@@bagriders thanks for the reply. So I recently got Tein Flex Coilovers and the pillow ball mounts are new. A little noisy ... I've tried white lithium grease and it helps but I want interested in seeing if something else might quiet them down a touch. Thoughts?
@@johns1646 How sure are you that it's the camber plate bearing? If your endlinks/droplinks connect to your coilover assembly, it could be something in that connection as well. Follow the same advice given in the video with regard to stiffness/play in the endlinks. Your swaybar bushings could also be a factor. Completely remove your endlinks from the car and wrap your swaybar ends with wrags+zipties and go for a short and safe drive to check if it has anything to do with the swaybar/endlink connection.
Just drop the strut down check for play.Nor sure why you gotta check 10,000 things.I bet you it's the bearing if you hear creaking when turning.Clunking ,rattling etc.The bearings are made to go out quick so you have to replace them frequently.
I just replaced my pillow ball bearing for Airlift Struts. Had it on my car for just a year and needed to be replaced. Any advice on maintaining them? Perhaps adding grease or any lubricants? I just don’t wanna be replacing it every time.
You shouldn't need an alignment as long as the camber / toe hasn't changed. If you unbolt the pillowball housing from the camber plate itself you'll probably want to get an alignment as that is where your camber is set. However if you do the service just like we did in the video, you wont need one!
Thanks for this video! Would have been really interesting to hear what the diagnostic noise from the strut was before the replacement. Is the pillowball bearing also referred to as the spherical bearing?
What would cause the same clunking but coming from the rear? All 4 corners make the same clunk over every little bump. I get the front has the bearing. What about the back?
@@bagriders I'm not sure. They guy I purchased the car from said he hardly drove the car due to having other cars. But they were on for maybe 2 years. Where can o see the recommendations for pressure?
@Bag Riders I found them. And yes. They've been on 45 psi each. Recently a squeaking noise started from the top of the strut when turning even during stationary.
@@omarlopez0000 Awesome, glad you could locate it! If it's squeaky from the top it could be from the pillowball. I recommend following the steps in the video to see if yours are worn out.
Literally I’ve replaced everything like inner outer tie rods and pillow ball but still here clunking ? Im thinking it’s my ball joints perhaps , if so would you guys just recommend non regreaseable ones since when you air out I assume it would push out all the grease on regreaseable ones due to pressure.
Have you tried running different pressures in the air bags? When it comes to ball joints it shouldn't make a difference if they are greaseable vs not. Also be sure to check your lock rings to make sure they are tight as well.
Six hours is crazy for this job. It should take a lot less time than that. The struts should be able to remain connected to the knuckles, just let all of the air out, and lean the upper mount outward for accessibility.
This generic camber plate spherical bearing is used with Air Lift and BC Racing camber plates but may also be able to be used with other brands although we have not confirmed Tein. www.bagriders.com/generic-camber-plate-spherical-bearing.html
I bought my car im guessing it has this problem as it knocks/rattles over every little bump on the one front strut, the guy I bought it off told me he thinks it’s the top mount so he tightened that a bit more to minimize the noise but now it’s leaking out of the top mount any ideas on what I’d need to completely fix the problems and if you guys sell it on your website? Really struggling to find anything online thanks
The rattle could be from the pillowball so that is worth giving some attention too. We sell them directly on our site. www.bagriders.com/generic-camber-plate-spherical-bearing.html
my right side the one with the worn out bearing makes a rubbing/whine noise when turning, and when i air out there’s this weird clank and it makes the whole front end jolt a little, i thought it could have been my end link, but i do need to replace that pillow ball bearing, do you think that’s what’s causing the problem ?
@@bagriders There is play as showed in the video, would that cause the car jolting when airing out? it sounds like something snapping every time i air out.
They are M5 - 0.8mm x 10mm. You can find them on our site! www.bagriders.com/suspension/replacement-suspension-parts/suspension-hardware/button-head-socket-bolt.html
I have bcs and looking to order just the bearing there 2 years old and one shot and would love to rebuild on own but just the bearing instead of the whole camber plate for 70$ I’d have a part number would love it
Dunno, but I’ve ignored mine for months and it’s bad enough now to where I’m loosing traction on little bumps, and people actually turn around to figure out what that terrible noise was 😆 unfortunately I left my job and in a really bad spot and can’t afford the $120 to replace them now haha
Hey Ryan! It could be, drop the strut to see if you have play in the bearing like we showed in the video, if not, it could be something else in your suspension.
That could be! As we said in the video you will need to drop the strut and wobble the top hat to check for play to be sure that it is the pillowball bearing :)
Try to avoid any bumps and rough roads to help prevent it from going out so fast. I just got mine replaced a month ago and it’s already creaking and the rough roads I always take definitely sped up the process of it going out :(
The pillow ball bearings go bad because as the car turns the bearing is turning with it. These bearings are designed for pivoting moments only. This is one of the reasons why we developed our Super Low Air Suspension. Our suspension uses a radial bearing to prevent the pillowball from going bad. 3 times in 3 months is more frequent than that should happen. I would contact our customer service team for some guidance to avoid this.
It's typical for double bellow air lift bags to make a "popping" noise when you air up! Nothing to be worried about unless the noise is happening when going over bumps while driving, or airing out and it sounds like metal clunking!
would be nice to see a youtube mechanic use the correct tools to do the job right like sockets and wrenches on the top of the ball joint press not a plumbers set of plyers
M5x.8 by what? 8mm? 12mm? 10mm? Trying to replace old hats with pillowball bearings because airlifts new design style is dumb and they went bad in less than 2000 miles
Great video! Super helpful as the original retaining screws in these setups are real bastards to remove - they've clearly been Loctite'd during assembly by Air Lift. Since Air Lift throws in a tube of Loctite in their pillowball bearing service kit, I'm surprised to see Bag Riders not recommending Loctite in this video... ==> For my Air Lift Performance setup, the button head retaining screws are M5-0.8 x 8mm
Has anyone tried to change the hole original support bearing to one from KW or something? In case there is absolutely no solution for the clunking problem of the airlift pillowballbearing. I'm totally annoyed, believe it or not 😂
It's a little bit pricey, but Air Lift offers updated bags that include a radial bearing (much like how the S550 Super Low kit works) the radial bearing protects the Spherical (aka Pillowball). Again it's pricey to do the 'upgrade' but our team could supply you with a discount code if you use the chat feature on Bagriders.com - here's the link to the upgraded air springs, keep in mind you'll need TWO, and you'll want to be sure you have a tight set of sphericals. Link here: www.bagriders.com/air-lift-performance-double-bellow-front-bag-50751.html
Great video! Any Advice on lubricants to quiet down some of the normal sounds that pillowball mounts make on coilovers?
Hey John! You can use wd40, however it won't fix the issue unless the pillowball bearing is replaced
@@bagriders thanks for the reply. So I recently got Tein Flex Coilovers and the pillow ball mounts are new. A little noisy ... I've tried white lithium grease and it helps but I want interested in seeing if something else might quiet them down a touch. Thoughts?
@@johns1646 How sure are you that it's the camber plate bearing? If your endlinks/droplinks connect to your coilover assembly, it could be something in that connection as well. Follow the same advice given in the video with regard to stiffness/play in the endlinks. Your swaybar bushings could also be a factor.
Completely remove your endlinks from the car and wrap your swaybar ends with wrags+zipties and go for a short and safe drive to check if it has anything to do with the swaybar/endlink connection.
Highly recommend tri-flow pretty much anywhere one would use WD-40. Plus, it smells like bananas
Just drop the strut down check for play.Nor sure why you gotta check 10,000 things.I bet you it's the bearing if you hear creaking when turning.Clunking ,rattling etc.The bearings are made to go out quick so you have to replace them frequently.
I just replaced my pillow ball bearing for Airlift Struts. Had it on my car for just a year and needed to be replaced. Any advice on maintaining them? Perhaps adding grease or any lubricants? I just don’t wanna be replacing it every time.
The way Air Lift suspension is designed the pillow ball bearing is a consumable wear item. Unfortunately these will always wear over time.
That fly was just chillin...
is an alignment needed after this service, specifically on airlift performance series?
You shouldn't need an alignment as long as the camber / toe hasn't changed. If you unbolt the pillowball housing from the camber plate itself you'll probably want to get an alignment as that is where your camber is set. However if you do the service just like we did in the video, you wont need one!
Thanks for this video! Would have been really interesting to hear what the diagnostic noise from the strut was before the replacement. Is the pillowball bearing also referred to as the spherical bearing?
Yes it's also known as a spherical bearing. The noise you'll hear is a knock every time you hit a bump or a creaking noise will happen.
would you know the recommended torque spec for the jam nut?
The top nut is pretty hard to torque since the rod will eventually spin. But 25-30lbf⋅ft would be safe.
I need one for a BC racing coilover. 2010 mazdaspeed3. Any links? cant seem to find one
my damper is stuck on and won’t twist off, any tips?
Can u make a video on how to lubricate ur pillowball bearing?
These bearings are designed to be lubricated.
@@bagriders You mean *not* designed to be lubricated?
@@giffordscott2390 Correct these are not designed to be lubricated.
What would cause the same clunking but coming from the rear? All 4 corners make the same clunk over every little bump. I get the front has the bearing. What about the back?
If all 4 corners are clunking you might want to look into the recommended driving pressures for your struts/car. How many miles do they have?
@@bagriders I'm not sure. They guy I purchased the car from said he hardly drove the car due to having other cars. But they were on for maybe 2 years. Where can o see the recommendations for pressure?
@@omarlopez0000 You can find them on our site under the installation manuals www.bagriders.com/tech/
@Bag Riders I found them. And yes. They've been on 45 psi each. Recently a squeaking noise started from the top of the strut when turning even during stationary.
@@omarlopez0000 Awesome, glad you could locate it! If it's squeaky from the top it could be from the pillowball. I recommend following the steps in the video to see if yours are worn out.
Is this pillow bearing they sell universal to all their air struts cause it only shows one listing ? P
The Generic Camber Plate Bearing is used with Air Lift and BC Racing camber plates but may also be used with other brands.
Is it dangerous to drive on one making clunk sound? I’m going to replace it but was curious on any dangers for the time being.
No its not dangerous but I would replace it as soon as you can to avoid the clunking noise.
Will this bearing fit the flyyair struts? I’m getting this clunking noise on driver side
Since we don't sell FlyyAir we cannot confirm if it will fit. We can say that the bearings are universal and could possibly fit.
Did you ever find out if they fit the fly air struts ?
Literally I’ve replaced everything like inner outer tie rods and pillow ball but still here clunking ? Im thinking it’s my ball joints perhaps , if so would you guys just recommend non regreaseable ones since when you air out I assume it would push out all the grease on regreaseable ones due to pressure.
Have you tried running different pressures in the air bags? When it comes to ball joints it shouldn't make a difference if they are greaseable vs not. Also be sure to check your lock rings to make sure they are tight as well.
Hi, any advice to get the top mount off if it is seized to the shaft please? Mine will not budge 😔
Were you able to get the top nut off?
Do you have link for tein flex z pillow ball?
I do not. We work with BC and Fortune Auto.
How long does something like this take? Mechanic is saying 3 hours each and it’s 146 and hour
Six hours is crazy for this job. It should take a lot less time than that. The struts should be able to remain connected to the knuckles, just let all of the air out, and lean the upper mount outward for accessibility.
do you know if there is a tourq setting for these bolts?
The top locking nut is 40ft/lbs.
Where can I get a pillow ball bearing for bc coilovers and a part number if possible
We have them on our website! www.bagriders.com/generic-camber-plate-spherical-bearing.html
would these bearings fit on tein flex a coilovers?
This generic camber plate spherical bearing is used with Air Lift and BC Racing camber plates but may also be able to be used with other brands although we have not confirmed Tein. www.bagriders.com/generic-camber-plate-spherical-bearing.html
Length of the allen bolts for the retaining clip?
Give our sales team a shout to get the length. You can email them at sales@bagriders.com
Do these work on maxpeedingrods coilovers???
We can only confirm Air Lift and BC Racing coilovers at this time.
any way to lubricate/ grease these pillow balls to keep them working longer?
Unfortunately that won't make them last any longer.
Well darn
I sprayed mine with white lithium grease and let it seep in, the noise disappeared. Should I just replace it?
If the bearing has excessive play I would replace it.
Is this a Universal Part for all Coilovers/Airride? Mine have started to do a Clunk Noise and it’s really Annoying lol
The bearings we have on our site do fit more than one coilover or air suspension brand!
I bought my car im guessing it has this problem as it knocks/rattles over every little bump on the one front strut, the guy I bought it off told me he thinks it’s the top mount so he tightened that a bit more to minimize the noise but now it’s leaking out of the top mount any ideas on what I’d need to completely fix the problems and if you guys sell it on your website? Really struggling to find anything online thanks
The rattle could be from the pillowball so that is worth giving some attention too. We sell them directly on our site.
www.bagriders.com/generic-camber-plate-spherical-bearing.html
would these pillowball bearings work on bc racing coilovers? im assuming yes?
Yes the pillowball bearings on our site do work with BC Racing Coilovers.
@@bagriders thanks for the reply !
my right side the one with the worn out bearing makes a rubbing/whine noise when turning, and when i air out there’s this weird clank and it makes the whole front end jolt a little, i thought it could have been my end link, but i do need to replace that pillow ball bearing, do you think that’s what’s causing the problem ?
Hey George! The best way to determine if it is the pillow ball bearing is to drop the strut like we mention and check the top hat for play!
@@bagriders There is play as showed in the video, would that cause the car jolting when airing out? it sounds like something snapping every time i air out.
What size are them Allen screws under neath the top hat
They are M5 - 0.8mm x 10mm. You can find them on our site! www.bagriders.com/suspension/replacement-suspension-parts/suspension-hardware/button-head-socket-bolt.html
Whats the size of the bolts
Which bolts are you referring to? Feel free to contact our customer support team for further help. 844-404-7344 or sales@bagriders.com
Since these are generic, are there dimensions provided before ordering?
No dimensions are provide on the site. What kind of suspension do you have?
I have bcs and looking to order just the bearing there 2 years old and one shot and would love to rebuild on own but just the bearing instead of the whole camber plate for 70$ I’d have a part number would love it
my rear strut is making a squeaky noise every time I go over bumps, can this be the reason or something else ?
Hey Luan! It could be, the easiest way to tell is to drop the strut and do the wiggle test as we show!
What is the nagative if someone just leaves the bearing for a long time and does not replace it?
It will make an annoying clunking noise from the front end!
@@bagriders pop your bag and destroy top mount
@@ronwalters8434 Your bag won't pop. The pillowball will continue to cluck louder and louder.
Dunno, but I’ve ignored mine for months and it’s bad enough now to where I’m loosing traction on little bumps, and people actually turn around to figure out what that terrible noise was 😆 unfortunately I left my job and in a really bad spot and can’t afford the $120 to replace them now haha
I heard a dude didn’t replace his and the strut ended up going through and out the bearing puncturing his hood.
Front passenger (performance series) making almost a clicking sound when turning. This possibly the culprit?
Hey Ryan! It could be, drop the strut to see if you have play in the bearing like we showed in the video, if not, it could be something else in your suspension.
Hey, have you found the problem? Or did you just replace the bearing?
My bagged BRZ makes creaking noises when turning at slow speeds. Could it be the pillow ball bearing?
That could be! As we said in the video you will need to drop the strut and wobble the top hat to check for play to be sure that it is the pillowball bearing :)
Did you ever figure it out ??? My 16 wrx is creaking like a mofo when I turn.
Frs did the same, wd40 on pillow ball and quiet
Is it the same thing for coils???????????
Yes its the same process for coilovers!
For me whenever I air out it makes like a crunching sound and I can’t figure out what it is, it’s only on my front 2 airbags tho
Send the video to our customer service team. Sales@bagriders.com
Should the pillow ball be greased?
No these ones do not need to be greased.
Can the generic work on megan racing?
We cannot confirm if it will, although we have seen them fit various other coilover makes.
@@bagriders bad pillow ball can even cause noise when driving in a straight line ?
The noise would be most noticeable over bumps or when turning.
I replaced my passenger front pillowball bearing 3 times within 3 months 🤦🏼♂️ why does it keep going out? After a few days It keeps clunking again
Try to avoid any bumps and rough roads to help prevent it from going out so fast. I just got mine replaced a month ago and it’s already creaking and the rough roads I always take definitely sped up the process of it going out :(
The pillow ball bearings go bad because as the car turns the bearing is turning with it. These bearings are designed for pivoting moments only. This is one of the reasons why we developed our Super Low Air Suspension. Our suspension uses a radial bearing to prevent the pillowball from going bad.
3 times in 3 months is more frequent than that should happen. I would contact our customer service team for some guidance to avoid this.
so is this the reason why i hear a clunk noise every time i airup from being aired out??
It's typical for double bellow air lift bags to make a "popping" noise when you air up! Nothing to be worried about unless the noise is happening when going over bumps while driving, or airing out and it sounds like metal clunking!
@@bagriders yooo awesome I just bagged my cadillac and I was wondering about that sound. I thought my ball joints or sway bar links were pissed lol
Mine keeps making a strange noise when I accelerate sounds like
- oooohhhh. Yyyyyaaaahhhh--
-oooohhhh. Yyyyyaaaahhhh --oooohhhh. Yyyyyaaaahhhh---
Now that one we might have to look into 🤣
would be nice to see a youtube mechanic use the correct tools to do the job right like sockets and wrenches on the top of the ball joint press not a plumbers set of plyers
Dude I thought I was the only one
At 3:30 we started using a wrench :)
Shop is charging me $570 USD for replacement on both driver and passenger side…. What do you guys think?
I would say that's a little expensive. As you can see it's not a hard part to replace. $570 is half way to brand new air struts :)
That’s close to about how much I paid as well!
Do it yourself it's easy
M5x.8 by what? 8mm? 12mm? 10mm? Trying to replace old hats with pillowball bearings because airlifts new design style is dumb and they went bad in less than 2000 miles
If you reach out to our customer support team they can help!
Great video! Super helpful as the original retaining screws in these setups are real bastards to remove - they've clearly been Loctite'd during assembly by Air Lift. Since Air Lift throws in a tube of Loctite in their pillowball bearing service kit, I'm surprised to see Bag Riders not recommending Loctite in this video...
==> For my Air Lift Performance setup, the button head retaining screws are M5-0.8 x 8mm
Has anyone tried to change the hole original support bearing to one from KW or something?
In case there is absolutely no solution for the clunking problem of the airlift pillowballbearing.
I'm totally annoyed, believe it or not 😂
What exact car do you have? I can send you a link to an upgrade that will permanently help, along with a discount code.
I have a mustang LAE. But it's an EU model because im living in Germany. What is this update about? Just a new pillowball bearing for changing?
It's a little bit pricey, but Air Lift offers updated bags that include a radial bearing (much like how the S550 Super Low kit works) the radial bearing protects the Spherical (aka Pillowball). Again it's pricey to do the 'upgrade' but our team could supply you with a discount code if you use the chat feature on Bagriders.com - here's the link to the upgraded air springs, keep in mind you'll need TWO, and you'll want to be sure you have a tight set of sphericals. Link here: www.bagriders.com/air-lift-performance-double-bellow-front-bag-50751.html
Thanks, but I can't see a top mounting on these bags to install.😮
@@schnuddel112 It's an outdated photo, they are the correct air springs for the S550 front.
i hear a clunk right after install
Have you installed a brand new air ride kit? Ensure that everything is torqued to specifications and that you're riding at the recommended pressure.