dreaded leaf spring questions....

[BeauBonyx]

Well I currently have air shocks on the rear of my car. My question which I believe I already know the answer to is this. When I deflate the air shocks my car sit the fender almost to the rim and does not touch any wheres in the fender. Aired up to 50 or 60 psi the fender clears the tire. I normally ride with about 30 psi in the shocks. Is this loading my body with the shock and not letting the leaf springs do the work? Or do the shocks take some of the weight of the car also? I like the look of my car leveled... But I am planning to install a controller on board to inflate and deflate the shocks as need to clear speed bumps and what not. I am thinking a poor mans accuair. Do you think my leafs are shot? Or I should be fine the way it is.

 

[DetMatt1]

The rear shock crossmember was not engineered to handle air shocks and makes for quite a week link in the system. Any pics of the stance with no air in the shocks?

 

[BeauBonyx]

I can get one once I am back home.
If you look at my garage profile the pic there is 25 to 30 psi.
Thanks

 

[BeauBonyx]

sorry I noticed it didnt have this picture

 

[DetMatt1]

I guess unless there's been some modification to strengthen the rear shock crossmember I would do whatever you have to to lose the air shocks.

 

[IRON MAN]

It is easy to make a cross member for shocks. I had to do it on two cars I owned.

 

[BeauBonyx]

I guess unless there's been some modification to strengthen the rear shock crossmember I would do whatever you have to to lose the air shocks.

But would I still need new springs? If I put gas shocks it would still be holding the weight of the car correct?

 

[BeauBonyx]

It is easy to make a cross member for shocks. I had to do it on two cars I owned.

View attachment 43285

How easy would it be to make one for sell? lol

 

[BeauBonyx]

Also I like the look of the rear low and the car leveled out. I am looking to only rise the rear end to clear speed bumps and what not...

 

[Avalanche]

Best option would be to replace the leafs.
And put on a good set of shocks

 

[aussiemark]

Air shocks are garbage they have no dampening which is a shocks sole purpose in life only good for levelling headlights when towing heavy trailers and nothing else. When inflated they cause the rear of the car to bounce around corners allowing the tyre to lose contact with the road. If it sits too low with decent shocks installed replace the springs. They were popular in the 70's for the funny car style stance but nobody uses then anymore airbags to assist the standard spring with the original shock in place is what is done now days by people towing heavy trailers or over loading truck trays.

 

[IRON MAN]

I should have mentioned earlier why I fabricated a cross member for the top of the shock absorbers to mount to. The shock cross members were installed in a 55 Chevy and a 56 Chevy coupe. The factory shock mount was the trunk floor! The trunk floor develops stress cracks from the flexing of the car going up and down and eventually the shock absorber punches its way through the floor. YIKES!