The great debate

I used a set of air shocks on my big block 1964 Dodge Polara back in the 1970s because I wanted to run bigger tires without cutting the fenderwells. They did the job with no problems. The biggest drawback was the stiffer ride in the rear. Air shocks are not really shock "absorbers", they are more like shock "feelers".

Their main value comes in levelling the ride height as weight is added in the rear of the car. For instance: one night I put 5 guys in the trunk and levelled the ride before entering Orange County Raceway for a night or racing. They charged by the head back then and the guys in the trunk chipped in $1 a piece and paid my entry fee. When they got out, I let air out of the shocks to get the car to sit right again.

After a couple of years of the hard ride I replaced the air shocks with Monroe adjustables.