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Could someone explain how air shocks work to a newbie? And possibly how to adjust them?

T

tonyp25

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I have a 72 RR that is new to me. I can tell that the left side of the car is a little higher than the right side. I was thinking it’s possible how the air shocks are adjusted. I just have no idea how to adjust them. I only see one nipple that maybe I could hook up my compressor to but how would I adjust each side? Or how would I let all the air out to them start at level before raising them again? Also I’m just assuming this is for the air shocks I guess I don’t know for sure. It is right by the license plate

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Get under the car and follow the air lines from the shocks. Some are on one line and some set ups have a line for each shock. If they are on the same line, there is no way to adjust the pressure from side to side.
 
Actually, I suppose one could also simply install a shut off valve (to block) or a three way valve (to block & bleed) that is in the line that controls each shock, and that would allow one to bleed off one side, or over pressure one side, whichever the driver feels is needed, and continue to use the existing single? fill airline.

Not sure, but I suspect there are no one way valves/restrictors in existing air lines, which allows air movement side to side as car leans side to side, not ideal IMO, separate lines or shutoff valves would improve that downside (a non-progressive air spring).
Or add a sandbag in the trunk. :lol:

Oh, how they work, they are an aftermarket supplemental air spring that effectively adjusts rear height depending on applied static air pressure, subject to concerns mentioned above. That adjustment effects ride height & quality, looks, handling, front caster, headlight aiming and aero at high speeds.
 
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We all had air shocks back in the day. I used two separate lines to adjust the height on each side. You would have two air nipples rather than one. They are pretty easy to install.
 
Those are a 1900's thing ... it's 2025 now! Drag your *** into this century and toss those things!
 
As davek said. The brace on the top that the shocks attach to was never designed to carry the weight of the car. There have been many horror stories where something fails and the shock ends up punching through the trunk floor. Regular shocks are ok since with them the weight of the car is carried by the leaf springs
 
I have never heard or read about any air shock punching thru. Not saying it can't happen, but I suspect it is very rare. The air shocks do not "support" the weight of the rear of the car. They do I admit support a percentage, I doubt it ever exceeds 500lbs for the pair if we are not talking trailer towing or loaded station wagons. With scales it would not be hard to measure/calculate I suspect. I also submit stiff shocks, like KYB are more harmful than soft air shocks are on the rear mopar shock crossmember. For those concerned, below is an in-progress reinforcement of the rear shock crossmember on my 72 Swinger track day car.

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#41 said:
Get under the car and follow the air lines from the shocks. Some are on one line and some set ups have a line for each shock. If they are on the same line, there is no way to adjust the pressure from side to side.
Click to expand...

So it looks I have a line from each shock. Then I have that nipple under my license plate and I found what looks like an air pressure stem under the bumper. I’d imagine one lets air out and the other lets air in? Would I just let all the air out and then fill it back up to the height I like or is it likely that one of them is broken and that’s why it’s slightly off kilter. Why wouldn’t there be two separate fill spots to air them up.

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tonyp25 said:
So it looks I have a line from each shock. Then I have that nipple under my license plate and I found what looks like an air pressure stem under the bumper. I’d imagine one lets air out and the other lets air in? Would I just let all the air out and then fill it back up to the height I like or is it likely that one of them is broken and that’s why it’s slightly off kilter. Why wouldn’t there be two separate fill spots to air them up.

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Click to expand...

These let air in AND out just like a bicycle tire valve stem. Let air out by pushing in the pin in the middle, put air in using a bicycle pump or compressor. I can't see the whole system, so you just need to put air in and out and see what happens to the height on wither side or both. Don't drive on the shocks with zero air or more than maybe 40psi. You won't damage anything airing them up or down and experimenting.
 
You know, there is a reason I neglected to mention for having a shared air-line. If one shock/line starts to have a faint or rapid leak, the car will develop a noticeable lean depending on the original static air pressure if the shocks are plumbed separately, even while driving. If combined, the whole rear of the car will lower, but at half the rate.
Sandbag is still your simplest solution. :rofl:
 
#41 said:
These let air in AND out just like a bicycle tire valve stem. Let air out by pushing in the pin in the middle, put air in using a bicycle pump or compressor. I can't see the whole system, so you just need to put air in and out and see what happens to the height on wither side or both. Don't drive on the shocks with zero air or more than maybe 40psi. You won't damage anything airing them up or down and experimenting.
Click to expand...


Got it! Makes sense. Sounds like I might need to replace these sooner than later. I get the valve stem under the bumper is to take air in/out but any idea what the nipple is near the license plate is used for? I was thinking it looks like if I was to loosen it air comes out?
 
radical rob said:
As davek said. The brace on the top that the shocks attach to was never designed to carry the weight of the car. There have been many horror stories where something fails and the shock ends up punching through the trunk floor. Regular shocks are ok since with them the weight of the car is carried by the leaf springs
Click to expand...
Have you ever tried to pull out or push in a shock absorber? It exerts a lot of force, especially if you're traveling on a bouncy gravel road. That force, which can measure in hundreds of pounds when measured on a shock absorber dynamometer,, is taken up by the brace, both pushing up and pulling down as the axle bounces, often many times per second. The only horror stories I've seen, very few, were from rusted out vehicles. And those had regular shocks.
 
If you have a single line and one side is lower than the other, something else is causing your lean to one side. Weighting the high side is not the ideal solution. You haven't mentioned checking the pressure at the 2 nipples. Check them then equalize the pressure and see if the car is level. If not, look for another cause. You also didn't say that you traced those 2 lines back to the shocks. If they each go to one shock, my guess would be that they located them differently for ease of routing.
 
tonyp25 said:
Got it! Makes sense. Sounds like I might need to replace these sooner than later. I get the valve stem under the bumper is to take air in/out but any idea what the nipple is near the license plate is used for? I was thinking it looks like if I was to loosen it air comes out?
Click to expand...
Could it be from the last set that blew out? Just maybe.

If the shocks are tee'd together, then there's 2 things that can make the car lean. Uneven leaf springs. And improperly adjusted or unevenly matched torsion bars.
Pull the bottoms of the shocks and make the car sit flat.
 
Let the air out of both and diagnose the lean. Installing air shocks with individual fill lines is really stupid.
 
Timmayy said:
We all had air shocks back in the day. I used two separate lines to adjust the height on each side. You would have two air nipples rather than one. They are pretty easy to install.
Click to expand...

Those were the days. If you were a rich kid you could afford Gabriel hi Jackers, Uni-lug Cragars, set of Jensen 6"x 9's", and maybe some fur on the package tray.

I sure miss all the good times and the simplicity of that era.

Tom

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