Community Forums

RKins · 09-20-2022, 03:56 PM

I have read about 10 pages of results from the google search box on this with no conclusion. I need to change the air bags on my coach, the originals are Firestone and I can get them in a few days but they are pretty expensive. I called my local Fleetpride and they crossed over the FS part# to Continental and worked up a price. Their price was about $500 cheaper than FS.
I read that FS are 4 ply and mine have lasted 25 years. I read one of the specs about the Continental that you can buy 2 or 4 ply. I can't imagine why I would want to step down in duty from the FS specs.
I've read a couple good reviews from members about the Continental brand of bags.
Has anyone had a bad experience with the Continental brand of bags? Were they 2 or 4 ply?

Dutch Star Don · 09-20-2022, 04:44 PM

I don't know if you'll get a lot of responses to your thread as very few people change airbags. How about calling Continental and ask them why they offer 2ply and 4ply. Maybe they have some reasoning for it, like a softer ride or made for a lighter coach.

chuckftboy · 09-20-2022, 05:58 PM

If your original Firestone bags lasted 25 years even at twice the price they may be the best value.

Tha_Rooster · 09-20-2022, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKins

I have read about 10 pages of results from the google search box on this with no conclusion. I need to change the air bags on my coach, the originals are Firestone and I can get them in a few days but they are pretty expensive. I called my local Fleetpride and they crossed over the FS part# to Continental and worked up a price. Their price was about $500 cheaper than FS.

I read that FS are 4 ply and mine have lasted 25 years. I read one of the specs about the Continental that you can buy 2 or 4 ply. I can't imagine why I would want to step down in duty from the FS specs.

I've read a couple good reviews from members about the Continental brand of bags.

Has anyone had a bad experience with the Continental brand of bags? Were they 2 or 4 ply?

Firestone, automann, continental I used automann which where identical to my original 2007 bags which I changed last year.

shootist · 09-20-2022, 06:22 PM

I went with the original Firestones. They were 162.00 a piece last summer through my local independant Cummins dealer. The continentals we're 100.00 . Not worth the risk to me as the originals went 17 years and still were ok. 10 bags changed here at home wasn't even the price of a tow.

RKins · 09-21-2022, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shootist

I went with the original Firestones. They were 162.00 a piece last summer through my local independant Cummins dealer. The continentals we're 100.00 . Not worth the risk to me as the originals went 17 years and still were ok. 10 bags changed here at home wasn't even the price of a tow.

My coach uses the FS W01-358-9966 on the rear and those are now around $290 each. FS W01-358-8760 on the front and they are now $390 ea

Ray,IN · 09-21-2022, 10:48 AM

Complete information about Firestone Air Springs: https://www.firestoneip.com/content/...erial_2014.pdf
Information about Continental Air Springs:
https://www.airspringapp.com/us/NAFTA/Product

Within the past 2 years several members have installed a different brand air spring because Firestone air springs have had a delay time between ordering and receiving.
Another google search will reveal the other brand.

RKins · 09-22-2022, 05:07 AM

I had emailed Spartan for the FS part #s originally but they didn't respond so I called them and got them. Yesterday I received a reply to my original request and they also included the price for the -9966 rear FS bags - $201. I decided to purchase Contitech bags from Fleetpride and had just paid for them when I received the reply from Spartan. I would have bought the FS bags from Spartan since the price was only $10 higher than the Contitech bags.

shootist · 09-22-2022, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKins

My coach uses the FS W01-358-9966 on the rear and those are now around $290 each. FS W01-358-8760 on the front and they are now $390 ea

Saw them just now as high as 578.00 . That's crazy. I know northwest truck ordered mine direct from Firestone. Took 6 weeks to get.

FIRE UP · 09-22-2022, 11:31 AM

Well,
I'm one of those that changed all four of my air springs myself. Our coach is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 330HP and at the time I changed them, there was around 100,000 miles on the coach and it was around 16.5-17 years old. One bag had a phenomenal leak and the others were all seeping. So, I decided to change them all.

I'm a member of DTNA so I could look up each and every part that was installed on my particular chassis when it was built. When I looked up my air springs, they were listed as NEW WAY brand. But, that was when the chassis was built in 10/03. Upon talking with a parts person at my local Freightliner service center, the brand had changed to SAFE HOLLAND. Well, it really didn't matter to me what brand they called them, as long as I could GET SOME.

I ended up purchasing one at that Freightliner center in Kingman AZ. I got the two rears at SDTruckspring.com and my other front came from another company onl line too. All in all, the total cost for all four back about 2 years ago when I did it was right close to $850 or so.

But here's the deal. As stated, they were listed as NEW WAY brand in the parts phish on my DTNA spec sheet when I looked them up. But, when I actually got each one out, each and every one of them was embossed FIRE STONE!!!!!!!!!! There were NEW WAY decals on the metal mounting plates but clearly the bags were Firestone.
Scott