Air Shocks or Add a Leaf

[Scum Frog]

I have a 91 jeep cheokee and the rear leafs are saging bad. I tow a few thing like boat and need to get the rear end up. Not really concern about the ride as far as comfort. Just don't want it to squat so bad.

[CrowRiverRat83]

I had a 2000 Silverado and I put add a leafs in the rear for better load handeling. They were A LOT cheaper than bags and were not that hard to install. Just have a compressor and some air tools to make it easier. Didnt notice much of a change in ride and it did bring up the rear quite a bit.

[Tyler23]

if you dont care about the ride the air shocks will get the job done for cheap and easy to install. it will be stiff though when you air them all the way up. they raise the vehicle up quite a bit though, we have them on our camaro

[Hafnutz]

Do they even sell air shocks anymore? Flashback to the 70's. I would look into some of the add-a-leaf options that are available to stiffen the rear springs. Shocks (and their mounts) are made to dampen the suspension movement not support the weight.

[UMDSportsman]

Hafnutz- you are right, shocks are for dampening, but they are talking about something else to add to help the springs. There is a video on youtube about something, just search: "Air Lift helper springs for 4x4 and other vehicles". I would post a direct link, but it is an advertisement for a certain brand/place that sells them, and i would rather not get kicked off FM.

[shizzy]

have you priced a set or replacements? If your springs are sagging anything aside from replaceing them would just be a bandaid.

[Tyler23]

Shocks (and their mounts) are made to dampen the suspension movement not support the weight.

[UMDSportsman]

[BoxMN]

I got some Timbren Suspension Enhancement System helpers, but didn't install yet. They are pretty to easy to install, so it seems, and about $178 for a full chev 1/2 ton. I got good reports from those who used them on light and heavy duty trucks. Sort of like the air kits, but they only come into play when you have a load. Worth a look, I hope as I hope to put on before I tow the boat the first time.

[youngie22]

yep work good had a jeep wrangeler I put a plow on, added them and everything went well, hope they still are for the next guy, where ever he may be

[Dozer]

I have had Add-a-leaf kits on my last two trucks (1/2 ton chevys). Right now I am running 3/4 ton springs on the back of my 00 chevy 1/2 ton. I just go a set of airbags I am going to install on the factory springs without the add-a-leaf next week. I like the add a leaf but still wasnt enough for what I wanted. My 00 only came with 2 leaves in the back which isnt nearly enough! The 3/4 tons carry a load great but ride pretty rough empty. The Airbags should be the best of both worlds!

[deadeye]

Fixing the springs would be ideal but air shocks are the easiest fix. Monroe still makes them and the do work pretty good.

I had them on my blazer when I was towing a bit more with it and it did jack up the back end enough to compensate for the boat/trailer I was using. I ended up getting rid of them for somehting that rides a little nicer, but they did a darn good job for what I needed them for. I was always worried about popping them but my truck went through 3 years in Ely with some pretty demanding off roading and towing plus another year in MPLS before I took them off and they still held air with no flaws.

They range from 50-75 bucks for a set of them. Its a pretty easy install. Just changing the shocks is the hardest part. Running the air lines is cake and you can put the schrader valve just about anywhere that is convineint.

If your going to mess with add a leafs you might as well just get new springs. By the time your done it would take about the same amount of time to just put new springs in.

[wheelerboy920]

Add a leafs are the cheapest but they waer out to fast and air shocks are really expensive and hard to install on the jeeps. What i did was i put coil over shocks in the back of my dodge dakota and it lifted it up about a 1.5" and it still rides good.

[crothmeier]

I did the add-a-leaf to my 2000 silverado and WOW. major improvement with my four-wheeler in the back end. No more saggins and squirrely driving. raised the rear end up about 1-1/2", just adjusted the torsion bars in front about 3/4" to offset the change in the rear. Defenitly the way to go in my opinion