Air ride sensor mod made easy!

[Bully13]

Bullies in the Garage Present:
Air ride sensor modification made easy!

So your thinking of buying 37's for your H2 but you are worried about breaking your control arm air ride sensor. Well, the Bullies are here to show you how to make it easy and affordable.

Cost of this project: 75 cents
Tools needed:
Drill,
5/16 drill bit,
Wire Cutters,
Cresent Wrench,
Monkey Wrench,
(and my personal fav...)
Henckels Brand Steak Knife

[Bully13]

The first thing you need to do is purchase two Carrage Bolts 5/16 x 1 1/4
as well as two locking nuts.

[Bully13]

The next thing to do is to cut off the end of that pin on the control arm using a steak knife or anything else you can use to make a clean cut. (The steak knife was fast and easy. Wire cutters were a bitch)

[Bully13]

Now it should look like this...

[Bully13]

Now pull the arm apart like this...

[Bully13]

Next, cut off the remaining piece of the pin using wire cutters.

[Bully13]

Now it should look like this. Your bolt will be too big for this hole, so get your drill ready...

[Bully13]

Carefully drill the hole to make way for the bolt. This make take a couple of tries as the rubber likes to stick to the bit.

[Bully13]

Now that your hole is drilled, (haha) next put the Carriage bolt through the hole you drilled as seen below. We used this bolt because of the smooth broad surface to further reduce the chance of the tire catching it during rigorous off-road conditions.

[Bully13]

Next run the bolt through the vertical arm as well. It should look like the picture below.

[Bully13]

Using the a crescent wrench attach and tighten the locking nut to the bolt. We used a small monkey wrench to hold the bolt in place during tightening.

[Bully13]

Almost done... It should look like this...
Make sure to repeat steps for the other side.

[Bully13]

Test your air ride to ensure proper operation.

[Bully13]

If you mess up or break the arm, your pretty much screwed so good luck! :excited:

Work was performed by H2 Bully and assisted by myself. Pictures were taken by me.

[Bully13]

Don't forget to De-Bling!

[drmiles]

Great write up,

Note you will only have trouble with the air sensor, if you put wider than 12.5 on stock rims. i.e. 37 x 13.5 x 17 Toyo MT's

Second if you do break the sensor you can manually move each arm into the same position and the air bags will refill. So you can get home on a broken sensor connector rod.

Glad to see everyone going with the bigger tires.

:perfect10s:

[hummer74]

:perfect10s: yes, very good write up. much better than my ghetto ms paint job. i do need to flip my panhead and bolt like you did, after speaking with doc miles.
so when are you getting the tires? and dont forget to post pics of the tires on your rig!

[H2 BULLY]

:perfect10s: yes, very good write up. much better than my ghetto ms paint job. i do need to flip my panhead and bolt like you did, after speaking with doc miles.
so when are you getting the tires? and dont forget to post pics of the tires on your rig!


Thanks, I hope to get the tires in a couple weeks:dancingbanana:

[Bully13]

Thanks, I hope to get the tires in a couple weeks:dancingbanana:
riiiiiiightttttt.....

[hummer74]

Nice fix, but why not also replace the plastic arm while you are at it. The two broken sensors I've seen, were both broken arms.

because it's harder to do, and, the arms broke because they didn't have this fix. this fix will help prevent the arm from breaking.

[obzidian]

well, wasn't it that when off-roading, the tire would compress in he wheel well, hit the outer edge of the arm, puting leverage on the linkage and snapping it between the two anchor points, thus, in the middle?

well, thats my guess? :)

[Easy Ed]

Screw air suspension :giggling: :dancingbanana: ;) Just messing with ya after what I went through with mine.

[hummer74]

well, wasn't it that when off-roading, the tire would compress in he wheel well, hit the outer edge of the arm, puting leverage on the linkage and snapping it between the two anchor points, thus, in the middle?

well, thats my guess? :)

yeah kind of, when articulating at all, the tire would move up and hit the rubber end of the rod. this fix flips the arm to the other side of the arm and replaces the plastic pin with a bolt. flipping the arm gets it out of the way so the tire wont hit the bolt anymore.

[Bully13]

More instructions by the bullies here:

http://www.elcovaforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19080

[JDLarue]

Just to be a smart ass I need to point out one tiny little inaccuracy...those are channel lock pliers...not a monkey wrench. Sorry man.:)

[Bully13]

Just to be a smart ass I need to point out one tiny little inaccuracy...those are channel lock pliers...not a monkey wrench. Sorry man.:)
Oh thank God. I thought channel lock was that privacy setting on my cable box

[HummBebe]

Just to be a smart ass I need to point out one tiny little inaccuracy...those are channel lock pliers...not a monkey wrench. Sorry man.:)

OMFG!!!!


That is a crescent wrench and a vice grip.....:OWNED:

[HummBebe]

http://laudeman.com/bugimages/tool07.jpg

These are channel lock pliers.....:OWNED:

[HummBebe]

PS....CHICKS THAT WRENCH KICK ASS!!!!!

Great job H2bully :D

[Bully13]

PS....CHICKS THAT WRENCH KICK ASS!!!!!:beerchug:

[JDLarue]

:lame:

Thanks Hummbebe, your absolutely right. Vice grips! That's the name I was looking for yeah, yeah, that's it. My bad!:perfect10s:

[rusty]

has anyone run 37x13.5s after doing this mod or similar and not had probs w/ the air sensor?

[Bully13]

has anyone run 37x13.5s after doing this mod or similar and not had probs w/ the air sensor?
Got the tires a few days ago. So far there is a little bit of rubbing at full crank. It's not bad. H2 Bully will pics soon. We gottem... Now we just have to go wheeling with them.

[Dug]

I think you could heat the arm with a torch and bend the arm over a 1/2" . Thus not needing to break out your monkey wrench. And leaving time enough in your schedule for a Bud pounder.

[drmiles]

Yes Rusty, I have been off road and flexing mine to the max. I broke the drivers connector rod x 2 then broke both on a different trip in one ditch. That is why I first did the mod. It always broke the plastic pin that held the connector to the switch arm (sold as an assembly only).

Since the Mod. I have broken 2 rear axles and 1 transmission, but the air sensor remains intact.

Also the rubbing on the front stabilizer bar will end if you put on the Fabtech tie rod, pitman and idler arm kit.


has anyone run 37x13.5s after doing this mod or similar and not had probs w/ the air sensor?

[drmiles]

Broke the first sensor connector arm in the pic above. :crying:

[drmiles]

This would work but would shorten the rod (really increase the distance between the two connections) Thus pulling down on the sensor arm and causing the truck to sit lower in the rear!
:twak:

I think you could heat the arm with a torch and bend the arm over a 1/2" . Thus not needing to break out your monkey wrench. And leaving time enough in your schedule for a Bud pounder.

[drmiles]

I guess you could bend the arm in and up which would cause the computer to raise the rear.

Wow rear air, lift kit, one propane torch and a little bending

:beerchug:

[rusty]

well thanks for the response dr, i guess it will take a couple of months for me to wear down my 12.50s and try it, but im excited already

[Boston Hummer]

Dose anyone know if you can bypass the airbags and install coil springs?

[Boston Hummer]

So all ya need is the 2 springs and the 4 isolator pads? Then take out the air compressor, anyone know how to trip the sensor so the idots lights don't come on?

[hummer74]

So all ya need is the 2 springs and the 4 isolator pads? Then take out the air compressor, anyone know how to trip the sensor so the idots lights don't come on?

why not leave the compressor in so you have onboard air?

[rusty]

Don't your nuts rub -------(the frame) after you do this?

[timgco]

btt.

How far do you tighten the bolt/ nut? Do you snug it up or leave it loose?

Does anyone have a connection to have this assembly made out of aluminum?

[rusty]

I tightened mine snugly, until it just started to restrict free movement, but I think you could leave it loose if you use a nylon nut.

Mine seems to work ok, but the end of the bolt rubbed the frame until I hogged out the rear mounting bracket hole and moved the arm away from the frame.