Airlift Airgbag Failure

[Brentbba]

Anyone ever have an Airlift bag fail?

My DS has developed a leak up at the air nipple at the top of the bag. Finally got around to getting the hi-lift jack out to get the beast up off the ground high enough to unweight the coil and take a look at exactly where the leak was. Was hoping it was just failure of the air line where it enters from above the bag, but it's the bag itself. Air line would have been an easy fix. Trying a little silcone adhesive sealant, but I doubt that'll hold. Only option is to get a new bag. These have been in a good 4-5 years or more.

 

[titanpat57]

I'm curious to what happens when the bag fails since the rubber jounce stop is cut off. Does it bounce like crazy...or just noticeable under a load?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[Ebag333]

Have you talked to Air Lift yet? They may cover it.....

 

[Brentbba]

I'm curious to what happens when the bag fails since the rubber jounce stop is cut off. Does it bounce like crazy...or just noticeable under a load?

Thanks,

Pat

No bounce - still have OME heavies back there.

Have you talked to Air Lift yet? They may cover it.....

I haven't. Figured it was long out of warranty. Bag has a leak probably where the nipple connects to the air line that's probably just from rubbing at the top of the coil. Wear and tear is what I'd personally call it, but it's worth a try.

 

[HJ-45CrewCab]

I have a motorhome on a Workhorse chassis and they use Airlift bags in the front IFS suspension to help carry some load. Mine lasted 8 years before the first bag failure. Seems normal in RV crowd. Your 4-5 years makes sense on a 4x4 due to the additional friction due to the suspension flexing.

 

[alia176]

can you take a picture of the exact source of the leak? I haven't heard of the actual bag failing but anything can happen. My nipple got rubbed raw and the air line was no longer secured well. I know that lots of folks have air line leakage from installation issues as do I.

Thanks.

 

[Brentbba]

can you take a picture of the exact source of the leak? I haven't heard of the actual bag failing but anything can happen. My nipple got rubbed raw and the air line was no longer secured well. I know that lots of folks have air line leakage from installation issues as do I.

Thanks.

No pic. Appeared to be a small crack/scoring right where the nipple enters the bag. I slathered it with a bunch of silicone sealant for the vacation this week. Not towing, so even w/o a bag I'm ok. Will check psi when I get home and if it's nothing will probably just replace both bags. Shoot $78 for a new kit from Truck Add On's and an hour or so of work for me. I had 4 Wheel Parts to the install the first time. They removed the shock and took the coil off. As others have said here, it can be done w/o removing the coil.

 

[titanpat57]

Brent...piut mine in yesterday...what a royal pain...don't know what I did wrong, but man...what a workout.

I ain't no mechanic, and that might've had a direct bearing on taking all day.

 

[Brentbba]

Brent...piut mine in yesterday...what a royal pain...don't know what I did wrong, but man...what a workout.

I ain't no mechanic, and that might've had a direct bearing on taking all day.

All day? Did you have the coil all the way unweighted? When I checked my DS for the leak I used my 60" hi-lift jack and put her up high to completely unweight the coil to give me as much space between the coil as possible. I was able to compress the old bag to get air out enough to move the bag up and down to access the nipple.

I'd think squeezing a new bag between the coils before any air was in it wouldn't be to bad???

 

[titanpat57]

All day? Did you have the coil all the way unweighted? When I checked my DS for the leak I used my 60" hi-lift jack and put her up high to completely unweight the coil to give me as much space between the coil as possible. I was able to compress the old bag to get air out enough to move the bag up and down to access the nipple.

I'd think squeezing a new bag between the coils before any air was in it wouldn't be to bad???

That's how I did it...but now in hindsight(always being you know what...) I probably would've followed the instructions and lifted the body free of the coils, then install the bag and slide the whole mess back in.

Maybe the coils on the LC are a bit bigger, but once I got the spare tire out...I put the floor jack under the driver side frame in the rear and pumped it up. The instructions want you to disconnect the sway bar and brake lines, I don't think so Scooter..unbeknownst to me THAT was the esay one...the sway bar bracket is in the way of the other side, so you have to attack from the wheel side in.

Either way it wasn't pretty, so I hope it holds, next time I'm following the instuctions...

wait..what!?!?!

]

Pat

 

[Brentbba]

Well, I did watch 4 Wheel Parts put mine in. Sway bar disconnected, shocks removed and coil out for the install. Of course this was all up on a lift.

 

[FirstToy]

if the nipple is facing up, that may be the problem. Flexing, it will pull away from the upper seat and smash back on compression. Likely, the nipple will not be perfectly aligned and hit the upper seat. Probably happened many cycles before it finally failed.

I seem to remember Airlift recommends installing w/ the nipple faced down for this reason. It is much more likely to stay on the lower seat and not cause damage.

Much easier to undo one swaybar bolt and pull out the coil and pop in the bag. It took a couple hours for the entire install.

 

[Brentbba]

if the nipple is facing up, that may be the problem. Flexing, it will pull away from the upper seat and smash back on compression. Likely, the nipple will not be perfectly aligned and hit the upper seat. Probably happened many cycles before it finally failed.

I seem to remember Airlift recommends installing w/ the nipple faced down for this reason. It is much more likely to stay on the lower seat and not cause damage.

Much easier to undo one swaybar bolt and pull out the coil and pop in the bag. It took a couple hours for the entire install.

Yep - Airlift does recommend nipple down. Routing the airline seemed problamatic that way tho with no safe way to route it thus the install nipple up. 4WheelParts did grind out that opening up top to allow the nipple room up there. Yes, I know that means no threads to reinstall the bump stops if I ever chose to remove the airbags.

Hope all is well with you James!