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Airbag Installation hints & tricksTips an helpful hints to assist you to a trouble free installation; Don't over tighten bolts on the airbag rings. There can be a slight gap between the alloy ring and the steel bracket. This is perfectly normal in some instances. Be sure to tighten airbag bolts diagonally opposite one another, not sequentially in a row. Doing it this way will ensure an even seal all the way around the airbag. It is common for the sealing surface on the rubber airbag to be uneven, this is due to part of the ringing process when installing the rings on the airbags. When the bolts are done up and tightened onto the brackets, any high or low spots on the airbag will be eliminated. It is also common for there to be a small 1-2mm gap between the bellow ring and the bracket. You don't need to tighten them down all the way, just firm enough to create a seal. Once you have assembled the airbags, it is a good idea to initially inflate the airbag to 80-110psi. This will help the airbag 'seat' properly, and will also help you find any leaks that may exist around the fittings. Now is a good time to perform a leak test before you install the airbag to your vehicle. Once you are satisfied that there are no leaks, reduce the pressure to 'normal' before using. (Normal will vary depending on the vehicle & load etc. Only inflate bellows enough to level the vehicle when loaded).
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How do I find a leak?So you have a leak? You are going to need soapy water! The best way to go about finding where this leak is, is to pump your air bellow up to 100psi this way there will be plenty of pressure in the bellow to show a leak quicker. Once you have put 100psi of air in your bellow it is time to start spraying with soapy water, and you need to really soak it, spray the bellows, the air fittings, the airline, the schrader valves (air inlet valve) the front and back of those and the airline that is pushed into the back of those schrader valves. Tracking down a leak will take a little bit of time, so as you spray really watch for those bubbles. Once you have isolated what part is leaking, you are halfway to fixing your problem.
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I have found what is leaking, what happens now?So you have done the full soapy water test and found what is causing the leak. Great! Airfitting is leaking from the thread? If this is the case, you will need to remove it from the airbag plate, and re-install it with a pneumatic sealant, don't use thread tape as it is not as reliable with air pressure and will give you more headaches than it is worth, we use SM40 Pneumatic Sealant, but any type of pneumatic sealant will problably do the job. Airfitting is leaking from the collar? If this is the case, it can sometimes be that the teeth on the inside of the collar have left a scurge mark on the external wall of the airline, causing the tinniest of scratches that will in turn leak air, the best way to fix this is to cut the airline making sure that it is perfectly straight, do not bend the airline when cutting as this can also cause it to leak, and re-insert back into the collar, all the way in then give a sharp tug to make sure the internal teeth engage the airline to hold it in place. Schrader Valve is leaking from the collar? If this is the case, it can sometimes be that the teeth on the inside of the collar have left a scurge mark on the external wall of the airline, causing the tinniest of scratches that will in turn leak air, the best way to fix this is to cut the airline making sure that it is perfectly straight, do not bend the airline when cutting as this can also cause it to leak, and re-insert back into the collar, all the way in then give a sharp tug to make sure the internal teeth engage the airline to hold it in place. Schrader Valve is leaking from the valve core? If this is the case, we supply our schrader valves with a tightening tool cap for this exact reason, over time with travel & vibration the core of the valve can work its way loose, just simply tighten the valve core with the tightening tool cap to fix your leaking issue. Airbag is leaking from the sealing surface? If this is the case, you will need to remove your offending bracket spin the ring 90 degrees and re-install as per original instructions, WD40 lightly sprayed on the sealing face will help seat the airbag. Still having problems? What happens now will depend on your warranty. Read below to establish what is covered under warranty. Airbags - 5 year warranty Brackets - 3 year warranty Air fittings - 1 year warranty Airline - 1 year warranty If your product is still under warranty, please contact us regarding your warranty replacement, please note you will need to return the faulty item for a warranty return. Or If your product is no longer under warranty, please contact us to help you solve your problem with a replacement part.
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How much pressure should I run in my Load Assist airbags?Every vehicle is different, and every load is different. Finding the right pressure is a bit of trial and error, to find the happy medium between comfort, and levelling the vehicle out. As a general rule, I suggest to start at around 30psi, and adjust up or down as necessary Maximum operating pressure is 150psi. Minimum pressure is 0psi. We do, however, recommend keeping 2-3psi in the bellows when not used, if you are travelling on rough, corrugated roads. This helps prevent any possible damage to the bellow from a hard bottom-out.
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My airbag sits uneven. Is this normal?In some applications, the brackets may sit slightly askew from each other. Some vehicles have varying shaped bumpstop pads underneath the chassis rail, and the brackets are designed to best fit this shape. So you may notice a small amount of deflection in the airbag, which is perfectly normal, and wont cause any problems, or premature wear and tear. All you need to ensure is that the bracket sits flat and securely against the mating surfaces, and that nothing can foul on the airbag through the suspensions range of travel.
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