Air shocks or air bags

[Pengyou]

I thought that air bags are still used with shocks but are they helpful if I am using air shocks all the way around? Should I do the 2" lift before I replace the shocks or after? I am probably going to do the overland kit. What about air bags on the front end? And how does upgrading the rear springs fit into the picture - with the 2" body lift?

[Lumpy]

Air BAGS - Air SHOCKS

They are two different animals.


Air BAGS are springs. Just as if you were adding/subtracting leaves, the airbag changes your spring rate (the amount of deflection at a given weight)


Air SHOCKS are shock absorbers that you can make longer. It's as if you put a jack under the car and raised the rear (or front). The spring rate remains the same but now the shocks take some of the stress of the thing being jacked up.

18 wheelers, dump trucks, fire trucks, lots of huge vehicles use air bags. Many of those vehicles use them in place of coils or leaves. Air shocks were probably invented to enable my dad to level his Galaxy 500 XL station wagon when he was towing the family travel trailer.

You can install either or both on the rear. Either will allow you to fine tune your rear end height.

I suppose you could install air shocks on the front of an AWD and maybe(?) the front of a RWD. You'd have a hard time installing air bags on the front of either, I'd think.

With your 2" lift you shouldn't have to change shocks. There will be zero difference in front. And the difference in the rear will still be accomodated by stock length shocks.


Lump

[AstroWill]

Should I fill those with mostly Nitrogen?

[Lumpy]

Should I fill those with mostly Nitrogen?

Most of the time.


Lump

[Coaster]

any air pump will fill them with mostly nitrogen

[markmitch]

Never use air shocks on the front of a vehicle, super unsafe and illegal in most states I doubt you could find then to fit the front anyway. If you are driving a vehicle with front air shocks and take a corner at a high speed and the shock blows you will roll the vehicle. This was tested years ago by Monroe because Lincoln wanted to use them for ride control. Test showed them to be very dangerous because while turning hard while at higher speeds the bellows and seals would blow from weight and down force at the same time which also would create heat which damaged the rubber parts even more. With today's better rubbers and such this may have changed but I have not seen anything saying so. Mark

[AstroWill]

Never use air shocks on the front of a vehicle, super unsafe and illegal in most states

I have never heard of this before, do you have a reference for this?


I know that there are quite a few with factory leveling systems. Firestone makes them for the front of trucks http://www.truckspring.com/suspension-p ... -rite.aspx

[Pengyou]

http://m.autoanything.com/suspension-sy ... 1A0A0.aspx

[AstroWill]

any air pump will fill them with mostly nitrogen

But I want it mixed with about 21% oxygen as well.

[nobodyhome1313]

Sounds like some high dollar equipment you have planned.

Anybody have a suggestion on front/ rear airbag setup on 95-05 AWD? Yes, not air shocks. I can find helpers for the rear, but nothing bolt-on for the front.

Thanks everyone.

[Lumpy]

I think air BAGS for the front of an AWD would take some fabbing and re-engineering. Just no place to put the bags.

Air SHOCKS, on the other hand, should be relatively easy, esp in an AWD since the shocks are exposed. Remove a shock, measure it's collapsed and extended length and note it's attachment/mount scheme. Then go to the shock websites. They all have charts showing all the possible dimensions and mount styles.

If you're lifting, take that into account when doing the triangle geometry to measure the shocks.


Lump

[nobodyhome1313]

Thanks Lump, looks like I'm going Rancho 9000.

[Lumpy]

... looks like I'm going Rancho 9000.

In that case, here's the Rancho 9000 part numbers I have installed in my 89. They've fit everything from stock to "a lot bigger than stock"

This is for REAR WHEEL DRIVE. The rear shocks should be exactly the same but the fronts will differ (I think?) -

Rancho RS999166 (FRONT)
Rancho RS999147 (REAR)
Rancho RS999705 (MyRide wireless controller. Those part numbers are all the same for any 9000 shock)


Lump