I am working on my rear suspension and for various reasons have made the decision to augment my leaf springs rather than convert to a 4 link type suspension. To get rid of lowering blocks and lower my ride height, I have had my springs de-arched. I told him I wanted the car 2.5 inches lower than the springs were carrrying it. I have also had the spring maker add a thicker extra leaf to stengthen the spring. The other part of plan is to use some sort of air adjustable "helper" to be able to make ride height adjustments. I have considered "Air-over-leaf" type arrangements, but tire clearance becomes a problem there. I am considering conventional air bags, but that will encroach on available space for exhaust. I am also considering some sort of air shock. These could go in place of my existing shocks would be easy to install and not have a big impact on clearances.

So now come my questions. I have looked at Air Ride, Air Lift and several other places that offer air bag/shock combinations. They are quite expensive $400-$1000. Very pretty, all made of billet, and can be controlled with in vehicle air systems. I also got to thinking about good old fashioned air shocks from Gabriel and Monroe and I'm sure others. If I go the shock route, they will be hidden under the car where no one will see them unless it is jacked up or on a lift, so the pretty billet is not a factor. I do want to be able use an onboard compressor, tank and valves to adjust them. I don't feel that I need adjustable valving, 50/50 should work just fine. At some time in the future I will be replacing my front coil springs with some sort of air suspension.

So, in my application, what are the + and - of the two differnt shock types? Is there a compelling reason to use the fancy versus the old fashioned one?

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

Pat