RVNOOBS Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi everyone, I hope I'm not beating this dead horse to death but I need shocks on my '81. There is tons of great information here but every time I find a promising link it's in a post from 2008 and the site is no longer active. Another search problem, all the sites I can find only go back to 1984. Is the fitament the same for an '81? Any info that can help will be much appreciated as always! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back East Don Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I ordered mine recently from shocks.com No problem as the vehicle selection goes way back. Just looked and they list plenty of choices for the 81. Just pay attention to which is 4wd and 2. Price was good and shipment arrived within a week with free shipping. Here is the discussion when I asked. Lots of good feedback. I ended up going with the KYB for the shocks but had to go with Monroe for the steering damper as no other was listed even on Amazon except OEM which was expensive. Middle of the road choice on my part. I've since put some miles on it and they ride very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVNOOBS Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Thanks for the tip Don! Does anyone have any idea about these? Gabriel 49311 Hijackers Air Shocks, decent price on ebay and autozone, one caveat, it says they are for temporary towing and heavy loads. Does anyone in the world switch shocks just to tow a boat to the lake? Would these be OK on a toy home permenantly? It says they are rated for 1100 lbs each, is that enough? Sorry for all the questions, this $#!+ makes my head spin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back East Don Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 As I am fond of saying, I am only slightly expert at one very particular 87 Itasca. Here is another thread that might help. As my forum avatar of the Bodhidharma would indicate, I am master level black belt at Google-Fu. A quick tip: Compound word search terms placed between quotation marks will narrow your search results. Such as "air shocks" I'm just sharing this secret with you. Don't let anyone else in on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVNOOBS Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Got it!...... hush, hush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Thanks for the tip Don! Does anyone have any idea about these? Gabriel 49311 Hijackers Air Shocks, decent price on ebay and autozone, one caveat, it says they are for temporary towing and heavy loads. Does anyone in the world switch shocks just to tow a boat to the lake? It's not about switching shocks. It is assuming you will only increase the air pressure in them when carrying a heavy load. The air-bag built into the shock has nothing to do with it's dampening ability (normal job for a shock). Your 1981 takes the same shocks as my 1978 Chinook. 11.7" when compressed and 19.2" fully extended. Air shocks (the air bag part) do not last forever so they don't want a buyer considering a permanent fix for a sagging suspension. That being said, many RV makers installed Hijcackers OEM on Toyota and Datsun motorhomes back in the 70s and early 80s. I put Monroe air-shocks in my 1978 a few years ago to supplement the already beefed up leaf springs. Cost me $45 new. An everyday normal price at Rock Auto is around $55. One note: On the early trucks with the non-staggered shocks like your's - the pins for the top shock mounts will bend if there is too much load on them. So if you run full PSI on those air-shocks - they are likely to bend a bit. The newer 80s trucks have staggered shocks with top mounts welded directly to the frame and are sronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 As I am fond of saying, I am only slightly expert at one very particular 87 Itasca. Here is another thread that might help. As my forum avatar of the Bodhidharma would indicate, I am master level black belt at Google-Fu. A quick tip: Compound word search terms placed between quotation marks will narrow your search results. Such as "air shocks" I'm just sharing this secret with you. Don't let anyone else in on it. You just mean a good old fashioned Boolean search, correct? Used to be the standard until search engines dumbed things down - especially Google (who spelled their own name wrong). It was supposed to be "Googol" but they spelled it wrong at the first launch and stuck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back East Don Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 You just mean a good old fashioned Boolean search, correct? Used to be the standard until search engines dumbed things down - especially Google (who spelled their own name wrong). It was supposed to be "Googol" but they spelled it wrong at the first launch and stuck with it. Sure, go ahead and take the veil off the mystique. Besides, sometimes it is easier to explain how to do it than what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVNOOBS Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Got my shocks yesterday, skipped the air shocks and went with some Gabriel heavy duty's on the rear and some KYB Excel G on the front. Tightened up the ride a little bit still very comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back East Don Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 For me the Gabriels lacked much in the way of reviews but I had considered them. Was being budget conscious as I spent a lot this year. I also figure I only drive short hops to the nearby beach areas. As you go along, I'd be interested in how they work out for you. Not that I need them now but as a low cost option for the next guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVNOOBS Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 It's gonna be different for me cuz the old air shock that were on my rig were WORN out. It bounced down the road like it didn't have any at all. Got 'em on last night and they ride AMAZING (compared to "having none at all")!!! Also got the KYB Exel G's on the front and they are AMAZING (comparatively, of course)!!! Will give more reports as time and mileage rack up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhenkes Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 My 19-foot '90 Sunrader pounds over tar strips and other sharp bumps. It has Bilstein shocks installed by previous owner, They don't leak or are worn, but seem too heavy for the unit. Am open to suggestions for replacement shocks that would lessen the jarring over tar strips and the like but still offer control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVNOOBS Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 rhenkes, go to autozone and ask them for the Gabriel Heavy Duty shocks, they have several so make sure you get the right mounting hardware combination for your rig. Mine are amazing! You still get a slight amount of the jarring but I think some of that has to do with having a fully boxed in frame and 8 ply tires. The shocks can only do so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Rhenkes, Do you have air suspension under your RV? If you do, try reducing the air pressure and see if that makes your ride a little better. If I run above 70 psi, I get a pretty severe ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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