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Installing air springs/bags from AirLift, and the accompanying compressor on a 2002 Avalanche.
[FONT="]The goal of this procedure is to give the Avalanche a little stiffer support while towing our horse trailer. Here is the victim…err vehicle I will be installing them on.[/FONT] For starters, I'd like to suggest that this is not something you should just run into without having a plan. Since you've going to be running hoses, and wiring along the chasis of the vehicle it's a good idea to envision how you want it to work before you even block the wheels, or pick up a wrench. Drawing it out on a piece of paper works fine too.
First step is to make sure you have everything before you start. Lay out all of your parts, and verify against your parts list. This is also a good time to gather up the required tools
Now that you've got that all set, chock your wheels, and prep the vehicle for work. In addition to chocking the wheels, I also put it in 4 Wheel Low, mostly because I do not have a flat level surface to work on. (my driveway sucks) *Some of the other tools needed, but not pictured was an engine hoist, and a cordless drill, and ramps.
The installation manual suggested that installing the springs would be as easy as lifting the vehicle until the wheels came off the ground. It also suggested that removing the shocks would allow more travel. (Not nearly even enough, if you ask me.) I found that to make this as easy as possible to access the springs I had to remove the upper bolts of the sway bar links, remove the lower shock bolts, and one of the panhard rod/track bar bolts.
In the next picture you can see I started to remove the lower link bolt, only to realize that I would not be able to remove the link from the sway bar without fighting with it. Removing the upper is a much easier option.
[FONT="]The goal of this procedure is to give the Avalanche a little stiffer support while towing our horse trailer. Here is the victim…err vehicle I will be installing them on.[/FONT] For starters, I'd like to suggest that this is not something you should just run into without having a plan. Since you've going to be running hoses, and wiring along the chasis of the vehicle it's a good idea to envision how you want it to work before you even block the wheels, or pick up a wrench. Drawing it out on a piece of paper works fine too.

First step is to make sure you have everything before you start. Lay out all of your parts, and verify against your parts list. This is also a good time to gather up the required tools

Now that you've got that all set, chock your wheels, and prep the vehicle for work. In addition to chocking the wheels, I also put it in 4 Wheel Low, mostly because I do not have a flat level surface to work on. (my driveway sucks) *Some of the other tools needed, but not pictured was an engine hoist, and a cordless drill, and ramps.
The installation manual suggested that installing the springs would be as easy as lifting the vehicle until the wheels came off the ground. It also suggested that removing the shocks would allow more travel. (Not nearly even enough, if you ask me.) I found that to make this as easy as possible to access the springs I had to remove the upper bolts of the sway bar links, remove the lower shock bolts, and one of the panhard rod/track bar bolts.

In the next picture you can see I started to remove the lower link bolt, only to realize that I would not be able to remove the link from the sway bar without fighting with it. Removing the upper is a much easier option.
