Air Shocks Installation

[Wood Doctor]

Say, guys, I think my '97 Ranger 4WD needs a pair of rear shocks. I finally got about 41,000 miles on it and these are the originals. Thought I would get Monroe Expert Series air shocks this time because firewood gets heavy on occasion. It's been years since I bought air shocks for any vehicle, and the last ones I tried were Gabriel Hijackers. These seem to work, but I never got to use them very much before the trade-in.

Any advice, recommendations, or comments? TIA.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

i liked em

on my ranger and jeep and f 250 i had an extra leaf put on the ranger i used it hard. hauled cubic yards of gravel in it that mighta took it a smidgen over max weight

 

[freemind]

For 200 bucks you can buy a set or air bags for ANY vehicle.

I would spend the money on air bags before I would air shocks.

I have posted the website before, but here you go if you are interested:

www.airbagit.com

 

[Wood Doctor]

For 200 bucks you can buy a set or air bags for ANY vehicle. I would spend the money on air bags before I would air shocks. I have posted the website before, but here you go if you are interested:

www.airbagit.com

I tried that site and cannot find anything for a '97 Ford Ranger. Whatever kit exists appears to be something universal that requires me drilling holes into the frame and nothing exists for under $200.

What advantage do air bags have over air shocks for all that extra dough? Remember, the only thing I am trying to do is replace the original shocks with a little more stiffness and something newer.

 

[KMB]

Doc,

I asked for similar opinions a few years ago. Here's the thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=30756&highlight=air+shocks

I ended up with these: http://www.monroe.com/products/sensatrac_loadadjustshocks.asp

I also added these: http://www.timbren.com/

Works for me. Air bags would be ideal if a fella can afford them.

Kevin

 

[Ductape]

What advantage do air bags have over air shocks for all that extra dough? Remember, the only thing I am trying to do is replace the original shocks with a little more stiffness and something newer.

I'm not a huge fan of air shocks either. The air bag kits help support the load, much like air shocks. Difference is, they are designed to carry the extra weight, your shock mounts are not. I've seen many, many broken shock mounts over the years. Of course...... no doubt there are 100 vehicles out there with air shocks for every one that broke a shock mount. I think ypou'd be better served with an air bag kit (if one exists) or even an add-a-leaf kit and some quality shocks over air shocks..... though obviously air shocks are the cheaper route.

 

[ShoerFast]

I tried that site and cannot find anything for a '97 Ford Ranger. Whatever kit exists appears to be something universal that requires me drilling holes into the frame and nothing exists for under $200.

What advantage do air bags have over air shocks for all that extra dough? Remember, the only thing I am trying to do is replace the original shocks with a little more stiffness and something newer.

Air-bags can just take a lot of weight, air shocks are not really made to support weight.

Like mentioned the Gabrials there is a chance that the NAPA brand is made by them?

Air-shocks are a fair ride, they do even the truck a little loaded, but try and keep the air in them down or you will have bracket problems with heavy/hard use.

 

[howellhandmade]

Looks like others have said what I was going to -- that shocks are meant to damp spring oscillations, not support weight, which is the spring's job. Air shocks and coil overs certainly have uses in suspensions engineered for them, but in a regular system like the Ranger the shock hardly ever takes the full force of the load, it just robs energy from road impacts and spring rebound. Acting on advice from the wood hauler pics thread, I added a set of Roadmaster Active Suspension helpers to my Ranger. They seem to help. A bed full of green oak still squats the rear down but not as much as before, and the truck doesn't wallow all over the place on the highway like it used to.

Jack

 

[Beefie]

Looks like others have said what I was going to -- that shocks are meant to damp spring oscillations, not support weight, which is the spring's job. Air shocks and coil overs certainly have uses in suspensions engineered for them, but in a regular system like the Ranger the shock hardly ever takes the full force of the load, it just robs energy from road impacts and spring rebound. Acting on advice from the wood hauler pics thread, I added a set of Roadmaster Active Suspension helpers to my Ranger. They seem to help. A bed full of green oak still squats the rear down but not as much as before, and the truck doesn't wallow all over the place on the highway like it used to.

Jack

:agree2::agree2: Air shocks are the poor mans add-a- leaf,or timbren's or the better airbags. You will have flexing issues with the shock mount bracket that will lead to metal fatigue and eventually break. I have seen a shock mount rip off a frame before . there is alot of work to fix a frame when something better designed would have solved the problem first.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Beefie

 

[freemind]

I tried that site and cannot find anything for a '97 Ford Ranger. Whatever kit exists appears to be something universal that requires me drilling holes into the frame and nothing exists for under $200.

What advantage do air bags have over air shocks for all that extra dough? Remember, the only thing I am trying to do is replace the original shocks with a little more stiffness and something newer.

I see their prices are up a little. The kits were 199 , now I see they are 239. Still a deal.

Call them or e-mail them. They will have what you want, but may not have it listed on the website.

The light duty air bags should work on a mini truck like a Ranger.

 

[songofthewood]

Bigger truck Doc!!! :jawdrop: Just kiddin' looks like you're on the right track.The other folks are a big help also.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

What add-a-leaf, or leaf spring mods has anyone done or installed?

 

[Frank Boyer]

Air shocks are a pain. They don't do the function of a shock and start leaking air fairly soon. I used to work in a frame shop and we added leaf springs to carry more load on many types of cars/trucks/motor homes. Try your local Pick and Pull for an extra main leaf spring. A spring shop can order/make leaf springs.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

My memory of air shocks is they ride very stiff.

We needed more spring in our 1/2 ton pickup that we use for hauling surveying equipment. We took it to a local company that only does spring work and they added a leaf to each rear spring and it was less than $ 300. It now has 100,000 miles on it and still works just fine.

I know this doesn't solve the problem of you needing to replace your worn shocks.....but it solved the problem of our saggy rear end!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Air shocks are a pain. They don't do the function of a shock and start leaking air fairly soon. I used to work in a frame shop and we added leaf springs to carry more load on many types of cars/trucks/motor homes. Try your local Pick and Pull for an extra main leaf spring. A spring shop can order/make leaf springs.

I figured that might be the case. I've decided to look into the Monroe Sensa Trak Load Adjusting Shocks that KMB posted for the rear of the truck. Then, follow that up with either Timbren's or the Firestone Air Springs if I need even more support:

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/2172F.html

These air springs are pricey, but nowadays everything is.

 

[tibikedad]

I am on my second Ford Ranger, and both of them had/have Monroe air shocks. I pump them up hard only when I am hauling wood, and then let the air out to about 60 psi when I don't need the extra lifting power. They have made a huge difference in the amount of wood I can carry, and I haven't had any problems with them for over 14 years. I see nothing wrong with installing them in your Ranger, too.

 

[nassin2]

I'd vote for air bags like everyone else is saying. I have a set under the back of my Jeep and they level out a ton of weight.

Here's a kit made by air lift that will fit your truck

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Air-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


Looks like they are right about 200 bucks. Air bags also do a really nice job of smoothing out the shimmies and vibrations that come with a loaded down truck.

 

[thejdman04]

I am not an engineer, so I dont know if this is "structurally sound or not. I am not in anyway advocating to overload your truck either, but here is what I did. I have a 86 ford ranger. At 163,000 miles, the origional factory springs were sagging quite bit. Not knowing how long I was going to keep the truck, or how long the truck was going to last (and not wanting to dump a ton of money into it), I just couldnt justify new leaf springs, or air bags. (I know your problem is worn out shocks, mine was sagging leaf springs, but I think this could help you. I recommend air bags if you got the money, but if you dont, this may work for you. One problem with air bags, if you haul say 20% of the time, you either have to live with a hard ride, or you have to constantly deflate and inflate your air bags when you are carrying a load. I just went to my steel pile and made my own "bump stops". On my truck next to the leaf springs there is a perch. I took 2 flat plates of steel. I mounted one vertically and one horizontally. The truck rides smooth, on the factory leaf springs when it is unloaded. When you put a load on the truck, it rides on the "bump stops" and the factory springs. I have had these "bump stops" on the truck for a few years and the truck has 185k on it now and I see NO damage to the frame or anything. The only thing I see is SLIGHT wear on a rivit that goes through the frame and holds the e brake cable on the top of the frame. I recently a few months ago added a THICK piece of conveyor belting to the top of the bumpstops and that makes it ride even smoother. Like I said if you got the money, air bags might be better, but if you got some steel and a welder its worth a try, worse case cut them back off. If you need more exact measurements, I can get them for you(height steel size)

 

[mtfallsmikey]

I was looking at a tow truck accessory catalog at a collision center yesterday, saw the rubber bump stops in a catalog....for thejdman04: Can you post a pic of a wider view of your setup?

 

[Wood Doctor]

I'd vote for air bags like everyone else is saying. I have a set under the back of my Jeep and they level out a ton of weight.

Here's a kit made by air lift that will fit your truck

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Air-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Looks like they are right about 200 bucks. Air bags also do a really nice job of smoothing out the shimmies and vibrations that come with a loaded down truck.

J.C. Whitney has Firestone Ride-Rite air springs for about the same price. $200 seems to be the going rate for these kits.

I installed a pair of Monroe Sensa Trac, load-adjusting shocks yesterday. That's step 1. Rear end went up at least 3" higher. Quite a difference. The mechanic said the old shocks were very weak. Shucks, I'd be pretty weak too after hauling 300 loads of firewood in 13 years.

So, that may be all that I need. I think I'll try a packed load or two on these and see what happens.