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Air Bags on A wing and a prayer
After purchasing new airbags from Prevost and installing them, I decided to inflate the old airbags once they were off the bus to check them for leaks just out of curiosity. Didn’t find any leaks, but as you can see from the attached pictures the old airbags were torn and near the end of their live.
What you are looking at is the airbags turned upside down and over inflated to make the part that is normally recessed up in the center be pushed out for inspection. As you can see there are rips in the base that is not an area you would be able to see when the bags are installed.
Guess I was driving as they say – On a wing and a prayer.
Chuck
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
11 Replies
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I seem to remember a thread were there was an error in Prevost parts for the airbags.
Jon is that correct if so which bags should I get for 1997 chassis?
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I no longer have the records for my 97.
Prevost will supply the right ones.
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I forgot to mention, I had a solid axle. You have IFS and that may change part numbers. Order from Prevost.
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So I can trust Prevost to get it right.
How did you know it was the wrong ones when you had a wrong order?
Should I dust off my bags and search for a number?
Is Prevost the best source for them?
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Steer x 2 – Prevost# 630259, GY# 1R11-244(MaeWest)
Drive x 4 – Prevost# 630104, GY# 1R11-088(DoubleFlare)
Tag x 2 – Prevost# 630259, GY# 1R11-244(MaeWest)
This is what I used for my 96, got info from Don Beard Prevost tried to give me different ones for front
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I have IFS not solid Axel which is different bags supposedly
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George, check with Prevost.
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Prevost definitely has the best prices. Will they sell you the correct ones? that’s questionable. They are still selling the wrong front air bags to folks w/solid front axles like our bus.
I just now(5/4/20) called Prevost Parts, and they told me the pt# for my bus was # 630125, superseded by # 630258. WRONG! The correct air bag for the front of my bus(unit# S5665) is # 630259. 3+ yrs ago when I was changing all my air bags, thanks to PC and the late great Peter Campbell, they tried to sell me # 630260 for the front.WRONG! I listened to the folks here and got the correct ones.The online PrevostCar parts catalog – PA1189, p.1066 of 2426, for my bus doesn’t show what they told me on the phone today, 630125 or 630258, or the one that I and others here know to be correct, # 630259.
For everybodies sake here, I hope somebody with a bus like yours that has changed their air bags recently will speak up.
Here’s a couple of PC links from back then that may be of interest: -
The reason I am not jumping into this one with part numbers is because my log books and records for my solid axle 97 XL went with the coach. I fought the fight with Prevost about air bags, pissed a lot of Prevost folks off and evidently it is easier to ship the wrong air bags than it is to transpose the numbers that are screwed up in the Prevost system.
Most owners will never realize they have the wrong air bags until they figure out the travel distance up and down is not what it originally was and that they may not get the needed front end lift to level the coach.
But I also know the part numbers that worked on my 97 may not apply to 40 foot coaches, coaches with IFS, or different models.
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Last week I ordered New Air Bags. Price was great, $135- $155. I took the fronts off, 63-0126 Mfg 17 Jan ’94, and put the new ones on, 630260. They looked smaller and were, 2″ smaller. On the drive axle I took off 630104, Mfg Nov ’93, and installed the same. The tag had 630259 Mfg 05, 12,and Prevost sent me the same as the drive. Ken told me the book crossed to the 630260 and said the tag was the same as the drive. Prevost still has an air bag book problem. I’m going to Winter Garden tomorrow to exchange for 630259s for the front & tag as per the above message.
I found my rear 6 shocks were original & ordered new ones, would you believe $45 each? I pay twice that for my car shocks.
Also found the R/H tag lift chamber rod broken & ordered a complete new assy, $460. can’t believe the prices.
NOTE: All of my air lines were compression fittings.
Problems. My 12 ton jack stands are 19″ & my 6 to are 17.5, both to high.
To get the air line off of the front shocks you need a 13/16 flare wrench. My set goes from 3/4 to 7/8. NAPA didn’t have one AND could not order one. I cut the air line to get it off and a few days latter found a 13/16 flare wrench at harbour freight.
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Your front air bag part number does not sound right and if I am right you will not have the lift previously available.
As to the top fitting on the front air bags cut the air line as you did. Then when putting the air line and fittings to the top of the air bag, use an elbow at the air bag, use a copper or brass nipple about 4″ long, and then add the compression fitting to the end of the nipple. That puts the fitting out further so you can more easily install and tighten it.
I checked with Prevost engineering before I made that modification to my two previous coaches and they were OK with the change.
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