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Air Shocks in a Wagon - Thoughts and Comments Please 

 

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 Post subject: Air Shocks in a Wagon - Thoughts and Comments Please
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:20 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Hi All

I am looking at options for the rear of my wagon in regards to the suspension setup.

I do not anticipate carrying/towing heavy loads on a regular basis, but would like options to be able to correct the ride height on those occasions I do.

Keeping this in mind I am considering installing Air Shocks in the wagon.
I have already fitted 2" Lowering Blocks and may go even lower.

Please post your thoughts, comments and experiences regarding the pros and cons of using air shocks in a daily driver.

Cheers
BenJ

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:19 am 
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i think they'll work fine, i think the main issue is that they're pretty expensive.
let me know if u find any at a reasonable price because i'm considering them for mine.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:04 pm 
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i have 2 here from my fairlane, tho i dont have the airlines i dont think. MIGHT still be in the lane im not sure. ben im sure we can talk more on msn ;)

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:23 pm 
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they won't fit a wagon.
thats the issue.

Wagon shocks have posts on both ends.

Sedans have Post on one end, eye on the other end.
Not to say you couldn't modify things to make them fit, but yeah, not a direct fit.

 

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RACER - EF Futura , 5.0, 5 Speed
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:53 pm 
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Yeah Ben they'll be fine.

I had air shocks in a wagon a few years ago, it was 3" lowered all round, and had air's in the back, and was great. It still handled good, and whenevr it had weight (this car pulled a car trailer alot) just pump the shocks up, and you were right as rain.

Do it.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:58 pm 
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hey ben have you thort about using airbags fairly easy to set up

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:16 pm 
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I decided not to go with them.

I run King Spring replacemement leaf springs at low height. They have 5 leaves as oppossed to the standards which only have 4. So they're stiffer.

Also fitted Iron Man Load Plus so when there's weight in the back it's even stiffer and even.

Tows the boat and a boot load fine.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:23 pm 
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Put an extra leaf in the pack (8mm) as a 2nd leaf & reset the pack down at the same time, 2 birds 1 stone, stonger & lower. approx 500(very) roughly drive in drive out.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:32 pm 
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you could make an adaptor to make the sedan shock fit the wagon.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:45 pm 
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huggiebear wrote:
you could make an adaptor to make the sedan shock fit the wagon.


The coil sprung ' air shocks " wont work in leaf sprung, leaf sprung have the fitting on the side of the shock body near the top, coil sprung units have the air fitting running down through the top of the pin (top stud, mount.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:54 pm 
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Well, I do have these 'LoadPlus' helpers. My understanding is that I can increase the tension/stiffness by tightening up the rearmost nuts.

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Would I be better off getting heavy duty shocks, and use the Load helpers? Hmmmmmm

Huggie, I don't see how one could easily mod a sedan shock to fit a wagon as any adapter would increase the overall length of the shock.

SVO, Airbags would be sweet, but beyond my NIL budget.

twr7cx, how much did the Kings Springs leaf setup cost, if you don't mind me asking?


Thanks for all the sugestions and comments guys.

BenJ

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:20 pm 
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BenJ wrote:
Well, I do have these 'LoadPlus' helpers. My understanding is that I can increase the tension/stiffness by tightening up the rearmost nuts.

twr7cx, how much did the Kings Springs leaf setup cost, if you don't mind me asking?
.

That is correct, the more you toghten them the more you tension them and so the firmer they become.

Can't remember, I've had them for about 2 years now, and I got them at employees price when working at Repco. They're not cheap, but personally I think they're worth it. i don't like lowering blocks, and by the time I bought an extra leaf and had the standard ones reset, I doubt it would of been much cheaper, and at least with the Kings there brand new and made specifically for that height.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:33 pm 
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Monroe air shocks are the GT gas shocks with an airbag, so they are h/d shocks. Airshocks are much easier to adjust than the load helpers you have on presently. But yeah airshocks are expensive.

The sedan shocks have about 25mm less travel than the wagon shocks. That might be good for a lowered car, but might not be if lowering blocks are used. If you want to learn how to modify shocks, do it to some old one's you don't care about. It wouldn't be hard to cut off the bottom eye and weld on a pin. I'm not sure where the air fittings are so i don't know if that might be a problem, but i would have guessed the air line to enter the top of the shock, and since both shocks have a pin top, the swap might be fine.

 

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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:42 pm 
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yeah they enter at the top. fitting them (top wise) to a wagon wouldnt be an issue at all, it would just be the bottom end

 

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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:57 pm 
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Yeah the air lines enter in at the top of the shocks.

If you do get the ones off Huggie bear to modify you can get a air line kit from monroe, there $30-$40 from memory.

I personally think air shocks would be better for you Benj rather than stiffer springs. At Least with the air shocks you maintain your factory "softer" ride characteristics (it will be a daily yeah?) and when you do have a load or a trailer on just pump it up and away you go.

You may even be better of having the stock leafs reset and running the air shocks then you have infinite adjustability.

I now run them in both my cars. In the white one to adjust ride height for when i put the drag tyres on and in the red car for towing or a heavy load.

In the white car i used to even have a mini air compressor and a dump valve. so i could adjust them on the fly :) no air tank just the compressor hooked up to the valve and the dump valve in line. So it was no "low rider" but very handy when i had to pick up say 4 people i could just pump it up a bit. The white car used to be the lowest e-series in existence so it was real handy (the tail shaft would hit the floor :roll:.

Oh i modified my rear shock towers to so i could get it that low and have good adjustment, up 30mm on standard.

And the air shocks like a min of 7 psi and a max of 180.

Shut up Flash your rambling now :roll:

 

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