This came up as an advertisement. Interesting...........

https://aerosus.co.uk/jaguar/xj-seri...SAEEgKjl_D_BwE

 

Please excuse my stupidity, but where is the damper?

 

That is the whole point, it is the air spring only, (the part that fails or leaks), when the shock is still perfectly good. Of course you have to dismantle the air spring shock unit to fit the new air spring. I no longer have an air-sprung Jaguar, so if you have it might be worthwhile finding out from them the process of swapping out the air springs. Certainly cheaper than a new unit (spring and shock).

 

Interesting for sure but I am concerned that with 90,000 miles on them the shock itself may not be all that great. That was part of the reason I went ahead with the Arnott conversion. I had replaced 1 front unit when I purchased the car but there are so many additional things to cause problems even if you have the suspension units rebuilt. The number of connections/fittings, sensors, and the compressor also have 90,000 miles, plus just the fact that they were new in 2004 and time has its own toll on parts.

Perhaps if it had been available and was here in the states.

 

Thank you Fraser; does this mean we could replace a leaking airbag AND keep CATS more cheaply than buying very expensive OEM replacements?

 

That is the implication. The whole unit is made by Bilstein, (although I suspect the air spring part is contracted out to some other firm). These shocks can last very long time, the usual cause of failure is the air spring part. What is not known is the ease of replacement: is it a workshop job or can a competent DIYer do the job ?

 

Interesting aspect, with the wear parts of our shocks.

Great concept if easily accomplished in our garages, with our basic tools.

 

Radek D. (Aerosus)

Nov 20, 13:38 CET

Dear customer,

Thank you for contacting Aerosus.

Unfortunately we do not enclose any instructions and we recommend to have the work done by the mechanic but it can be done DIY.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Best regards,

Radek D.
Aerosus Customer Support

Phone: +49 2145 068 004
E-mail: shop@aerosus.net
Web: www.aerosus.net



Ray

Nov 20, 06:59 CET

Is removing the old air bag from the Damper and replacing it with this new bag a DIY job, please? Do you enclose instructions?

 

Please, has anyone found any information regarding how easy (or otherwise) it is to separate the Air Bag part from the Damper part?

I have this mental image of the damper having a cylinder/chamber filled with oil which is being compressed by the action of the damper. The electric solenoid (I picture) simply acts like a piston to compress the oil further by reducing the size of the cylinder/chamber, thereby switching from 'Soft' to 'Firm'? Don will probably (and quite rightly) correct me, but where is the wear in such a system?

To be honest, I am really quite surprised that there is not more interest in Fraser's post; this could be the answer to an affordable Air Suspension replacement that KEEPS CATS?!!

 

The solenoid does not act as you say, it merely opens up more passageways for the damper oil to pass through, thus reducing resistance to the travel of the damper. If no voltage is applied to the damper, it defaults to Hard. The air spring part surrounds the damper. The air spring is sealed at the top by a moulded seal that sits around the damper part, and the bottom is, of course, the air spring diaphragm. Leakage of the top seal is a known fault, due to its aging and hardening, so when replacing the air spring, it is necessary to apply sealant before fixing the neew air spring into place.

 

Thanks Fraser; please correct me if I am wrong, but the top seal is within the 'drum' containing the air bag? Does this mean we would have to be able to break this 'drum' open to separate it from the damper, and then reseal it? Sounds very problematical , if true?

Or have I got this very wrong?

 

A member here was selling the o-rings to rebuild for 5.00 per shock. That bag is sealed with an o-ring on the inside.I purchased some.
There are instructions on disassembling unit and install.i decided paying RMT300.00 is better.The o-ring does not address the top seal
.RMTreplaces all, including the air control valve screwed into the shock.
The aircontroll valve is not common failure, but you get a pretty shiny new one to screw the airline into.

 

Thanks Panelhead,
Do you still have those instructions? I ask because RMT are not an option for any of us outside the U.S? The cost of sending our failed units to them and then paying for rebuilds to be shipped back to us makes this prohibitive? If so, can you please put them up for us?

 

please, what does this mean? Apologies if I am being slow, but why would these people be selling a replacement air bag if it is not possible to fit it over a damper?

 

I no longer have a hard copy of the X350 technical notes, but here is a PDF for the 2004/5 model year, which is virtually the same. Look at page 14 and you'll see what is inside the air spring unit.

http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Auto...ch%20Guide.pdf

The top seal is not specifically marked out, but is the white area surrounding the item marked '6' (the top mount). This seal eventually seems to harden off and allow a small leak to start around its edges. You'll also see that they state the air spring part and the damper part are not separable. Makes you wonder how this air spring replacement can fit ! Maybe this clause is put in at Bilstein's request, so they can sell lots of replacement units !!

 

Im just now seeing this thread, and looking at that link to Aerosus, I am not convinced it is worth it. When I got my 04 this summer, it had a hole in the right front airbag,so essentially, no suspension. I found both fronts online for a bit over $400US/pr and installed them myself with no complications as yet. It doesnt create an alignment issue so I didnt worry about that. The biggest problem (after finding the hole and buying the units) was sourcing the T-65 bit for the lower bolt and that ended up being in town at Harbor Freight. The actual time to change both was about 4 hours in no particular hurry. Hope this helps someone.....

 

I think you may be missing the point here Jerry?

If you bought second-hand OEM replacements, you get to keep CATS, but they may not last very long and if you bought new after market replacements you have lost CATS?

 

Agreed Fraser...…. And I am still wondering!

Calling all Members....Has anybody on our forum ever separated the air bag from the damper?

 

Fraser, is the entire white area filled with sealant? I wonder what sort of sealant? Also, if (somehow) it needs to be separated just above the number 2 in the diagram or perhaps at the rolled-over seal just above that?

 

EsRay, as far as I know, it is a rubber moulding. If you look into the top of the damper where the CATS connection goes you can see the outside of it. If the seal leaks, then soapy water there will start to bubble up.