L322 Need to change Front Air Springs: HELP!

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
N

NickDrye

New Member
Posts
3
I've read all sorts of comments regarding system reset being required after changing AirSprings which has made me uncomfortable about actually going through with it, which is a shame as I have the car on blocks and wheels off already!
My front drivers side (UK) strut burst with a bang and a hiss whilst stood idle in my driveway last week, so I ordered replacement struts for each side and find myself here - loosing my bottle I guess. The car was heavily nose down and ass in the air like a spearmint rhino girl; I couldn't wait to get it jacked up and on blocks. My primary concern is whether I will need to have the AirSuspecsion ECU reset afterwards, and how to discharge the system during the replacement exercise.
I was hoping to simply vent the pressure off by cracking a nut somewhere, effectivly causing a leek and if necessary, unplug the power to the compressor so that it wouldnt try to restore the pressure during the operation.
I've read the 'Rave' [Front Suspension>Repairs>Air spring assembly] guidance document which is the root of my concerns as it referes to using TestBook/T4 to depressurise and later for recalibration.
Any helpful tips would be most appreciated I assure you.
 
changed mine recantlly and it took around 30 minutes a side ,disconect battery, un bolt strut then disconnect air pipe at the top, replace air pipe ,bolt strut back on , connect battery , start engine , job done
 
Thanks chaps for the reassuring words and the tips, I had the job done within the time it took my wife to do the shopping. (although thats probably not saying much!)
I have only one observation / tip to pass on to anyone else that may be considering the same task. Make sure you have a thin 18mm spanner handy to hold the flats of the ball joint of the anti-roll bar link. I didn't have an 18 spanner so ended up using a small adjustable spanner but it was a bit too thick for the job rally which made it awkward.

In summary I did the following;
1) Jacked it up as high as I could with the standard jack one side at a time and placed blocks under a chassis cross member each time.
2) Removed the road wheels from each side.
3) Disconnected the negative terminal of the battery.
4) Unclipperd ann the pipes/wires attached to the AirSpring.
5) Removed the nut from the ball joint of the anti-roll bar link (18mm socket & thin 18mm spanner)
6) Slackened off the two nuts & bolts that hold the damper to the hub(22mm socket and standard wheel nut wrench)
7) Slackened off the three 16mm nuts on the upperside of the damper inside the engine compartment.
8) Removed the hub/damper nuts & bolts placing a large screwdriver through one of the holes.
9) placed some wood underneath the edge of the break disc just in case it falls when the damper becomes free.
10) Removed the cap and the three 16mm nuts from the top of the damper.
11) tapped the out of place at the hub and lifted it to bring the bottom of the damper out in front of the break disc, and then shoved a thick screwdriver through the roll-bar link hole into one of the break disc vents to hold the damper is such a position that the airline was accessible but not strained.
12) disconnected the airline and removed the damper.
13) placed new damper in position as no.11
14) connected airline to new damper.
15) retrieve paper washer from old damper and placed it on the new one.
16) Pushed damper up the shaft rougly into position and then shoved a big screwdriver through one of the damper/hub bolt holes to secure it.
17) placed a short length of wood as a level underneath the edge of the break disc using another piece of wood as a fulcrum.
18) with my foot on the wooden lever and a 16mm nut at hand i offered the damper up to the holes in the inner wing.
19) reaching through the large hole I rotated the top of the damper into position and once in place pushed my wooden lever to bring the damper into position, then ran a 16mm nut down each of the studs (leaving them loose for final tightening)
20) Placed the large 22mm nuts & bolts into the damper/hub and nipped them up.
21) Placed the andt-roll bar ball joint stud through the flang (don't forget that the washer goes on the ball jopint side of the flange) and then tightened it into place.
22) Tightend up the three 16mm top nuts being carefull to keep them in the same position as before (paint marks)
23) replaced all the pipes and cables into thier original positions
23) nipped around and torqued everything up according to spec'
(18mm anti-roll bar ball joint nut - 80Nm)
(16mm top nuts - 56Nm)
(22mm hub/damper nuts & bolts - 250Nm)
24) replace top cap into large hole.

Then do the same for the other side of the car.

When both sides were complete I then reconencted the battery and started the car to allow the new dampers to be charged with compressed air.
Put the road wheels back on, remove all blocks and drive it away.
The ECU sends a few messages to the driver, something like Air suspension inoperable, but after a ride around to 15 minutes this seems to have given up. I sent my car into high & low ground clearance a few times just so that I could see that everything works okay and I'm sure anyone changing the same parts would do exactly the same thing.
I was very please with the result and it took less than three hours from starting to steping out of the shower afterwards.
 
NickDrye said:
Thanks chaps for the reassuring words and the tips, I had the job done within the time it took my wife to do the shopping. (although thats probably not saying much!)
I have only one observation / tip to pass on to anyone else that may be considering the same task. Make sure you have a thin 18mm spanner handy to hold the flats of the ball joint of the anti-roll bar link. I didn't have an 18 spanner so ended up using a small adjustable spanner but it was a bit too thick for the job rally which made it awkward.

In summary I did the following;
1) Jacked it up as high as I could with the standard jack one side at a time and placed blocks under a chassis cross member each time.
2) Removed the road wheels from each side.
3) Disconnected the negative terminal of the battery.
4) Unclipperd ann the pipes/wires attached to the AirSpring.
5) Removed the nut from the ball joint of the anti-roll bar link (18mm socket & thin 18mm spanner)
6) Slackened off the two nuts & bolts that hold the damper to the hub(22mm socket and standard wheel nut wrench)
7) Slackened off the three 16mm nuts on the upperside of the damper inside the engine compartment.
8) Removed the hub/damper nuts & bolts placing a large screwdriver through one of the holes.
9) placed some wood underneath the edge of the break disc just in case it falls when the damper becomes free.
10) Removed the cap and the three 16mm nuts from the top of the damper.
11) tapped the out of place at the hub and lifted it to bring the bottom of the damper out in front of the break disc, and then shoved a thick screwdriver through the roll-bar link hole into one of the break disc vents to hold the damper is such a position that the airline was accessible but not strained.
12) disconnected the airline and removed the damper.
13) placed new damper in position as no.11
14) connected airline to new damper.
15) retrieve paper washer from old damper and placed it on the new one.
16) Pushed damper up the shaft rougly into position and then shoved a big screwdriver through one of the damper/hub bolt holes to secure it.
17) placed a short length of wood as a level underneath the edge of the break disc using another piece of wood as a fulcrum.
18) with my foot on the wooden lever and a 16mm nut at hand i offered the damper up to the holes in the inner wing.
19) reaching through the large hole I rotated the top of the damper into position and once in place pushed my wooden lever to bring the damper into position, then ran a 16mm nut down each of the studs (leaving them loose for final tightening)
20) Placed the large 22mm nuts & bolts into the damper/hub and nipped them up.
21) Placed the andt-roll bar ball joint stud through the flang (don't forget that the washer goes on the ball jopint side of the flange) and then tightened it into place.
22) Tightend up the three 16mm top nuts being carefull to keep them in the same position as before (paint marks)
23) replaced all the pipes and cables into thier original positions
23) nipped around and torqued everything up according to spec'
(18mm anti-roll bar ball joint nut - 80Nm)
(16mm top nuts - 56Nm)
(22mm hub/damper nuts & bolts - 250Nm)
24) replace top cap into large hole.

Then do the same for the other side of the car.

When both sides were complete I then reconencted the battery and started the car to allow the new dampers to be charged with compressed air.
Put the road wheels back on, remove all blocks and drive it away.
The ECU sends a few messages to the driver, something like Air suspension inoperable, but after a ride around to 15 minutes this seems to have given up. I sent my car into high & low ground clearance a few times just so that I could see that everything works okay and I'm sure anyone changing the same parts would do exactly the same thing.
I was very please with the result and it took less than three hours from starting to steping out of the shower afterwards.
Click to expand...


Hi mate, i have the exact same problem, my front is right down and rear right up, higher than i even knew the suspension could raise to. Where did you buy your air springs? I am in london. Did you just go ahead and replace the fronts whilst the rear was right up?. This is my first time doing this procedure, am just curious about what happens after i've replaced my front air springs, will the eas system just level it's self upon reconnection of the battery?? Sorry for the silly questions, its just some info thats bugging me, thants all
 
Saint.V8 said:
These Vids are quite good...

L322 Range Rover - How To Depressurize Air Springs - YouTube

L322 Range Rover - How To Replace Air Springs - YouTube

L322 Range Rover - Air Spring Assembly - YouTube

Try island-4x4 as they are pretty good on price for most things....no affliation, just a satisfied customer...
:welcome2: btw....
Click to expand...

Thanks very very much, just purchased mine from Island 4x4, they are the cheapest in the UK. What i really need is to know how to depressurise my rear air bags as they are stuck in the off-road position and i don't want them to be under a lot of strain as the front is at its lowest position.
 
janpaulw said:
Thanks very very much, just purchased mine from Island 4x4, they are the cheapest in the UK. What i really need is to know how to depressurise my rear air bags as they are stuck in the off-road position and i don't want them to be under a lot of strain as the front is at its lowest position.
Click to expand...
I believe it may be the same method, fnd the cross link valve, and carefully open the air lines.....
 
Great info - thanks! I am awaiting delivery of an air strut (my LR specialist garage changed just one a few months ago - I should have asked for both) and a new compressor. I am in deepest SW France at the moment, so am a little concerned which order to do the work in.... if I change the strut first, and then pressurise the leg (the knack'd compressor is still pushing out some air as I can hear a leak when it has been running), then change the compressor, I figure this will give me a fall-back position if the compressor change doesn't go well - (the Hitachi unit - need to change parts rather than the whole thing). Will I need to clear any faults when it goes back together? I have ordered a reader/fault clear tool, but it might be a few more days... and if so will driving with the faults cause any damage to the new parts? Not confident but hope not...
 
NickDrye said:
I've read all sorts of comments regarding system reset being required after changing AirSprings which has made me uncomfortable about actually going through with it, which is a shame as I have the car on blocks and wheels off already!
My front drivers side (UK) strut burst with a bang and a hiss whilst stood idle in my driveway last week, so I ordered replacement struts for each side and find myself here - loosing my bottle I guess. The car was heavily nose down and ass in the air like a spearmint rhino girl; I couldn't wait to get it jacked up and on blocks. My primary concern is whether I will need to have the AirSuspecsion ECU reset afterwards, and how to discharge the system during the replacement exercise.
I was hoping to simply vent the pressure off by cracking a nut somewhere, effectivly causing a leek and if necessary, unplug the power to the compressor so that it wouldnt try to restore the pressure during the operation.
I've read the 'Rave' [Front Suspension>Repairs>Air spring assembly] guidance document which is the root of my concerns as it referes to using TestBook/T4 to depressurise and later for recalibration.
Any helpful tips would be most appreciated I assure you.
Click to expand...


Check out this excellent video....you shouldn't have a problem. The only real problem I ran into was that the two large strut bolts (see image) were seized and it took a hand sledge and a 1 meter cheater bar to get them off.


IMG_0445.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Air compressor
Replies
12
Views
941
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
seldom
2011 to 2009 Front
Replies
2
Views
328
seldom
seldom
rover75lover
L322 rear left air valve fault (sorted)
Replies
0
Views
479
rover75lover
rover75lover
R
L322 Front diff rebuild/replacement
Replies
4
Views
792
Graculus
Graculus
rover75lover
L322 l 322 air suspension
Replies
4
Views
857
rover75lover
rover75lover
Back
Top