Air shocks??

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agarcia5

agarcia5

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Good afternoon everyone,

I would like to know which shocks & springs you all recommend for a '69 cuda. It has 15x8 in the rear and 15x6 in the front cragars ss with bf goodrich radials.

Thanks, Arturo
 
Do not use air shocks !! They put a tremendous load on the weak crossmember at the top and can break it.
If you want to raise the back of the car, get your springs re-arched.
 
I have been running air shocks on my daily drivers with 60psi for years and have never had one problem. Not one broken or bent part at all!
 
yellowdartdave said:
Do not use air shocks !! They put a tremendous load on the weak crossmember at the top and can break it.
If you want to raise the back of the car, get your springs re-arched.
Click to expand...

I also have not had a problem with this in 20 + years. Complete BS IMO.

Though IMO, I'd run a good gas shock and call it a day.
 
if the springs are wasted 'inverted' then air shock could and would not be a good idea, load helpers set at the desired height would be best 'bandaid'.imho
 
shocks have many purposes and do many things, raise, lower, hard, soft ride. You need to decide what you want before choosing type. Are you firming the ride or softening it? Are you trying to raise the rear and how much? How often does it need adjustment or changing? What is the final and overall goal of this change/project? Low rider air bags? that is always cool.....JMO
 
So far the best shock set up I have found on a daily driver is a pair of air shocks in the rear with 60psi (stock leaf springs), and a pair of Comp Engineering drag shocks in the front (when you can get a pair that work out of the box). I did this on Nikkis 66 dart daily driver and it rides great with no issues at all.
I like a firm ride and I can still go over a speed bump without coming to a dead stop and crawling over it. KYBs's are great shocks at first but every set I have gotten turned to **** after 6 months.

As far as I'm concerned I put people that scream "Don't ever use air shocks or shackles" in with the guys that say you can't use a tunnel ram on a street driven car. We have de-bunked that idea several times on this site over the years.
 
If you want some I got some...I have taken them off every car that I bought with them on them...I put new leaf srings and new KYB adjust a gas shocks...your fooling yourself if you put them on there...

IMG00458-20110103-1548.jpg
 
I used to have those in the back of my Duster, to keep the rear fender from rubbing the 275/60 -15"s around a 7 1/4. Had less traction and stability than my current setup (8 1/4 rear G-60 tires).
What would I recommend? KYB´s or Gabriels (gas shocks) all around with stock or rearched springs (IMHO).
 
I've never had them, so I don't know how they ride, but I met a guy at a cruise-in on Saturday with air shocks on his Swinger and it looked gooooood.
 
NO AIR SHOCKS!!! What people dont realize is the pressure and force that it puts on a uni frame car. Prolonged use of air shocks weakens the sub frame and can actually start to put to much force on the body of the car itself. I learned this as a graduate of wyo. tech. Have you ever seen a Duster or Nova that looks kinda funny in the quaters right behind the doors? Bet it had air shocks on it for a prolonged amount of time and it has actually tweaked the body.
 
As for kybs being ****, i have two sets and i abuse the HELL out of them and have no issues.

Even if the shock mounts were designed to hold the weight of the car, its going to kill your handling and traction. Id at least look into one of the other methods mentioned here.
 
Air shocks are a bandaid.

Get the proper spring and a conventional shock if you can.

If the car is primarily street driven, order some new XHD springs. If the car sees a bunch of track time, get a new set of SS springs.

SS springs are stiffer and make your car sit a bit higher than XHD springs.

Springs hold the car up, shocks control the springs.

If you must run air shocks, your springs should at least be good enough to hold the car at the desired ride height without any shocks installed at all.
 
nothing wrong with air shocks if you let the car ride on the springs. when you use them to raise the rear you start having problems. need an inch or two get some longer shackles if you cant (spring) for new leafs. S/S springs did nothing for my ride heighth but make it crooked.
 
JR said:
This is just going to turn into a "Holley Vs. Eddy" thread. :angry7:
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I ran them for years...................no problem.........but mine was street only.
 
KYB'S on all my cars. Best bang for the buck...Period.

If you really want to get fancy,take the stickers off,and paint them flat black like the originals.
 
Air bag kit is only 240-270$. They are rated up to 100PSI. That should make her ride real nice:toothy10:
 

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I like the look of airshocks. My duster has them and so did my 72 dart. The only complaint that I have is that I have to add air every few months and it seems that the back end does not hold the road very well.
 
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