If you want to get rid of the LLS system on your Expy:

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Front: (4wd LLS) Remove original air shocks and install normal shocks:

Monroe: 32080 (Monroe-Matic) or 34911 (Gas Adjust)

KYB 344071 or KG5414

Napa NS 94010, or RR20704 or NS76911

Basically, a 1966 Ford Bronco (to S/N 830001) shock, rear application.


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Rear: Pry out airbags (just held in with metal clips, (bleed all air out first),

a) Install correct rear FORD OEM Expy/Navigator coil spring. Realize you need to be aware of your vehicles configuration, i.e. 2wd, 4wd, Sport, Rear Air, Tow package, etc. to get correct spring height and rate. Get the rubber coil spring isolators also.

b) Strutmasters, Inc. has a rear coil spring replacement "kit" (a pair of springs) that I used, but have had trouble with, but they are working on resolving this issue.


Rear shocks: You can leave the originals in there if not leaking, or replace with any correct P/N shock for your year Expy.

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When done, leave air susp. switch in "ON" position, but disconnect the large electrical connector powering the air pump, under the washer fluid reservior, or remove pump completely. This will keep the "CHK SUSP" light from staying on.

I got sick and tired of dealing with LLS problems, and the noise the pump makes.

Hope this can help others kill this POS idea by Ford.

 

Thanks Lama!

I'm all over this...I knew when I bought this truck that all those moving parts would be trouble some day. Sure enough, after my 100K mile warranty ran out (104K to be exact) my compressor crapped out. I replaced myself with strutmasters rebuilt unit and it's been fine ever since but if it goes again I'm going back to shocks!

Thanks!

 

Glad you are happy. Every time I load up 12 cases of wine or 1200 lbs of firewood or hook up my trailer for a trip, I've extremely happy Ford offers LLS so my headlights always stay aimed right where I want them, and I never bottom out on rough forest roads. Hooray for diversity. I'll never get another vehicle without LLS unless I can see that I can add it myself after market. It's a wonderful thing, which has caused me absolutely no maintenace in 122K miles.

 

Lama -

how much noise did your LLS make? Mine kicks in for 8-10 seconds or so when I start the truck. I don't even recall ever hearing it when going down the road. The only thing that I don't like about having it in the truck is that it sits slightly lower than a non-LLS Expy... I think it looks better taller. Otherwise, I'm w/ tsdrallyer.

 

D2EBMA, up to 54k miles, all was good, but then the pump started to get noisy...no problem..buy a reman pump. Well after having the reman shop send me 3 wrong pumps (there are many versions of the expy pump, based on year, 2 bag LLS, 4 bag LLS, etc.) I finally installed the new pump. Then later a ride height sensor failed. After replacing that I noticed while rotating tires, the front shocks were seeping oil, and that was soon followed by the pump running excessively, due to air/oil leaks.

Soon the reman pump got real noisy then the reman pump failed, allowing the pump not to keep up with the rear bag demands, stranding my wife on a long trip. The rear was sitting on the bumpstops.

Thats when I said, enoughs enough.

I researched this forum, but all I saw were owners upset with the LLS problems, but no answers except to buy "new parts and replace". I decided to diassemble the system and go to normal coils and shocks. The big problem is, you cannot use standard Expy shocks (gas) in place of the air shocks, the mounting is different (thanks Ford!!).

After much research, I found the right front shock P/N's as I listed, and they work very well.

The rear is a no brainer, replace with coils and isolation rubbers.

What did I gain? A no-nonsense suspension for my wife's car, that will never leave her stranded again. Also, we now have a 4wd Expy Eddie Bauer that sits like a 4x4, not somewhere in-between a 2wd and 4wd. The ride is excellent, no different from LLS (I attribute to the new shocks all around).

What did I lose? I miss the self leveling while towing, but I rarely tow with the Expy, thats what the Cummins Ram is for. What I appreciate losing is the fuses, relays, 2 ride height sensors, valves, microprocesser, air-pump, filter, plastic hose, exotic $200.00 front shocks, rear electric bleed air-bags, clicking noises when I walked away fom the car and passengers asking "whats that noise?" when the pump ran.

Do I think the LLS is awful? No. I just think that Ford made it complicated by adding the squat function. If the car stayed at a normal ride height, and adjusted sightly for load variations, it would be fine. But the squat bleeds air in Park and above 50MPH requiring the pump, valves, relays, etc. to have to work to bring the car back up constantly. On the 2wd Expy's without front LLS, I'm sure it is just fine, on the 4wd's, it is too many working parts.

I don't mean to preach, all I want to do is offer a thread that has the P/N's and information that I could not find on the net when I wanted to convert my wifes car to coils.

Besides the $900.00 blend door repair we had to do, the LLS has been our only other problem with this car, and it is a very fine vehicle.

 

Lama-

We're not thrashing you - we're all friends here

We just have a lot of inquiring minds. I have to say, I really don't have any complaints about the LLS, but if it ever decides to go belly up, I'll just go with the standard suspension.

Let me ask you - is the ride any smoother? I've noticed with my LLS Expy that it seems like the bags don't provide enough cushion for the truck.

Then again, it's hella heavy, especially with that giant live axle in the rear. But regardless - does the regular shock/spring system ride smoother?

EDIT: How much did all this cost, BTW? I'm sure everybody's curious about the cost/benefit analysis of the situation.

XXL

 

And, FWIW, I agree w/ BigMattXXL, and you too, Lama. If my LLS goes south out of waranty, I'll be changing it to a std. suspension as well - if the price is right. Please do list the costs associated - I have another 18 mos./20K on my waranty, but it would be just my luck that the day it expired, so too would the LLS...

 

Costs:

1) Front Monroe Shocks: $24.90 ea. @ NAPA
Online

2) Rear Monroe Shocks: $29.60 ea. @ Napa
Online
(not required, but I did them anyway)

3) Rear Springs OEM FORD: Priced them @
$171.50 ea.

OR

3a) Rear Spring "Kit" Strutmasters $279.00 with
shipping.


So basically with $350.00 and some of your time, a few scrapes and cuss words, shes a runner.

The ride is excellent, in the past with the rear LLS, there was kinda a "chunk" sound when you hit a pothole. Now with coils...no sound.

Lama

 

Interesting about the clunk sound... I'm installing my new Bilsteins if the temp gets above zero because of that very sound. I'm told that the shocks are shot; I only hope that the new ones will get rid of that sound... I hate to think that I've wasted $120 and that it would have been as a result of the bags.

 

My wifes expy has 75K and the rear shocks were perfect..I really didn't need to change them, the rear shocks from Ford seem to be nice big heavy duty units.

 

Well, I'm sold.

If the LLS deep-sixes itself, it's gone.

XXL

 

mine has the chunk sound but I'm almost positive it's the shocks, not the air bags. I'd be interested to see if the ride is better, but I really think the LLS should be a better ride - but I really don't know.

I like the LLS, and the cool things it does but if it goes and it's coming out of my pocket, I'll think long and hard about replacing it with standard suspension.

 

I'll post w/ the results if it ever gets above 2 degrees. I'm thinking March.

 

My only real gripe with the LLS (besides the stiffness in the rear which may or may not be on account of the rear air springs) is the costs of replacing these components which will fail sooner or later.

Think about it - a coil spring will rarely "fail" - it may sag a bit, but it will never leave you stranded.

If one of my ultra-expensive rear air springs gets a leak, BigMatt's gonna get some exercise. Same with the front shocks. All shocks leak sooner or later. I'd rather put in a regular shock for $60 than a Ford air shock for $120+. At least with the regulars I can tweak the ride until it's nice and smooth.

Just my $.02

XXL

 

I was thinking of doing this to my 98 expy, (Ive been having trouble with my LLS), Is there any way of lowering it at the same time? I have a 4x4 with 18 rims and it still seems like I have about 6 inches of travel????