Gabriel air shocks

[kiwigtx]

people have problems because they pump 200 psi in them, load four fat chicks in the trunk then proceed to do 50 mph over speed bumps, destroying everything holding the car together out back

Ideally, a C-Body would be better suited to that type of tortuous loading.

 

[moparedtn]

I agree with the SAE definition, which follows that by doing their job, shock absorbers are transferring a lot of stress to the mounting brackets. The additional bit of load of an air shock, all of it being a positive upward push, isn't going to overly stress the car.

As you point out, rust or omissions of welds can cause problems, but they weren't designed in. If you've seen failures due to "the victim of air shocks and some corrosion", I'm willing to bet that regular shocks and some corrosion could have caused the same failure.

Great, but again - shock mounting points on a chassis are not designed as heavy duty as spring mounting points
for the express reason of each components' design intent to begin with - springs bear car weight, shocks dampen
movements.
We all know a car can be driven (or will "stand up") with just its' springs installed.
You aren't gonna do that with just the shocks installed.

 

[Photon440]

Great, but again - shock mounting points on a chassis are not designed as heavy duty as spring mounting points
for the express reason of each components' design intent to begin with - springs bear car weight, shocks dampen
movements.
We all know a car can be driven (or will "stand up") with just its' springs installed.
You aren't gonna do that with just the shocks installed.

You've said before that shocks dampen movements, which is true. They impart, to the mounting points at each end, great stresses BECAUSE of the damping action. A piece of steel doesn't care whether it has hundreds of pounds of weight to carry, or hundreds of pounds of load from shock oscillation, either way it is a force to deal with, so I posit that shock mounting locations are indeed designed to be a heavy duty mounting point. At best, a shock mount is going to fail because it gets pulled down from the frame or mounting point, likely only if badly corroded. It will survive the action of being forced upward from an air shock just fine.

I don't know where you're going with the "just springs installed/just shocks installed", I don't think anyone here was planning on running their car with missing components.

If you don't think it's a good idea to use an air shock, by all means stay away from them. I haven't had any bad issues from them myself, nor have ever heard from vehicle inspections that air shocks aren't allowed. They've been around since the 1960's, and are still being sold to this day. I'm not using them myself anymore, simply because I want a lower stance, but on the other hand I helped a friend install a set on a 1968 Barracuda just this year, and have no fear at all that any destruction will result. He has the desired lift with 30 psi. in the shocks.

 

[moparedtn]

I don't know where you're going with the "just springs installed/just shocks installed", I don't think anyone here was planning on running their car with missing components.

The obvious inference was to demonstrate which of the two is designed to bear the weight of the car
(therefore rendering it functional).
One can, the other cannot, simply put.

 

[33 IMP]

I have not seen a Mopar with a failed shock crossmember. (Very little corrosion in california). I have seen 55-57 chevies with ripped up trunk floors strictly due to 100+psi air shock use. They don't use a crossmember, just a reinforced trunk floor for the upper shock mount. LIFTING the car with the shocks for tire clearance killed them.

 

[Durandal25]

The rating on these goes up to 200 PSI, but that is based on weight ect....obviously if you take the car and make the shocks too stiff it will transfer the force of the road to the frame....and not the shock.....25-40 PSI is all you need for a great ride. If you want a more aggressive rake.....55. Had these on every coronet I've had. No issues at all........but I did forget to tighten the tower bolts on the Gold car.....hehe

 

[WileERobby]

Back in the day, in the garage, we'd install air shocks in STATION WAGONS, that got obviously overloaded with much greater weight than the vehicle itself. Never had any that broke.

 

[WileERobby]

I'm surprised you'd post this; you've no doubt been in the hobby for a similar timeframe as myself -
which means you've been exposed to reports of rear shock crossmembers failing

Au contraire... we installed air shocks on cars and station wagons without issues. A somewhat common thing back in the day. When I went to college, we actually calculated load forces (piston surface, suspension, etc. ) I'm just going by my own experience. Has any damage been caused by using them, I'm sure they have. Methinks few and far between, not oftentimes or usually. Anything can cause damage by improper use, overloading, etc.

 

[chtampa]

One of the common Speed Magazines was "Cartoons" and that suggested a lot of car looks.

 

[gtx6970]

I have a set on my coronet.
No idea how long they've been on there.
But there is zero issues underneath. In the chassis crossmember or axle shock mounts.
I run about 40-50 psi just to get the ars of the car up to keep tires from rubbing.
I have no complaints with ride

 

[4speed68rt]

My '68 has them... came to me with them back in '90. PO installed them. Probably to haul people in the back seat, and stuff in the trunk. That could get heavy.

 

[MoparLeo]

Air shocks and the old coil over standard shocks were called " Load levelers " and were designed to complement the springs during unusual loads, like going on vacation, towing a boat etc....Not daily driving with the rear up in the air.
They were not intended to replace a weak or broken springs. Airbags are designed to do that.
They locate between the axle housing and reinforcement above that area. Not to a small, mounting point.
Car too low, replace your springs.

 

[Old Sparky]

It's one of those myths that keeps getting parroted. I've had, and still have, them on my cars. We used to install them on many cars. And not once, never, never, did I have or see a car that was damaged by air shocks. We even put them on station wagons back in the day.

My 71 bee has had then on it for 50 years no problems....I think it would depend on the rust conditions and how much driving. Havent driven mine much lately tho

 

[6PKRTSE]

Been there, done that. My Charger had them on it in the 80's. Brought it back down to normal ride height in the 90's. Even more of a stock look today.