Couple of things for someone that is doing this job 1.) T55 is not the correct socket to use for the bolts on top of the frame above the strut. It will work, but you also risk stripping out the bolt. The correct socket to use is called a 'triple square' or 'XZN' socket. It is essentially a 12pt torx. The size you will need is 12mm 2.) You do not need to support the lower control arm underneath. Everything will come out fine without supporting the LCA. 3.) You do not need to jack up both sides of the car. When you have loosened up everything shown in the video, You can push up on the air shock and you will hear the air escaping from the air shock and it will collapse and you can remove it. Same thing with putting it back in. It does take some force to push it in, like a normal shock it will slowly extend back. But it doesn't take anywhere the strength it takes to collapse a normal shock. 4.) When you take the top XZN bolts, you can leave the washer sitting on the same spot and just remove the bolt, that way when you re-install, you don't have to mess with the washer and bolt when re-threading back in. 5.) Removing the upper control arm can be accomplished with a simple hammer and block at most but everytime all i have to do was push down to remove them. 6.) When mounting the new shock on the shock mount, make sure to align it the correct way. The 4 bolts up top are in a square pattern so the shock will go on which ever way you orient it...however when you go to put it back in the car, it will incorrect unless it's mounting facing the correct way. Easy way to remember which way, is that the mount where the air line threads in, is facing the same way as if it was pointed in between the two upper control arms...if it's on the side of the them or the back side of them, you will have to re mount it when you try to put it back in and realize that you have it facing the wrong way... That's all I can think of now....
Great tips! Now could you please tell me how the hell do you raise this car up and stick a jack stand on it at the same time?? I didn't see any good places to lift except that one spot behind the wheels that looks like the frame... Thanks!
@@jagboy69 , you can always use the pinch rail to lift it up and then put the jack under the jack point...or lift it up from the from the opposite wheel on the same side and lift it up high enough that the whole side of the car goes up and then put the jack under the jack point nearest the wheel you are working on...
I talked to the dealer today. They want $3800 for ONE NEW STRUT!!!! Rockauto to the rescue! bought a new pair of arnotts with a lifetime warranty for $700 a piece. Thanks for showing the replacement. Doesn't look that bad, just every part you deal with is 3times the weight it should be.
@@JohnEngel HOLYSHIT are these cars heavy. First I saw the comments about jacking and using a jack stand. I'm here to tell you, with a 3 ton floor jack lifting on the flat areas, you are NOT going to be able to get a jack stand on these cars. I'm not fuzzy about jacking on that lip either.... So I jacked up the front, placed a stand under the back rear and another stand under the lower A arm attach point. With a ramp shoved under the engine, I manned up and went for it. I had the strut out and on the ground in 20mins. Piece of cake. Now the install is a different animal. With the massive loads on the sway bar, you can't get the lower A low enough to shove in the new strut. Here's the trick I figured out. On the overhauled struts, the air fitting is bolted on, I opened the bolt and vented the charge on the new strut, with a cargo strap I was able to collapse it fully. This allows the strut to fit with a little fiddling IF you only have one side of the front end raised. After you have the top three bolts in place and the bottom bolt in place, CUT THE STRAP! The real solution to this is use 2 3ton floor jacks or stick the car on a lift. (Kinda tough when the car is trapped in an underground parking garage!) Anyways, another interesting side note, I bought a pump and an arnott valve. The valve came with a TSB showing new locations for the colored hose pipes. I followed the TSB and something is definitely not correct on the bentley. I made some best guesses and still couldn't get the front to come up. I said FCKIT and stuck on my old valve. With a little help from a floor jack, the front end came up off the ground and the car is throwing no codes and doing it's thing again. For good measure, I am going to change the other front strut while at it. The job is actually very easy, but as I said, this car is STUPID HEAVY!
Yes, post any work you do. I have a Flying Spur and always watch these. There are few Bentley vids out there, so your contributions are great. I should put some up myself really. Thanks
Great job. You give the best explanation on any process. Can you tell me what brand of strut you used and where can i get them from or web site? Thank you in advance. Waiting to see your next repair video.
Thank you so much. I used amazon. Left www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082Y6D2DZ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B082Y6D2DZ&linkId=fa5493f06fe056929ff86f282a3f4648 Right www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YFZZHTS/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07YFZZHTS&linkId=21c5b96b68c155574a241af434852d6f Both www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z3SD6NW/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07Z3SD6NW&linkId=9cf6f845fff67ade226cf8b9d0a16065
why did you remove the headlight level? also, after you remove the old fitting on the air hose (release small copper C-clip), the tube should push up into the new fitting and snap in, I don't recall adding any o-rings. assuming this is an OEM part.
Good video, you do not show a jack stand being used, it is very dangerous to be doing ANY repair with ONLY a hydraulic jack. Please be sure to use jacks to anyone reading this.
You are 100% right. I just went back and watched it because I was sure I used one but I didn’t see it. I really hope I did but needed to make sure it was noted.
@@JohnEngel I love informational videos, I like your channel, I try to provide info as well, but we have to be mindful that if someone less educated then us watches this, they think its ok. I hope this does not offend you, I truly want to help educate the right way. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Happy New year, Lou
Hey Lou! Got a new pair of struts on the way for my issue.. Do you know where the hell to raise this car AND where is a good spot to stick a jack stand?? The only place I saw was behind the wheels on that flat area to lift it.. Thanks man!
how'd you get the car in the air? I jacked mine from the front framerail jack point (shown in the user manual). The rear tire lifted before the front, and the jack point is starting to deform. Less than ideal. where did you lift, and then where did you place jack stands? Great video- thanks!
I really can’t blame you. After doing this repair, I would do it again because I now know how but at one point I did ask myself why I was doing it. Lol.
Does anyone know if the struts have to have the reservoir on it? I bought the arnott air struts that didn't have it but was compatible to my car put them on and it didn't work any info will be greatly appreciated
Hey @John , I'm planning to buy a 2005-2006 Bentley CGT. Can you give me some tips on what things that I need to look at for? Most of them are have around 50-60k miles on them and some having 2-3 owners. Should I just go ahead and replace the battery and air suspension right away?
The battery and suspension are items that I would replace as needed and not before. They are great reliable cars. For the most part just make sure that it drives and looks like it has been taken care of.
@@brianrichards2998 hello Brian thank you for the question. I tried but due to the suspension fault it would not let me. So I had to replace the strut and now lift mode will work again.
@@JohnEngel Same here, I couldn't get it in or out of jack mode until I fixed the car and drove it around the block. Even after repairing and clearing the faults, it still wouldn't clear until a drive. Something about that 15mph I think where it shuts off that orange warning.
Did you use OEM or generic replacement struts? Dealer charged me over $4000 to replace both, demanded a front end alignment as well. Claimed they needed to replace both even though only one was bad. What height do you tend to set the ride at?
I used a generic and only did the one but I can see them wanting to do both, it’s the safer method. I did not do an alignment but I didn’t adjust anything so I’m not 100% on why one would be needed. All in all it cost me around 350 to fix and I was so happy when it all worked. Lol
I believe in doing pairs. If one failed due to age, you can bet the other isn't far behind it! Dealer is $3800 a pop and rockauto is $700 a piece for good quality Arnott overhauled units with a lifetime warranty!
Couple of things for someone that is doing this job
1.) T55 is not the correct socket to use for the bolts on top of the frame above the strut. It will work, but you also risk stripping out the bolt. The correct socket to use is called a 'triple square' or 'XZN' socket. It is essentially a 12pt torx. The size you will need is 12mm
2.) You do not need to support the lower control arm underneath. Everything will come out fine without supporting the LCA.
3.) You do not need to jack up both sides of the car. When you have loosened up everything shown in the video, You can push up on the air shock and you will hear the air escaping from the air shock and it will collapse and you can remove it. Same thing with putting it back in. It does take some force to push it in, like a normal shock it will slowly extend back. But it doesn't take anywhere the strength it takes to collapse a normal shock.
4.) When you take the top XZN bolts, you can leave the washer sitting on the same spot and just remove the bolt, that way when you re-install, you don't have to mess with the washer and bolt when re-threading back in.
5.) Removing the upper control arm can be accomplished with a simple hammer and block at most but everytime all i have to do was push down to remove them.
6.) When mounting the new shock on the shock mount, make sure to align it the correct way. The 4 bolts up top are in a square pattern so the shock will go on which ever way you orient it...however when you go to put it back in the car, it will incorrect unless it's mounting facing the correct way. Easy way to remember which way, is that the mount where the air line threads in, is facing the same way as if it was pointed in between the two upper control arms...if it's on the side of the them or the back side of them, you will have to re mount it when you try to put it back in and realize that you have it facing the wrong way...
That's all I can think of now....
Great write-up. Thank you.
Do you have to reprogram anything on the air suspension?
@@realslimbrady no...its plug and play
Great tips! Now could you please tell me how the hell do you raise this car up and stick a jack stand on it at the same time?? I didn't see any good places to lift except that one spot behind the wheels that looks like the frame...
Thanks!
@@jagboy69 , you can always use the pinch rail to lift it up and then put the jack under the jack point...or lift it up from the from the opposite wheel on the same side and lift it up high enough that the whole side of the car goes up and then put the jack under the jack point nearest the wheel you are working on...
I talked to the dealer today. They want $3800 for ONE NEW STRUT!!!! Rockauto to the rescue! bought a new pair of arnotts with a lifetime warranty for $700 a piece. Thanks for showing the replacement. Doesn't look that bad, just every part you deal with is 3times the weight it should be.
Lol. Exactly. If I can do it, anyone can.
@@JohnEngel HOLYSHIT are these cars heavy. First I saw the comments about jacking and using a jack stand. I'm here to tell you, with a 3 ton floor jack lifting on the flat areas, you are NOT going to be able to get a jack stand on these cars. I'm not fuzzy about jacking on that lip either.... So I jacked up the front, placed a stand under the back rear and another stand under the lower A arm attach point. With a ramp shoved under the engine, I manned up and went for it. I had the strut out and on the ground in 20mins. Piece of cake. Now the install is a different animal. With the massive loads on the sway bar, you can't get the lower A low enough to shove in the new strut. Here's the trick I figured out. On the overhauled struts, the air fitting is bolted on, I opened the bolt and vented the charge on the new strut, with a cargo strap I was able to collapse it fully. This allows the strut to fit with a little fiddling IF you only have one side of the front end raised. After you have the top three bolts in place and the bottom bolt in place, CUT THE STRAP! The real solution to this is use 2 3ton floor jacks or stick the car on a lift. (Kinda tough when the car is trapped in an underground parking garage!) Anyways, another interesting side note, I bought a pump and an arnott valve. The valve came with a TSB showing new locations for the colored hose pipes. I followed the TSB and something is definitely not correct on the bentley. I made some best guesses and still couldn't get the front to come up. I said FCKIT and stuck on my old valve. With a little help from a floor jack, the front end came up off the ground and the car is throwing no codes and doing it's thing again. For good measure, I am going to change the other front strut while at it. The job is actually very easy, but as I said, this car is STUPID HEAVY!
I've been dreading to do this fix on my car. This video make me feel much better about doing it now. Thank you.
This is a very impressive video. Thank you for making this video and well done for succeeding in this complex repair!
Yes, post any work you do. I have a Flying Spur and always watch these. There are few Bentley vids out there, so your contributions are great. I should put some up myself really. Thanks
Thank you so much for the kind words. I totally agree with you.
awesome job man. I've been really dreading redoing my 08 GT suspension. Its been sagging every time I park it for longer than a day. inspiring!
Love how you suprised yourself. That was awesome
Great job John glad you have your baby back on the road again.
Just glad it worked cause if it didn’t that car was going to be on fire.
Can't wait to see it back out on the road!!
Road trip.
Mine has done same front drivers side ....good to watch.
Thank you for this awsome video. You have saved me big bucks with this DIY video. Great work!
Thank you so much. That really means a lot.
Great video - need more ppl on YT to show ppl its not so bad or super expensive to own and maintain a Bentley :)
Exactly. Thank you.
Seriously impressed with this one man!
Thank you so much. You know the frustration of working on something and then it’s still not fixed, so I was so happy to have it fixed. :)
Helpful I’ll try to do mine
A warning, these are the notorious Audi pinch bolts from hell. A 1 hour job can become 7
This is true.
Awesome video, super helpful. Thank you!
Great job. You give the best explanation on any process. Can you tell me what brand of strut you used and where can i get them from or web site? Thank you in advance. Waiting to see your next repair video.
Thank you so much. I used amazon.
Left
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082Y6D2DZ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B082Y6D2DZ&linkId=fa5493f06fe056929ff86f282a3f4648
Right
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YFZZHTS/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07YFZZHTS&linkId=21c5b96b68c155574a241af434852d6f
Both
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z3SD6NW/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engelgroup-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07Z3SD6NW&linkId=9cf6f845fff67ade226cf8b9d0a16065
@@JohnEngel
They are currently not available for Bentley I would suggest Arnott ,better quality and warranty
why did you remove the headlight level?
also, after you remove the old fitting on the air hose (release small copper C-clip), the tube should push up into the new fitting and snap in, I don't recall adding any o-rings.
assuming this is an OEM part.
Good video, you do not show a jack stand being used, it is very dangerous to be doing ANY repair with ONLY a hydraulic jack. Please be sure to use jacks to anyone reading this.
You are 100% right. I just went back and watched it because I was sure I used one but I didn’t see it. I really hope I did but needed to make sure it was noted.
@@JohnEngel I love informational videos, I like your channel, I try to provide info as well, but we have to be mindful that if someone less educated then us watches this, they think its ok. I hope this does not offend you, I truly want to help educate the right way. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Happy New year, Lou
@@MasterTechLou no offense at all. I agree with you 100% and safety should always comes first. I’m glad you pointed it out. :)
Hey Lou! Got a new pair of struts on the way for my issue.. Do you know where the hell to raise this car AND where is a good spot to stick a jack stand?? The only place I saw was behind the wheels on that flat area to lift it.. Thanks man!
Hey any videos or info on how to change upper control arms
I haven’t had the fun of doing one on here yet.
how'd you get the car in the air? I jacked mine from the front framerail jack point (shown in the user manual). The rear tire lifted before the front, and the jack point is starting to deform. Less than ideal. where did you lift, and then where did you place jack stands? Great video- thanks!
I also lifted from the front jacking point. Then I just put the jack stand under the car but never removed the jack fully.
Nice!
I know have to do the other side. Please send help. Lol.
wow brilliant info cheers sir how did you put a new seal on the air line did you let the car fully down before you turned car on please
Thank you so much.
Good job , thanks 🙏🏾
Thank you. I was so happy when it fixed it. Also have you a sub. :)
Yeah, I chose not to do this repair myself. Kudos to you!!
I really can’t blame you. After doing this repair, I would do it again because I now know how but at one point I did ask myself why I was doing it. Lol.
John what brand of strut did you choose
It was an Amazon brand but I don’t see it anymore.
Are the cruinar air suspension shocks adjustable like the OEM? I need some for my 2013. It's been a year how are the shocks holding up?
So far they are doing perfect and yes all ride heights work correctly.
I need you to help me change the one on mine
It’s not too bad of a job.
where did you get your strut?
I bought the ones on Amazon. I have the links in the description.
Does anyone know if the struts have to have the reservoir on it? I bought the arnott air struts that didn't have it but was compatible to my car put them on and it didn't work any info will be greatly appreciated
👍
Hey @John , I'm planning to buy a 2005-2006 Bentley CGT. Can you give me some tips on what things that I need to look at for?
Most of them are have around 50-60k miles on them and some having 2-3 owners. Should I just go ahead and replace the battery and air suspension right away?
The battery and suspension are items that I would replace as needed and not before. They are great reliable cars. For the most part just make sure that it drives and looks like it has been taken care of.
@@JohnEngel Can I get in touch with you via email if I have questions on the car that I'm currently looking at?
@@yogeshsriharsha6338 sure thing. Johnen@usca.edu
Question John, what types of rotors are you running on your Continental GT and where did you purchase them from if you ever had to replace them.
So far I have not had to replace them. I am not 100% sure if the previous owner did but I am thinking they must have.
Hi John did you put bentley in jack mode first . I need to replace all suspension front rubber bushes any tips thanks Brian
@@brianrichards2998 hello Brian thank you for the question. I tried but due to the suspension fault it would not let me. So I had to replace the strut and now lift mode will work again.
@@JohnEngel Thanks John grear site
Hi there, did the Bentley need to be in jack mode before you rise front two wheels off ground?
When the fault is triggered, it would not let me put it in jack mode. I had to fix it and now it will let me put it in jack mode again.
@@JohnEngel
Well that's good to know, had same problem with my 2010 S-Mercedes a couple of years ago.
Thanks T
@@JohnEngel Same here, I couldn't get it in or out of jack mode until I fixed the car and drove it around the block. Even after repairing and clearing the faults, it still wouldn't clear until a drive. Something about that 15mph I think where it shuts off that orange warning.
Doesnt seem like you needed to take anything except the strut iut.
That’s right.
Where did you get your struts ?
Ordered them off Amazon
@@JohnEngel brand? Also how are they holding up?
Did you use OEM or generic replacement struts? Dealer charged me over $4000 to replace both, demanded a front end alignment as well. Claimed they needed to replace both
even though only one was bad. What height do you tend to set the ride at?
I used a generic and only did the one but I can see them wanting to do both, it’s the safer method. I did not do an alignment but I didn’t adjust anything so I’m not 100% on why one would be needed. All in all it cost me around 350 to fix and I was so happy when it all worked. Lol
I believe in doing pairs. If one failed due to age, you can bet the other isn't far behind it! Dealer is $3800 a pop and rockauto is $700 a piece for good quality Arnott overhauled units with a lifetime warranty!
It took me only 30 min 👌
Nice work.
How dare you not care for the customers Bentley by not protect the fender with a fender cloth over the fender.
lol. 😂 I definitely should have. One of the perks of working on your own vehicles.
Im going to squirt green goo tire sealer in my shock wish me luck! 😆
lol. Let me tell you that did not work like it did in my head. Lol. 😂
@@JohnEngel haha did you try it?
@@Sharakomusic I sure did. It did not work at all.
@@JohnEngel Hm, I wonder why not.
I am Gary from AISKITS team and I hope to work with you. We produce high quality auto headlights and auto supplies, can I send you an email?
Hello Gary. Thank you for the comment. I’d be happy to work with you and look forward to speaking with you. My email is johnen@usca.edu