# Reliability of PTC fittings?



## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

So I have ptc fittings to all of my bags. When I first threw together my setup I decided to save some money and use the fittings that were on my front bags already since there was only a few thousand miles on them; took em off, cleaned up, rewrapped with tape, etc. Anyways, my passenger side blew out (well, the air hose blew off, I assume the teeth in the fitting didnt have as good as a bite as they should have) a couple times so I ended up replacing the fitting. I bought an extra one for the driver side knowing that it would eventually blow out as well, which it did today on my way to class. Lucky for me I saw my bag leaking when I did. So anyways, replaced that fitting today so all is well. 

My question is, how reliable are ptc fittings? If my old fittings only had a few thousand (I think around 5k or so) and were already crap, how long would new ones last? I dont want to have to replace fittings every few months; especially the rear ones. Compression fittings seem like they might be a pain in the ass since they are bigger and dont swivel (at least from what I know). So are they just not that great or perhaps my old fittings were just really ****ty? 

Its pretty terrifying when they blow out, and I have been fortunate enough to have them only blow out while I am not moving, until today; I was going about 35 mph...its a good thing it isnt an instant blow out. I would hate for it to happen on the highway. Also, lucky for me, I cannot lay frame yet...other wise I dont know how on earth I will fit a scissor jack under the car as I can just barely fit one now. I cant move at all either since my fenders are right up against the tires if I air out.


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## orau22 (Oct 15, 2008)

what fittings are you using, where are you ordering them from, and are you sure you are properly using them, making sure that when you push in the air line it is all the way in, because, in some situations, you have to give it a good amount of force to "pop" in. Lastly, are your air lines cut properly, straight edge, and not diagonal or anything.

I have used tons of PTCs and never once have I had an issue at all. Sounds like there is some user error here.


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## limet (Jan 8, 2009)

orau22 said:


> what fittings are you using, where are you ordering them from, and are you sure you are properly using them, making sure that when you push in the air line it is all the way in, because, in some situations, you have to give it a good amount of force to "pop" in. Lastly, are your air lines cut properly, straight edge, and not diagonal or anything.
> 
> I have used tons of PTCs and never once have I had an issue at all. Sounds like there is some user error here.


Exactly. The hose needs to be cut near perfect and pushed in all the way. With those done, very reliable.


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

orau22 said:


> what fittings are you using, where are you ordering them from, and are you sure you are properly using them, making sure that when you push in the air line it is all the way in, because, in some situations, you have to give it a good amount of force to "pop" in. Lastly, are your air lines cut properly, straight edge, and not diagonal or anything.
> 
> I have used tons of PTCs and never once have I had an issue at all. Sounds like there is some user error here.


Well the old ones that blew out, looked like generic fittings with the green ring (the release ring) on the end. The ones that I bought for the setup as well as the replacements, have all been from bagriders with the metal rings. I always make sure I push them in all the way, wait for a good click or pop, then push again.


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## orau22 (Oct 15, 2008)

bboy_jon said:


> Well the old ones that blew out, looked like generic fittings with the green ring (the release ring) on the end. The ones that I bought for the setup as well as the replacements, have all been from bagriders with the metal rings. I always make sure I push them in all the way, wait for a good click or pop, then push again.


theres no way, I have never had a single issue with PTCs, I have had the ones with green rings, bag riders, anything, if they are strong enough for air, then there is no way this should happen, you either are not cutting the air line correctly or not pushing them in the entire way, on all my PTC's I feel a light click, and then a bigger one that takes more force.


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## [email protected] (Jan 26, 2006)

Are you using a PTC right off the bag? (in the front)


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

well, I am pretty sure I have always felt one click, but none of my other ones have failed yet. 



[email protected] said:


> Are you using a PTC right off the bag? (in the front)


yup


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## orau22 (Oct 15, 2008)

bboy_jon said:


> well, I am pretty sure I have always felt one click, but none of my other ones have failed yet.
> 
> 
> 
> yup


you dont have leader lines?


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

nope. The air lift lifestyles didnt come with them.


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## weber. (Mar 25, 2009)

dot type-a PTC fittings. *ZERO* issues.


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## kilimats (Mar 5, 2006)

just make sure you cut them flat, use this or a specialized tool


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

all of my non-hardlines have been cut with this


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## blue bags (Jul 1, 2009)

I hate how the mk4 lifestyles dont have leader lines... pretty sure its because it could potentially damage the bag since the fitting is at the top instead of the bottom. But assuming its a good quality PTC you should be fine. ive put a few years and alot of miles and my whole system is PTCs and ive never had one fail


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## vwynn (Oct 11, 2011)

all my fittings are PTC besides the ones on the bag itself. Those are crush ones where you screw on the nut that compresses it. 

100% so far 

ive had leaks before but it was done after buying a real line cutter that made everything square. 

Key point: Cut straight. Buy DOT approved fittings


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## [email protected] (Jan 26, 2006)

You have any pictures of what you are doing? maybe we will see something that looks off. ic:


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

Ill take some if they ever blow out again...Like I said, I havent had any of my rear fittings blow out since I got air...most likely due to the fact that I used brand new fittings.


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## Miguel Lopez Ma (Mar 12, 2007)

I had a similar problem, the bag reached the PCT when the car touched the ground, and opened the PCT so that the line slipping.


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## onavianva (Oct 31, 2010)

to properly connect an airline to a ptc plastic/brass fitting should i

1 guide the line first onto the removable locking ring, then push into fitting? is yes, how much excess should i have before pushing into fitting?
2 just snap in the line onto the ptc fitting until it clicks? how many?

pics would help.

also i kinda bent the locking ring a little but managed to still use it. and now it seems that my tank is having a really hard time pushing air from the tank to my bags? anyone had this issue before??


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

I think the fittings take about a 1/4" of line. Just push it in, and than keep pushing until you hear/feel a click. Through my experience it is only one click, but it could be two. Never had any problems with the broken ring though


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## onavianva (Oct 31, 2010)

im using my tire compressor to fill my tank cause my VIAIR compressor is currently disconnected.
so my tire compressor only fills to like 45 psi. is this the reason why my bags air up so slooooowly??? cause of low pressure? or is it cause i improperly installed the air lines and maybe pinched the ends that connect inside the ptc fittings??


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

I learned this the hardway when I first got everything setup. I tried to prefill my tank with my air compressor (in the garage) so I didnt have to leave my viair pump on for 8 minutes. My compressor can only fill up to 85 psi; I thought it was a problem in my system but it turned out that it was just my compressor not being capable. 

If you can only get up to 45 psi, that could lead to slow bag fill I imagine; the more pressure in your tank, the quicker it wants to leave so if you had more pressure I think your bags can fill a bit faster, try with more pressure. If it doesnt fix it, it can be a problem with your lines.


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## onavianva (Oct 31, 2010)

bboy_jon said:


> I learned this the hardway when I first got everything setup. I tried to prefill my tank with my air compressor (in the garage) so I didnt have to leave my viair pump on for 8 minutes. My compressor can only fill up to 85 psi; I thought it was a problem in my system but it turned out that it was just my compressor not being capable.
> 
> If you can only get up to 45 psi, that could lead to slow bag fill I imagine; the more pressure in your tank, the quicker it wants to leave so if you had more pressure I think your bags can fill a bit faster, try with more pressure. If it doesnt fix it, it can be a problem with your lines.


i drove around town and found a shell gas station and payed the 3 quarters to use the compressor to fill your tires, but used it on my tank. but it could only fill it to ~65psi. and once again slow fills. 

i think its a combination of improper installation of ptc fitting aswell as super low pressure.


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

well do you think there could be a bend? What size lines are you using? Ive never really tried to air up with anything less than 115 psi and I am using 1/4 lines. Its not super quick, but its not ridiculously slow either


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## onavianva (Oct 31, 2010)

bboy_jon said:


> well do you think there could be a bend? What size lines are you using? Ive never really tried to air up with anything less than 115 psi and I am using 1/4 lines. Its not super quick, but its not ridiculously slow either


i have the manual setup. 1/4 inch line.
i know manual air lift is slow. but at my condition is terribly slow.
i place an order on some new plumbing. gonna replace my brass fittings and get nickel plated with plastic PTC fitting. since i damaged one of the brass PTC's. also to gain experience. 
hopefully it gets here before the new years.


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

Hey Jon,

Just a thought on why your front airlines keep blowing out. When you air up vs. air down the bottom of the strut where the line is connected is in a different spot compared to the frame of the car (base point). Because this point changes so drastically, well a few inches, it can start to angle the air hose and wear out the o-ring on the inside of the fitting and when the o-ring seal breaks it ends up pushing the air hose out of the fitting rather than helping the teeth push into the plastic to secure the line. I would personally look into leader lines so that your PTC connection can be made on the frame rail and the lines will not end up angling from the fittings like i did. I wrapped my leader line as such to allow for a very flexible line at all ride heights


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

Thats a good point, but I think (correct me if I am misreading) that wouldnt be the case. You are talking about the bottom part of the bag right? The fitting is at the very top of the bag. My line runs out the wiper cowl and into the top of the wheel well so airing out/up doesnt change the angle of the line at all since the opening of the wiper cowl (to the wheel well) is always at the same height in relation to the top of the strut. It is a good point though; my lines might be bent in a way that it is placing uneven pressure and could be the cause of premature failure. Ill look into it. 

Once again, correct me if you meant something else. This is just what I am getting off of the post :thumbup:


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

What front strut setup do you have??

Either way the top of the bagwill be just as bad, if not worse because of the twisting motion from the steering. Ptc fitting absolutely hate to be turned as well and all the turning is probably blowing out o-rings. 

Can you post up a few pictures of your front setup with airlines attached so we can get a better picture?


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

They are air lift lifestyles. The turning thing is a good point, never thought about that. Can leader lines be ran on my struts? I feel like they would have used leader lines if it was needed (if bought brand new that is)


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

http://www.airliftcompany.com/manuals/ES_MN-562_75513.pdf

This the struts?

I honestly don't know much about these struts, where do they turn from? Does just the top panel turn or does it turn from that section underneath the bag? I know that on the xl's the whole bag turns but i am not sure on these ones...


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## Slamtastic (Jul 24, 2010)

Yup the whole bag turns just like the xl's.

Where do you have the fitting situated? Is it facing the wheel or the car? Facing the car is what I did and I haven't had a single problem. If its facing the wheel, the tire could be catching on the line and pulling it.

Also, there are such things as cheap fittings. My local semi shop has excellent fittings but I got some at another place and they all leaked.


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

dubbin18 said:


> Yup the whole bag turns just like the xl's.
> 
> Where do you have the fitting situated? Is it facing the wheel or the car? Facing the car is what I did and I haven't had a single problem. If its facing the wheel, the tire could be catching on the line and pulling it.
> 
> Also, there are such things as cheap fittings. My local semi shop has excellent fittings but I got some at another place and they all leaked.


If the whole bag turns then the fitting is going to turn in relation to the car still, if you crank the wheel hard one way it might tug and put stress on one of those lines. I would get a leader line and then secure the end of the leader line to the frame somewhere where it will leave enough slack to turn the wheel both ways and not interfere. This way the fitting has zero stress on it.

Greenline has the metal collar PTC fittings, cheap PRICE too, not cheap quality. They are just off of blackfoot and 46th by C1 right beside my work
http://greenlinehose.com/_pdf/fittings/9.PushtoCon.pdf


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## [email protected] (Feb 19, 2010)

MechEngg said:


> If the whole bag turns then the fitting is going to turn in relation to the car still, if you crank the wheel hard one way it might tug and put stress on one of those lines. I would get a leader line and then secure the end of the leader line to the frame somewhere where it will leave enough slack to turn the wheel both ways and not interfere. This way the fitting has zero stress on it.


This is a wise move. Even though the fitting is on the top of the old sleeve style struts that the OP has, they can still tug on the lines when you turn. When they tug and put stress on the fitting, they can leak. Are you sure there's enough slack in the line?


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## arethirdytwo (Apr 4, 2007)

Are you serious? I mean I don't mind helping I love it but dude... Think about what you are asking. 

- Of course that is why your system is slow. You are filling each bag one at a time with no volume of air. Why is your compressor disconnected? Broken, wiring, whats the deal there?

- It sounds like you did this yourself... I'm not being a jerk here but if you have the technical skill to install then think bro. How would you pinch a line in the end of a PTC? What visual is going through your mind here? 

Take some time to problem solve man. This just worries me as all the questions you asked fall into the "Is water wet" category. Especially if you are taking on a project like installing your own air suspension. Hook up your compressor, obviously. PTC's... Caught it square and push in, you can't pinch it. 



onavianva said:


> im using my tire compressor to fill my tank cause my VIAIR compressor is currently disconnected.
> so my tire compressor only fills to like 45 psi. is this the reason why my bags air up so slooooowly??? cause of low pressure? or is it cause i improperly installed the air lines and maybe pinched the ends that connect inside the ptc fittings??


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## onavianva (Oct 31, 2010)

arethirdytwo said:


> Are you serious? I mean I don't mind helping I love it but dude... Think about what you are asking.
> 
> - Of course that is why your system is slow. You are filling each bag one at a time with no volume of air. Why is your compressor disconnected? Broken, wiring, whats the deal there?
> 
> ...



Yes each bag was filled individually. it seemed that 3 things happened at once.
Since compressor stopped working im assuming it was the relay, so i disconected electrically, bent a piece of the brass PTC, and slow air fills. got a relay on order when i ordered my water trap so waiting for that to arrive tuesday night 8/
so in the mean time so i could have air i used my tire compressor. and at ~60 psi it was slow. i dont know how much it would need to operate normally, so i asked.
and no they do not fall into the "is water wet". its a serious question for a concerned person who wants further and more experienced advice from others.


and good on you that your not being a jerk.
hey but thanks anyways.opcorn:


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

It rotates between the top plate (that mounts to the strut top) and the top of the bag. 



dubbin18 said:


> Yup the whole bag turns just like the xl's.
> 
> Where do you have the fitting situated? Is it facing the wheel or the car? Facing the car is what I did and I haven't had a single problem. If its facing the wheel, the tire could be catching on the line and pulling it.
> 
> Also, there are such things as cheap fittings. My local semi shop has excellent fittings but I got some at another place and they all leaked.


The fittings are facing not the wheel or the engine, but the back of the car. There is enough slack in the lines, but I still plan on checking just how much there is. The fittings I replaced the old ones with (as well as all the ones I actually bought) are from bagriders. Like I said, I feel like the 2 fittings that blew out (which were used) were probably janky.



[email protected] said:


> This is a wise move. Even though the fitting is on the top of the old sleeve style struts that the OP has, they can still tug on the lines when you turn. When they tug and put stress on the fitting, they can leak. Are you sure there's enough slack in the line?


Will, so leader lines can be used with the lifestyles? (I know they can, I just want some extra verification  )


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

actually, I just got back from a little drive and I was thinking...this makes perfect sense. Every time (well aside from the time I parked at my house and came out to my car in the morning to find my bag leaking) the fittings blew, it was a gradual blow (ie I saw the bag losing pressure) I would go and try to park and whenever I would make a tight U-turn to turn the car around, thats when the fitting/hose would completely blow off. I guess I dont really have enough slack. Looks like I will be ordering some leader lines 

They arent necessary for the rear right? I left a good amount of slack in the lines to compensate for the upward/downward movement of the rear beam. 

Mech, where did you get that clamp (or whatever it is called) that secures the hose/leader line to the frame? I can pretty much mount those any where on the frame right? Without risking drilling through a wire/line or anything like that?

also, I have a problem...the air hole on the bag, is oriented horizontally. Currently I am using a right angle 1/4 ptc fitting so it points downward. I would like to mount the leader lines in a similar fashion (ie downward) but that would involve the use of an elbow ie

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products/STREET-ELBOW.html

The problem is, there isnt enough room to screw one of those in...the only reason I can screw a ptc fitting into the bag is because of the swivel head; the brass elbow will be too large for me to have any room to screw it in more than a 1/4 of a turn. Is there anything I can do about this? Perhaps there are swivel head right angle npt fittings? I guess I could just mount the leader lines straight to the bag and have them horizontal but I feel like the hose would not want to bend too much and could cause problems with it hitting my tire or something


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

I used cable clamps to attach the leader line to the frame with self tapping screws. 
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8177610/Hardware-Kits/Cable-Clamps

I don't see any problems with using a leader line in the horizontal position buuut you could always try a 45 degree street elbow? or a different brand 90 street elbow because some i have used are not blocks for that size and are rather rounded.


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## bboy_jon (Jan 19, 2010)

sweet man, Ill get me some of those. I really dont think any elbows would fit unless the npt (male end) was maybe 2" long...or if I used an extension but **** that.


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## [email protected] (Feb 19, 2010)

bboy_jon said:


> Will, so leader lines can be used with the lifestyles? (I know they can, I just want some extra verification  )


Yes, they can. But I personally haven't used them when I've run sleeve struts.


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