Someone at work just told me about putting air shocks on the 1970 Maverick and the 1973 Pinto. He said that these are bayonet mounts and that they stress the mounts and then break and render the cars undriveable. I used to have air shocks in my 1970 Boss 302, but that was back in the 1970s.

So what's the story, is it true? On the Pinto I would be raising it 1 1/2 inches and about the same on the Maverick.

Thanks ya all...

Not breaking the shocks, he said it would break the actual car bayonet where it holds the shocks. I picked up NOS AC Delco shocks. Doesn't seem they make air shocks for the Pinto.

Question is still open, will it damage the car? Mainly the shock tower, or bayonet!

Thank you.

I was told this by one of the guys I work with whose dad was a mechanic back in the 70s. I don't know, again I had my Mustang so jacked up in the 70s and nothing happened. This car wouldn't be raised much honestly, but I don't want to render the car useless to be honest if it breaks a shock tower or something and be stuck dead on the road.

Just don't know, he worried me...

Thanks for the comment on the Pinto

it still works as a shock .. it wont break anything.. now the way i jacked up my cars before i could afford air shocks was scary .. i put a block of wood between the rear housing and the body .... hA !!!!

LOL ;-)

Is that a Boss? Nice! Had one back in the 70s - I'm old...

You missed what I said, but in defense of you I didn't say it real clear. What I meant by 'all the way up' was them aired up as high as they go. Airshocks put more and more load on other parts like the brackets or mounts depending on how high in pressure you run them. I saw people with broken mount parts that ran the shocks aired up all the way.

If only aired up the 1 1/2" you may well be all right. The 'undriveable' issue comes when you have them jacked high and then lowering them allows big tires to rub bad or similar. If just to look different and not raised high then no trouble at all possibly. Now, depending on what breaks, you wouldn't want to drive if a hanging piece of something can now get caught to damage further.

Bayonet, flat plate mount, no difference, part is strong enough to take load or it breaks.

Springs carry the car weight not shocks, until you use airshocks, they then load parts harder than designed for, no matter, often the parts still last using them. If worried you could always pull mounts and take to weld shop to have them beefed up, the weld is what usually gives way.

I note mention of words Maverick and no shocks made for Pinto, if you have bought shocks that simply have what appears to have the correct fittings on both ends, that could be a huge mistake. You need a properly designed shock for the car it's going on, meaning correct stroke and body length to prevent possibly hitting inside because the working length is not right for what you are using them for. Big problem since not as many airshock apps out there as used to be, people look and say 'this will work' and totally wrong there. Top or bottom out shock and can damage it first time you do it. In freaky situation could even cause a wreck.

I know next to nothing about engineering. That said, I have always wondered why the pinto sits with the back lower than the front. Is there a good reason?

LOL ;-)

Is that a Boss? Nice! Had one back in the 70s - I'm old...

no .. it`s a HOSS429 ... ha .. just a fastback i did my way .....i dont know why some of my pictures are big and some are small ...

I know next to nothing about engineering. That said, I have always wondered why the pinto sits with the back lower than the front. Is there a good reason?

I must be lucky, then. Mine was an old lady driven specimen of a wagon, maybe being a grocery getter allowed it to maintain it's rear ride height? Mine still has a slight rake to it, raised a little with new stock replacement shocks earlier this year.

Hmmm, mine don't sag???..

Thanks, didn't care much for it at first but now it's kinda cool, lol. I've had a lot of Fords before and none ever had a sag, maybe I am lucky.

My neighbor had a 1958 Lincoln 4 door the exact same color orange with an interior to match! I thought it was cool!

Sweet!

Running them up high just beats parts to death.

As an aside, we used to run two individual lines, one to each shock when racing AMC early, you could preload one side different from the other to make a single track rear then pretty much spin both tires like a positrac.