Hey everyone.

So Friday I was driving home from Georgia, when I encountered a rough patch of interstate outside Chattanooga at about eighty mph. Coming around a curve, in heavy traffic, I didn't see a hole in the road till it was too late. Within about fifty feet I lost all air pressure to the driver's front strut.

I took the immediate exit, took the wheel off, and looked hoping the line popped off or something simple, but no.

I felt around with my hand and listened real close while the compressor was running to find the leak, and it sounds like it's all leaking out around the top.

I'm going to tear into it this afternoon, but I'm hoping y'all can give me a little knowledge about these. As in, what to expect, some pointers on what to keep my eyes open for, mistakes y'all may have made that you can keep me from making, things like that.

I can't upload any pictures for some reason, but I'll try to describe what I heard and from where. The air sounds like it's pouring out from just above and to rear of the section that the air line runs into. Not the line or connector itself, just that portion of the whole assembly.

Both front bags were replaced a couple of years ago, and aren't covered under warranty any more (according to the previous owners records that he gave me, he kept ALL the maintenence records, so that is really cool for me) but I think he got scammed. The paperwork doesn't specify what brand the bags were replaced with, but they appear to be the cheap Chinese ones.

With where the leak is, I'm thinking the top o-ring failed, but I'm not sure because they don't look like any other assemblies I've been able to find on the interwebs, and I'm not sure that a hard impact like that would cause a complete failure. I've not had any leakage in the 2,000 miles/month and-a-half before Tennessee broke my s**t!

She looks so sad sitting outside with her front wheels all tucked up in the fenders. 😢

 

o, I took the wheel off, was listening and feeling around to find the specific fail point, air compressor running trying to level it out, and TA-DA! Just as fast as it failed it fixed itself. I had my hand in there feeling round the backside of the strut where it felt like the air was leaking out, and it just quit leaking and the bag inflated!

I ran it through the levels, no leaks. Put the wheel on, ran through the levels, no leaks. Set it on the ground, ran through the levels, no leaks. Drove it around at all different levels (both manually and auto) and speeds across varying terrain, no leaks.

Whatever. Set it on level one, parked her, took measurements and I'm just gonna check her again in the morning and see where she sits.

Anyone know what could have caused this? My mind is blown! I'm clueless. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

On mine the aluminum alloy support that the upper control arms and airbag attach to at the top got a crack in it ($300ECS tuning) and allowed air to leak from the top of the airbag.

Since yours seems to have healed itself, I doubt that is the explanation for your leak though.

Maybe the rubber piece at the top of the strut assembly came loose and allowed the loss of seal. I suppose it could have re-seated.

It's not hard to take the assembly out if you need to. Good luck.