Big boom ---air bag .

Topic: Big boom ---air bag . (Read 2554 times) previous topic - next topic

Big boom ---air bag .

December 07, 2017, 07:44:26 pm

Started the coach engine , brought it up to ride height . Let it sit at fast idle to bring up the air pressure . Turned it off after checking tire pressure on the glass dash . Felt good and was sitting at my work bench and after a few minutes big boom . Scared me some , first thoughts were Viet Nam---Hmm. The tag bag burst on the passenger side . This is a first for me , never changed a bag before , but will change this one . Got to , can't go down the road like it is. So , will have one set from NAC and figure out how to do it and in fact do it . Got time to get it done 22 days before we pull the anchor . Very unexpected but like they say ship happens .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #1 – December 07, 2017, 07:46:26 pm

Hmmm. 7 years, relatively young nag Brad!

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #2 – December 07, 2017, 07:50:12 pm

I would check the other one very close, probably need to change them both. On our 03 both of the large tag axle bags had severe cracking at the rear bottoms of the bags, so I replaced them both.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #3 – December 07, 2017, 07:52:24 pm

Brad,

Please let us know the root cause of the failure. That is kind of "young" for an air bag to fail.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #4 – December 07, 2017, 07:52:44 pm

Coming down a logging road in Colorado I happened upon the two guys I worked for. They were sitting on the side of the road looking up under their old Western Star logging truck. I climbed under to see if they needed anything, and Silas told me the transmission had thrown craps on them. He said they were looking at repairing the tranny and I asked "right here?".
Silas looked at me like I was an idiot and said "Well, yeah, we ain't never figured out how to get them to break down while they're in the shop">

Guess you got that figured out though, huh Brad?

Good luck on your repair, and I'm glad you're not on the side of a logging road doing it!

Len

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #5 – December 07, 2017, 09:14:57 pm

Wow,that is a first for me too. I wonder why and I would probably change both out.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #6 – December 07, 2017, 09:30:45 pm

That young, something caused it, wasn't old age.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #7 – December 07, 2017, 09:44:20 pm

The air pressure was showing 122 pounds when I turned the engine off . The bag looks like it was loaded with explosives . It is shredded all over it's self . Looks like it split completely around the whole bag . Definitely surprised me . I inspected all the other bags and no cracking on any of them . They all look new to me ,just a little dusty . This bag location is located where the sun can not get to it . Maybe a defective bag . I will save it for anyone that would like to see it . Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #8 – December 07, 2017, 10:01:19 pm

Maybe the result of a stray bullet fired by one of them poachers you got skulking around your property.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #9 – December 07, 2017, 10:01:27 pm

Quote from: Brad Metzger – December 07, 2017, 09:44:20 pm

The air pressure was showing 122 pounds when I turned the engine off . The bag looks like it was loaded with explosives . It is shredded all over it's self . Looks like it split completely around the whole bag . Definitely surprised me . I inspected all the other bags and no cracking on any of them . They all look new to me ,just a little dusty . This bag location is located where the sun can not get to it . Maybe a defective bag . I will save it for anyone that would like to see it . Brad Metzger

Brad was this the lift bag or the regular bag? Looks like the regular bags use the same hcv's as the main axle. but the airbag that lifts the tag is on a 100 psi air regulator. If it was a lifting bag, would check that regulator first.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #10 – December 08, 2017, 02:34:22 pm

I'm going to make a post with my experiences replacing air bags(!) but I will say if you have a non-lifting tag those bags are the easiest to get at and replace despite their hidden location. The lifting tag I'm sure someone else can comment on but it's got to be different than my situation.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #11 – December 08, 2017, 02:43:08 pm

Quote from: Mark D – December 08, 2017, 02:34:22 pm

I'm going to make a post with my experiences replacing air bags(!) but I will say if you have a non-lifting tag those bags are the easiest to get at and replace despite their hidden location. The lifting tag I'm sure someone else can comment on but it's got to be different than my situation.

Same on a lifting tag, but looks like you might have to manually raise tag to get to lifting bags as they are normally compressed. Think Brad has a 45 ft and I have a 40 ft so might be different on his.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #12 – December 08, 2017, 03:49:54 pm

The bag that burst is the one that carries the load down the road . The lifting bag is not affected . First impression to replace looks like , jack to proper height , Remove the wheel . The bag is right there and looks like it should not be that big a deal to do . We'll see , as I said it is my first go round with a bag failure . The fun never stops .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #13 – December 08, 2017, 04:11:09 pm

In my case I crawled under the coach with the wheels on and support stands inserted. Plenty of room for me back in there. All that wasted space foretravel could have filled with... something... batteries?

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #14 – December 14, 2017, 08:12:27 pm

The bag was ordered a week ago . Billy Jack got involved as the order taker is new and struggled with it . Was told it would ship that day . Well-----here it a week later and no bag . Pony express---? Starting to wonder about this . Yes , I miss the previous parts MGR. Don't know what is what just yet but will phone again tomorrow .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #15 – December 14, 2017, 08:15:50 pm

On our 03 320 with the lifting tag, I got a number from the bag and ordered from Truck Spring in Michigan. They did not have it in stock, but I had it in about 10 days. I don't know if your air bag is the same as on the 03.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #16 – December 14, 2017, 08:24:32 pm

Quote from: Brad Metzger – December 14, 2017, 08:12:27 pm

The bag was ordered a week ago . Billy Jack got involved as the order taker is new and struggled with it . Was told it would ship that day . Well-----here it a week later and no bag . Pony express---? Starting to wonder about this . Yes , I miss the previous parts MGR. Don't know what is what just yet but will phone again tomorrow . Brad Metzger

Next time try MOT, they check if they have the parts in stock, and really do ship same day. Have called FOT several times and they have said they no longer stock the item because it is obsolete. Mot had the parts and shipped the same day. Just my experiences...

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #17 – December 14, 2017, 08:41:05 pm

That Michigan Truck Spring Company is a good business to deal with . Have dealt with them several times . Don't have the part number but if but if this persists will make a move . Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #18 – December 15, 2017, 11:02:57 am

Brad, we also had a tag axle failure like what you experienced on our 2007 Nimbus. Talking to several owners with 2007 and newer coaches, these failures are becoming more common. Apparently, the bags produced around this time period had some issues. When we had our last tag axle failure, I simply backed up the tag axle tire on a wood ramp after letting air out, chained up the axle, drove off the ramp with the tag now securely fastened up, and off to Foretravel. Luckily we were still at that time under warranty because they pulled every airbag off the rear of the coach and replaced them. When they were doing this work, I caught one mechanic cutting an airbag in half on the bench. I asked him if he was checking one of my older airbags. To my surprise, he stated this was a new airbag and was told to do this to check if the wall thickness was correct. Yes, they actually trashed one airbag to check the quality. Something they knew and were looking at.

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #19 – December 15, 2017, 12:49:05 pm

Low and behold ---the bag finally was delivered . Only took 8 days Hmm. The UPS driver put it on our front porch , totally ignoring a permanently place sign stating all deliveries go to side door . No big deal as I saw the truck arrive .Now the fun begins .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #20 – December 15, 2017, 10:38:10 pm

Well , I got into it . Way more than I thought it would be . First thing --there is no way in hell you can get to it without first removing that wheel . I crawled under that thing and could not reach to where two of the bolts were located that are bolted to the bag base . The rear bolt was doable only . Now the top two bolts could not be reached . It is so jam packed tight that you can't even get a light to it . So off came the wheel , big heavy thing . Now you can feel the two side bolts on the base . They are located in such a way that they are not visible . They required a very short open end wrench and tapped with a hammer to loosen . Tuff part is you can not see the bolt head , only feel when it is on then tap the end of the wrench with hammer and you can only get a sixteenth of a turn on the bolt at a time . The top was much better to deal with 3/4 socket . 8 inch extension over the top of the frame part , and again you can not see the nuts or the air line fitting . Not finished yet , had to stop , warn completely out . Physically used up for the day . Will go at it again in the morning . Too tired to eat supper so had a pity party instead .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #21 – December 16, 2017, 10:50:27 am

Brad if you lived closer I would bring some help... next time plan ahead and do this when friends are present

Good luck!

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #22 – December 16, 2017, 03:01:30 pm

Wow are you working on it this weekend?

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #23 – December 16, 2017, 07:58:46 pm

Had this big idea to finish it today , but my tired bones needed a day of rest . So just puttered around the shop all day . Lying flat on your back and reaching up after a few hours sure does get your attention in the tired arm department . So , Sunday , tomorrow is the day I plan to complete it . I would gladly have paid to have some one do this , but--- . It would have been way too much on the coach to drive it to NAC like that so that is why I decided to do it myself .

Brad Metzger

Re: Big boom ---air bag .

Reply #24 – December 16, 2017, 08:46:49 pm

Quote from: Brad Metzger – December 16, 2017, 07:58:46 pm

Had this big idea to finish it today , but my tired bones needed a day of rest . So just puttered around the shop all day . Lying flat on your back and reaching up after a few hours sure does get your attention in the tired arm department . So , Sunday , tomorrow is the day I plan to complete it . I would gladly have paid to have some one do this , but--- . It would have been way too much on the coach to drive it to NAC like that so that is why I decided to do it myself . Brad Metzger

Brad, for future knowledge, you could easily drive with the tag axle raised over great distances. I have on three occasions moved buses with a raised tag axle cross country. At first I was skeptical but when this was advised by the engineers at MCI and Prevost, I took their advice and was glad that they were right. It was explain to me that the tag axle makes the coach ride better but the coach could handle a single axle. I moved my Foretravel over 1300 miles with the tag up and no problem. Unless like you and I have owned a coach with a tag axle, this might not seem right but we know that raising the tag makes better turns and a better ride.

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