Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 10, 2025 ...

Air Bag Replacement Question

September 14, 2019, 12:40:19 pm

In the process of changing rear air bags,do you have to remove the outer rear tire or can you shimmy the old one out and shimmy a new one in?For future reference,used a long 1/2 inch extension to remove the bottom nuts.

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #1 – September 14, 2019, 12:44:36 pm

I changed mine with the wheels on, on one side, and removed both wheels on the other. It can be done either way, but removing the outer tire would have made that side faster even allowing for the tire removal.
You have Budd wheels and can run the inner tire on a 2"x 6" and if I take the lugs off both wheels are loose.

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #2 – September 14, 2019, 02:00:07 pm

I replaced all 8 of mine by myself last month, with all the wheels on and safely on the ground.  Raised up each end at a time, installed safety blocks (4 x 11" long 2 1/2" black pipe), bled off the air, took off the fenders.  Easy peasy.  I'll never remove a wheel on my coach myself, ever again.  Long story, but I almost died last time I did.  Pulling the fenders is not as difficult as you'd think, once you know how they're hung, and it gives you easy access to the bags and shocks (except the right front forward stuff that's all hidden behind the step)  Woody.

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #3 – September 14, 2019, 02:00:59 pm

If it where me the tires would be out of the way. Or pull the fenders as said above.

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #4 – September 14, 2019, 02:44:20 pm

Woody, did you take pictures of how to get the fenders off?  What about the painted trim?

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #5 – September 14, 2019, 02:54:00 pm

I just squeezed the new airbag together and put the rubber cap on the stem to hold a vacuum and then worked the bag in between the tire and the fender lip. No big deal on a '03.  The old ones were sawzalled in half so it was easy to remove them.

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #6 – September 14, 2019, 06:06:11 pm

I see more and more people removing the fenders and like it. Simple and so much room to work and at same time fix other soon to be issues.
JohnH

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Re: Air Bag Replacement Question

Reply #7 – September 14, 2019, 06:53:08 pm

Sorry Roger I didn't take pictures, but there are quite a few on BeamAlarm site.  The trim rail pries off easily with gentle persuasion from a wide blade, long handled screwdriver, and I just popped off enough to get to all the screws holding the fender onto the body...held the trim out of the way with a bungee.  One of my fenders had been previously siliconed to the frame so I used a couple of thin putty knives to loosen it.  Had to drill out a few rivets that secure the lower braces to the fenders, replaced them with self tapping bolts.

As far as the painted areas go, in doing fender removal twice in the last year, for shocks and then bags, didn't get a noticeable mark or chip on the painted swoosh areas.  To reattach the trim rail, I just tapped it back into place with the butt end of a big screwdriver and put a dab of latex caulk on the ends.  Hope that helps.  Woody.

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