Aftermarket Air Ride Bag?

[DGoebel]

Today, I went to add a Roadster Renovations Air Ryde Rock Armour as I have to ride on gravel roads occasionally, I could not get the bottom of the Air bag to
fit in the Rock Armor. Wife (20yr USAF C5 and C17 Crew Chief mechanic) and fellow Spyder Ryder Jerry (who also just installed one) couldn't get it to fit on either.
Jerry helped me take this pic of the label on the bottom of my air bag. I take it this is NOT the Factory Original air bag that's in most RT, RTS, and RT-L's,
A.K.A. RTS AIR DAMPENER KIT P/N 219800175? Schematic Item 300 in this parts breakdown.


PS I also have the missing belt guard ready to install.

[Peter Aawen]

Yep, that IS the factory fitted airbag, at least on our 2013 RT's (yours & mine?!) and it looks pretty much the same as the OE bag that came in the replacement kit I recently fitted; you can see the bag that came off my 2013 RT below, & I can assure you that I checked very carefully to make sure it & all its labelling was identical to the new air bag that is now on the Spyder!!

I suspect that like mine, yours has either expanded a little over time & thru use...... or maybe the Rock Armour protector is just a little tight for the OE bags fitted on the 2013 RT's?!

[DGoebel]

Thanks Pete, I wonder if this isn't a replacement with a different than original bag? The original bag had a silver metal band around the bottom and mine doesn't. Yours doesn't appear to have that band either or is it recessed?

[Peter Aawen]

That silver metal band IS there, it's just that the bag has folded down over it & is hiding it until you extend the bag fully! Here, I'll drag it out for you....

15244488547381456058893.jpg

And here it is enveloped in the bag's normal operating condition....

1524448896535874495112.jpg

That fold is where tiny stones get caught & cause punctures over time!!

[DGoebel]

Grumble, grumble, grumble, I gotta do that all over again...<G> Thanks Peter. I thought that dropping the swing arm with the bag attached would have extended that bag fully.

[Roadster Renovations]

If this one doesn't extend, it will be the first one we have ever seen not expose the silver band when extended. If the band is not shown, then the air ryde rock armour won't fit.

Thanks, Peter, for the pictures. Could you send them to: roadsterrenovations@gmail.com so we can add them into the instructions. That might help for future installs.

[Peter Aawen]

Hey DGoebel, if you don't use air pressure to blow it out to it's full extent (once it's off the Spyder...) it can be bleedin' hard to pull that last folded edge of bag off the silver ring!!

Btw, I'd suggest you use the pads on your finger TIPS, & DO NOT try prising it out/down with your finger nails - your nails just aren't strong enough & I would take a pic to show you what 3 nails half torn off of the fingers on one hand looks like.... but I can't easily operate the tablet with just one hand, especially now!

And Yes, I can try to send the pics to Roadster Renovations!

[Peter Aawen]

Those 2 pics should be in your email inbox at roadsterrenovations@gmail.com - altho it will be 2 emails, cos the bleedin' tablet wouldn't let me select 2 attachments.... Whoever was it that said 'computers will make our lives easier'?? Cos they never dreamt of how much trauma the incompatibility between the vast range of different systems & applications would ultimately cause...

[Roadster Renovations]

Thanks so much for sending them. They can be viewed in the ARRA section.

https://roadsterrenovations.wordpress.com/

[Peter Aawen]

Bewdy! Glad to have been of some help!

[quasi]

run the bolt into the bottom of the bag, hold onto the top of the bag and pull on the bolt. that's how I got the airbag on mine extended when I installed my rock guard.

[irvin48]

i added a little air to the bag before trying to get the bottom bolt started in the bag. you do NOT
want it to get cross threaded.

[DGoebel]

Thanks to all, I successfully extended the bag fully today with all the great ideas and Voila! Another off road ready (well air bag protected) Spyder is on the road again. In an over abundance of safety I had a platform under the rear tire as it was up on the lift and jack stands as I was wrenching underneath it. The rear tire platform didn't allow the swing arm and bag to fall far enough to stretch that bag out. Today I did it without the un-necessary platform.
I was able to install the ARRA on my '13 RTL without removing the Cat and letting the swingarm swing down until it laid on the cat. Slipped right in, right on, and bolted right up.
I feel better with all the gravel roads I will travel in the hinterlands of MN! Well the ARRA and the missing belt guard both should help.