Air Shocks for 1959 Thunderbird

[juantejeda]

Hello,
Can anyone give some advice on Air Shocks for a 59 Squarebird? I'm in the market for putting some Air Shocks on my Bird and am having trouble finding shocks that will work on the 59.

you can email me at ja_tejeda@yahoo.com, I would really appreciate the help.

TJ

[Tbird1044]

Sorry, but I'm not sure when Ford changed from coil to leaf springs on the rear. If you have leaf springs, I installed air shocks on my 60 and they work great. Let us know which springs you have on the rear.
Nyles

[simplyconnected]

1958 was the ONLY Squarebird with rear coil springs. Ford quickly reverted to leaf springs as the coil setup was steeped in problems. Leafs use a lot less parts, cost less to assemble, are cheaper to produce (since a host of cars across the industry already use the same springs), and there are fewer things to go wrong.

I'll get lots of heat over this but if I had a '58 SB, I would put leaf springs on it. The coil setup is not supported, the parts become sloppy or break and the whole system becomes noisy. No problems with leafs.

For air suspension there is another alternative for leaf springs. AIR BAGS! They conveniently fit between the frame and the center of the leaf spring. This is a good thing because shocks control the ride but springs or air bags control the weight. So... you can get common 'classic car ride' shocks (which are spongy) and at the same time control the suspension with air bags. - Dave

[Tbird1044]

I thought the 58 was the only year with rear coil, but I wasn't 100% sure. The air shocks I installed were Monroe's MA739. I'll attach a spec sheet for the Monroe air shocks vs. the standard shock. Pretty close in specs.
Nyles

[juantejeda]

Adjustable Air Shocks

Thanks for the info on the Shocks, I ordered a pair.

[NC Tbird]

I am looking for the same, but it seems the Monroe MA739 is discontinued. Any ideas on alternatives?