Does Air Valve Point Up or Down for Air Lift Air Bags on a 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser

Updated 02/27/2020 | Published 01/24/2017

Question:

When you install the airbags in the springs, are the the airlines routed through the top or bottom of the spring perch?

asked by: Jason B

Expert Reply:

I checked with Air Lift and for air bags # AL60728 they say the air valve should be at the bottoms of the air bags when installed on your 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser.

expert reply by: Michael H

Mike S.

2/26/2020

What determines whether the valve goes on top or bottom, considering that both positions are possible with a given application? Does it make any difference?

Chris R.

2/27/2020

With just about any Air Lift Coil Spring Air Bag Kit there's going to be a specific position that the valve should be in on the bag (top or bottom) and it's usually determined by the brackets and hardware that are used - there would be very few cases where it could be mounted in more than one direction. You would just want to follow the installation sheet that came with your kit for the proper orientation.

Mikes

2/27/2020

The instructions are pretty much universal. The bags come with generic instructions - A, B, and C installation examples. Ive got a 1995 Oldsmobile 98 which is the same frame/body as a Buick Park Avenue. The bottom spring support has an opening which gives access to the bag valve so Im proceding with installing the bags with the valve pointing down . . . however I could just as easily install them with the valve and protective disc on the top - thus my question about which would be preferred. The odd thing is Ive had these bags on my two previous cars, another 98 and a Cadillac Sedan deVille but cant remember which way I did it with them. What I can say for sure is that these bags are excellent for their purpose. Seems like it would be easy enough for the company to create a database of applications for all the different cars. After all these years it would have not been a hard thing to do.

Chris R.

2/27/2020

Thanks for the additional info! I did reach out to my contact at Air Lift to try and get a more specific response regarding the air valve but he really just said that its orientation is dependent on the brackets and install process. Typically for vehicle-specific install notes there will be bit of text or just a picture pointing out where the valve should be. Now for applications like yours where it could technically be mounted either way, there's really not a determining factor for which would be better.