Thanks Steve, finally a straight forward answer.
Have saved the info, thanks again.

 

I would just like to add for everyone's benefit that I recently had one of these air springs replaced (passenger front) by an independent shop who I took Steve's detailed procedure to and it turned out fine. Used a remanufactured Arnott replacement. I've been driving it around for about a week now and no issues yet. (2004 XJ8)

Gotta thank Steve for the excellent post.

 

Dateko,

Thank you so much for responding with your experience on this subject. It is so helpfull and important to those of us who are actively and personally involved with the maintenance / upkeep of our cars.

Too many of our members collect info from these posts and we never hear back from them re the results. It makes us feel so------ used.

 

How long do these airsprings typically last? Do you think I could make it to 10 years/100k on these airsprings?

 

Can you explain this in a little more detail? I followed you up until this point and I will most likely be doing this job on my car soon.

Thanks

 

The height sensor has a limited range of motipon. Exceed this range and distroy the height sensor device. When you remove the shock the range of motion of the suspension is increased and if the sensor arm is still connected the sensor is trashed.

 

ok got it thanks!

 

I was told my two front air springs were bad because I disconnected my battery and both sides of the front of my car dropped two inches over night, so I was looking around and the only replacement springs I found are the Arnott ones. Are those the cheapest ones? They are $400 a piece.

Also I was wondering where the most common place for the air spring to leak is, and if I could check it with a bottle of soapy water just to be 100% sure that that is the problem?

Thanks again!

 

I don't know if I would jump to that conclusion! My car bleeds the front suspension as soon as I turn the car off. This alleviates the system pressure during stationary times. Has always done it since new. As soon as I start the car it returns to normal. If you have no warnings and the car rides as it should, I would not jump to replacing the front air shocks until you can confirm that they are bad.

 

Thanks but there is a very serious problem with my front suspension. When I start the car the "Vehicle low" light comes on and then turns in to a "air suspension fault". Yesterday I drove the car around to get it to level out even turning it on and off but the "vehicle low" light stayed on. So i disconnected the battery and in the morning the front had dropped two inches. I have sprayed soapy water on the fittings at the top of the struts and the tank and block in the trunk and found no leaks. So I was told it is that my front struts are bad.

I want to find out where the most common place for a strut to leak is so I can spray it with soapy water just to be 100% sure.

Also I was told that the the front air springs are connected, so if one leaks wouldn't it lower both sides?

 

Sorry, I missed that you had the warnings. I don't know about being tied together as some have reported that one side or the other has been low and replaced the low side air shock only.

 

Ok so I guess both are bad then. So is there a common place where they leak so I can check it out before I get the new springs?

Also is Arnott the cheapest place to get the springs?

 

Arnott, at the current time, is the only known rebuilder of these shocks. So...yes.

 

Thanks for the info!

So is there a way to check the spring itself for leaks before I buy new ones?

 

So I ordered 2 new air springs for the front and I am going to change them this weekend.

Ill let everyone know how it goes and get some pics.

If anyone has any tips before i get started it would be much appreciated!

Thanks

 

Tip; Follow Stevetech's procedure and be very carefull of the "ride height sensor" and you should be good.

I presume you have scoped out the tools required for this job, i.e. jack stands, torx head wrench (spanner), etc.

I saw a post sometime back from a guy who had done this exchange and he said the most difficult part was the amount of effort required to move the shocks in and out.I presume this was due to the fact that the height sensor was still connected and he was ,quite correctly ,unwilling to super extend the hub downward.

Don't panic if after the job is complete the car does not come up to it's full ride height. It will take a number of cycles of the air compressor/system while driving around to get er done.

Now dearheart, if you do not understand what I have just said, do not go foward with this job till you do. The destruction of a height sensor and the incorrect power up of the suspension is not only a pain but it puts you in the tender and expensive hands of the dealer to reinstall the ride/suspension software and the new sensor.
A certain breed of auto tech enjoys nothing better than pissing all over the efforts of DYI dudes and running up the bill just for grins. Auto tech members of this forum not counted, of course. Back when I was "young and dumb" I even had one of these pups refuse to do the work with the parts I had sourced. I'm no longer young and I'm only a little smarter but I know this sort of public shame and expense is to be avoided.

Looking foward to your report and pictures.

 

good advice tarheal

 

Ok got it!

So just to be sure, to avoid reprogramming the I will have to turn the car on and raise the front off the ground on to the jack stands and disconnect the battery within 30 mins of turning the car off right?

 

When you power up, the ride height sensor must be in the same position relitive to the wheel hub as when you disconnected the battery.

Therefore, you get the car in the working position you desire, on front jack stands and a number of 4X4 pieces under the hub carrier. Disconnect the batt. (within 30 min of ign. off), do the work, ( 4X4s still in place), and power up.

So you see the 4X4s are mearly a measurment device to be able to return the ride height sensor to its correct position prior to power up and to prevent the ride height sensor from over extending when the air shock is removed. You can use anything you want in place of 4X4s as long as you can repeat the measurment. i.e a floor jack.

The ride height queen never knows she's been triffeled with while she slept-- you naughty boy you.

I repeat: If you don't fully understand the above, do not procede till you do. With your background and youth it should be a piece of cake.

 

Ok so I get the car up on the jack stands take the wheels off, place the blocks under the wheel hubs and start the car.

Then I turn the car off, disconnect the battery and replace the air shocks within 30 mins of disconnecting the battery.

Right?

I will be taking pics while i am doing it and will post instructions with pics when im done.