Leaky air spring

Have done the soapy water test and find my front o/s spring is leaking from the brass union on top. I've watched the RSW video, but wonder whether anyone has actually done this repair? Can you really source the O rings?

I think this explains the vague steering I've been experiencing.

Piece of cake, I used a thin piece of wire, bent to a small hook, down the opening, twist & catch the o-ring, up & out, others have used a crochet hook I believe, down to my local bearing dealership (they do o-rings as well) for new rings, also, try & simply clean the end of the pipe first, sometimes its just a bad/mucky fit, or even trim 5-6mm off the end to present a 'new' contact surface, file or sand a small bevel/taper to the end to prevent tearing the new o ring, I bung 'em in with a smear of Vaseline as well, helps them 'slide' in!!

Definately try cutting 5mm of the end of the tube, cleaning and re-fitting as modelman says. The tube is constantly flexing in the housing and it does wear even though you may not be able to see that it has. Seen this many times on industral pneumatics that use identical tube and fittings
Make sure you wear protective gogles and gloves if you remove the pipe without de-pressurising.

Thanks chaps. I'll give it a go.

The ""O" rings are 6mm I.D. X 2.5mm section and should be easily available. Google Barnwell Services. They have a minimum charge of £10 I think, should get a wheelbarrow full for that!!

Needs a new brass collar. When I pulled the hose out, the collar came with it. Obviously I hadn't got a firm hold with the pointed pliers. Not a major problem, but I noticed that the one of the 'teeth' (if that's the right term) was missing and looks like a previous owner/fixer put it back anyway as the break looks old and dirty. That's why air has been p**sing out. Any idea where I can buy a collar?

You may have to buy a metal 6mm push in fitting from a pneumatic equipment suppliers and try and strip the collet out. If you can hang on until Friday, I have 3 old airsprings at home and I can try and take it out of one of those and pop it in the post. Can't do it before then as we are over in the UK and travel back Thursday to Ireland. If you want it, just send me a PM with your address and I'll make sure you get it.

What a gent you are. I've managed to get the collet out, but it's pretty useless, so I've found a supplier at Jaguar | Land Rover spare parts at British Parts UK They have the collets and the famous 'O' rings so I've ordered some of each and it only comes to a few quid.

I think the air line is useable, though there is some scarring. I'll see when I've got the other parts in place whether there is a good seal before I attempt a cut. I was having a go at putting the collet and line back and found that I can easlily insert the collet without the line, but it seems I can't get the line to go back through all the way so it sits all the way back again. I tried putting the line through the collet and then pushing that back in the top of the air spring, but I think this is where the previous owner damaged the collet as it started to bend the 'teeth' so I stopped before I broke something. How on earth do you get the line and the collet back in place with so little room to grip anything? I'm working n the o/s front spring and can barely get my hand in the gap just above it.

Ever wish you hadn't started something? Off the road until the postie brings the spares!

There's probably more than enough slack to stand a trim-only need to cut back to the indent where the collet/O ring has squeezed it over the years. If you are stuck-just shout

Well, you live and learn... broken collet and only one 'O' ring to be found in my air spring. Previous owner or whoever did this was a right bodger - and that's saying something coming from me!

For less than a fiver, its fixed and soapy water test shows that there are no further leaks. Result!

What I would say for anyone else contemplating this fix is that it is very straightforward, but you need to follow the guidance on the RSW solutions video. I thought the top of the air spring was much more complex than it turned out to be. I was struggling to find the 2nd 'O' ring until I realised it wasn't there! The hole on top of the spring is cylindrical in shape, whereas I was assuming that it contained all sorts o ridges and seats for the collet and rings to lock into. It isn't so. When I was fighting to get the tube and the collet in, at the same time, I was doing so because I thought the tube had to go in further than it actually does, so in my frustration I was assembling the tube and the collet and then trying to force it into the hole. WRONG! The collet goes in first and then the tube feeds into it and the collet grips it.

I don't know why I was making this so complicated. Now onto my next problem.. actually theres a list. I started by changing the cabin/pollen filters. They can't have been changed for years as they had grown fur! That'll be why the book symbol is showing on my HEVAC then... no wait, it must be the blend motors... fook!