fluid, encouraged by the description by another member (can't remember his name, sorry!). Its quite a nice feeling to overhaul the system and get to know it better. Not being a trained mechanic I find all these threads you are all writing emmensely important -in getting to know my car even better. When my lady enters the Landcruiser Quarters after a repair...looks at me and says: "you are so good at this my love" ... I just smile and think of you guys in this forum....not only are you skilled, you also manage to bring out your knowledge to others...

In return I will try my best to arrange for you all to have a cold cold christmas with extreme snow conditions to play in...

Greetings..

Lars

 

[TonyP]

Lars, that writeup had me

smiling more and more until his lips met at the back of his head

Pity my Mrs does not say the same

"you are so good at this my love"

Thanks for the writeup and the pics, good to be able to repair "stuff" on you own!

 

[Steve-O]

The things we do...the lengths of creativity and invention we'll try in order to get the blasted AHC to work....Oooh I've even tried to make a linkage up out of plastic before my AHC eventually died in a very expensive way

 

[Crispin]

Would they "new" linkages not benefit now from a wrapping of this: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12616&p=99349&hilit=grease+tape#p99349

Would be nice when the day comes where we can all print our own parts...

 

[Crushers]

felt like i was standing right next to you watching it all happen ...
nice writing

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

Would they "new" linkages not benefit now from a wrapping of this: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12616&p=99349&hilit=grease+tape#p99349quote]

Never heard of it...but could be interesting. Especially here in Denmark because of the vast use of road salt during winter!

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

-and thanks for the other replies...might consider revealing some rather embarrassing stories too

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

I have decided to continue with AHC. I have been looking at all kinds of conversions, some taller than others -and ended up thinking that I have been so happy with my AHC for 11 years and 338.000 KM, so why not stay with it?

I have had little problems (top of thread!) throughout the years and 99 % of the time I have smooth asphalt under my rubber -and hauling heavy loads is also fine if weight is levelled (otherwise very bitchy!)

Getting to know the AHC system (changing fluid, servicing sensors and reading a lot ) makes me want to fight the decision of just giving up (due to monster prices and bad service from Mr.T). Toyota really made terrific system and we should be proud to own a piece of that technology !

-anyway, I just ordered 4 new spheres (from Mr. Rubie!) -so I have to state this opinion .....I want to get the same feeling as when I left the dealer in my new "ship" ..I literally felt like floating ( and I came from an 80!)

-with all these 100 owners getting rid of their AHC, there must be plentyful of used parts for those of us who decide to keep the ship going?

Greetings

 

[uHu]

Didn't read this thread until now, and yes, a very well written piece of eloquence.

And

I agree

Bl00dy Salt

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

Thanks Frode,

Did you ever get your new (-or refurbished) spheres?

 

[uHu]

Did you ever get your new (-or refurbished) spheres?

???

No, mine are still ok. Kind of. Just.

Preparing for the day they have zero lift left.
I have an additional set though, which are also just ok. Considering getting those refurbished in advance, with a refill valve.
Sounds good?

Btw, I helped a friend with the same problem as your linkage, only at the rear, a couple of weeks ago. Fixed in the same way as well - found a gucci-bag in the garage. Small difference: His linkage actually moved up and down in the adjustment slot!! while the ball-joints were frozen.


bl00dy salt

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

I just remembered you asking if it was possible to ship your spheres to UK and let the Pleiades fix them and I wondered if you succeded

I would say the same...that mine are ok, but I suspect its a matter of slow change over the years. I remember when it was fairly new and I was driving everyday to work, passing a straight asphalt road where 2 km where just gravel road...with speeds of 80 km/h (50 M/h) you hardly noticed the gravel ....I was always amazed by this (everyday ??? )

I am not sure it is quite the same now, though I might be mistaken...we will see in march

..so Guccibag is now a new term?? was the problem of your friend not missing spacers then?

 

[uHu]

Spacers? Coil spring spacers?

You can check the globes by counting the graduations on the ahc fluid reservoir. The Lo-to-Hi capacity will change from over 14 when new, to 7 when flat. If you are on 8, you now what is around the next curve of the calendar.

 

[Paul]

Wow, i have a guccibag then, complete system removed (well almost) and was working too

 

[uHu]

How much is a Gucci in your shop then?

 

[Paul]

Been asked that a few times, it was promised to someone else but that may not happen now and a few bits still on the truck so i will have a think.

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

Spacers? Coil spring spacers?

You can check the globes by counting the graduations on the ahc fluid reservoir. The Lo-to-Hi capacity will change from over 14 when new, to 7 when flat. If you are on 8, you now what is around the next curve of the calendar.

Ehm...spacer..hmmm (sorry you did not recognize what I was thinking )...well, that little metal plate that helps tighten the link to adjustment slot (besides bolt and not!) It looks kind of special (-and easy to loose!) -so I thought it was important

I just checked the fluid resorvoir -and from High to Low I get 8 "stripes", so I guess it really is time for new spheres? That was a good and easy test to do, thank you

 

[uHu]

The number of grad's also depends on your neutral pressure, i.e to which degree the steel springs do their job. And the lift height, and cargo/drawers/bull-bar/winch/etc. Check'd?

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

The number of grad's also depends on your neutral pressure, i.e to which degree the steel springs do their job. And the lift height, and cargo/drawers/bull-bar/winch/etc. Check'd?

...more things to consider ...just dandy

well, I am not capable of measuring the neutral pressure -and without that I dont see how I can determine whether the springs are ok or not?

I am heavy at front (bar + winch) but light in the back at the moment ...the car being only a 2-seater

What do you think about the readings? All AHC components are original from 2001 with 338TKM on them!

 

[uHu]

Pretty sure your pressure is too high at the rear. New coils would fix that.
Up front, well, you have cranked the torsion bars, but hard to tell. One test you kan do is to but it in Low, then let the rest of the pressure out of the front bleeders to see how low it goes. From what I've seen, the front should go down to the bump stops, but only just. So you could crank the TBs until it is just over the stops, and then lower a bit again. If you are comfortable with doing the Active Test, you could just manually lower the front to the bottom instead of using the bleeders. Active Test works only up to m.y. 2003, or thereabouts.

At the rear, it should stop at about one small inch over the bump stops with zero hydraulic pressure. (Then, if it sits at, say, 1 cm instead, you could just lower the rear height to 1,5 cm under spec to compensate, and get the pressure right)

If your pressures are high, then new/adjusted springs could give you a bit longer life for the globes, and increase the fluid difference with a grad' or two, and thereby give a smoother ride, maybe.

All this is very non-scientific, - a distillation of observations on the garage floor, but confirmed by actually checking the pressures over several years.