[daisydavi]

I have a hidden hitch mounted for my Thule 4-bike swing away bike rack. The rear of the car rides TOO low with one adult bike and 3 childrens bikes loaded, and with one suitcase in the rear interior. I had to take the adult bike off to drive safely but the van still is uncomfortably low. (2 suitcases are loaded on the top in my Sears cargo carrier). Is there an airlift I can use to raise it? I have had the suspension checked by the dealer, and nothing is malfunctioning according to them.

 

[TomB]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by daisydavi:
I have a hidden hitch mounted for my Thule 4-bike swing away bike rack. The rear of the car rides TOO low with one adult bike and 3 childrens bikes loaded, and with one suitcase in the rear interior. I had to take the adult bike off to drive safely but the van still is uncomfortably low. (2 suitcases are loaded on the top in my Sears cargo carrier). Is there an airlift I can use to raise it? I have had the suspension checked by the dealer, and nothing is malfunctioning according to them.</font>

I am in the market for a new Ody but I have been concerned that the Ody appears to ride
low in the back with the magic seat, etc.

If it cant carry 4 bikes and a suitcase in the back how can it tow a tent trailer?

 

[adam1991]

Last weekend we went to the wholesale club and loaded up with a few hundred dollars of animal supplies for our favorite animal shelter. I must say, the Ody seemed to ride awfully low back there. Let's see, we had probably 450 pounds of stuff loaded back there. Shoot, that's only two adult men's worth of weight. Shouldn't be any big deal.

Maybe it's time to look into a load-leveling suspension.

 

[hachiroku]

Go to the Tech section and look under "Air-lift Suspension" by Nemogira(Nestor).
Hope this helps.

------------------
-ROB-
'01 GG LX "Lagreat"(with lotsa stuff.S-T-U-F-F)

http://community.webshots.com/album/18601743AkjQIJiKqK

 

[BrianB]

I also had the rear end too low problem travelling & trailering in our 2000 LX Odyssey. I installed the 'Coil Rite' firestone system and have been pleased so far.

 

[adam1991]

OK, so we're halfway home here.

I like the Firestone Coil Rite system because it means not altering the stock vehicle at all. But, it requires a trip to an air bottle or compressor whenever you load up. I don't like that.

I like the advanced AirLift system because it includes an on-board air compressor for spur-of-the-moment needs. However, from what Nestor shows, it requires altering the stock vehicle. That I don't like.

Does anyone know of a system that doesn't require any vehicle alterations and which also has an on-board compressor?

 

[daisydavi]

Does the Firestone or Airlift products affect the ride of the van? I hate the stiff suspensions of trucks and SUV's.
One more thing. I noticed my van rides lower in the rear than my neighbors Ody's. (popular van in my neighborhood) Exactly how many inches high should the rear wheel well be above the tire?

 

[adam1991]

As for affecting the ride, that's why I want a system that allows me to leave the airbags collapsed (as near as possible) during normal operation but pump them up on demand as I load the vehicle.

There is an Airlift system with an on-board compressor which *may* solve this problem.

 

[poncho1965]

The Coil Rite looks similar to the Airlift setup...what exactly is the difference between the two systems? Cost difference?

------------------
2002 SS-EX-L-RES

 

[Maugham]

<center>

I want to see an Ody hop like that!

Batteries and hydraulic pumps, they could solve any rear sag problems.</center>

 

[adam1991]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">The Coil Rite looks similar to the Airlift setup...what exactly is the difference between the two systems? Cost difference?</font>

One of the AirLift systems, the AirLift 1000, is like the Coil Rite. It installs an air valve somewhere accessible, and you plug an air hose in and pump it up yourself as you need it.

The other AirLift system, the Load Controller II, has an on-board compressor and gauge. You still manually pump the airbags up as needed, but you do it on demand from the inside of your car with the simple flip of a switch. Now you can add and remove loads on the spur of the moment and not worry about finding an air source.

Face it, too many times the AirLift 1000 would go unused as you decided it was too much hassle to find an air source. Either that, or you end up carrying your own compressor around anyway.

 

[abyez]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BrianB:
I also had the rear end too low problem travelling & trailering in our 2000 LX Odyssey. I installed the 'Coil Rite' firestone system and have been pleased so far.</font>

Could you please elaborate more on the Coil Rite you have:
1. Product number
2. vehicle its designed/made for
3. length, width...dimension
4. inflation with the ODY loaded or empty
5. Ride, handling and overall feel
6. COST of the package/product
7. COST of installation

Do you find it troublesome to inflate the pair? How long to inflate it to recommended pressure?

Is it deflatable...whenever I want to EMPTY the Ody and have the Honda springs to ride back to normal.??? If possible, how long to deflate it to equal to atmospheric pressure?

Thanks for your recommndation. I am really looking into this as I had scratched

the hitch a few times already!!! I know it is a lot of questions at a time...but please answer all of them as (I believe) many other Ody owners would also like to know about this product.

------------------

 

[BrianB]

Sorry about not getting right back to this discussion. I did not realize the interest. Here is some quick information.

From what I can tell the Firestone Coil-Rite system is basically the same as the "Air-lift Suspension" that Nemogira installed.

The Firestone system inserts rubber air bags into the rear coil springs. The air coil air pressure is changed manually through a tire type valve. The height of the rear of the van can changed slightly with the allowed pressure range (0-35psi), BUT the height adjustment is not where this system really work out well.

The air coils have natural or base height where the van height should be, so as you load the rear they push back up harder the more you load them up (they kick in the overloading situations). I have set the pressure to 8 to 10 psi and I have never adjusted it. With the van empty around town, or loaded up for the family rode trip the rear looks to be at good height with the air coils at this pressure.

I put the air coil in because with the family loaded into the van and trailing PWCs the hitch could easily bottom out. I would guess I will have to increase the air coil pressure for this setup, but I have not done it since they were installed.

The van ride has not changed at all and seems to have improved in the higher rear load condition.

I carry and use one of those cheap 12V air pumps to change the system air pressure.

Once the air coils are installed they must be kept pressurize, or they will be damaged. Also the air coils are put in place of the factory rubber stops, so you will be without any rear end stops if the air coils are empty or open.

The Firestone directions are not very good. I have a document I am working on describing the my installing that would help make the installation go better. I did not know about this web site when I started my direction and put them aside when I found that ‘Nemogira’ had documented his air suspension install.

I order the Firestone Coil-Rite system model #4138 from MacsSpring.com.
http://www.macsspring.com/website/coilrite-catalog-truck-hondaframe.htm
It was $71.12 back in 5/2001.

The Coil-Rite is not an easy install like the hitch or the ATF cooler, so you will want to be pretty mechanical before attempting this install. I will also attempt to finish up my install directions because I do tell about what worked and what did not.

I will post back here when I get my install directions completed.
BrianB

 

[abyez]

Originally posted by BrianB:
The van ride has not changed at all and seems to have improved in the higher rear load condition.

Thanks BrianB for the swift and thorough reply. BTW, I cant wait to see your Instructions already

. I may have another question relating to the above comment.

Did you mean that...
1) WHEN with "air coils" inflated to the recommended pressure
2) WHEN vehicled loaded (subjective)
...THEN the Ody drives better (improved) than before. YES or NO???

IF "YES"...
Do you feel "harshness" while driving it (under the 2 conditions above) over a bump ??? - which would have "bottomed out" if it were still under Honda's OEM setup.

I asked this question because I remebered Nemogira once said something about his Ody, while loaded and AirLift inflated, handled or rode ... "TERRIBLY" or something like that (I forgot exactly what he said/meant)

P/S Nemo, If you read this post, please share your experience.

------------------


[This message has been edited by abyez (edited 01-02-2002).]

 

[nemogira]

Um...I don't recall ever saying it was terrible. Maybe "TERRIBLY" hard to install. But I've always had good things to say about this system. To me there is no difference in ride or handling. If anything...it may feel a bit softer/cushier in the back when you go over speed bump. Although, I can't really say because I'm always in the front driving. But from a driver's perspective - it's the same.

I pretty much have it the same way BrianB has it setup...on regular days I have it inflated to about 10psi (good for either Costco goods, some passengers or Home Depot stuff). When we're DJing I fill it up close to it’s recommended psi max because I'm probably carrying, close to or possibly more than, 1000 lbs. of equipment. It still slightly sagged but just enough to get us safely to a gig. Although now the loaded height has gone down a bit because I got the H&R springs installed. But it’s still definitely better than nothing.

-Nestor


------------------

2000 CCS EX-NAVI

 

[BrianB]

I am not sure what the open questions are, but I have noticed no change in the ride of the van since the air springs have been installed. I also feel the ride & handling of the van has improved when the van is loaded up with air springs. That maybe just because the bottoming out rubber stoppers are no longer hit.

BrianB

 

[BrianB]

Ok, Here it is for your reading pleasure. My overally detailed installed directions for the Firestone Coil-Rite air spring can be read at:
http://www.realisticsoftware.com/pages/ODCoilRiteInstall.html

Let me know how your install goes if you do it.

BrianB
(removed old email address)

 

[abyez]

BrianB, although I had not finished reading the whole instruction, I think it was one heck of a thorough one. GOOD job!!!

I like to tell you that your time spent on this long report will NOT be wasted...I feel more confident about doing this mod but at the same time, I need to honestly evaluate my ability to do just a good job as you. I'll either do it myself or pay someone.

JimF, how about placing this one on the TECH page??? you do not have to create another page for it, instead, you just create link (next to Nemo's AirLift) on the TECH page to this http://www.realisticsoftware.com/pages/ODCoilRiteInstall.html

------------------


[This message has been edited by abyez (edited 01-03-2002).]

 

[Tim Kowal]

receiver hitch thule bike rack: Bottomout

Ut oh, I'm nervous, because A) my 2002 Ody gets delivered in a month and B) I already bought a Thule 4 bike swingout hitch receiver rack for a planned receiver hitch on the Ody and C) I've read some threads here that say that I may or may not bottom out with 3 bikes and some load in the back.

Some questions for everyone on this very good forum on these topics:
1. Is any receiver hitch less likely to bottom out (e.g. the factory installed one vs hidden hitch?
2. Did the 2002 have any improvement that would make this less likely to happen?
3. Will I really need to have installed one of those suspension lift systems like the Firestone one mentioned in another thread?

Meanwhile, I'll be on the lookout for any Ody's I see that have the bike rack and see if can ask the owner if it ever bottoms out with three bikes on there....

Thanks!

 

[BrianB]

Re: receiver hitch thule bike rack: Bottomout

...
1. Is any receiver hitch less likely to bottom out (e.g. the factory installed one vs hidden hitch?
...

In regards to question 1; I would say the bottoms of the hidden hitch and the factory hitch are very close if not the same height.

I would say that bottoming as a problem goes just depends on what you are planning to do. If you are thinking of leaving a big swing out bike rack on the Odyssey all the time (like some SUV owners), I would guess that bottoming out will be a problem. The conditions you drive in could also be a factor. If you ride where there are steep driveways off of steets or deep curbs you will hit the hitch bottom. I even have friend whos Odyssey has some how hit the bottom of the hid away floor (4" plus dent about 1/2" into the vans inside), so the back bottoms of these van can be hit in general.

You are only going to do the travelling with bikes occasionally and you can remember to not get into rode conditions that you may hit the hitch, then there is no reason to add any extra rear end lift. What happens when I am travelling is I forget (kids, being late, tired) about bottoming out until I hear the road hitting the hitch (usually like leaving a gas station or leaving a friends home).

Since you have already have invested in all the items, you can just try it out and see how it goes.

BrianB