yes I know they aren't bil quality, but at any rate I found Monroe Max Air shocks, part # MA770 [thx TJ] that works on a 3" SL with only one bushing swap. It has plenty of travel (more than bils 5100 LT) and is only about $80 for a pair. The lower bushing on these shocks (from whatever they are made for) is a 1/2" eye w/ a metal insert PITA to swap.

In order to get these out, you need to cut the extra bushing around the metal insert all the way up to the shock eyelet with a utility knife. Take the metal insert (what 1/4" of it you exposed) and try to fold it on its seam in a vice. Take it out and do it again from another angle. What we're trying to do is to fold one side of this bushing insert onto itself a couple times so we have something to grab onto. Once you get a good mash of metal to grip into, crank the vise down and rotate the shock so you are spinning the insert. Do this a couple of times then pry and pull it out using something under the actual shock to avoid denting. Now that the metal insert came out, with the actual shock hoop (or eye) snugly viced in you'll be able to just push the rest of the bushing out with a screwdriver. Take an old 5/8" rubber bushing off of whatever (your old shocks) the same way, vice the hoop and press it out with a screwdriver. Now, unless you are replacing with new poly bushings that have some meat to them, you can't press them in with a vice like you'd think.. for the cannibalized rubber bushings, just jam half of it in and press the rest in with a screwdriver, finishing it off with your hand (at least that's what she did)

I'll post some pics, but basically once you get the air lines in the system takes 20-150psi and with no weight in the back @ 50psi, it cranked my back end up another inch over the 7" I already had. The truck looks sick! I personally ran the air lines with the shrader valve coming out of the rear bottom left license plate bracket hole.

With weight, it definitely brought the back end up even.. and this is with whatever crap pressure my local gas station free air station provided (probably max 100psi.)

whitman

The MA700 goes from 12.750" to 21.375", for a total travel of only 8.625"

How do you figure this is more than the Bil 5100, which goes from 16" to 26"?

Is it maybe a different part # than the MA700?

I mean, sure, an air shock pre-droops the axle. and provides lift....but the shock # you specify doesn't even match the 9" of OEM travel....but might let you jack it up to drive around at full droop, etc.



So - is the part # is different than MA700?

correction, MA770 .. 15.875 - 26.375 (10.5 travel) oops! very close travel to the bils 5100 LT. we'll see how they hold up! I appreciate the double-check on the part number.

whitman

-- here's a pic before the shock upgrade --

That makes a lot more sense.



Typically....the problem with air shocks on an off roader is that they don't allow enough tire stuffage...so that if the tire encounters an obstacle, and climbs it...it picks the truck up on that corner...instead of the tire going up all the way into the wheel well, and the truck staying level....etc.

The ADVANTAGE is the ability to get the ride height fine tuned, and, if you do an in-cab controller...the ability to make an ACTIVE suspension, with forced articulation...which IMPROVES the ability to keep the truck level.

hint hint

you are a bad bad man, looks like I need to spend more money and get an active system. you're talking about an individual compressor for each side then- or do people just link the two?

whitman

kind of a bad pic, but here it is level