One point to consider: on some suspension systems, the shock is needed to contain parts of the suspension system. The rear suspension of a lot of GM cars 1982-2000 were set up this way, with a large C-shaped rear axle, and coil springs buried in the corners of the "c".
To remove the rear springs on that setup one disconnects both rear shocks and lowers the axle (or raises the car) until the springs can be pulled out.
For most on-road applications, the shocks don't bottom out fast enough to break, or often enough to fatigue. Limit straps will make sure you don't have an airbag or spring pop out of position and possibly go through something else.
Of course, I don't have direct experience on a 757, and the CUCV / Deuce suspensions are designed so that the shock is not a structural component (removing them won't let stuff fly apart). I'm not sure about the air suspensions on the rear of tractor trucks, it always looked to me like removing shocks on those might let the axle fall away from the airbag suspension system (or let the frame rise away from the axle, from another perspective).