I have an '08 Fit that has been great but I'm having some issues because I haul too much climbing gear around. Loads are typically about 300 pounds in the back, and when hauling 7 gallons of water, pushing 400 pounds. The back rides low and causes the inside edges of the tires to shred prematurely. Recently, my rear shocks blew exacerbating the problem, so I have to replace those. Since I'm doing that work, I best mod the car to fit my needs.

I'm curious if anybody here knows if there are after-market springs available that'd be better suited to handling my consistent overloading. Any suggestions? If I could get another inch of clearance in the meantime, that'd be a huge plus since I occasionally drive through some nasty washes. Also, since I'm replacing the rear shocks, are there any better suited to this kind of driving? I know, the Fit may not be the best choice for this kind of driving, but I can't pass up on the 38 mpg on my regular roadtrips chasing good weather for climbing. Maybe I best trade in for a more utilitarian ride like a CRV or Element . . . but I love my Fit, even if I don't always treat it kindly.

 

You should probably get a better suited car for your uses! otherwise you can get some air shocks..

 

Air shocks boss, here's the thread:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...-w-photos.html

Good luck

 

get the proper vehicle for your needs

 

Don't sell your Fit- Monroe Air Shocks will fix your problem.

 

+1. This will allow you to compensate for the load, then return to near OEM when not in use. Also the least amount of $ and time to complete.

To actually ADD ground clearance you would have to go to a coilover. TexasCoyote I believe did just that for similar reasons to yourself and is happy with the results.

Aftermarket spring wise, everything will lower you. That being said, I regularly carry 275-300#'s of tires and gear for AutoX and I am on the Swift springs. I only occasionally rub on my wide low offset race wheels/tires, typically at fwy speed over bumps. The Swift's don't lower the car much, but are a linear spring ad do dramatically increase rear spring rate over OEM.

 

I posted the the above linked DIY on my GD3. Here is my GE with Monroe Air Shocks carrying 840 pounds of cinder blocks and two adults in the front, with no handling problems on mountain roads. To the OP, air shocks on your GD3 will improve the ride & handling, and will suit your overload problems with ease. Be sure to use ONE Schrader valve for each air shock to avoid pressure transfer from one shock to the other on hard turns with overload conditions.

 

stiffer springs and harder tires will solve your issues. 300 pounds is NOTHING compared to hauling more then one passenger

 

Carrying more weight in the back hatch area puts more load on the axle than carrying passengers, because some of the weight is distributed on top of and behind the axle.

You could get stiffer springs, as has been said, but the air shocks are a more civil answer as they can be adjusted to your needs depending on the load. You don't need 5k rear springs unloaded and the bumpy ride associated with that.

 

Wow - you guys are super helpful. Looks like the Monroe air shocks are the way to go. I definitely don't want to sell my Fit as 99% of my driving is highways, with occasional washboards and rarely a nasty wash. Anything else with the cargo room of a Fit would be twice as expensive to drive and not as fun! I doubt my loads ever top 400 pounds, so it's not like the Fit's engine can't handle it, but the sag is becoming an issue.

 

You are right. Just follow all of the steps in the DIY, and get a small, manual, air pump. DC electric compressors will also work, but they put out too much air pressure too fast for the small air capacity of the shock air bags.

Another possible solution might be the Firestone air bags that are placed inside the rear springs that were recently posted about. But with those, I would worry about pressurized rubber/plastic "balloons" inside rapidly compressing and rebounding springs being abraded away until they went flat like a tire with a nail in it. You don't want any rear suspension alteration that can suddenly fail without warning in an ovelroad condition.

 

For other thread readers who want to do this to GD or GE Fits, you will need this-------

Air Shock Line Kit with O Rings and Fittings Universal Fit Monroe Air Shocks | eBay

 

Am I the only one who thinks shocks have nothing to do with the OP's issues?

Springs - yes, shocks are only absorbing bumps... Hmmm.

 

Air shocks like these also act as a spring, they are load carrying shocks and do more than just act as dampers.

That's the whole beauty of them in this application. You can have your comfy ride day to day and just air them up when you're hauling, no need to add static spring rate.

 

Wow, ok, now it makes sense.
That's an interesting component then.

 

no you're all alone on that one bud.

 

Shocks control compression & rebound. Spring rate controls weight.

 

OK, so I finally lined up the tools and time to do this mod. I'm order the shocks now, going with the Monroe MA811 on Amazon: .

Do I need an air shock hose kit or line kit as Triskelion suggested?

 

Yes, you DO! You only get one hose kit with the shock set. You need TWO of them to have a single hose for each shock. How much clearer can I make this? With one hose kit air will compress from one shock to the other and give you handling problems. For an extra $10-15.00, you can eliminate some scary surprises.

On the other hand, don't believe me. Use only one hose kit. If you survive the "scary surprise", you can install the second hose kit later. But if you don't, well-------, the owner of your salvaged wreck can do it himself. Your choice.

 

Thank you for the prompt response. I understood the need for two lines, but I wasn't sure if the shocks came with a single hose kit, two or without a hose kit entirely. I just ordered the Monroe AK64 accessory kit. I'm assuming this will have the situation covered. Anything else I'd need before I start the work? It's not entirely clear what the kits come with.

Cheers!