Airbags on 03 U295

Topic: Airbags on 03 U295 (Read 2052 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #25 – June 14, 2017, 12:05:45 am

How does the airline disconnect?

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #26 – June 14, 2017, 09:00:26 am

Quote from: Jimmyjnr – June 14, 2017, 12:05:45 am

How does the airline disconnect?

You unscrew a fitting. That part is fairly easy. one nut on each of the airbags is where the special tools are sometimes needed.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #27 – June 14, 2017, 09:36:21 am

Is it necessary to seal off the air line while changing a bag? In other words will the bladders stay inflated?

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #28 – June 14, 2017, 10:05:13 am

Quote from: Travelin' Man – June 14, 2017, 09:36:21 am

Is it necessary to seal off the air line while changing a bag? In other words will the bladders stay inflated?

No. I raised the coach. Locked the chassis up with blocks, then dumped all the air. I plan to carry the blocks with me.
I have been told you can pinch the line with vise grips, but I would think it would damage the line.
If you had a leaky one, and can't air up, then that is where the cap I have would block off the line to the one bag. Then air up.
Chris

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #29 – June 14, 2017, 10:10:19 am

The bladder system is separate from the bags?

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #30 – June 14, 2017, 11:26:34 am

If you pull the wheel well fenders, it's super easy. If you don't, it's a lot harder for one of the nuts. A lot harder.

Pierce

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #31 – June 14, 2017, 02:47:20 pm

Quote from: Travelin' Man – June 14, 2017, 10:10:19 am

The bladder system is separate from the bags?

From what I see happen, it dumps all the air in the tanks when I pull the line. But I don't have slides.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #32 – June 14, 2017, 03:45:47 pm

When you pull the line off the airbag you will let the air out of the bag and air line back to the HWH manifold. As long as the HWH system is off no air will travel out of the air tanks through the HWH manifold to the air bag.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #33 – June 15, 2017, 06:25:07 pm

Update.
Did the other side. One Bolt was a hassle, it would have came off if I kept going. Pulled out the sazall, "Bamb" Done. No fuss, no gouged metal etc. The secret is to loosen the nut some,let the bag drop off the plate a little, so there is room to cut it off.
45 min. from start to finish, included washing my hands.
I agree with Pierce, if on the road, and any hassle, take off the fender.
I bought this today for future emergency if needed. $15.00. This should work even better then a swivel headed ratchet for the hidden one.

3/8" Heavy Duty Flexible Ratchet

BTW....Blaster PB is your friend

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #34 – June 15, 2017, 06:26:57 pm

Quote from: gracerace – June 14, 2017, 02:47:20 pm

From what I see happen, it dumps all the air in the tanks when I pull the line. But I don't have slides.

Incorrect on my part. John is correct. Air stays in the tanks

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #35 – June 15, 2017, 06:32:34 pm

Quote from: Travelin' Man – June 14, 2017, 10:10:19 am

The bladder system is separate from the bags?

You will need to check the air diagram for your coach. Since the aux compressor feeds both leveling and slide bladders, there are likely check valves that are *supposed* to isolate things, but never assume

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #36 – June 19, 2017, 03:54:02 pm

FYI, just went through this on my front 4 airbags. Found a local source that had the cross referenced Goodyear part# - 1R11-150 the next day. Sweet. Took off the front fenders & changed out the front bags using 6-3/4" long 2" SCH40 steel pipe frame blocks. Afterwards, aired up the bags and the frame blocks were still tight. Huh. They had at least 1/2"-3/4" clearance when I put them in with the old bags. Off to google, and there is all kinds of info.

Beam Alarm website has a sketch showing the Firestone W01-358-9448 airbag with a 14.2" extended height.
Firestone publication shows it having a 13.8" extended height.
Goodyear 1R11-150 has a 13.0" extended height.
The Contitech cross reference has a 14.4" extended height.

All are listed as crosses - but I suspect that just had to do with piston diameter and bolt arrangements for mounting.

Kind of in a dilemma now. I called Foretravel and they were disappointingly not helpful. Said that they set the ride height to 8.25" and expect 4" of travel up & down. Given those numbers, the Goodyear bags should be OK. But, I have to think that that extra height would be beneficial when trying to level up on not so level ground.

Anyone have experience with the Goodyear 1R11-150 bags? My source can get the Firestones to a tune of $210each in time before my vacation next week. Ouch.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #37 – June 19, 2017, 04:38:49 pm

How about free 2 day delivery from Michigan Truck Spring for $164 out the door? http://www.truckspring.com/products/Firestone-Reversible-Sleeve-Air-Spring__W01-358-9448.aspx
Even with the price increase, the Conti air bags are still a lot cheaper.
Conti 64286 AS9448 $111 @ AS9448 by CONTITECH - CONTITECH AIR SPRING 64286/1R11-150/8563
Firestone Style   1T15L-2
Firestone No.   W01-358-9448
FleetPride   AS9448
Goodyear   1R11-150
Goodyear Flex No.   566223021
Taurus   6368
Triangle   AS-8563
TRP   AS94480
Automann   1DK20D-9448

Pierce

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #38 – June 19, 2017, 05:33:07 pm

I cut open an air bag from my 96 U320 and it did NOT have steel cords, it was string of some kind.
Note that on my coach the front air bags have 45 - 50psi, while rear air bags have 75 - 80 psi, so much more likely to blow a rear bag.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #39 – June 19, 2017, 05:43:43 pm

Quote from: P. Wyatt Sabourin – June 19, 2017, 05:33:07 pm

I cut open an air bag from my 96 U320 and it did NOT have steel cords, it was string of some kind.
Note that on my coach the front air bags have 45 - 50psi, while rear air bags have 75 - 80 psi, so much more likely to blow a rear bag.

No steel cords here either. See attached photo for the air bags looked like when we bought the coach. Cords in the photo are string of some type as Wyatt says.

Pierce

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #40 – June 19, 2017, 11:36:11 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – June 19, 2017, 05:43:43 pm

No steel cords here either. See attached photo for the air bags looked like when we bought the coach. Cords in the photo are string of some type as Wyatt says.

Pierce

WOW....Those are bad.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #41 – June 20, 2017, 02:00:33 am

Did you try to cut through the "fibers"? I remember service showing me one like in the picture and just for grins I told them to cut it on the band saw. No way. Steel cords.

Not that you are incorrect as things may have changed in 30 years.

Put a magnet on it just for info

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #42 – June 20, 2017, 10:40:02 am

No, these look like cotton but are probably a Dacron type material. Threads are nice and soft.

P

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #43 – June 20, 2017, 07:35:54 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – June 20, 2017, 02:00:33 am

Did you try to cut through the "fibers"? I remember service showing me one like in the picture and just for grins I told them to cut it on the band saw. No way. Steel cords.

Not that you are incorrect as things may have changed in 30 years.

Put a magnet on it just for info

I cut the first two Firestone bags in half that I removed from the front of my 2000 U320, and can confirm there were no steel cords. Sawzall ate right through the rubber and whatever material cords were cast into the rubber.

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #44 – June 20, 2017, 07:38:46 pm

Thanks for the information Pierce. The issue is the difference in height between all of the cross referenced bags. The Goodyears are much shorter than other offerings.

I decided to stop worrying and move on with my trip preparations. Front Goodyears will stay on, the rear Firestones are in good enough shape (I hope). When things calm down after I return, I'll revisit and probably order the Continentals @ $111 & free shipping to replace all bags and then sell the Goodyears at a loss on Ebay.

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – June 19, 2017, 04:38:49 pm

How about free 2 day delivery from Michigan Truck Spring for $164 out the door? http://www.truckspring.com/products/Firestone-Reversible-Sleeve-Air-Spring__W01-358-9448.aspx
Even with the price increase, the Conti air bags are still a lot cheaper.
Conti 64286 AS9448 $111 @ AS9448 by CONTITECH - CONTITECH AIR SPRING 64286/1R11-150/8563
Firestone Style   1T15L-2
Firestone No.   W01-358-9448
FleetPride   AS9448
Goodyear   1R11-150
Goodyear Flex No.   566223021
Taurus   6368
Triangle   AS-8563
TRP   AS94480
Automann   1DK20D-9448

Pierce

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #45 – June 20, 2017, 08:33:08 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – June 14, 2017, 11:26:34 am

If you pull the wheel well fenders, it's super easy. If you don't, it's a lot harder for one of the nuts. A lot harder.

Pierce

Yup right front, front air bag.
Watched MOT drill a 4" hole in the stair well to access that one top bolt (after moving the carpet out of the way) then slathered the slug with adhesive and put it back into the hole....

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #46 – June 20, 2017, 08:44:41 pm

Quote from: saddlesore – June 20, 2017, 08:33:08 pm

Yup right front, front air bag.
Watched MOT drill a 4" hole in the stair well to access that one top bolt (after moving the carpet out of the way) then slathered the slug with adhesive and put it back into the hole....

This what I did before figuring out how to not make holes or remove fender panels.

Air bags

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #47 – October 13, 2017, 09:10:15 am

Quote from: gracerace – June 11, 2017, 02:04:10 pm

CONTITECH AS9448 - CONTITECH AIR SPRING 64286/1R11-150/8563

Under $100 with shipping..

Was looking around and found this link.. down a few bucks if anyone was looking.. he has 4 right now

Re: Airbags on 03 U295

Reply #48 – October 13, 2017, 10:27:59 am

I just put the (4) bags on the front of our coach earlier this week without removing any fenders or cutting any holes, and I'm planning to do the (easier) rears next week.

Like Gracerace I cut the bags off with a Sawzall, and used a 1-1/8" combination wrench from O'Reilly's after heating and bending the box end so it's in line with the shank and cutting 3" off the length;
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/performance-tool-4601/tools---equipment-16488/tools-17919/hand-tools-16814/wrench-16658/sae-box-combination-open-end-18011/combination-wrench/w334c/4614079

The 1-1/8" lock nuts that hold the air fitting studs are identical to the ones that hold the shocks on. I bought a 28MM deep impact socket that fits those shock nuts perfectly, and with an impact gun was able to get the shocks off, which was necessary for me to change out the air bags. When I reinstalled the bags I used regular non-locking nuts with a lock washer on the air fitting studs as it was a whole lot less work that way.

I also was able to reuse the air fittings themselves, and did I forget to say that because of the FT's rust-free condition underneath I didn't have to use any PB Blaster, Kroil or the like.

Happy Wrenching!

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