Rear Air springs

[harlie]

Hi Guys

The nice courier man dropped off a new set of air bags last week, I thought with all the talk of air spring leaks I would replace mine (2004) as a scheduled exercise and not wait for them to let me and the car down...

On Friday night I replaced the front strut/bag assemblies, all good nice and easy but I did need to pick up a 18mm open spanner (read somewhere listing tools required) and would have been interesting without it. Only other thing was that a depressurise via diagnostic equipment doesn’t fully depressurise, need to bleed remaining once you loosen the hose connection – may as well just bleed the lot from the connection.

Must admit it feels better with new front shock/struts.

Did a search on info (mainly tools required) for changing the rears and there’s no talk about it. Is no one replacing rears yet?

[Homestar]

I haven't heard of anyone doing the rears yet, even on very high KM examples. I'm sure someone must have done some by now, but not heard of it myself.

[ahebron]

Hi Harlie
I replaced both my front after the right one burst. To many pies I think.
But I then had to replace on nboth sides the arb links, upper arm ball joint and rubber bush as the damn things all of a sudden started knocking. And of course they only did it after I replaced each component so it was multiple postage costs. I also fitted a new servotronic valve as the steering started playing up.

Adrian

[justinc]

Hi Guys

The nice courier man dropped off a new set of air bags last week, I thought with all the talk of air spring leaks I would replace mine (2004) as a scheduled exercise and not wait for them to let me and the car down...

On Friday night I replaced the front strut/bag assemblies, all good nice and easy but I did need to pick up a 18mm open spanner (read somewhere listing tools required) and would have been interesting without it. Only other thing was that a depressurise via diagnostic equipment doesn’t fully depressurise, need to bleed remaining once you loosen the hose connection – may as well just bleed the lot from the connection.

Must admit it feels better with new front shock/struts.

Did a search on info (mainly tools required) for changing the rears and there’s no talk about it. Is no one replacing rears yet?


almost the same as a p38, there is a top clip, pull it out, then a bolt up from the bottom through the lower control arm. depressurise first though:o when the bag is pulled down you can access the actual air fitting and remove it.


jc

[harlie]

Thanks lads, looking at the new ones it looks easy, I'm waiting on new shocks to arrive, do it all together. The new struts on the front made a big difference to handling - anyone who thinks their struts are good after 200k is dreaming. Before I changed them we did the old jump on the bumper shock test and they felt fine, I was convinced we wouldn't notice any difference, but wow - now I notice the difference in the rear.

@ 170k, had no leaks but I'm glad I've changed them.

[Homestar]

Yeah, they were on borrowed time at 170KKM. Mine went about then. Let us know what difference new shocks in the back makes. I too noticed a big difference when I swapped the front struts.