Gabriel air shocks hi jacks worth it?
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No. They are designed to jack the back of the car for clearance and add air pressure to the springs’ rates, but not smoothly as an air ride. This is the look and tech that was big in the 70’s.
Now if you want wheel hop, put the air shocks on high and dump the clutch! (You might need to remove the quad shocks for full effect.) Even a ‘79 2.3 L and an SROD will hop like Thumper when the lower rear control arms are that far from parallel to the ground.
I agree 100% with the second sentence when applied with coil overs. The air shocks will not be consistently holding the whole rear weight of the car, probably an extra 300-500 lbs a piece. I have not seen cracked body problems from air shocks or the load handlers. (They have an extra spring on the shock, like light coil overs that keep factory springs).
@Jose2008
I have seen the Hi Jackers and equivalents break air lines, blow out and wear out too soon. But it’s a quick way to get the rake on your Monte Carlo or Nova.
To not rub tires that stick out, 1. the spring rate needs to be so stiff that the axle does not articulate well. This is basically what the air shocks do. No bounce means a very poor ride.
2. You could get taller springs, longer shocks (or shock extenders), and taller bump stops that will stop the suspension from letting the wheel and tire swing up that far and rub. This will give at least a decent ride. Handling with one end of the car too high is not likely to be a slalom winner, but this way your kidneys will still be attached after a cruise. JC Whitney used to sell high lift springs, but I have not seen them anywhere for a while.
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Duuude.........But it’s a quick way to get the rake on your Monte Carlo or Nova.
My formative years were the 70's..... Seems to me it was the era of getting the widest tires you could find.... besides bell bottom pants....
One aspect that has changed since then, is now being able to order wheels with different back spacing to accomodate your car/wheel well dimensions.......
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- Mar 2, 2015
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Air shocks don't ride that bad. I had them on Poppa Smurf ( my 89 econoline ). I use them on all my trucks to fight the sag of the rear when towing a heavy trailer. Jacked all the way up they will ride stiff. The air pressure can help with bottoming out in the rear by adding a little help to the spring. A proper regular shock dampens the spring so they do transfer the cars weight to the body. People used to use them in the 80s and 90s to try and straighten the car out when launching. Usually the car will want to dip one corner in the rear. This is also the reason some folks used to stuff a football or a spring helper in just one rear spring. Nothing wrong with air shocks if used properly. My van road better with them than without them....but it was a van and not a mustang. My 82 Cadillac Eldorado also drove very well with them. It still rode like a Caddy is supposed to.
In another car group, I just saw upper shock mounts that were cracked like dropped eggs from air shocks.
@90sickfox the shock mounts are not meant to support the car’s weight all the time. Normal shocks slow the movement of the suspension, not stop it. When the air shocks are jacked up like solid strut rods is when the “shock” force of bumps and potholes is transferred in full force to the body.
The football or proper airbag in springs is an entirely different force on the car. The weight and sudden force is still on the axle/control arm and spring mount, not the shock mount. The orange spring bags are a good idea if they are still available. You can put them with any shock for the type of control that’s needed.
@90sickfox the shock mounts are not meant to support the car’s weight all the time. Normal shocks slow the movement of the suspension, not stop it. When the air shocks are jacked up like solid strut rods is when the “shock” force of bumps and potholes is transferred in full force to the body.
The football or proper airbag in springs is an entirely different force on the car. The weight and sudden force is still on the axle/control arm and spring mount, not the shock mount. The orange spring bags are a good idea if they are still available. You can put them with any shock for the type of control that’s needed.
- Mar 2, 2015
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As pressure goes up in the air shock they get stiffer transferring more weight to the shock tower. I'm in agreement with you that a fully aired up air shock would be a bad idea.
Also, I'm aware that the forces are different from the lower control arm vs the shock tower. The shock tower isn't designed for direct weight transfer....neither is the front strut mount for coil overs. To clarify my statement. Air shocks aren't bad if aired to proper pressure. Too much air will make the car way too stiff, sit way too high, and could damage vehicle structure.
We've both been in this mustang arena for a long time. I've seen stock shocks and torn rear shock towers. I'm sure you've heard of or seen the same.
I would never advise air shocks on a mustang if there's another option.
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