Monroe air shocks

-
jos51700 said:
The problem is you, using air shocks.

Pinion snubbers are a bit different than traction bars. Traction bars were made to be installed on Chevies where the leaf spring design resulted in massive axle hop. There's two for a reason. They're an attempt to emulate the Chrysler design that was built into each and every leaf spring set.

The pinion snubber is a legit traction aid that was only installed to limit travel and aid weight distribution. That's why only one is needed.

Mopars of the era don't have axle windup issues like the Chevies do. In other words: The pinion snubber completed the system but wasn't really required unless racing supported the need for that approach. It was great for street cars of the day that saw some strip use.

The traction bar was added to try to resolve inherent deficiencies in the (Chevy) system. And like everything else, just because it fit their car, Mopar people felt the need to put them on their cars, too. They didn't accomplish anything, but added some little needed street cred.
Click to expand...
The snubber only helps exact balanced forward motion . It's a seesaw lol . Even cars going in a straight line one side is pushing down and one lifting up.
 
Johnny71dusty said:
The snubber only helps exact balanced forward motion . It's a seesaw lol . Even cars going in a straight line one side is pushing down and one lifting up.
Click to expand...
Gotta disagree with some of that.

Yes the wheels are unevenly loaded. When the snubber strikes the floor pan, the weight transfer of the vehicle ceases to compress the rear suspension and the weight is then transmitted directly to the axle thru the snubber. This increases traction dramatically. Think equal and opposite reaction.

The imbalance in the loading at the tires is ONLY addressed by the springs. If you could disconnect the springs and somehow launch, the body would just pivot around a bottomed out snubber.

This is precisely why the mp super stock springs are heavier on one side.
 
jos51700 said:
Gotta disagree with some of that.

Yes the wheels are unevenly loaded. When the snubber strikes the floor pan, the weight transfer of the vehicle ceases to compress the rear suspension and the weight is then transmitted directly to the axle thru the snubber. This increases traction dramatically. Think equal and opposite reaction.

The imbalance in the loading at the tires is ONLY addressed by the springs. If you could disconnect the springs and somehow launch, the body would just pivot around a bottomed out snubber.

This is precisely why the mp super stock springs are heavier on one side.
Click to expand...
This is where I found air shocks weren't just good for when I had the ski-boat behind, full of camping gear, trunk full of everything else, or when I had a couple of fat friends in the back seat, shocks up to over 50, - but when I was at the strip, I could pre-load the rear shocks, 12lbs.ish drivers side, 16lbs ish pass side, do bunny hops around the lot to set tires and shocks for best contact .
Worked great on my 62 Max, and my 69 Swinger, and got the hardware to prove it !
(Yes, I know the shocks weren't supposed to go that low)
Cheers .

P.S. The car in my Avatar has had air-shocks in it since about 3 weeks after I drove it off the dealership lot new, - the upper shock crossmember is as new ! ! No Drama ! . lol
 
Last edited:
Johnny71dusty said:
My first car was a 84 rampage . Also my shocks don't move until I get 80 in them . And for about 2" up at 115 in them
Click to expand...
On my 84 Rampage if I pump them up to 135 to 140 PSI it raises the rear almost 4 inches. When I put a 1/2 ton load in the back it is about 1 1/2 inch higher than stock shocks.

One day I picked up a 440 minus manifolds, a 5.9 Mag minus manifolds, a Chevy 350 minus manifolds and 1 head and 2 complete Chrysler 2.2 Turbo engines. With the air shocks pumped up at 135 PSI my Rampage sat level. Rode REAL nice too.
 
Dave_J said:
On my 84 Rampage if I pump them up to 135 to 140 PSI it raises the rear almost 4 inches. When I put a 1/2 ton load in the back it is about 1 1/2 inch higher than stock shocks.

One day I picked up a 440 minus manifolds, a 5.9 Mag minus manifolds, a Chevy 350 minus manifolds and 1 head and 2 complete Chrysler 2.2 Turbo engines. With the air shocks pumped up at 135 PSI my Rampage sat level. Rode REAL nice too.
Click to expand...
135 before or after you loaded it?

My '93 Dakota would struggle carrying that much bullshit.
 
Dave_J said:
On my 84 Rampage if I pump them up to 135 to 140 PSI it raises the rear almost 4 inches. When I put a 1/2 ton load in the back it is about 1 1/2 inch higher than stock shocks.

One day I picked up a 440 minus manifolds, a 5.9 Mag minus manifolds, a Chevy 350 minus manifolds and 1 head and 2 complete Chrysler 2.2 Turbo engines. With the air shocks pumped up at 135 PSI my Rampage sat level. Rode REAL nice too.
Click to expand...
How do you get 135 psi ? Not single auto shop has anything over 100 . The Firestone was able to crank it and get me 115 . No gas stations or tire places have anything over 90
 
Johnny71dusty said:
How do you get 135 psi ? Not single auto shop has anything over 100 . The Firestone was able to crank it and get me 115 . No gas stations or tire places have anything over 90
Click to expand...
In the 70's I had air shocks on the Dodge Maxi van and pumped them up to 150 psi. True not all pumps would go that high, but a real garage would. Those heavy vans always had a squat in the rear and these shocks corrected that. I don't believe they were designed to carry more weight, but just to level out or lift the rear.
 
Hellrats said:
84 Rampage! :rofl: Get a real truck!
Click to expand...
NICE! Someone PI$$ in your Cornflakes this morning?

The 1981-1984 Rampage and Plymouth Scamp are 1/2 ton trucks with leaf springs in the rear. They even have slots in the bed for a bolt in 5th Wheel carrier.
With a 2.2L 525 5 speed with 3.05 gear, 185/60 15 tires I got 38 MPG going empty from Seattle WA to Pocatello ID and on the return 26 MPG loaded with my neices junk.

Current picture is with Dodge Caravan 5x4.25 hubs and 11.75" rotors up front, 11x1.75 drums in back. 235/6- 15's on 1987 Shelby Pumpers. F250 springs up front and "Add-a-Leaf" spring added in the rear. 2.2 is tired, 150 PSI in cylinders 1-3 and 95 PSI in #4

1.jpg


5th wheel receiver slots.jpg
 
Last edited:
Oh and they were so tough they made them for how many years? Plus a 5th wheel! Who are you kidding? They were a K-car with a bed! You are not hauling a 5th wheel with any weight with that thing. Plus Cornflakes are boring just like that wanna be truck thing!
 
I really wish folks would hold their tongue if they don't know what they are talking about. I bought a Rampage new in 82 and own an 84 now. They are an L body (not K) and they were a great economical vehicle that was really versatile. The one I have now was the shop truck for an auto shop for 25 years. Old mechanics, in my experience, don't hold on to vehicles that they don't find useful or that break down often... This guy died and the business closed up and I bought it from his wife.
 
Oh yeah the L platform was so much better than the K platform. NOT!!!! It's not a truck! I have worked on them my whole life. So to get back to your original post.... get rid of the air shocks and admit your wrong!
 
Can we please get back to arguing about green bearings and steering column U-joints?
 
Did the OP ever figure out where the leak in his air shock system was???????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top