Rear shock airbag thoughts?

[finless]

OK I do tend to see a lot of people with leaking ride airbag's. I know this is a wear item and not covered under warranty.

Now I assume this is inside the suspension spring? I have not found a drawing of it yet so not sure.
But if it is, one would think the compressing and decompressing of the spring will rub on the bag and over time cause chafing and possibly a leak?

So if that assumption is possible, what about using some 100% silicon lube to help the bag from chafing?

Scotty.... your thoughts?

Bob

[jerpinoy]

That's may be a good idea, silicon grease is friendly and forgiving.

[jimb57]

The dealer will be replacing my second bag, i have a 2013 rt , how many do they have to replace to get it right.:yikes: under warranty:yes:

[NancysToy]

The air bag is separate, located forward of the coil-over shock.

I expect using a compatible rubber protectant/lubricant might help. Armor-all or some kind of silicone spray comes to mind. Only trial and error will give the answer.

Air bags and air shocks fail for a vaiety of reasons. Ozone deteriortation is one, as is deterioration from oils and other road contaminants. Dirt build up can chafe the bag and wear it out prematurely. Heat can be an enemy. In short, anything that deteriorates rubber spells trouble, not only for the Spyder air "shock" but for automotive brands as well. The old El Caminos suffered from the same sort of problems.

One other huge enemy...running without pressure in the air bag, or with insufficient pressure for your load. The auto ACS on the RTS and LTD compensate for the load, so insufficient pressure is not a worry there. If your system won't hold air though, get it fixed before it ruins the air bag. These systems should not leak down significantly when turned off and resting.

[finless]

Thanks Scotty..... So is there anything the bag can actually chafe on?
Or is the idea to keep it lubed just as a protectant from it drying out, etc?

Bob

[NancysToy]

Thanks Scotty..... So is there anything the bag can actually chafe on?
Or is the idea to keep it lubed just as a protectant from it drying out, etc?

Bob
It chafes on itself as it works up and down, and some types also can chafe on the case. The "drying" and more importantly hardening and cracking are the fate of all rubber products eventually, so slowing that process should help extend the life.

[3 Wheel Addict]

Just to the front and right below the airbag is the catalytic converter, heat source! Firestone (Riderite) sent me some info a few years back about the airbags on my motorhome, they must maintain a minimum clearance of 15 inches for heat source (exhaust pipes in this case) I wonder if a small shield could be added to the front side of the bag to keep the cat heat off of it, if that's the problem??