| Air Spring TBO [message #158179] |
Fri, 27 January 2012 07:06  |
Luvn737s
Messages: 1106
Registered: June 2007
Karma: 2
|
Senior Member |
|
|
With all the airbag talk going on, has anyone researched a life expectancy of some of the replacement air springs? What should their Time Between Overhaul, or lifespan be, based on what users in other applications have experienced? I wouldn't imagine commercial trucks, for instance, just run them until they blow.
Randy
1973 26' Painted Desert
Ahwatukee (Phoenix) AZ
|
|
|
|
| Re: Air Spring TBO [message #158180 is a reply to message #158179] |
Fri, 27 January 2012 07:14  |
 |
mgrue
Messages: 192
Registered: October 2010
Location: Valmeyer IL
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
On commercial trucks we inspect the truck every 20,000 miles. That works out to about every month and a half. The bags usually start to leak long before they blow out completly. If you take a look at them and find cracks it is time to replace them. once water gets to the cords they will not last long. You will probably find that the biggest problem is UV cracking. Some bags last in excess of 10 years, some less then a year. Sitting still with little or no use seems to kill them quick.
Mark
| Luvn737s wrote on Fri, 27 January 2012 07:06 |
With all the airbag talk going on, has anyone researched a life expectancy of some of the replacement air springs? What should their Time Between Overhaul, or lifespan be, based on what users in other applications have experienced? I wouldn't imagine commercial trucks, for instance, just run them until they blow.
|
Mark Grueninger 76 Palm Beach
Valmeyer IL
[Updated on: Fri, 27 January 2012 07:15] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Air Spring TBO [message #158190 is a reply to message #158180] |
Fri, 27 January 2012 09:33 |
Jim Bounds
Messages: 842
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I have seen some wear on the new bags used in the quad bag system, it has taken some time but you gotta remember in the end all is lost but faith, hope and love. If it's made by man the only real guarantee is eventually it will fail so expect failure, look for it and you will never be let down. The new air bags on the scene have new materials formulations and this may be why it has taken so long to see any wear out issues.
Yes, Mark is right on, when you see a weather crack know when water will get into the bag and the bag is on the slippery slope to failure. You simply do not want to wait until that happens. Yea, it takes bucks to do the right thing but hey, what do we have this beast for--- to drive! If you have weather checking on your air bags, and who does not-- you really need to get safe and modify your coach for the future. Not to get you by another day but to protect you and your coach for the future. There are options out there, be sure there are no downsides to the one you choose. I know the quad bag is on the higher price side but honestly guys, there are no downsides to it other than the cost-- trust me when I tell you it's not a windfall for the dealers selling it. It costs $ to do nice things and this item is simply no different. it's not the price of the bags but of the unique mechanism to hold them. They work and work well, the quad bag
system is essentially bolt in and there have been enough of them on the market that any bugs have been worked out. You do not need a mechanic to install it if you want to do it yourself but if you do want to pay someone the job will go quickly which makes that labor cost as low as possible.
Who ever said owning and maintaining a motorhome is cheap and easy. You didn;t get a GMC to not spend money so do what comes naturally to those of us nuts enough to have one of these-- keep it on the road and viable-- install a quad bag system and then worry about the rest of your motorhome! You can get a set through me and with that you get me to call for issues, Jim K. sells them and actually keeps the stock pile at his place. The cost is the same so take that out of your mind. It's not the cost thats important rather if the part is the right thing and do you have a support group with the install, adjustment and maintenance.
Our original air bags are aging and with that it is simply a matter of time until everyone will be forced to address this issue. If you have cracks on your original air bags now, understand you are flerting with desaster already so it may be time to think carefully.
Jim Bounds
------------------
________________________________
From: Mark Grueninger <markgrue@hotmail.com>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Air Spring TBO
On commercial trucks we inspect the truck every 20,000 miles. That works out to about every month and a half. The bags usually start to leak long before they blow out completly. If you take a look at them and find cracks it is time to replace them. once water gets to the cords they will not last long. You will probably find that the biggest problem is UV cracking.
Mark
Luvn737s wrote on Fri, 27 January 2012 07:06
> With all the airbag talk going on, has anyone researched a life expectancy of some of the replacement air springs? What should their Time Between Overhaul, or lifespan be, based on what users in other applications have experienced? I wouldn't imagine commercial trucks, for instance, just run them until they blow.
--
Mark Grueninger 76 Palm Beach
Valmeyer IL
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
