Should I replace my springs after going from soft top to hard top?

[jjvw]

Did you remove after intermittent use of the air bags?

I did. After several years, I found that I rarely used them and that the bags were in the way of things I wanted to do to the rear suspension.

However, the bags did do what I wanted them to do, which was provide support, require as little air pressure as possible to get that support, and also be invisible when not in use. That is why I based their fit on the deflated dimensions and I also ran them empty and with an open valve when not in use.

This is in direct conflict with AirLift, but when I spoke to their rep on the phone, it was clear that they did not understand non-stock TJ suspension and were also focused on ease of installation over performance.

 

[jjvw]

Yeah you can do it either way. If you're doing hard-core offroading, it may be better to keep the bumps in place like @jjvw did. If most of your stuff is slow moving and you're not concerned about using the shocks to limit travel, a full height airbag would be a better option.

I think I got about 300 lbs of leveling with the original bumpstops in place, and about 700 lbs with the full bags. This was measured directly over the rear axle. Weight further out, like tongue weight or tire carriers will have a magnified impact.

This is the chart you'll need to use to select a kit:
View attachment 190355
You'll want to match the height as close as possible. The kits come with 2 pairs of 1/2" spacers, so you can adjust the height without too much difficulty.

With the Currie/Savvy 4" lift, I used the 60921 kit. If you have less than 4" or want to keep your bumpstops, you will need a shorter airbag.

Even for pavement travel, something I absolutely did not want from the bags was to inflate them just to fill the gap between the pad and jounce before actually providing any load support. That is excess bag pressure.

At normal ride height, if the gap between the pad and jounce is 4", get a bag that is 4" tall deflated. Understand that this likely won't be a TJ bag, so you will need to look at other vehicles. Mine might have been for a Toyota.