[Richard]

I was lucky in that the rear air bag failed in a campground. The failure was caused by fluid leaking from the rear slide hoses onto the front of the two rear air bags in the driver side rear wheel well. The rubber in the bag was softened by the ATF and the bag simply delaminated. 

The coach sits flat on the wheels when this happens. Duh. 

Newell overnighted a bag at a respectable price. 

Here are a few tricks I learned and used in the removal and replacement. I had to use both of my 20 ton bottle jacks under the radius arm mount in order to lift the coach. Of course, I chocked the coach with wooden cribbing. As Steve posted in the other thread about rear bags, there are two studs on top, and one on bottom. A 3/4 wrench removed those easily. And the connection to the air fitting was handled with a big adjustable wrench. The removal process went south at this point. There is a 45 degree angle fitting on top of the bag that would not turn, and the bag will not come out of hole without removing the fitting. I could only get a 1 1/2 wrench on the fitting at two angles, neither of which would give me any leverage way up in the frame rail where the fitting is located. It is really tight up in there working around the differential and hydraulic fan cooler. 

I eventually cut it off with a side grinder and cutting wheel. Ugly, but effective. 

Then while at the local hydraulic place getting a replacement fitting, which by the way is  45 degree 1"NPT by 1" JIC (16), I had a eureka moment. The place had a big selection of crow's feet wrenches. This is the point of the post. The crows feet allow many different angles of approach when used with a flex head breaker bar. It was a piece of cake tightening the new fitting into the air bag, and tightening the air line connection using the crows feet. One of those wrenches in the right size would have saved me four or more hours of vocabulary creativity enhancement. 

So check the wheel well if you have a two slide HWH coach to make sure lines aren't leaking on the air bag. The failure would have been nasty on the road. And, if you take replacement of the air bags on yourself, think about getting a few crow's feet to fit the air line fittings.

Now, I have to figure out how to access the hose where it attaches to the cylinder. I know, under the bed, but it's under the part of the bed that doesn't lift.  

[ron skeen]

I was lucky in that the rear air bag failed in a campground. The failure was caused by fluid leaking from the rear slide hoses onto the front of the two rear air bags in the driver side rear wheel well. The rubber in the bag was softened by the ATF and the bag simply delaminated. 

The coach sits flat on the wheels when this happens. Duh. 

Newell overnighted a bag at a respectable price. 

Here are a few tricks I learned and used in the removal and replacement. I had to use both of my 20 ton bottle jacks under the radius arm mount in order to lift the coach. Of course, I chocked the coach with wooden cribbing. As Steve posted in the other thread about rear bags, there are two studs on top, and one on bottom. A 3/4 wrench removed those easily. And the connection to the air fitting was handled with a big adjustable wrench. The removal process went south at this point. There is a 45 degree angle fitting on top of the bag that would not turn, and the bag will not come out of hole without removing the fitting. I could only get a 1 1/2 wrench on the fitting at two angles, neither of which would give me any leverage way up in the frame rail where the fitting is located. It is really tight up in there working around the differential and hydraulic fan cooler. 

I eventually cut it off with a side grinder and cutting wheel. Ugly, but effective. 

Then while at the local hydraulic place getting a replacement fitting, which by the way is  45 degree 1"NPT by 1" JIC (16), I had a eureka moment. The place had a big selection of crow's feet wrenches. This is the point of the post. The crows feet allow many different angles of approach when used with a flex head breaker bar. It was a piece of cake tightening the new fitting into the air bag, and tightening the air line connection using the crows feet. One of those wrenches in the right size would have saved me four or more hours of vocabulary creativity enhancement. 

So check the wheel well if you have a two slide HWH coach to make sure lines aren't leaking on the air bag. The failure would have been nasty on the road. And, if you take replacement of the air bags on yourself, think about getting a few crow's feet to fit the air line fittings.

Now, I have to figure out how to access the hose where it attaches to the cylinder. I know, under the bed, but it's under the part of the bed that doesn't lift.  

Richard,
I had to replace the air bags on the 96 and had the same problem with the 45 degree fitting. I saw the fitting off with a saw saw and remove the bag. with the bag out I sawed a slot in the mounting plate so that I could put the 45 degree fitting in the bag first before I bolted the bag to the mounting bracket. This made for a easy mounting and take out the next time plus no sawing off of the fitting. I hope I made myself clear on this issue.

[77newell]

Alie isn't at all fond of her crows feet like I am of mine. I use mine all the time, her's just hang around.

[Chester Stone]

Richard, I am not familiar with the "crows feet wrench" you found most useful. If you have time, please post a description of photo of the wrench. i would like to have one in my tool box.

[Fulltiming]

Here you are Chester.

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details...0=72900210

I bought a set of these over 20 years ago.  Although I don't use them often, there are times that a socket or regular wrench will not work and these are about the only viable option to get to a nut.

[folivier]

Thought I'd save Richard the trouble since he's too busy conquering the far west.
These attach to a ratchet wrench either with or without an extension allowing you to get in tight spots and have the short stroke with a ratchet you can't get with a regular open end wrench.    

[Chester Stone]

Thanks to all of you. Now I wonder what size is needed to remove the fitting. Perhaps I can find a set.

[encantotom]

you will need a set that is 1/2" drive so the crowfeet are in the 1 1/8 to 1 3/4 or so. if i recall what they were they were in the 1 11/4 to 1 3/4 but who knows if they are all the same on our coaches

tom

[Richard]

The 45 fitting on the bag is either a 1 1/4 or 1 5/16, I have fittings of either size across the flats. The one that Newell put on there is a 1 1/4. The new fittings I bought are 1 5/16.

The air connection hoses are 1 1/2, plus the flat on the air hose is 1 9/16.

So the three crow's feet that you need are 1 1/4, 1 5/16 and 1 1/2.

[Chester Stone]

Yesterday I replaced the four air bags on the drive axle and feel lucky that I replaced the old cracked bags before one ruptured on the road. However I also wanted to replace the tag air bags and ordered two from Newell. The tag bags on my coach are Firestone W01-358-9378, but Newell shipped Goodyear 1R11-080. The studs are at 90 degrees from the Firestones, they are not adjustable and will not work on my coach. Called Newell and they have had the same problem even though the bags cross-reference. They solved the problem on one occasion by drilling new holes in the base plate. On my coach, the installer would not do this for fear of degrading the structure. Newell also cautioned on this. Newell has switched from Firestone to Goodyear and could not supply me with a replacement. My installer in Modesto, CA, found two Firestones and plans to get the to me in Arizona.