# Honday GL1100 Gullwing air shocks for rear of e4 **URL:** \ **Category:** GEM Forum\ **Created:** [August 31, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752 "2017-08-31T15:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@dougl](https://community.electricforum.com/u/dougl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/1 "2017-08-31T15:17:39Z")
I saw a video of a guy who put these progressive air assist shocks on his e4 and wondered if anyone else has done this? The video is 2011 and they guy is offline so no response to how they held up. We went over a small lifted section/crack of the road yesterday and the back jarred pretty good but worst, my kid in the back reacted without pleasure. I’m thinking the weight of the motor, front end steering, 2 batteries and driver made the front suspension handle it better than the rear. ---
**Author:** ![grantwest](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/grantwest/32/15_2.png) [@grantwest](https://community.electricforum.com/u/grantwest)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/2 "2017-09-03T17:26:24Z")
Their is follow up information about this mod Here > [@Replacment/aftermarket Shocks](https://community.electricforum.com/t/replacment-aftermarket-shocks/4550/44): > > Nope, Never thought of that but that may help some people. I think 50% of my ride quality Issues are self generated. If you have normal profile tires I don’t think the ride quality is all that bad. As soon as you start bolting up Car style wheels you start having ride quality issues. #1 Car style wheels are a lot heaver then Gem wheels when you add all that sprung weight to the Suspension you can create issues. Example the stock shock was designed to move a wheel and tire that only weighed a fe… Long story short. Works good in the back but it will give you more travel in the rear. This is a good and bad thing. It will most definitely cause your rear sub frame to Crack because of the addition travel and flex. (Stock shocks dot allow the rear sub frame to move much) If it’s not already cracked. No big deal. I had my Subframe beefed up and it took care of the issue. I would also say that the 416 shocks are just a bit soft for a stock gem car with flooded lead acid battery’s and 4 peeps. ---
**Author:** ![dougl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@dougl](https://community.electricforum.com/u/dougl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/3 "2017-09-03T22:52:33Z")
Interesting. This person was saying that shocks where are not stiff will let the rear suspension component( “rear sub frame” ) travel too much and cause it to crack? Stated it will also flex too much and do the same… That seems opposite of what “suspension” is/does. But I can see that if the structure is not flexible enough to handle uneven roads/suspension travel like hitting speed bumps on only the left side, then there’s a design problem and not a shock problem. My 2002 is 100% stock and when I go over bumps, the front does well but the back sounds like someone took a brick and threw it at the back of the vehicle. It could be the rubber bushings in the shock mounts are worn but I’ll know more when I get to installing the air shocks. ---
**Author:** ![diymatt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/diymatt/32/1822_2.png) [@diymatt](https://community.electricforum.com/u/diymatt)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 12:05pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/4 "2018-07-01T12:05:53Z")
For the record, I believe the video you are referencing is made by the guy who is talking to you now, @grantwest 😂 ---
**Author:** ![grantwest](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/grantwest/32/15_2.png) [@grantwest](https://community.electricforum.com/u/grantwest)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/5 "2018-07-01T23:18:40Z")
I went with Progressive 416 Air Shocks. My car had flooded lead acid at the time. The air shocks were not stiff enough. Removed the air shocks and went with Coil overs. Switched to lithium the coil overs were to stiff and then went back to Air ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Vern](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/mr.vern/32/2658_2.png) [@Mr.Vern](https://community.electricforum.com/u/Mr.Vern)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/6 "2018-07-02T01:58:08Z")
@grantwest were you able to run them on front as well? I bought a pair but need to fab a bracket to get it to clear up front. Haven’t messed with the rear yet. ---
**Author:** ![grantwest](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/grantwest/32/15_2.png) [@grantwest](https://community.electricforum.com/u/grantwest)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/7 "2018-07-02T02:14:29Z")
Yes I had a fabricator bunny of mine needs some new shop tab is that allowed me to use the box in the front as well ---
**Author:** ![diymatt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/diymatt/32/1822_2.png) [@diymatt](https://community.electricforum.com/u/diymatt)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 11:04am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/8 "2018-07-02T11:04:55Z")
Thanks for bring all this up @dougl. I keep putting used air shocks in my ebay shopping cart but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. ---
**Author:** ![grantwest](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/grantwest/32/15_2.png) [@grantwest](https://community.electricforum.com/u/grantwest)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/9 "2018-07-02T14:28:08Z")
I would hold off on the Air shocks until you have a light weight lithium kit. Someone hopefully will discover and share a air stiffer shock for FLA folks ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Vern](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/mr.vern/32/2658_2.png) [@Mr.Vern](https://community.electricforum.com/u/Mr.Vern)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/10 "2018-07-02T14:37:52Z")
@diymatt - be sure to add a rebuild kit for those used shocks. They are so old that they almost certainly need rebuilt. Mine came and when I released the air, oil came out. I’m going to install them and see if I like the spring rate before I rebuild them so I only disassemble once. @grantwest - did you experiment with the different springs that are available for those shocks? ---
**Author:** ![grantwest](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/grantwest/32/15_2.png) [@grantwest](https://community.electricforum.com/u/grantwest)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/11 "2018-07-02T15:18:30Z")
I was not aware of a stiffer internal spring for the progressive 416 series shock ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Vern](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/mr.vern/32/2658_2.png) [@Mr.Vern](https://community.electricforum.com/u/Mr.Vern)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/12 "2018-07-02T16:18:07Z")
I’ve seen that they sell different rate progressive springs but what I haven’t looked into is what the rates are vs. the stock. I assume that stock would be somewhere in the middle of the range, but that’s only an assumption. ---
**Author:** ![dougl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@dougl](https://community.electricforum.com/u/dougl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/honday-gl1100-gullwing-air-shocks-for-rear-of-e4/12752/13 "2018-07-09T18:20:56Z")
Did anyone find rubber bushing replacements for the GL1100 air shocks? I’ve not put mine on yet since I’ve yet to find replacement bushings. Even if they feel a bit too mushy with the lead batteries, I will probably see how they feel once I do a lithium upgrade in about a year or so.