i've got an 83 f100 and want some more load carrying capacity. i'm thinking about getting a pair of air shocks. jc whitney has gabreils for 75 a pair. they say it will add 1100 lbs to your load capacity. i'm thinking this is the cheapest, easiest way. i'm not needing to use the truck every day for hauling, just for the ocassional load of rock and stuff like that.i've got the tires to handle the load and i dont really want to mess with the springs.anybody use these?

 

Be careful not to excede your load capacity on your drivers door. The shocks will make it handle your rated loads better, but will not increase your capacity.
I would do the springs before i added air shocks, not much price difference, and air shocks can be a PITA.

Tony Warren
Nebraska

 

Air shocks would probably snap the mounts off. They were not ment to carry a load. There are a lot of factors that go into how much weight you can carry. Brakes, engine, tranny, frame, suspension, axle, gears, tires, to name a few. You cannot carry more weight than your truck was designed for. I'd say less if it's in older truck, probably not as strong as it came from the factory. So do not buy air shocks and try to load that truck up. You can put air bags on the back if they make them for your truck, but that will only allow you to carry the same amount of weight better, not more weight.

 

Air can leak! ...I would go with a new spring or helper springs. JCWhitney has some good prices on helper springs.

 

Helper springs are the same way, it'll only allow you to hold up that extra weight better, but will not allow you to add more weight.

 

i'm probably goin with the air shocks for 3 reasons- there cheaper than springs, they wont make the ride stiffer like heavier springs will, and you can use them only when you need them. air them up when you haul heavy load, let the air out when your done. as for not being able to exceed my gvwr i've already done that a few times. you can drive a truck thats "overloaded" and it wont fall apart or swerve off the road and explode. just look at landscaping trucks driving around with bed fulls of rock. hell i know somebody that put 10000 pounds of scrap iron on a half ton and drove almost a hundred miles to the scrap dealer. the truck sank down to the bump stops and just went slow but he got it there. i'm not gonna drive 75 down the interstate loaded down or go around corners at 25 mph. but for haulin a ton of rock across town i'm not scared. sure your not gonna stop on a dime and you better slow down, but thats common sense. whats a lot more dangerous is cell phone drivers and drivers that dont pay attention to the road.

 

It's been done before but that doesn't make it a good idea.

 

my ranchero has adjustable air shocks in the back and when theyre pumped up I can carry a pretty heavy load without any problems.

 

OFTR,

I put some of those air helper springs on my not-ford Ram 1500 for towing my gooseneck horse trailer. I don't think it actually increased my towing capacity, but it sure did make ir ride nicer. It keeps the axle from hitting the rubber pumpers on the frame and levels out the truck nicely.

I think they're in the $200 price range without the compressor. I just have two valve stems by the rear license plate for filling them, but I'm getting a compresor and gauge kit from a friend.

I think they're well worth the $$$ and a better solution than the shocks, but that's just my opinion.

Kevin K.