stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 1, 2012

• #1

Gents,

Everything was going swimmingly with my replacing my blown airbag, until it came to the bottom pin!

It was so badly knackered that it has broken off with the remaining piece still locking the air bag to the axle. And it seems corroded into position.

The air bag seems to have a metallic base, unlike the new one which is plastic. The old bag will not budge. Is it worth trying to loosen it away from the axle with a few taps and a sharp bladed screwdriver?

The remaining part of the pin is in tact and I have not attempted to knock it through from the other because I do not want to do any further damage.

I have tried to continue pulling the pin out, but it won't budge.

I have tried raising and lower the axle to compress and decompress the airbag to see if that will loosen it, but that hasn't worked.

I have used WD40 on both ends (and yes I know its useless, but it was worth a try!).

Can any one give me some ideas of what I can do next?

 

wammers

No longer with us, RIP

Donater

• Mar 1, 2012

• #2

WD 40 is not a release agent, it is a water dispersant. It does not release rusted parts. Get yourself some Ambersil or Plus gas. Cut the ends of the pin off with a sharp chisel.

 

Last edited: Mar 1, 2012

M

Mr Rowland

New Member

• Mar 1, 2012

• #3

you need to get some shock and unlock from halfords i had the same problem this will help set it out

 

F

fix it

New Member

• Mar 1, 2012

• #4

just pull it out the pin will snap before the base. your gunna need a new pin any way. I found a welding rod fit well for a temp fix on the new one.

 

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 1, 2012

• #5

Right, drama over.

Snapped what was left of the pin off and levered the bag out of the bottom and the top.

Oh god was it f***ed!!!

Anyway, new one in and all tested out fine. Going to do the other side later.

Then I will look to get the EAS height settings correct, as I think this bag may have been hindering me when trying to set them last time.

After that, the fronts!

Cheers for the replies.

 

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 1, 2012

• #6

Other side done.

Now to wait and see what happens overnight.

Will it drop over night or not?

By the way the air bag on the other side was almost as bad as the first, so I am glad I did them both.

Next the fronts.

 

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 12, 2012

• #7

Well,

Finally did the fronts. As they say, these are easier than the rears.

One side was very worn but the other looked pretty new.

Only slight hitch was that I got ahead of myself and put wheel arch and wheel back on, started the car up but the bag wouldn't inflate. Then realised that I'd forgotten to put the air line in! Doh! Luckily, I could get to the air line from the engine bay so just popped it in.

Now I just need to check the heights.

 

wammers

No longer with us, RIP

Donater

• Mar 12, 2012

• #8

stevef1964 said:

Well,

Finally did the fronts. As they say, these are easier than the rears.

One side was very worn but the other looked pretty new.

Only slight hitch was that I got ahead of myself and put wheel arch and wheel back on, started the car up but the bag wouldn't inflate. Then realised that I'd forgotten to put the air line in! Doh! Luckily, I could get to the air line from the engine bay so just popped it in.

Now I just need to check the heights.

Click to expand...

If the heights were correct before they will still be correct. Changing bags does not effect height settings.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2012

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 12, 2012

• #9

When I was recently trying to check the heights were correct, it was playing up. Now I have re-newed the bags I have a stable platform to check them again.

 

wammers

No longer with us, RIP

Donater

• Mar 12, 2012

• #10

stevef1964 said:

When I was recently trying to check the heights were correct, it was playing up. Now I have re-newed the bags I have a stable platform to check them again.

Click to expand...

OK i understand now.

 

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 13, 2012

• #11

Well, hitched the EAS software last night to check the heights.

The only indication I had logged in the fault list was "The car has moved", so all the random fault indications I was getting have all gone - I never had any faults up on the dash by the way.

And the heights all are within a few mm of what they should be, so, I left alone.

Happy Days

 

bedi2001

New Member

• Mar 13, 2012

• #12

How hard was it changing the airbags, any chance of a step by step guide or did you just follow Rave?

 

stevef1964

Active Member

• Mar 13, 2012

• #13

Actually I followed the step by step guide in the December issue of Land Rover Owner International. They did a whole piece on doing the fronts and rears.

Datatek also has a guide, which you get when to purchase one of his leads.

Rangerovers.net also has a guide.

The hardest part was getting the pins out on the rears - they had corroded up. All I did in the end was knock a chisel in between the bottom of the bag and the axle, lever a small gap and then got a larger bar in. Then it's was just a matter of levering until the pins snapped off or bent sufficiently to go through the hole.

You may have to lever the tops away too, but this will only to pop the air bag top from the housing it sits in - a very snug fit.

The only other thing to make sure of is that the vehicle is safely supported on stands as the book and everyone says.

 

jt_armstrong

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2012

• #14

stevef1964 said:

Datatek also has a guide, which you get when to purchase one of his leads

Click to expand...

Data's guide is in the "How To" section at the top of the forum.

 

jamesblake

Active Member

• Mar 15, 2012

• #15

Steve,

Well done, satisfying when all done and good....!

I done my fronts without wheel and inner wing off and found it a pig.....so good tip for next time (sure there will be!!). Cheers!