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Post by Beerwiser on Oct 9, 2022 11:54:38 GMT -6
Here is a picture of it still on. It still feels soft and pliable so I don't know. It is a firestone bag and came with the truck when I bought it so I don't know how old it actually is. online upload image
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Post by northernfarmer on Oct 9, 2022 12:11:09 GMT -6
I see some rubber cracking lines near the failure area and also on the upper right of the bag I see some pock marks into the surface. Although one will probably never know for sure, I have to wonder if the cracking of the outer rubber is partly a sign of extreme flex and the structure finally failed. It is a very good question as to what max pressure these bags can withstand. Although I have never had a bag let go "yet" for suspension, I have also replaced all of them on one of my used trucks due to them looking very suspect with major checking/dry rot in the area where the bag curved into itself at suspension ride height. I have had one of the small bags on the cab suspension spring a leak and swapped them out but again lots of dry rot so not surprised it failed.
Get the part number for that bag at the dealer if you need to and then also price out places like FGI or Traction etc also for a genuine firestone bag and hope someone has one in these stupid times !
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Post by kevlar on Oct 9, 2022 12:14:13 GMT -6
That bags days were numbered, see all the cracking along the curves. When you think of it, where those cracks are it might only be 1/2 or even 1/4 the thickness of the rest of the bag. Might pass a couple safeties like that but would eventually need changed.
A truck with a warning at 80 pounds??!! That’s not a farm truck!! lol
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Post by meskie on Oct 9, 2022 12:56:46 GMT -6
Yes that bag didn’t owe you much. I’ve changed a few freightliner bags that were like that as they were starting to leak.
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Post by Beerwiser on Oct 9, 2022 13:34:06 GMT -6
I have never changed a air bag, does a guy have to take the cone on the bottom off too? Just bypassed that bag for now, gonna let everything sit in weasle piss for now. No rush for the truck.
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Post by kevlar on Oct 9, 2022 13:47:36 GMT -6
I never changed a bag on our Freightliner so I might be wrong, but I don’t think you should have to, there should be access to the two bolts to the air bag from the bottom. Our Freightliner has been parked for a few years now so can’t remember exactly how it’s set up. There might only be one bolt on the bottom of the bag.
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Post by northernfarmer on Oct 9, 2022 13:48:57 GMT -6
Bags I have worked with always had the internal/lower center assembly as part of the whole bag assembly but I can't claim all bags are made that way. It appears yours has studs that come out of the top plate where some styles have threads into the top plate for bolts. Then the bottom may be a bolt or a stud that you might have to buy separately as again this is with Pete suspension that they required that bottom stud and most often it would twist off when unbolting so had to buy a new stud assembly along with the new bag.
I'd say as soon as businesses are open have your truck vin handy and call the dealer first and then go from there once you have a part number just to source a bag, it will all depend on how common a bag that is or who stocks what for parts that may not be used on later model units.
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Post by kevlar on Oct 9, 2022 14:14:16 GMT -6
Here’s something I was just wondering now we’ve been talking about this, how do the shops determine when a bag is out of service? Do they have a gauge or any way to measure the depth of the cracks? Or is it just up to the mechanics discretion?
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Post by northernfarmer on Oct 9, 2022 14:57:16 GMT -6
I had just asked a mechanic that used to do a certain amount of CVIP's in the past, I guess he still does them sometimes and he said that they used to be more sticky about bags 15 years ago and said if a bag had what they called a bruise on it, that was reason enough at the time for a fail. Now he figured the guide line is if any cords are showing and of course that would go along with much external cracking and dry rot that would expose those cords. I could be wrong but that tends to leave a slight grey area as one inspector may say its a pass while another would say its a fail in regards to a certain amount of fine cracking but not actually seeing the cords.
One thing is fairly clear though, Beerwiser ... your bag doesn't pass inspection LOL.
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Post by Beerwiser on Oct 9, 2022 15:11:04 GMT -6
So Nf, are you saying duct tape and baler twine won't help?🤣 Maybe black duct tape? Anyhow, looks like it is just two nuts on the top and one on the cone on the bottom. I may be remembering wrong, but another guy that runs freightliner said you don't have to take the bottom cone off as it is a separate part. Tuesday will tell when I phone.
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Post by meskie on Oct 9, 2022 16:56:27 GMT -6
One on the bottom that will likely break off then the two in the top. New bag should come with a stud and nut for the bottom. And get a new nut for the top one. The other top is the airline.
Last one I did took 20 minutes. If you can jack up the frame it makes it a lot easier.
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Post by Beerwiser on Oct 9, 2022 18:09:18 GMT -6
Awesome, thanks Meskie. It have a apron on the back for pintle hitch stuff so jacking it up will be easy.
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Post by northernfarmer on Oct 9, 2022 22:35:16 GMT -6
Thankfully in some ways ( hassle and the cost ) we don't have to get inspected "yet" in Alberta but of course the truck still has to pass a DOT inspection which I am told is somewhat less stringent then a CVIP which I realize makes no sense as you would assume its exactly the same. However if one does get the truck inspected by a mechanic, maybe check to see if he has a roll of haywire and black duct tape sitting on his tool chest as that would mean he's in tune with the farm program theme
In changing out air bags and that would depend on how the suspension is designed, I've done some weird things like throwing blocks of wood between the suspension and the frame on one axle and then drive that same axle up onto some wood and set the brakes. Then dump the air and change the bags on the opposite axle as the tire/suspension blocked axle holds up the truck enough to make life easy to work on the other axle, then swap it all around if needing to work in on the other axle. Although if all bags are holding then one can undo the air valve arm rod and lift the frame that way and block the suspension between frame and axle housings on all four points and let the air out as another method. If you have the means and place to jack the truck frame up like you do with a pintle hitch frame, that would work great as well and can always throw in wood spacers anyway after its jacked as a safety.
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Post by OptimallyDismal on Oct 10, 2022 6:31:24 GMT -6
Talking about hassle and cost, some years it worked out that it worked out to $1/km just for the safety inspection on my low annual mileage truck and trailer. That is crazy, thinking of going to a tandem, but I love my semi's.
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Post by meskie on Oct 10, 2022 7:05:57 GMT -6
The things they fix during a safety is stuff that should be fixed anyway. We get ours done every year just because. We haul past the scale enough and they don’t give you as much hassle when you got a sticker on your truck and trailers. Even if the truck is expired. Last couple times we have had ours in for a safety they we told the guy it should just needed a lick and stick….. he laughed as he hears that all the time with farm trucks. Only thing we needed was a tail light on the trailer. It worked sometimes and sometimes it wouldn’t.
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