SLIME

"Schaefft" (Schaefft) 07/17/2016 at 08:16 • Filed to: Lincoln, Mark, VIII, Airride, Fix, Tire, sealant, Schaefft

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Listen to me Opponauts! Today is a day for the history books! I will embark on a journey of reaching new frontiers never before seen in DIY-Vehicle-Repair-dom in an attempt to fix my Mark VIII’s “leaky airride”(TM) suspension.

I will use nothing but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I found on Ebay to fix my cracking driver side front airshock airbag. May this be the solution for the ever more annoying unintended hot rod stance I had to witness my vehicle to be in over the last few months.

Wish my good luck, it is not unlikely that I will not be able to join you here in this fine establishment once again*

Thank you all.

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* because the slime failed, my air shock exploded and I rolled into the next ditch somewhere in the remote Scottish highlands

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Schaefft 07/17/2016 at 08:24

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I tried to do that same thing on an Audi allroad, but the opening to the bag wasn’t big enough for me to get any slime into it.

Make sure once you do it that you clean the area around where the air hose/fitting connects really well...you don't want that getting gunked up with slime. Good luck!

Schaefft > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/17/2016 at 08:26

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I’m worried about that as well, I hope the hose fits through the solenoid port. Since this is just a temporary fix, Im not too worried about anything as long as it seals tight enough again.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Schaefft 07/17/2016 at 08:29

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If the actual hose that comes with it doesn't fit, maybe head to McDonalds and get a straw to put inside the slime hose to step the size down a little. Ooh, or go to your local hobby shop and pick up some pipettes, they have pointed tips.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Schaefft 07/17/2016 at 09:56

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I think the problem is that the air bag is upright and mostly stationary. Slime and other sealants work well in a tire because it’s moving and that moves the sealant around the inside of the tire keeping it well coated. If you dump it into a shock you will need to be able to shake it all around and tip it upside down and back again several times so the sealant can find the hole and seal it up.

Schaefft > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/17/2016 at 12:40

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The cracks have been at the very bottom of the shock (where the rubber folds around the metal base) so the only thing the sealant had to do is sink to the bottom. As it now turned out the air line channel at the top of the shock was way too small (and at a 90 degree angle) to get it through there. I actually had to make a hole in one of the cracks at the bottom of the airbag and squeeze it through there. Extremely dodgy, but it might have stopped the leak. Its definitely better than before now. Hope a decent set of front shocks comes up for sale soon.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Schaefft 07/17/2016 at 15:07

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I had a subaru XT (flying wedge) that had air suspension. It was amazing when it worked, then it broke and I ended up getting a set of coil-overs from a subaru loyal wagon as a replacement. Bolt on installation in about 2 hrs and drove the car another 3 years.

Schaefft > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/17/2016 at 15:15

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Getting a conventional suspension kit would definitely be the easier way. I do love the Mark VIII for what it is though, and the Airride is part of what makes it special. I’ll see if some nice Motorcraft shocks show up on ebay in the near future, they are usually a bit less there than the grand I’d have to pay for them on Amazon. At least I get new shock absorbers with them at the same time.

Also, the airbags usually last for about 15 years. Any conventional suspension setup would need replacement at that point as well.