# air shocks



## Topkat (Sep 9, 2010)

How deep of confinement to hell would I be in to add air shocks to my Goat?
(my deepest appologies to my Mentors for asking)
are there hideous ramifications to this?
How would I measure them to seek the proper ones?
Everytime Ive had a few I think it would look bad arse. 
I wanted to go an inch lower on the front end but the Boss said no lol
Thanks as always Tk
arty:


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

How about some "drag bags" in the springs? The only thing with air shocks is that you don't want to support the whole wieght of the car on them ie. jacking it to the moon. 

As a shock they are fine, the OEM's use them on many cars in fact and they provide a good ride and decent handling and are "tuneable" per se with pressure.

They get a bad rap from people jacking thier cars up too high and unbalancing the car front to rear adversly effecting handling. I have them on my car with a set of drag bags and replacement coil springs and they perform excellent. Most people are shocked (pun intended) that I run air shocks but with the combo I have and the huge fuel tank I run I like the tunability. And the ride is excellent.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

I run air shocks too. I hear bags work great and are relatively cheap. Back in the day, air shocks were king. Unless you had leaf springs and ran with shackles......


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## FlambeauHO (Nov 24, 2011)

I ran Monroe air shocks for a decade. Gave the rear as much lift as you could want. Also had good luck with Gabriel hijackers air shocks think they were 60 bucks each and might have been lifetime warranty from pep boys. No shame in them at all.
I've had friends use them on low riders in the rear with mono leafs supporting the entire weight of the rear...


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## Topkat (Sep 9, 2010)

Whats a drag bag?


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

:agree....they are good for what they were intended for..."leveling a load", like when a few people pile in the back of the goat and your 255' 60's get shredded on the overly long inner lip of your wheel house....we have enough problems keeping rubber on them without having to use and apple peeler. main thing is dont use them to take all the load off your springs.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I agree with ALKY and all the others. I run drag bags on the 4X4 (Air Lift) and Rukee runds them on his '65. The key is, as with air shocks, to plumb each shock seperately, that way the air does not transfer from side to side during cornering, which causes dramatic body lean and ruins handling. My first car ('66GTO) had Gabriel Hi Jackers, "jacked up to the moon" with 10" Ansen slots on the back and N50 bias tires. It handled like crap, but man did it _look_ cool. And with the exhaust system falling off the car, it sounded like I had headers, too!


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## 69Goatee (Aug 14, 2009)

Drag bags are air bags that fit inside the rear springs and are plumbed like air shocks. I have them on my car, and have the air fittings behind the license plate. I have seen guys use the fittings to mount the plate on cars where the gas filler is not behind the license plate. A problem with air shocks is you are limited on what shock you can run, with airbags you can run whatever shock fits your driving style. Also, I have seen broken upper and lower shock mounts when using air shocks jacked way up, the mounts are not designed to support the weight of the car at all times.


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## rickm (Feb 8, 2012)

i see their are different opinions on air shocks. back in the 70s, i did the air shock thing on my '64. i thought the ride was crappy and gave a "jarring" effect over bumps. i switched to monroe load levelers ( spring assisted shocks). nice ride. i have them on my '65 with the same result. rickm.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Air shocks are like shackles, not the right way to do it. Drag bags are better. Good info GTO about transfering the air between shocks, makes sense. I blew a shock on my 71 back in the day and the quarter ate my tire. Plus if you jack the car up with them, it rides stiff in the rear, also transfers all the weight forward so you kill traction, car will smoke em. Better to just get some JC Whitney Xtra high lift springs! THen shock spacers and jack that thing up to the moon! A high rear end will give you a car without handling.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

Mine are plumbed seperately. I only use as much air as needed and it rides and corners very well. I agree, put too much air in and it will ride like a lumber wagon...... I believe if you jack it up too far it will also play havoc with the ball joints. Haven't used bags, but, wouldn't hesitate to try them.......


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## Topkat (Sep 9, 2010)

I'm still a bit confused about drag bags. Can they be installed without having to remove the springs?
The one's I see in OPGI look like they must me inserted into the spring rather that ' thru' the spring.
thanks as always
Tk


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

They go inside the spring. It's about a 30 minute job on a GTO. EASY compared to what you've already been through. They are what I would recommend over air shocks, but both will level the car out. I use the bags on my 4Runner when I have it loaded up with a week's worth of camping gear and I want to keep it level and my off road clearance intact. Tailored with low pressure on a Pontiac, they will level the car out when loaded, and help plant the rear end on launches. 4psi left, 12psi right side is what I've _read_ is a good starting point for traction while drag racing.


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## Topkat (Sep 9, 2010)

Thanks jeff.:cheers
How far do ya think they'll raise the rear end?

ps, saw a how to install video on utube, piece of proverbial cake!
Tk


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

TK, they run anywhere from 8 to 35 psi. They can raise the rear end probably 3 inches, just guessing here. I really like them....they are simple and affordable, and work. I've beat mine up for the last 12 years and they're going strong.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I've been running the drag bags for at least 15 years with no issues. Mine are plumbed together and I only run about 5 psi. I just needed a little help when I have 2 adults in the back seat the back tires would rub when I went WOT. I have no problems with handling, I don't see what the big deal is, I think the GTO handles great! I can take exit and entrance ramps better/faster then I can in the newer cars.


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## Topkat (Sep 9, 2010)

Hey Uncle Geeter,do the pressure differences mentioned above apply to cars with posi rears?
Seems odd.....
thanks as always
Tk


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

That's an ole drag racing trick! Because of the twisting of the frame from the torque of the motor more pressure on the right rear will keep the left front down and the car more level on hard launches.
The only time I would run it like that on the street would be if your co-pilot was really fat.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Rukee is correct. That's for strip use. It doesn't matter if it's a limited slip or not....has to do with planting the tires. I usually run about 5-8 psi in mine, both sides (Toyota), and go up to 20-25 psi when I have about 800 pounds of crap in the back. They work very well!


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