Rear end sagging

[hevfev]

We just bought a 2002 td5 privately. Had it 2 weeks, and when left in the garage a couple of days the rear end is sagging. (a bit like mine!) Does it sound like a leak in the air suspension? What are our options.. we live out near Bathurst and there are no service repairers nearby. Does it need to go to a qualified service repairer?

[Disco Steve]

does it have SLS or ACE?

[hevfev]

Sls

[ak]

It will be the rear air springs or bags what ever you want to call them and yes you are better off getting a speaclist Landie mechanic to change them. The height sensor's have to be reset. Don't go to LR dealer rip you off. Try some one like Graeme Cooper in Sydney 95502689. The longer you leave it you will wear out your compressor and that will cost you too. Some people here have gone to coils at the rear for a big saving. Depends if you tow SLS is great if you do alot of towing.

[hevfev]

So you dont think it is a leak? If it is a leak, do they need replacing, is it expensive?
I tow a horse float couple of time a month. Should we stick to SLS or would it be a better cheaper option to get coils?

[ak]

So you dont think it is a leak? If it is a leak, do they need replacing, is it expensive?
I tow a horse float couple of time a month. Should we stick to SLS or would it be a better cheaper option to get coils?

It will be cheaper to go to coils however the SLS levels up the rear for towing beautifully, if you went to coils you might be sorry you did if you do alot of towing. The rear air springs last about five years they go porous and just can't hold air. Depending on where you go you might be looking at around the $1,000 give or take. The dealer will be alot more.

[ak]

And yes it sounds like they do need replacing. Did mine about 18 months ago. Let us know how you get on.

[hevfev]

Thanks heaps... we will give Graeme Cooper a call.

[BradM]

Hi,
Spray a little soapy water around the metal bit screwed into the air bag on top of it where the air line goes into the bag. Sit back for about 5 minutes then check to see if you have lot's of little bubbles around it.

On my Oct 2002 build MY2003 Disco, I do not know what they used as the thread sealant but both mine were leaking leading to a sag especially on the drivers side.

After removing them and adding a bit of the old number 3 aviation gasket and pumping them back up I have had no more problems with them.

Fully inflating the SLS suspension and spraying soapy water onto them will also show a patch of air bubbles if the bag has gone pourous.

A couple of easy checks to do otherwise a trip to the LR specialist. It's amazing for such thin rubber how much weight they can carry.

[hevfev]

Thanks for that advice... I will get hubbie to do that when he gets home. Hope it saves a trip to Sydney! Hate driving in the big smoke!

[tedndoi]

Hi,
Spray a little soapy water around the metal bit screwed into the air bag on top of it where the air line goes into the bag. Sit back for about 5 minutes then check to see if you have lot's of little bubbles around it.

On my Oct 2002 build MY2003 Disco, I do not know what they used as the thread sealant but both mine were leaking leading to a sag especially on the drivers side.

After removing them and adding a bit of the old number 3 aviation gasket and pumping them back up I have had no more problems with them.

Fully inflating the SLS suspension and spraying soapy water onto them will also show a patch of air bubbles if the bag has gone pourous.

A couple of easy checks to do otherwise a trip to the LR specialist. It's amazing for such thin rubber how much weight they can carry.

Brad,

I'm interested to find out how you managed to deflate the airbags? The Rave CD procedure uses the testbook to reduce the air inside the spring? However, as`do not have testbook or autologic, when I exchanged the old springs for new I had to deflate the old springs using a needle. The valves are hard to get to unless you cut the air lines which then includes the issue of a flush surface???:confused:

[cal415]

Its quite easy, just jack up the car, support the chassis with stands then drop the axle down so when you deflate you dont crash the bags,, then pull the cover off the SLS compressor and remove the airlines to the bags, they will deflate, becareful not to strip the thread.

Good solution for leaky air springs is to use tyre slime,, you dont need alot of it and it will seal the bag. Just remove the spring, easy to do once deflated, it has 2 little clips on the ttop mount and a twist and lift clip on the bottom, undo the airline to the bag and squirt the slime in, roll it around in the bag and put it back together and inflate,, remember that they wont inflate with the doors open...

[BradM]

I supported the drivers rear side axle with a jack, then jacked up the body on drivers side to about the same height it would be with the air bag fully inflated with my trolly jack.

This gives enough room to get a spanner sideways onto the fitting (10mm I think), turned fitting until air started to escape. Let the air pressure drop and then unscrew the fitting completely.

The jacks support the axle housing and body. You probably do not need one on the axle but I am super causes when working on cars. Used Number 3 aviation gasket on thread and around the fitting on the end of the air pipe, rescrewed the fitting back in with spanner sideways on the fitting and left for 15 minutes.

To inflate I let the body down as far as it would go on the trolly jack, with drivers window down and door shut, I started the engine and pressed the SLS inflate up/down button. This after a few minutes started getting enough pressure into the bag to inflate. Turned off engine and removed jacks. Repeated above with window down and they pumped right up. I then took it for a drive and after two trips around the block it sorted itself out.

The reason that I let it down and did the above is that before this I started the engine to let the computer sort it out and nothing happened to inflate the bag. I think because the potentiometer on the arm that is supposed to be a height sensor was telling SLS computer that the body is lifted.

Repeated on passenger side. SLS working AOK as have towed my van since, no more leaks. I thought that I was going to have to replace the drivers bag as over night it would go right down but I was lucky and still have the $400 still in the bank.

Whilst deflated I removed the air bag completely to have a good look at them. I am amazed how thin the rubber actually is. Once clips are taken off the top you only have to twist it to remove it from the axle.

[BradM]

Long day.. you do need the jack on the axle..because you need to remove the wheel... to work on it.

[cartm58]

if your air bags are gone you can buy replacement bags from Air Bag Man in Qld he is on internet so google him.

They are non land rover bags made by Dunlop who manufacture the Land Rover Bags.

When my bags went in my 1993 Range Rover and l replaced them in 2005, so 12 years wear and tear.

I was quoted $700 per bag for Land Rover ones, got the Air Bag Man replacement ones for $200 apiece bought them locally from his distributor in Perth.

To convert from air bag suspension to coils would have cost me $2000 at the time.

Haven't had any problems with the bags since doing the replacement.

Don't know why anyone would want to go back to coil suspension