Air Bag Replacement Questions

[MCIGenes]

   Yesterday I replaced the left rear height valve and due to the fact the bolts would not stop turning from the inside,  this required that I remove the water heater that I so carefully installed a few years ago. Luckily I assembled plywood stand and enclosure with pocket hole screws and I did not use any glue on it.  It came apart nicely and I was able to get to the bolt heads. I made sure this would not happen again by making a plate with 2 stainless steel bolts welded through it so the bolts can not turn in an inaccessible area. the rest of the installation was a piece of cake.
   Well, I received new air bags for the rear of my MC5B yesterday and I need some advice on what is the best way to get the bead rings over the top and bottom of the bellows.  I know there is reinforcing wires in the top & bottom of the bellows and it is probally important that this area not get bent or deformed.
   From looking at it, I suspect the bolts need to be put into the ring and then the ring installed on the beads. Or maybe the bolts can be installed in the ring after it is on the bellows? If anyone has experience with this operation I would welcome any advice you have. Are there any tools that can make the installation easier with out damaging the beads?  Is there any kind of lubricant that makes the ring easier to slide on the bellows?
   Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Gene       1975 MC5B                   

[Geoff]

I recently replaced the front air bags on an MC8.  It takes two people, a screwdriver and a bottle of window cleaner (for lubricant) to get the rings onto the bags.  After the rings are on the bags, you can use your fingers to push the bags in where the bolts go and push the bolts through.

Have fun!

--Geoff

[bevans6]

I had absolutely no drama putting the rings over the beads when I changed my air springs - the stock double convoluted type.  I just cleaned and painted the rings, and pressed the end the spring slightly oval with one hand and slipped them over.  Took about as long to do as to think about it.  I had new Goodyear springs.

Brian

[Geoff]

The air bags I got from MCI were so stiff it took two people to get the rings on-- one person had to hold the bag and ring in place as the other person worked the ring on.  They also gave us new rings and bolts with the bags.

[MCIGenes]

       Thanks everyone for sharing your experience with bead rings and bellows. I had a much longer reply typed in and then all of a sudden it was gone and I could not find it again. Thanks again for all your help. I will get back out in the shop and work on the camp/road leveling system. Replacing one of the bags is part of that project. The bag closest to the drive shaft u-joint must have been hit by something and nicked it. It is not leaking yet that I can tell, but now is a good time to replace it. 

Gene   1975 MC5B

[Stormcloud]

I have helped change several bags on my MC-7.

The retaining rings I received from MCI a couple of years ago were poorly stamped. No one realized this until months later we found the bag leaking at the plate where the retaining ring was malformed.  MCI sent another ring and it appeared to be fine.

Also, the bolts go into the rings either way BUT the sloped top should be sloping outwards on the ring. Bolts installed half-turn out will leave a sharp edge protruding above the ring that could come into contact with the bag.

We also had one bag that continued to leak at the bottom plate for no visible reason, so I squirted some of the green TireSlime into the bag and it settled in the bottom where the leak was and stopped it. It shouldn't work its way into the air system, and it remains flexible. That was about 8  months ago.

Good luck!

Mark

[bevans6]

"It is not leaking yet that I can tell, but now is a good time to replace it.  Smiley"

I read this and my instant thought was "Oh you poor fool, there is never a GOOD time to replace an air spring, the best it gets is a not horrible sucky awful time to do that job..."     It took me probably two days to change mine, and not one of those minutes was a happy sharing fun minute...

Brian

[Lin]

I found that bike tire levers worked fine for changing the ring.

[luvrbus]

I replaced the bags on our MCI 8 all of them in less than a day sold the MCI and bought myself a Eagle lol, seriously air bags are not a fun job to change

[Lee Bradley]

I guess I'm doing it wrong. The air bags for my Neoplan came assembled and pressure tested; just bolt them to the mounts and hook up the air line.

[luvrbus]

Different bags Lee MCI uses air beams Prevost are a snap to change also

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Only problem i had when i changed all of the bags on my 5A is that 2 months earlier i had dislocated my shoulder. When wrassling with jacks, blocks, and tires, i had to be real careful.....   as it was, it was another 5 months    before i was completely back to normal and could do things without having to stop and decide whether or not i was going to do damage to my shoulder.

[thomasinnv]

Ed, I know the feeling. I partially tore my rotator cuff over a year ago and it's only been just the last few months that I don't have pain when lifting my arm over my head. Still have to be careful about heavy lifting/pulling with that arm.

[RickB]

Ed and Thomas,

When changing out the air tank on my 9 a couple weeks back I hurt my wrist so badly trying to tighten the air fittings with absolutely NO room to work with that I may have permanent damage. Whoever designed MCI's is losing my faith in them being reasonable people with well thought out plans when it comes to repairs. Like putting bolts "through" bulkheads and bay walls? What the hell were they thinking? A child has more common sense than the guys who designed some of these systems. I can honestly say i would not have bought an MCI if I would've known how little they planned for routine maintenance like Gene's airbags.

Meanwhile, I make my living playing guitar and singing and I can't play a B minor chord because of the genius that made me tear half my bus apart to get to 4 mounting bolts that should have been studs welded to the bus. Just makes you wonder what else the guy that designed the airbag system worked on.   Rick

[thomasinnv]

Hey Rick, just hit the first three strings and call it good.