Air bag install

[neilp]

My '93 Itasca came with a 3T air bag system that is no longer working so I've bought a replacement Air Lift set up. I'm currently working on removing the old system which is a bunch more fun that I needed... a lot of rusted bolts. Still, progress is being made albeit slowly.

 

I'm beginning to think about the install of the new set up which goes where axle bump stop is located, between the axle and the frame. it looks to me like I'll need to jack up the frame and put it on stands, about 2" higher than it currently sits so I have clearance to install the new air bags. I'm thinking, once the u-bolts are loosened, a jack under the axle will create the clearance needed to get the air bag lower bracket underneath the u-bolt above the axle. This seems to be what the instructions are suggesting.

 

Any advice from those who have installed these before would be appreciated!

 

TIA

 

 

 

 

[stan6406]

1 hour ago, neilp said:

My '93 Itasca came with a 3T air bag system that is no longer working so I've bought a replacement Air Lift set up. I'm currently working on removing the old system which is a bunch more fun that I needed... a lot of rusted bolts. Still, progress is being made albeit slowly.

 

I'm beginning to think about the install of the new set up which goes where axle bump stop is located, between the axle and the frame. it looks to me like I'll need to jack up the frame and put it on stands, about 2" higher than it currently sits so I have clearance to install the new air bags. I'm thinking, once the u-bolts are loosened, a jack under the axle will create the clearance needed to get the air bag lower bracket underneath the u-bolt above the axle. This seems to be what the instructions are suggesting.

 

Any advice from those who have installed these before would be appreciated!

 

TIA

 

 

 

 

i just put mine on a few weeks ago. i didnt have to completely remove the old bags i had. i did one side tires on and took them off for the other side. Much easier with tires off. i could loosen the ubolts just enough to slide that bracket under them. biggest problem i had was drilling the holes to mount the top bracket one side on my sunland express has all the brake lines run right where i need to drill i ended up having to cut a little bit off the bottom brackets i couldnt get them to mount without completely moving the u bolts.

[neilp]

13 hours ago, stan6406 said:

i just put mine on a few weeks ago. i didnt have to completely remove the old bags i had. i did one side tires on and took them off for the other side. Much easier with tires off. i could loosen the ubolts just enough to slide that bracket under them. biggest problem i had was drilling the holes to mount the top bracket one side on my sunland express has all the brake lines run right where i need to drill i ended up having to cut a little bit off the bottom brackets i couldnt get them to mount without completely moving the u bolts.

 

Hi Stan,

 

Thanks for the info. I think the brackets have room on mine but have yet to get to check that. Did you jack the camper up on the frame and then lift the axle to get the space under the u-bolts?

[stan6406]

axle is on top of the springs so i lifted the the camper a little , not off the ground, and put jackstands on the frame that was so it couldnt fall. then i jacked up the spring   right under the axle and loosened the ubolts. threaded the bolts back on and tapped them up with a small hammer then slid the bracket in. dont tighten it until you get the top lined up. i did have to get a bottle jack because a floor jack didnt allow me any space to work.

[neilp]

Excellent, thanks for the confirmation  - that is about what I plan to do. Seems like the best and safest way to go.

 

Getting the old air bags off has been a task so far. Snapped bolts everywhere including the bump stop. So next step is to remove those broken bump stop bolts as they are in the way of the new bags. I'm hoping that there's room for the grinder. Then on to removing the other side. Slow progress especially as I have to fit this project in between work commitments!

[htioki]

You will have more room for a grinder to cut the bumpstop if you remove the wheels.  I was also replacing shocks and leaf spring bushings, so with the leaf spring shackle off, the springs drop and gave me room that is needed to install the new air bag assembly.  If I remember, on one side, the shock was in the way of drilling in in the new upper hole into the frame for the upper bracket.   

[neilp]

Thanks for the advice, I got the job done. For anyone doing this in the future:

 

- I positioned the Toymo with the cab on my drive's "downslope"  - I have about a 3 degree slope. In the past I jacked it up the other way and the camper would wobble on  the jack stands like a teeter-totter. Scary.

- I put jack stands under the frame just in front of the rear springs. 

- This was sufficiently stable that I could jack on the differential to raise the axle as needed to get the space for the air bag install.

- I also used a scissor jack under the U-bolt plate to lift the axle end and get the U-bolt clearance for the air bags.

 

The old air bag fittings were badly corroded, I had to cut many of them off using the grinder when there was space and a Dremel when there wasn't. The U-bolts needed a long breaker bar and a lot of effort to get them moving. 

 

Test drive results: only a few miles but it feels very different with 40 psi in the air bags. It felt as though I was riding on the springs rather than the bump stops as it did in the past. I think a bit more air would feel better. I'll be experimenting!

 

All in all a PITA job, but the advice above was very helpful, thanks again!