Before ordering the air bags for our U280, I would prefer to have new ones on hand before removing the old.(apparently the part number isn't accessible without removal) Could someone verify that the Firestone part number #W01-358-9448 is correct? I have searched the forum and unless I have missed something, I believe this is correct. A lot of the info is 5 years old, is there a better replacement available now or any better options?
Here is the link,
W01-358-9448, Firestone Reversible Sleeve Air Spring, Firestone Air Bag 9448... (http://www.truckspring.com/firestone-air-spring-w01-358-9448.html)
Are they a good company to do business with?
Thanks for any advice.
That's where I bought my eight. Michigan Truck Spring had the lowest price I could find on the internet. Their free shipping is significant because they are heavy.
I bought my eight Koni FSDs from Foretravel. With the Motorcade discount, they had the best price. (Shipping was a little more than I expected, but they were HEAVY, too.)
Hope this helps,
Trent
The site you posted only shows 4 in stock.
W01-358-9448, Firestone Reversible Sleeve Air Spring, Firestone Air Bag 9448... (http://www.truckspring.com/firestone-air-spring-w01-358-9448.html)
Yes they are and if you lived in Michigan, you have next day UPS delivery. Be sure to take a cart, wagon down the driveway as those bags are heavy. The UPS guy will love you for it.
We have replaced all 8 bag now.
When I bought mine, it showed only a few in stock, but they shipped all eight of them straight away. They seem to have a huge turnover with new stock coming in frequently.
Trent
Thanks for the tip! ....... as our driveway is about 1/4 mile long.
maybe I should only replace 4 at the time, easier on the back
and wallet!! ;D
I would do all 8 at the same time. Once you get the first one done the rest (except front passenger one) are easy.
I did some checking around and had all of mine replaced at a truck suspension shop, they bought the bags much cheaper than I could. In the end I think it was 4-$500.00 more than it would have cost me for just the bags.
The rear airbags run at about 78psi (5000 pounds pre bag), while the front run at about 48psi (3000 pounds per bag).
I replaced the rear bags first, then the front bags a few months later. When replacing the rear bags, I was surprised that one of them had not burst, cords were showing and rubber crumbling. When I replaced the front bags, I found the original bags in pretty good shape (much better than the rear) and felt that I got much better value when replacing the rear bags.
I changed our air bags last year before our trip out west, they were the originals to the best of my knowledge. I placed the old ones in a box in the back of the shop less the one I carried with us as a spare. As today was "Labor Day" I decided to labor in the shop and needed to do something with these old air bags. The bags were checked and flaking on the outside and wondered what they looked like on the inside. After cutting one in half......... and seeing the inside, maybe I could have gotten a few more years out of them?
I just hope the rest of the "air system" is as clean and dry as the inside of the 22 year old bags.
Your bags looked pretty good on the outside.
Pierce
Thanks for the pictures, mine are about same shape on the outside, good to know.
Were the belts shown metallic?
Not metallic..........cut the bags with a box cutter.
I'm planning to replace ours later this year but after seeing these photos I wonder. I believe the outside of ours is equal to or better than FourTravelers'.
Foretraveler, you may want to take a look in the commercial vender section. Old Town Motorcoach has a special 199.00 per bag installed. Hard to skin knuckles for that price.
As you can see in a cross section, the bags are really thick. Lots of rubber between the inside and the cord layer. They get the most damage from a combination of road spray and being folded over at the bottom when the air is low. When you can see the cords, it's time to start thinking about replacing them. I've replaced two with another two on board as spares. The cords had been showing when we purchased the coach and the first developed a leak several years later. You can see the compressor cycling a bit more and then a walk around will find the offender. The worst are usually the ones that pick up the road spray from the tires. Our compressor more than took care of the leaks. We even took a couple of camping trips an hour or so away with a slow leak in one. If one did develop a severe leak, it's doubtful the remaining bag would keep the tire off the top of the wheel well and you could get stuck by the side of the road. I do carry an air jack so I can extend the offending bag and stick a tubeless tire plug into it if necessary. Six of ours are still OEM 25 years later and no cord is showing.
I see the Continental bags have gone up a bit in price. Still a good deal.
Pierce
We've thought about replacing air bags but need to get through the brakes and fuel pump rebuild first. One shop said they'd replace right away. Another said they looked good. Ours look as good or better than those in the pictures so will probably wait and heal from the financial damage we are incurring now. Of course, fifty miles down the road one of them will start to leak but that's then and this is now.
Bruce I totally agree with "old town" doing the bags. Probably would have Wayne doing them would be another plus. He is a true professional. I had Bern'd do mine;" live and learn". But then there was only MOT and FT. Now you have a choice.
I had 2 of mine replaced a few years ago. The tech told me the the leaks will develop at the top of the bag around the metal plate where the the rubber is attached. there is very little flex in this area. He took a bottle of soap and water and sprayed the bag. You could see the bubbles around the top rim. There were no bubbles anywhere else on the bag. When you see the chords flexing against the cone at the bottom of the bag, the chords are being weakened. the chords are what gives the bag its strength to hold the pressure. (like steel belts in a tire). I have since replaced the rest of my bags. Its a simple job but a lot of hard work. The 199/bag deal at OTM is a deal.
When you can see the fabric cords like this, it's past time to replace.
Pierce
Might think about replacing them. Looks like you got most of the good out do them. 😎
This is an old photo. It's long since replaced. There is still a lot of rubber left between the cords and the inside cavity but when the cords start to fail, it's not long before they develop a leak. I was on the way home from camping when I noticed the compressor cycling pretty often. Yes, I got my use out of them.
Pierce
I replaced mine last year, removed the fenders, replaced four on one weekend and the other four a couple weeks later.
Not a bad job if you have the place at home to do it and take your time.
The Firestone 9448 part number looks correct. I don't have the receipt in front of me right now but it seems right. We did ours a week ago - and yes you do need to remove the trim and fender skirts to get access to the one top bolt. Actually it is pretty easy and two of us had to hustle to stay ahead of the mechanic who was removing the old and replacing the new. It was about four hours work once we figured out the first one. The cords were showing and the lower rubber was crumbly, so it seemed to be time. It is always better to replace at a time and place of your choosing, than to be thinking about doing at the side of a road somewhere!
When I found my first leaking bag, I took it to FT. They checked and found two others with small leaks. I didn't mess around and told them to change all eight.
Mark - if you decide to wait, check the integrity of your tag air bags first. Our 2003 had pretty bad leaks in 2014. They're a different bag than the other axles.