SLS / air bag suspension question

[phantomracer]

I noticed the other day the pass side rear of the truck was down all the way.

I started the car and it reinflated and stayed inflated for a few days...then it was flat again (same side)

Would this be an indication of a bad air bag..or something else (leak in a line, etc)

Just looking to see where to investigate when I get a chance to get under it.

I do pull a heavy trailer, and want to ensure I don't have any surprises when I am trailering! That would be a bad thing!

Before I go out and buy an air bag or 2, just want to cover all bases in the system

Thanks

Paul

 

[MUSKYMAN]

I noticed the other day the pass side rear of the truck was down all the way.

I started the car and it reinflated and stayed inflated for a few days...then it was flat again (same side)

Would this be an indication of a bad air bag..or something else (leak in a line, etc)

Just looking to see where to investigate when I get a chance to get under it.

I do pull a heavy trailer, and want to ensure I don't have any surprises when I am trailering! That would be a bad thing!

Before I go out and buy an air bag or 2, just want to cover all bases in the system

Thanks

Paul

It sounds like a air bag and in most cases thats the failure point.

I have a near brand new one here if you need one. Its out of a truck I recently converted to springs.

The air bags will at some point let you down...I am a huge fan of doing a coil swap as they coils fix the thing for good and ride better in most peoples opinion. they also are much more stable to pull a trailer with.

 

[Lake_Bueller]

I've had problems for the past 2 years with my air bags. After replacing them and still having a leak, I'm switching to coil springs. The air bags have their positive points (self leveling while towing) but they're not worth the hassle in the harsh Wisconsin winters.

 

[leeawalden]

I have 5 of these bags I have left over from doing a coil conversion (if you're interested)...I ran them stock, and with 2" SLS spacers and even offroad never had any problems at all with them. I moved to 3" coils all around and the original 2 never had any problems and I have 3 others that don't either. I loved the SLS for pulling boats and trailers, and if that is what you primarily do with your disco, I would keep them. That just me though...

 

[pdogg]

there's a white disco that sometimes visits a neighbor down the street from me, with clearly an airbag issue.. it's parked there with it's ass low... pretty funny to see.. I want to walk down there and tell him about the coil conversion...

 

[phantomracer]

there's a white disco that sometimes visits a neighbor down the street from me, with clearly an airbag issue.. it's parked there with it's ass low... pretty funny to see.. I want to walk down there and tell him about the coil conversion...

Maybe he is doing it as a theft deterrant!!

 

[landdog]

Do the coils. Get a real suspension and never look back.

 

[phantomracer]

I like/need the air. When I launch and recover the boat, I can lower the tounge with the remote to aid in the recovery of the boat onto the trailer (and vice versa).

Sure I can get a lower dropped hitch, but it will be too low trailering..

Get a stock hitch it will trailer well but be too high launching/recovering.

The air bag suspension solves ALL my trailering problems.

My question was/is if the air bags are most likely the problem in my case, or are there other weak areas in the system to look at before getting the bags.

I understand the virtues of the coil springs, but they are not an option to me at this point. I have another truck I can use that has coils, but doesn't help me with my boat as well as the rover does that I can lower/raise. The disco with air bags trailers VERY well, is flexible, and it is the primary use of the rover.

 

[GDK]

I just noticed a similar problem with my wife's 04, but both sides are down every couple of days. Still most likely an air bag issue or maybe something else since both are deflated at the same time, but definately not everyday?

Also we are planning a little easy wheeling this weekend any concerns?

 

[KyleT]

I wouldnt wheel with leaky bags... if it lets down on you, you are gonna hate it.

I have 2 extras from my truck, I converted when I lifted...

 

[dannyballs]

This has come up before regarding the conversion to springs. What exactly do you gain when you convert and how are springs superior? I tow a 31 ft trailer between Chicago and the various campgrounds in the area and my biggest problem is the wheelbase of the Disco. The bags have yet to let me down.

 

[flyfisher11]

Mix some dishwashing soap with water so that it is not too thick. Put it in a bottle that you can squirt it (like a ketchup bottle that you'd find at a diner). follow all the lines to the compresser sqirting it on the lines up to the couplings at the compressor. If it's leaking anywhere there it will bubble. If no leaks then it is one or both of the bags. You can also dunk the bags in water and look for leaks for them.

 

[GDK]

I will do the water and soap tomorrow, does it work to squirt the air bags while on the truck rather than dunking, maybe in the offroad position? Thanks all

 

[KyleT]

run it through the cycle, some leaks wont show if it is in a certain height. they tend to crack around the area that tucks under.

 

[flyfisher11]

I will do the water and soap tomorrow, does it work to squirt the air bags while on the truck rather than dunking, maybe in the offroad position? Thanks all

The soap is there to adhere to the lines btw as water would just run off of everything. Try it for sure with the bags on there and like the previous post hit it at all heights if you can.

edit: There are three air lines going into the compresser that have compression fittings with O rings on them. Make sure to hit that area well.

 

[GDK]

Thanks for the info Flyfisher11 and Kylet. Having the wife leave me the Disco tomorrow.

 

[justintoxicated1]

i hope you find the leak. about a year ago i replaced my airbags with arnott lifetime warranty airbags. worked great for about 7 months, then the passenger side started to deflate slowly, like a day and a half. sprayed the airbag and lines with soapy water, no leaks. now the passenger side will completely deflate within 4 hours or so. once the truck is running, it inflates. valve block perhaps? going to coils tax time.

 

[Nantahala]

So the wife's DII is sagging... Air bags were replaced with Arnotts a year or two ago and aren't leaking after being sprayed in multiple heights. Sprayed soapy water on all the lines to the compressor and on the line from the compressor to the valve block and didn't find anything (a Rover shop that changes oil also checked everything and couldn't find a leak). Left the door open for a day to inactivate the computer balancing to see if we could determine if it was one side that was leaking, but both went down evenly...

So, does anybody know of any obvious culprits around the compressor like a valve or just the compressor itself that would be leaking? I'm too lazy to go looking for a diagram and rebuilding the whole thing, but thought I would give something easy a shot if there were a few more items to test or look for before either replacing the whole compressor or converting to coils.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[flyfisher11]

So the wife's DII is sagging... Air bags were replaced with Arnotts a year or two ago and aren't leaking after being sprayed in multiple heights. Sprayed soapy water on all the lines to the compressor and on the line from the compressor to the valve block and didn't find anything (a Rover shop that changes oil also checked everything and couldn't find a leak). Left the door open for a day to inactivate the computer balancing to see if we could determine if it was one side that was leaking, but both went down evenly...

So, does anybody know of any obvious culprits around the compressor like a valve or just the compressor itself that would be leaking? I'm too lazy to go looking for a diagram and rebuilding the whole thing, but thought I would give something easy a shot if there were a few more items to test or look for before either replacing the whole compressor or converting to coils.

Thanks,

Matt

Hey Matt how have you been? I gave my compressor to Brandon and he has since drilled and tapped it to make an onboard compressor out of it. Anyway there is a relay that allows the thing to deflate. I cannot remember where it is. Personally I'd swap it to coils. You know we all preach that around here. If you need a hand with it let me know and I'll be glad to help you out.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Nantahala]

Hey Mike. I just saw that there were a few folks getting together at Barley's tonight - day late and a dollar short. This has just been a busy summer.

Yeah, I converted the '95LWB to coils and installed the new bags on the DII, but I kinda like the SLS and want to keep it if possible (it's soooo clean under there... ). Tony at Torque said that if I converted it to coils that he would reset the computer for me... He's a good guy. I might just hit Will up for a whole new unit. There's got to be a bunch of them out there that are in pretty good shape.

Matt