[yonah]

Thanks for all of this great info. Am seriously considering installing the Firestone airbags - we have the Ecohitch, spare tire, and also towing a small popup on occasion. I do have the 2" JOR lift kit installed. I am still trying to understand if there's any downside to installing? From reading through, I would not be at the point where I'd install the full integrated compressor, so would this make it something that I'd just always have to tinker with to get at the right pressure? It seems like at a minimum, it's no different than the current ride but wanted to double check my thoughts here.

Here’s a rundown on some of the pros/cons of Firestone airbags vs. Sumo Springs. This should be helpful:

https://www.siennachat.com/threads/airlift-or-sumo-springs.75487/post-463721

If you install the system and it’s airtight (no leaks), then you should be able simply monitor them to verify the desired pressure is maintained. You could always route the airlines inside of the trunk area and install an air gauge to visually check the pressure.

The other option (as discussed in the above link) would be Sumo Springs or a similar product.

 

[comike575]

Here’s a rundown on some of the pros/cons of Firestone airbags vs. Sumo Springs. This should be helpful:

https://www.siennachat.com/threads/airlift-or-sumo-springs.75487/post-463721

If you install the system and it’s airtight (no leaks), then you should be able simply monitor them to verify the desired pressure is maintained. You could always route the airlines inside of the trunk area and install an air gauge to visually check the pressure.

The other option (as discussed in the above link) would be Sumo Springs or a similar product.

Thanks for that reference, I ended up installing the air bags this weekend (and maybe will do the Sumo Springs on the front in the future). It was a bit tedious doing this for the first time (about 4-5 hours all in) but got it done. The Firestone blue line was a little frustrating to work with in the coiled shape, and it was tough to get the airline through the 1/4 ID vinyl tubing that I got (even with lubricating). @yonah's instructions were a huge help here! Made it very doable, thank you again for such a detailed write up.

I decided to mount the valve underneath the bumper for now with an L-bracket close to the hitch and trailer plugs that I also have down below. I may move up inside with a gauge at some point but wanted to keep it simpler for now.

At around 5 PSI it was immediately noticeable in a good way! Our neighborhood has a lot of dips and it was much less bouncy and felt better driving around. We have a small popup trailer that I sometimes tow + the standard 3rd row passengers/bike racks/etc. so the air bags will be helpful with all of that.

 

[tvu]

BTW, when I went to install the BLP module in my 22 Platinum - looks like there was something already there from the factory.

 

[yonah]

BTW, when I went to install the BLP module in my 22 Platinum - looks like there was something already there from the factory.

View attachment 69901 View attachment 69902 View attachment 69901 View attachment 69902

It appears either the previous owner or the dealership installed brake light strobe (similar product to the BLP-1 module). Thinking back to the ‘21-‘22 timeframe, I know some dealers installed these modules as a mandatory upfit to tack another ~$70 or so onto the sales invoice - similar to tint or paint protection film.


The bad news is your factory third brake light harness has been hacked apart. The good news is you can still install the BLP-1 module. Either solder it in or use some butt connectors to crimp the wires together. Wrap some marine-grade heat shrink tubing over the connections and you’ll have a clean final product.

 

[yonah]

Last year I installed a WeBoost Cell Signal Booster in the Sienna. Link to the write-up here:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/443711/

Install photos:

At the time, I couldn’t find a clean way to route the exterior antenna cable into the van's cabin. As a short-term solution, I ran the cable under the weather stripping along the leading edge of the front passenger side door. This worked well but felt like a shortcut to an otherwise clean install:

After doing some more research, I discovered this thread, specifically this post, where another forum member @davidcrabill mentioned a pass-through grommet on the passenger side of the firewall:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/462040/

Photo of the referenced grommet:

I'm honestly surprised I missed this grommet when I installed the WeBoost. This is the standard firewall grommet that Toyota uses on all of their vehicles. The great thing about this grommet's design is those two elongated extrusions (at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions) are actually designed to accommodate accessory wire harnesses. All one needs to do is cut a slit in the end of the nipple and then carefully feed the accessory wire through the extrusion and into the vehicle's cabin. I disconnected the antenna cable from the WeBoost booster unit and routed it into the engine bay - seen here (some edge molding was slid onto the lip of the cowl to prevent any wire chaffing - I also wrapped the antenna cable in loom to add some further protection):

Then used a pair of wire snips to cut a slit in one of the nipples on the firewall grommet and rerouted the antenna cable through the grommet. A small amount of black RTV silicone was applied to the end of the grommet to fully seal the pass through and the antenna cable secured with some zipties behind the upper strut tower:

Now the WeBoost installation is a complete. 😎

 

[DadWagon]

Last year I installed a WeBoost Cell Signal Booster in the Sienna. Link to the write-up here:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/443711/

View attachment 70129

Install photos:
View attachment 70132 View attachment 70133 View attachment 70134 View attachment 70135 View attachment 70130

At the time, I couldn’t find a clean way to route the exterior antenna cable into the van's cabin. As a short-term solution, I ran the cable under the weather stripping along the leading edge of the front passenger side door. This worked well but felt like a shortcut to an otherwise clean install:
View attachment 70131

After doing some more research, I discovered this thread, specifically this post, where another forum member @davidcrabill mentioned a pass-through grommet on the passenger side of the firewall:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/462040/

Photo of the referenced grommet:
View attachment 70136

I'm honestly surprised I missed this grommet when I installed the WeBoost. This is the standard firewall grommet that Toyota uses on all of their vehicles. The great thing about this grommet's design is those two elongated extrusions (at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions) are actually designed to accommodate accessory wire harnesses. All one needs to do is cut a slit in the end of the nipple and then carefully feed the accessory wire through the extrusion and into the vehicle's cabin. I disconnected the antenna cable from the WeBoost booster unit and routed it into the engine bay - seen here (some edge molding was slid onto the lip of the cowl to prevent any wire chaffing - I also wrapped the antenna cable in loom to add some further protection):
View attachment 70137

Then used a pair of wire snips to cut a slit in one of the nipples on the firewall grommet and rerouted the antenna cable through the grommet. A small amount of black RTV silicone was applied to the end of the grommet to fully seal the pass through and the antenna cable secured with some zipties behind the upper strut tower:
View attachment 70138

Now the WeBoost installation is a complete. 😎

thanks for the detailed post. On a platform that doesn’t get a lot of mods these detailed posts with pictures are an amazing resource.

How you liking the WeBoost? As much as I want one I’ve had mixed results with previous models.

 

[yonah]

thanks for the detailed post. On a platform that doesn’t get a lot of mods these detailed posts with pictures are an amazing resource.

How you liking the WeBoost? As much as I want one I’ve had mixed results with previous models.

Thank you. This ongoing project with the van has been fun and I enjoy posting the documentation of it all on here, so I am glad it is useful to you and others. Yeah, not many of us are out here modifying minivans

I like the WeBoost. It does its job. I would say it generally adds a bar of cell signal when a signal is present. Now, in the more remote areas where no cell signal is present, it's not going to help you, but it will amplify a weak signal if its out there. I can think of a few instances where we have been without cell service and then either my wife or I will jump in the van and turn on the ignition - within 30 seconds or so the WeBoost then provided enough signal to send and receive text messages, which is reassuring.

 

[yonah]

Earlier this week the ARB Linx reported an error prompt that the Sienna's left rear Firestone airbag's pressure could not be maintained due to a leak. The airbags have been installed for a little over a year and I have put 11k miles on the van in that time.

If you're interested in the original airbag install write-up, it can be found here:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/454676/

—-

I attempted to fully pressurize the bag to 35 PSI and could hear air rushing out of the airline behind the left rear tire. I backed the van into the garage and removed the rear wheel/tire to find this:

Before pulling the wheel/tire I was convinced that the airline had been cut by the edge of the hole in the metal upper coil spring perch, but it appears the airline was pulled out of the airbag's coupler. After looking at the airline (and the 1/4" fuel line I used to jacket the line), I think it simply snagged on the edge of the hole in the upper spring perch and, when the suspension cycled, the force was too much and the line was ripped out of the coupler. When I fully inflated the bags to 35 PSI with the onboard compressor, I was parked sideways, driver side on the higher ground, on a rather steep incline (for a parking lot); this parking lot has maybe a 10* or so grade, maybe more. I think the vehicle's orientation and the thickness of the jacketed airline, while inflating the bags, resulted in this malfunction.

Not knowing if the couple was damaged or compromised, I decided to 1) use another method of routing the airlines (on both sides of the van) and 2) install a new set of airbags for peace of mind (we road trip a lot with this van and I don't want to deal with another situation like this while away from home). Luckily, about a year ago, I ordered another set of Firestone 4155 airbags so I would have a spare set in the event of an emergency - this product tends to intermittently go in and out of stock.

Removing the bags isn't too hard. It's impossible to remove them intact without uninstalling the coil spring and I didn't want to do that. I also planned on trashing these used bags anyway, so I grabbed a new razor knife and sliced them into smaller, more manageable pieces that could be pulled out of the coil spring.

Here are some photos of the used airlines (from both rear coil springs). I know a few guys on here have installed Firestone 4155 airbags in their van and oriented the bags in the upward position, so this gives you gents an idea of how well the airlines endure routing through the upper spring perch. I would say that (with the additional fuel line sheathing) they hold up pretty well. You can see a small indentation in the fuel line from rubbing the edge of the hole in the perch, but everything looks good otherwise and I would have no reservations about the integrity of the airline being compromised during the 4-5 year lifespan of each airbag.

 

[yonah]

The bags also wore really well. The material that Firestone uses for the bladder appears to be very durable. Other than being filthy from road grime/graphite lubrication spray and conforming to the shape of the coil spring, the bags look fine.

I also noticed these superficial wear marks/scratches on the inside of the coil spring. I suppose these scratches are caused by sand/grit working its way in between the bags and the coil springs. Interesting.

After giving the situation some thought, I came up with a couple of remedies. The first was to keep the original method of sheathing the air lines with 1/4" fuel line and then using a step drill bit to open up the hole in the upper spring perch's pass thru hole from 3/8" to 1/2" or even 3/4". This would prevent the fuel line from snagging on the metal edge of the hole and repeating the failure I just experienced. I decided that, unless I had to, I didn't want to modify the upper spring perch. That left the second option, which would forgo the fuel line sheathing. To protect the airline, I decided to install a thick 3/8" plastic snap-in grommet with a 1/4" ID hole.

Here are some photos and the Amazon product link to the grommet I opted to use:

Link: https://a.co/d/fXj2L1U

Test fitting the airline in the grommet (it slides freely):

Next, the bags were installed. This is the least fun part of installing new airbags - forcing them inside the coil springs is a PITA (tight fit) and is a real forearm workout.

Here is a trick I recommend if you're having a hard time routing the airline inside of the upper coil spring perches. Use some spare wire to pull the airline through the inside of the perch. I had a hard time routing the airline through the rear right-side spring perch and this worked very well.

 

[yonah]

Here is the grommet and the new airline installed. It will be interesting to see how this holds up over time. My plan is to remove the rear wheels at each oil change to inspect for any damage to the airlines or failure of the grommet. If this method doesn't work out, my next option will be to enlarge the hole in the spring perch (as previously mentioned).

Airbags installed and inflated to 35 PSI to fully seat them within the coils.

Wheels/tires were then reinstalled and the van lowered to the ground. I cycled inflating the bags from 5-35 PSI a dozen or so times and took the van for a shakedown run. Everything appears to be functioning as designed.

---

To recap, my intent with this post is to share:

1) This malfunction that I experienced.
2) My solution in addressing it.
3) Some photos of the wear/tear experienced by the Firestone 4155 airbags and airlines following ~11k miles / 1 year of use.

I'll keep this thread updated with my continued feedback regarding the helper airbag system.

Cheers,

 

[saidiadude2]

When installing airbags in my 2nd gen, I jacked up the side of the vehicle I was working on, then supported it with a stand. I left the wheel on, which pulled down the spring. I was able to literally slide the squished airbag through the widest gap in the spring with ease. Think of the shape of a soda can when you squash the middle of the cylinder and then fold the end "discs" over flat squished part. Much easier to do it that way, rather than wrestle with the airbag (which I did first). Not my idea - someone else had posted it here. Paying it forward...

A clip on one of the airbags eventually developed a very slow leak. The vehicle has been sold, but if I had to do it again, I would likely consider getting taller+stiffer springs for the rear. Cost would obviously be an issue though.

 

[TOYOTAJIM]

Here is the grommet and the new airline installed. It will be interesting to see how this holds up over time. My plan is to remove the rear wheels at each oil change to inspect for any damage to the airlines or failure of the grommet. If this method doesn't work out, my next option will be to enlarge the hole in the spring perch (as previously mentioned).
View attachment 70424 View attachment 70425 View attachment 70426 View attachment 70428 View attachment 70429

Airbags installed and inflated to 35 PSI to fully seat them within the coils.
View attachment 70430


Wheels/tires were then reinstalled and the van lowered to the ground. I cycled inflating the bags from 5-35 PSI a dozen or so times and took the van for a shakedown run. Everything appears to be functioning as designed.
View attachment 70427

---

To recap, my intent with this post is to share:

1) This malfunction that I experienced.
2) My solution in addressing it.
3) Some photos of the wear/tear experienced by the Firestone 4155 airbags and airlines following ~11k miles / 1 year of use.

I'll keep this thread updated with my continued feedback regarding the helper airbag system.

Cheers,

This is going to keep happening with the ports positioned on the top of the air bags. There is too much movement in the hose and it will
eventually break from bending. You would be better off turning them and point the port down so the bag and hose move with the control arm.

 

[yonah]

When installing airbags in my 2nd gen, I jacked up the side of the vehicle I was working on, then supported it with a stand. I left the wheel on, which pulled down the spring. I was able to literally slide the squished airbag through the widest gap in the spring with ease. Think of the shape of a soda can when you squash the middle of the cylinder and then fold the end "discs" over flat squished part. Much easier to do it that way, rather than wrestle with the airbag (which I did first). Not my idea - someone else had posted it here. Paying it forward...

Great idea. Thank you for sharing.

This is going to keep happening with the ports positioned on the top of the air bags. There is too much movement in the hose and it will
eventually break from bending. You would be better off turning them and point the port down so the bag and hose move with the control arm.

I've already addressed this same concern you made over a year ago in this post: https://www.siennachat.com/posts/452487/ - I will have custom +~400 lb load progressive coil springs fabricated by a spring shop before I route the airlines under the control arms.

The nylon airline isn't going to break from the movement found in this application. The nylon lines are incredibly durable and the movement/angle of bend in the line is, IMO, not a concern. Here are some photos of the airline from the passenger side of my van after 11k miles of use. They look fine, no signs of cracking or fatigue, which makes sense considering the bends and movement applied to the line is not that extreme.

The airline failing (cracking/breaking) MIGHT be a concern if I lived in an extreme northern environment where the airline was subjected to subzero temperatures for months on end - think Alaska - where extreme environmental conditions could possibly compromise the integrity of the nylon and make it brittle.

The issue I ran into was the airline (more specifically the 1/4 ID polyurethane fuel line that jacketed the airline) snagged on the edge of the hole on the upper spring perch and appeared to have been pulled out of the airbag's coupler. The tolerance between the PU line and the edges of the access hole in the spring perch were too tight and PU has a tendency to stick/snag to surfaces. To minimize the risk of this happening again, I removed the PU fuel line, installed new airlines, and installed a smooth snap-in grommet with enough tolerance to allow the airline to slide freely. And if it does happen again, I'll open up the hole in the upper spring perch with a step drill bit to 1/2" (or larger) and completely eliminate the problem.

Keep in mind, this airbag upward orientation was the method demonstrated by eTrailer in their 3rd Gen Sienna CoilRite installation video. The 3rd Gen Sienna has a larger pass-through hole in the upper spring perch. video here:

Link (3:00 min mark): Set up: Firestone Coil-Rite Air Helper Springs on a 2012 Toyota Sienna Video | etrailer.com

Screencap:

 

[wradar]

Yeah, I replaced the OEM lead acid battery with an AGM unit for greater deep cycle capacity.

I didn’t omit any part of the OEM electrical system. They OEM fuses are still there. My fridge is installed at the moment, which makes accessing the battery difficult, but I’ll snap a photo once I remove the fridge in a couple of weeks. We’re getting ready to hit the road for a big road trip.

Which battery did you replace it with? (Apologies if it’s mentioned elsewhere in the thread.) I’m in the market for a better AGM option on the Sienna and didn’t know if the usual suspects (Odyssey, Optima) are viable options or not.

 

[Sienna.Guy]

Saw this in the parking lot of where I work.

 

[wradar]

Which battery did you replace it with? (Apologies if it’s mentioned elsewhere in the thread.) I’m in the market for a better AGM option on the Sienna and didn’t know if the usual suspects (Odyssey, Optima) are viable options or not.

Disregard, I found your post in the build thread. Thanks for putting that in there!

 

[yonah]

Disregard, I found your post in the build thread. Thanks for putting that in there!

Glad you found it. For future reference and the research of others on the forum, the AGM battery upgrade is documented here:

https://www.siennachat.com/posts/441448/

 

[yonah]

Under-seat Panel Mount (for secondary ARB air chuck/coupler and Schrader valve airbag fill ports)

I decided to expand the Sienna's 12v air compressor/suspension helper airbag system with a second air chuck/coupler and a set of Schrader valve fill ports for the Firestone airbags.

For some background on the rest of the project, the ARB air compressor and Firestone airbag installation write-ups can be found here:
12v ARB Air Compressor Install Write-up
Firestone Coil-Rite 4155 Airbag Install Write-up

The idea here is to add some redundancy to the system to achieve two primary goals:

1) The secondary air chuck/coupler will allow me to access compressed air via the 12v ARB compressor if accessing the rear of the van is not practical or convenient - e.g. when towing a small trailer, when the hitch-mounted cargo box or bike rack is mounted, etc.

2) The Schrader valves will allow the airbags to be manually inflated/deflated (manual override) in the event that the 12v compressor or Linx system malfunctions. In this scenario, the airbags can be inflated with a secondary compressor (gas station compressed air station) or a bike air pump. The bags can be deflated by simply depressing the pin on each valve (similar to a car or bike tire).

To house the air coupler and Schrader valves, I fabricated a mount out of some spare 1.5"x1.5"x1/8" angle aluminum that I had left over from the Stowaway II lid light project (more info that can be found in this write-up: https://www.siennachat.com/posts/472214/)

The finished mount/panel.

For the location. I decided to use the dead space under and directly in front of the passenger side front seat. I chose the front passenger seat for two reasons:

1) It's in the front passenger area of the van, away from the kids. I want to make it hard for my youngest, and most curious, kids to tamper with anything (this has been a theme for a lot of the modifications to this van ... it is a minivan after all).

2) The passenger side of the vehicle is the safest side of the vehicle to access when parked on the shoulder of the road.

The recently installed Seat Jackers by Desert Does It (install write-up here: https://www.siennachat.com/posts/472400/) were used as the foundation for this project. The Seat Jackers have a threaded hole centered at the front of each bottom shim that were used as a mounting point for each side of the bracket.

I then added a three-way "T" fitting to each existing airline within the compressed air system. Here are the T-fittings for the driver side airbag and the compressed air ("Air Pump") line. I also took the opportunity to label each airline section as I'm using the same 1/4" OD black nylon line for each portion of the system (which can be confusing when they're disconnected - the labels will hopefully alleviate the risk of mixing them up).

I then routed the additional driver side airbag airline and air pump airline through the trunk under the trim piece (securing them to the compressor/Linx wiring harness).

The passenger side airline was then tapped with a third T-fitting directly behind the 12v battery at the D-pillar area behind the trim.

The bundle of three airlines were then routed behind the rear passenger side panel/trim, over the wheel well, down the C-pillar, under the side slider door trim, and through an access hole in the carpet under the front passenger seat. This part of the project was a pain - routing three rigid 1/4" nylon airlines through these narrow locations was not easy. 1" Velcro tape was used to secure the lines).

 

[yonah]

Airline routing (continued).

I then installed the mount/panel to the Seat Jackers and mated the airlines to their respective coupler/valve. Here's the finished product.

*If you're interested in some more info regarding the tethered, grey Schrader valve caps, I did a small write-up about them in a previous post, here: https://www.siennachat.com/posts/443989/

I think it turned out really well with a clean aesthetic. I considered painting the aluminum flat black but decided the brushed finish would likely hold up better over time and the bare aluminum matches the lighted door sill plates.

All three valves were purposely positioned inboard, as far from the door as possible, to reduce the risk of them being kicked by the heels of a passenger. This also affords a lot of blank real estate on the panel for any future projects. I may add some female Velcro tape to the exposed flat surfaces to allow the attachment of a couple Velcro-back zippered pouches - not sure about that, but it's an option.

Cheers ☕ ,

 

[wradar]

I remember routing remote port hoses on my previous Tacoma build. I had to be meticulous with the cuts on the hoses or else they’d leak at the press-in fittings. Other times, I’d discover the importance of using strong hose from a reputable brand if you’re going to run them under under the vehicle. I’d have to soapy-spray all over to find the leak, and then remove and re-run a new length of hose for that segment.

You’ve clearly gone the wiser route by running all the hoses inside the vehicle.

If you’re looking for an excuse to find somewhere to install a small tank, run some more hoses, and be the most recognized minivan in the drop-off line, I recommend checking out the Grover 1910 Stuttertone. 😝