air bag question

mlbrodhagen

New member
Oct 6, 1999
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This weekend, sitting at the campsite the air bag went, thought it was the
bag but it was the bag shaft breaking and letting air go. The 3/4 inch
bolt or shaft that has the air line fitting in it, appears to have sheared
off at or equal to the depth of the threaded area for the air line
fitting--is this a weak area of the shaft?, anyone experience this? Bag is
good, would welding the shaft up be the best fix or does the shaft come out
of the bag?

Mike in GB
 
This weekend, sitting at the campsite the air bag went, thought it was the
bag but it was the bag shaft breaking and letting air go. The 3/4 inch
bolt or shaft that has the air line fitting in it, appears to have sheared
off at or equal to the depth of the threaded area for the air line
fitting--is this a weak area of the shaft?, anyone experience this? Bag is
good, would welding the shaft up be the best fix or does the shaft come out
of the bag?

OK shaft doesn't come out of the bag, but what stress other than someone
overtorquing the bolt on the shaft does/did the shaft see. I have access to
having the repair done by certified welders at work and extending shaft
length. Thought it was the bag that self destructed over time?

Mike in GB
 
Mike,

Gotta' agree with Tom on this one. Air bags ain't cheap, but having one
blow out while on the road will be costlier. Toss it and get a new one. If
you have access to a metallurgy lab, you might have them look at the failure
to determine cause. My bet would be corrosion, not overstressing.

Patrick

>
> OK shaft doesn't come out of the bag, but what stress other
> than someone overtorquing the bolt on the shaft does/did the
> shaft see. I have access to having the repair done by
> certified welders at work and extending shaft length.
> Thought it was the bag that self destructed over time?
>
> Mike in GB
 
>
>OK shaft doesn't come out of the bag, but what stress other than someone
>overtorquing the bolt on the shaft does/did the shaft see. I have access to
>having the repair done by certified welders at work and extending shaft
>length. Thought it was the bag that self destructed over time?
>
>Mike in GB

Hi Mike - the steel fitting does come out of the air bag. When I had
to change one once the nut was rusted on and the whole hollow pipe
fitting came out of the air bag. If I remember right it had a seal
or o ring inside the bag end. You can probably take it out by
tightening two nuts together on the shaft and grabbing the bag end in
a vise or use a pipe wrench since the shaft is broken anyway.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM