i have 07 fit sport with 170k mi and have been towing 1000lbs+ with 4x8 hf folding trailer. tongue weight might go as high as 200-300lbs.

so i beefed up rear with monroe shocks ma811 feb 2012 and it has worked like a charm for hauling and towing until recently. shocks have a leak and can't maintain pressure overnight with 200lbs in trunk or even the weight of empty trailer with wood fence (350lbs?)

thought i could just replace the air shocks but ma811 is discontinued. thought i found them with one vendor but they cancelled the order after trying to backorder the item. has anyone come up with a replacement?

my gut tells me the original stock springs are shot which is why the shocks are taking the entire load and failing. I'd also like to replace the springs with custom swift springs that will add 2in in the rear and are stiff. i used to pump up the rear to 80psi which would raise the rear about 2in but i think that also put too much load on the air shocks. i actually thought it handled great jacked up in the rear with 205 tires all the way around.

if i beef up the springs do i really need air shocks? the springs should be taking most of the weight anyway right? i really shouldnt rely on the shocks to do that, right?

also found these air bags for 2010 fit. think there is any significant diff between 2007 and 2010 fit rear suspension? think i can get away with just reusing my old springs pumped up with these air bags with some new generic shocks?

please note that this car's primary purpose (other than taking up driveway space) is to tow construction and landscaping material. i don't mind putting money into the car bc the motor and tranny still run great. mobile 1 and tranny drain/fill every oil change since day one. however, i don't want to drop hundreds of dollars on performance parts. it's a ten year old car. can't exactly drive it like i stole it anymore if i want it to make it to 300k miles!

any constructive thoughts would be much appreciated.

 

any idea if i can mount crv springs/shocks in the back?

 

ok so i dug up a monroe spec sheet here. here's what they recommend for 07 honda fit:

model: 5605
extended length: 21.030"
compressed length: 17.100"
lower mount: LS7 (10mm sleeve I.D., 1-5/8" sleeve)
upper mount: S4 (2-3/8" stem × 3/8-16 thead)

that said, here's the specs for the (now discontinued) ma811 a few of us have been using:

model: ma811
extended length: 22.250"
compressed length: 13.625"
lower mount: LS4 (10mm sleeve I.D., 1-3/8" sleeve)
upper mount: S4

and the specs for the (still in production) ma809:

model: ma809
extended length: 21.500"
compressed length: 14.250"
lower mount: LS7
upper mount: S4

when i mounted the ma811s back in 2012, there was a gap in the lower mount that i filled with some washers that came with the kit that i couldnt figure out what they were for. the 1/4" diff between the LS4 and LS7 explains the gap. shouldnt be an issue with the ma809s.

the ma809 is in the 2015 catalog so im assuming theyre still in production. ordered the last pair off of amazon but other vendors had them in stock too. will post after installing...

 

That stinks the 811's are discontinued. You can use an MA793. its slightly longer travel and has a larger 12mm lower eye, but you can use a spanner bushing to convert it to the OEM 10mm size.

I do like the specs better on the MA809s. Refer to my thread on extending the upper stem, you will need that in order to make it fit properly. I have the GK, but the older models are nearly identical. read through the whole thread though to see my discovery and refinement.

The MA811 lower eye mount required you to use the two included washers meant for the upper mount because it was more narrow than the OEM. The OEM was 42MM. The MA809 is an LS7 code, which is 1.5/8 inches or 1.625, or 41.275 mm which is the exact size you need!!!!! other than extending the upper stem with some 3/8-16 rod for mounting you should be fine!


I think you are well on the right track! Enjoy the mod once you finish it!

 

after considering just replacing the springs with stock oem from honda ($91x2) i decided to order moog cc253 springs (originally for 84-89 300zx). they were $50 for the pair including shipping (amazon prime).

they're variable compression pigtail coil springs that are a 2" taller (14") than stock (12") free. I.D. nearly identical but not sure about I.D. at the end of the pigtails. i doubt the bushings will match so i'll probably have to trim them. not sure what stock spring height is installed but the moogs are 11" under 400lbs or so.

here are other measurements from an old post from when i originally installed the 811s: height of the rear tire wells are at 25". they were at 24.5" before the mod. i initially pumped it up to about 50psi and it was jacked up to about 26".

springs should be here next week and we'll see how the new hauling/towing configuration turns out. my guess is the rear tire well will be in the 26-28" range and a hell of a lot stiffer than 811s+stock springs.

i see so many old fits driving around with sagging asses: if they only knew how cheap and easy it is to fix!

 

i didn't need any kind of extension for the 811s. the 809s look nearly identical to the 811s so i don't think i'll need to extend the upper stem.

 

the moog cc253 sprimgs arrived and i tried them on: too high and way too damn stiff. so i went back and did some calculations i shouldve done before.

2007 honda fit sport automatic weighs 2551lbs with 60/40% front/rear weight distribution. that gives us 1020lbs in the rear, 510lbs for each rear spring.

the cc253s gave me 28" tall tire well. I'd like roughly 26", stock is 24.5". the idea is with up to 200lbs of tools/materials in trunk and up to 200lb trailer tongue weight (or 200lbs additional load per spring), the spring will deflect to around 1.5" or back to stock height. the rest of the time it will have its ass in the air.

the ride was way too stiff/harsh also. cc253 has a spring rate of 221lbs/in and a load of 492lbs which is pretty close to 510lb per rear spring (empty) i calculated earlier. it has free length 13.25" and installed length of 11".

moog 5385 are the closest spring to what i want. 2" shorter than the cc253 installed at 9" and free 12.6" which give me +1.5" taller than stock. it has a load of 602lbs and a spring rate of 168lbs/in.

since the actual empty load (510lbs) is 92lbs lighter than each springs design load, I'm guessing the ass will ride about 2" high with no load. that means i can load as much as 688lbs (hauling and trailer tongue weight combined) before I'm back to stock height. that's a little overkill but not by much. it's a lower bound i shouldn't ever have to worry about crossing.

the new monroe air shocks were pumped up to 50lbs for the test ride, which was way to high with the support of these new springs. jumping up and down on hitch it didnt budge at all, rock hard. at 20lbs it felt a lot softer and able to absorb impact. I'm really hoping the new springs will take the load off the air shocks so they can do what they were designed to do rather than hold the whole back of the car up.

so another few days to a week waiting for parts to arrive...

 

hey Fitigued, did you ever get those new springs in and test them out? How did they go? I’m looking to do the same thing as you but use he newer MA809 air shocks. Thanks for the updates!!

 

Reviving this topic; I bought the MA809 set due to what was discussed here, coupled with a review on Amazon. The installation of the shocks on my GD went quite well; we (my dad and I) used the hardware from the original shocks for the upper stem, adding only a small washer to the lower bolt. They fit to the body quite well, however the stem for the air lines point out toward the tire, which seems to be different from the 811's I've seen on the write-up that manxman did.

Our main concern is the possibility of the tire being pushed up into the stem in a bump, although we haven't figured out where these things bottom out (or if they do at all)

I really want to keep these in, so was hoping someone on here has any experience with the MA809 kit. Our plan is to upgrade the lines to metal connectors and 1/4" lines as well to try and minimize the possibility of leaks.

Thanks in advance if you have any thoughts or ideas!

 

 

Here is my updated video from last year on the upgraded shocks. Still the MA811. At this point these shocks have close to 80k on them between my 2015 and 2017 Fits. Will likely replace them when they start leaking with the MA809s. I converted the 1/8" line to standard 1/4" and it was a good call.

 

 

It was actually your videos that helped me go ahead with these, so I echo the thanks! When you get to replacing yours, I would look first at the MA829, not the MA809. The 829 was what Monroe themselves advised would be the closest replacement to the now discontinued 793 kit. As I said, the 809 shock itself fits in my car with almost no modifications (only the one washer on the inside of the lower mount), however the air stem points outwards and poses a risk of being hit by the tire.

I have the HFP 16" wheels on my GD, which are a bit wider than stock, although I'd imagine your 2017 would have similarly spec'd tires.

Coupled with the availability of 1/4" connections that fit these things (or lack thereof in my hometown where I drove the car to install this) , I've given up and ordered a replacement set of OEM equipment. My original set that came with the car was getting pretty tired, so hopefully this will help me haul camping equipment a little better than before. The air shocks would have been ideal for this, but I don't want to be driving this car for the rest of the time I own it and worrying about hitting a pothole should that system leak..

 

Ahh i didnt realize the air fitting was pointing out on the 809. The 793 I almost used, but the lower eye needed a spanner bushing to go from 12mm down to the required 10mm. Still, it could be done!

Yes happy they are doing okay so far. I keep 15 psi in them when not towing. About 50 psi when towing. Original ride height is 26 inches from ground to fender line. I will say that to seal the coupler adapter is tricky. Lots of tethlon tape. Its meant to thread to a flare fitting with a JIC thread. Really needs a half moon rubber washer to seal properly, one I never found. Once you convert the fitting to NPT you have all the flexibility you need.

Cheers

 

Okay, the MA829 is a near identical match to the 793. Only major difference is that it has a 1 inch greater travel length and thus longer extended length, the compressed length is the same. The next difference is the lower eye size is now 1/2" ID rather than the 12MM. The overall width of the eye remains the same which is OEM to the lower eye mount.

Since the OEM bolt is a 10MM, you will need a spanner bushing with a 12MM OD and 10MM ID. It is slightly longer than the eye mount so you will need to grind it down flush first. Adding the proper extension of 3/8-16 threaded rod to the upper stem to match the OEM and this will work. I dont like the longer length, but I would suggest avoiding any big potholes so the springs don't fall out....


Now 12MM is about .472 inches, and that small amount of play between 1/2" and 12MM should be okay. I dont think there is a bushing out there with a 0.5" OD and 10mm ID, it simply doesnt exist unless you make one on a lathe.

Hope this helps. I'm writing this because I will eventually do this myself once the lifespan of my MA811s expire!

 

Hi Odysseylite604, reading your posts.... to clarify, so did you install the MA809s but then remove them (because of the air stem pointing outwards towards the tire), installing OEM shocks in the end?

 

Hey Bassguitarist1985, I really appreciate hearing your expertise and experience on the air shocks. Did you eventually replace your MA811s with MA829s?

Would anyone be currently using the MA829s?
Is there too much travel in the 829s, or would the 829s' extra extended length allow them to NOT need the threaded rod extension that you added to the upper stem of your MA811s?

I notice between the 829s and 809s, the 829s have 10.5" of travel, whereas the 809s have 7.25", but their compressed length is about the same per the tech specs below.
MA809 :: e-Catalog :: MONROEŽ SHOCKS & STRUTS
MA829 :: e-Catalog :: MONROEŽ SHOCKS & STRUTS

My rear stock shocks are shot on my 2007 Fit... the air shock option seems to make a lot of sense as a replacement shock, especially since I'm carrying more weight around.

Thanks, everyone, for any updates!

 

hey,

Still on the 811s, trying to find those tech specs but cant seem to find them anymore. Anyways yeah the 829s could work though I still dont like the longer extended travel. However, the 726's look promising, where is the air fitting on that? side like the 809 or rear like the 811s, 829s etc? I will have to research more. I'm due soon to replace mine.

 

To make an apples-to-apples comparison as best we can between MA shocks, is the extended length the metric to use for general ride height for your Fit's rear end?

The 726's appear to have a rear-facing fitting, perpendicular to the lower shock mounting bolt. Here's photo and specs from Monroe's site: MA726 :: e-Catalog :: MONROEŽ SHOCKS & STRUTS

What I don't like, however is:

• At 19.750" extended length, the 726 is ~2.5" shorter than the 811 and 2" shorter than the 809. For someone seeking to carry weight, haul trailers, and fix saggy rear end, wouldn't you want the longer rather than shorter shock?
• The designed lower bolt ID is 1/2". While I understand there's a small fraction of play in a sleeve that would allow a 10mm bolt, I'm a bigger fan of exact specs for a bolt that will be mounting a part that's going to take significant and sometimes violent punishment. The risk is that a little movement could create premature wear and additional stress on the lower mounting bolt.

I do like the 726 for it's rear-facing air fitting... I would think with all it's variants, Monroe has to have a MA shock with a rear-facing air fitting, a 10mm lower bolt, acceptable height and travel specs...

Does anyone have access to a Monroe part resource where shocks can be searched by spec rather than Monroe's website's current search by year/make/model?

 

I will do more research on this topic soon.

You want to match the extended travel length to the OEM close as possible. Too long and the springs will fall out.


The bottom mount i had posted this spanner bushing. Its a 10mm to 12mm OD. Would not work with the 726s.




However this one would work well, or as close as one can find, but it falls too short at 38mm instead of the needed 40mm. 13mm is just slightly larger than 1/2" inch. One can drill out the lower eye mount to 13mm and these would work im thinking.



You can find all the specs you need at this link

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...vEW_wfxeF8WrWu


I need to check the oem shocks on my work bench and review my videos too so I can refine my choice when my 811s need replacing. Im still leaning towards the 726s.

Cheers