Help choosing lift and tires

[dunesday]

So I purchased a 89 Bronco for my 15 1/2 year old son. It needed some TLC but it runs great now. I am going to have it painted and slowly restore the interior as well. It needs tires and shocks,, so the plan is to put on a 4" lift with 33" tires. No serious offroading for it yet,, but I dont want to buy a junk lift either. leaning towaard a 16" wheel,, but I am clueless about width or backspacing,, as for the tires, a nice mud terrain would be good or even an A/T. Not many miles will be put on it, only used for him to go to school, practice, etc.

I need our advice and experience!!! Which lift kits are quality? I am soooo confused about the different price ranges,, from $350 to $1500????? With the 4" lift will anything else need to be done like lengthening driveline or brake lines? Shock choices?

Thanks all

Brian

 

[Roadkill]

Welcome to Broncozone! You could ask those questions to 10 Bronco owners and you will probably get 10 different answers.

Here's my $.02:

The easiest question is the wheels, you'll need about 3.5 to 4 inches backspace and each tire manufacture's website will give you recomended wheel widths for each particular tire. With a 33X12.5 a 10 inch wide rim will probably be a safe choice. For tires, a Mud Terrain (MT) type tire or swamper/bogger style looks super cool (just my opinion) but you will pay a price on the street with the terrible road noise and short treadlife. For a mostly street vehicle I would say All Terrain (AT) type tire is the best choice (even though I personaly run MT's)

As far as lifts go, you have already seen that there is a big variety of makers and prices. Some people say the cheaper ones like Rough Country etc. are junk but there are just as many who say they are just fine. I personally had a Rough Country on a '95 Dodge truck that I was very pleased with. The instructions were easy and all the holes lined up. For a mostly street vehicle, I would say let your wallet decide what you get. My one recomendation is that whatever brand you choose, stay away from lift blocks in the rear and go with either an add a leaf or a whole new pack. In my opinion, (and personal experience) the blocks are unsafe and should not be used. Click here to see why. I also just ordered a 6 inch kit from Rough Country for my Bronco that I will install when I get home from Iraq in a few weeks. (NO BLOCKS this time B) )

With a 4 inch lift, your stock driveshafts and brake lines will be just fine. Speedometer correction will also be an easy task on your truck. Click here for a more speedo correction information.

Edit:

All of that is assuming you are asking about suspension lifts. A body lift is a whole different set of answers.

 

[dunesday]

Thanks for the info Roadkill,, and thank you for your service as well. A couple more questions,, any recommendations on where to get the lift? Do I "need" to get the new radius arms?

Anyone have experience with this lift from these guys??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80-96-Ford-...sspagenameZWDVW

 

[wileec]

Thanks for the info Roadkill,, and thank you for your service as well. A couple more questions,, any recommendations on where to get the lift? Do I "need" to get the new radius arms?Anyone have experience with this lift from these guys??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80-96-Ford-...sspagenameZWDVW

First off, you have a lucky son, buying him a truck and wanting a lift for it WOW :blink: I can not do that for my own truck.

Now for the information.

The truck will handle MUCH better off road with the longer arms, the drop brackets with the same arms do work however. It depends on what use you all have planed for the truck. If it will see any real off-road time go with the long arms, they are worth it. If it is mostly street the drop brackets are fine. I do not have personal experance with the Tuff Country lift but each kit has its pitfalls, are you doing it yourselves or having it done? The reason I ask is the bigest issue I hear about is the holes in the kits not lining up with your frame, if you are paying someone else to do it they have to deal with that part. There should be huge amounts of lift kit information available posted here.

Good luck and have fun.

I like the Idea of me and my son building a truck in a few years, you gave me something else to spend $$$ on. (damn you) and my daughter will want in to now we have 3 trucks that need fixin.

 

[Roadkill]

I don't know if you actually need extended radius arms but here a the main reasons people use them:

1) Better articulation of the front axle

2) Less change in caster angle as the axle travels through its range of motion

3) The extended arm mounts are closer to the frame and put less stress on the frame than the drop brackets when you keep the stock arms

4) The extended radius arms are angled inward a little to eliminate the tire rub you will get with a 12.5 inch wide tire used with the stock arms (the rubbing is minimal and only occurs at full steering lock, not really an issue unless you have really agressive tires such as SuperSwamper TSL's. Lots of people run the stock arms and just tolerate the slight rubbing)

I personally plan to use extended arms but thats just my preference. Once again, for a mostly street truck, you could save a couple hundred bucks by going with the stock arms and drop brackets.

As for the TopGunz Customs on Ebay, I've never dealt with them but the price quoted looks in line with similar kits sold elsewhere. Here are a few other sites to compare with. Remember not only to look at the advertised price, but look at shipping and what all is actually included with the kit and what items must be purchased as "add-ons" or "upgrades". Sometimes the lowest "advertised" price is not nesesarily the best deal.

http://www.roughcountry.com/

http://www.rockymountainsusp.com/

http://store.4wheelingplus.com/

http://broncograveyard.com

There are lots more sources, those are just a few from the top of my head.

Edit:

Wow, I guess Wileec must type considerable faster than me /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> . When I started typing this, there was no other reply. At least it appears that Wilee and I offered similar advice.

I second Wileec's comment that it's really great that you take the time to do this stuff with your son. To many dads either don't have the time or the desire to that stuff nowadays.

 

[dunesday]

My first vehicle when I was 16 years old was a 78 Bronco with the 400ci motor that was passed on to me from my father. I loved that thing. My son has always wanted a Bronco and when a friend of mine "gave" it to me,, how do you say no??? As i said earlier,, it needed quite a bit of TLC,, but now we are doing cosmetic stuff. I came home from work one day and found my son in the driveway with the manual out,, he had just replaced the power window motor,, you have no idea how proud I was!!! He's a great kid,, studies hard, plays multiple sports,, is respectful and honest,, I am fortunate to have him and am glad I have the means to help him out with his first vehicle.\\

Thanks all,, keep the info coming though,, the more ideas the better.

 

[Justshootme84]

Welcome to Bronco Zone!!! I think it's wonderful that you're getting your son involved in working on the Bronco and the sport of four-wheeling!!! The advice I was given and will pass along when deciding on what lift to get is this: Search, Search, Search!!! I read hundreds of posts, PM'd several members, looked at actual Broncos with different lift kits, etc. for several months, all in the meantime looking for the "right" deal. Over the years, I've installed many lift kits and had a fair share of Ford trucks and Broncos. I really think a 4" suspension lift with 33" tires is a good choice for a young driver, daily driver and/or the occaisional weekend wheeler. I went with a Skyjacker 6" lift on my 84 Bronco (see featured ride), 35" tires, spooled rear with 4.56:1 gears. After a few years, I went to the F-350 axle swap (SAS) and dedicated the Bronco to a trail rig only. The Skyjacker, Superlift, BDS and Rancho kits are quality components, while the Rough Country, Tuff Country and others are close. All are fine if you don't plan to run the Baja 1000 or flog the hella out of it on the trails every weekend. (that's what the 1-ton SAS is for). You don't absolutely need the extended radius arms for a 4" kit on most rigs, but I would say you do on any 6" kit for alignment reasons, as well as tire fitment for 35x12.50's. I have not personally dealt with Topgunscustomz, but have only heard good reviews of them. Do your shopping, and compare the price of a basic Rough Country 4" kit ($450-$500) from some of the aforementioned vendors. I have dealt with Rocky Mountain Suspension over the years, and have positive results with them. They also have good tech reps to answer your questions over the phone. Last time I talked to Marge, she was really helpful and knew exactly what I needed. I order all of my polyurethane suspension bushings from them, too. That's an upgrade you should consider when installing a lift kit to help improve the ride and handling of the rig. Good luck, JSM84

 

[dunesday]

Great,, you can put an F350 rear end under a Bronco??? I can see it now,, I'll come home from work and find MY truck up on blocks with no rear end,, a greasy kid with a big grin on his face and tools scattered about the shop!!! "Dad guess what I read on the Broncezone"?????

Back on topic: How much time/effort are we talking about here to lift the thing,, is it basic tools and off you go or air chisles and welders?

 

[Roadkill]

Shouldn't need a welder, but if you're radius arm bushings have never been changed then the brackets are probably riveted to the frame. You'll have to grind, drill, or chisel them off. Your kit will come with nuts and bolts to replace the rivets. If you live in the rust belt you could run into the typical rust challenges when removing the old parts. I've heard the control arm bushing are a pain to get out if you are planning on changing them. (not a bad idea on an 18 year old truck) There's some stuff in the tech articles section about that.

 

[dunesday]

Hmmmm,, maybe taking it to a qualified shop might be in order,, there are plenty of other father son projects to do on it,, I'd hate to get stuck in the middle of a lift

 

[ilystbronco]

according to my boss who is a mechanic and used to do alot of offroad conversions and lift and shit tells me that rancho is the best and wanted me to get it but i want a 6" and they dont make them. so what i would do if i was u is get a 4" rancho lift with extended radious arms and the rear leafs, not blocks, also get the steering stabilizers and pitman arm, and of course the shocks and all that- this is what my boss wa telling me to get,and that supposibly this is the best way to do it. and as far as the tires go i would just get some 33" bfg mudd terrains

 

[Justshootme84]

Average time to install a lift kit is about 10 hours, or a weekend, with 2-4 folks working. I agree that an AAL (add-a-leaf) or new lifted spring pack is way better than just a block under the stock springs for the rear lift. You also have the option of a shackle flip, wither using the Sky Mfg. flip kit or some stock hangers. And yes, the F250/F350 rear axles like the Sterling 10.25" are a direct bolt-up replacement for the stock Ford 9" or 8.8" rear axle. It's the front sloid axle swap (SAS) that's a challenge, rewuiring some welding whether you use leaf springs or coils. JSM84

 

[89eddie89]

i got a ?

i have a 89 eddie and i am wanting to get a 6" sus lift running on 35's. am i gonna need radius arms? and what else do i need?

thanks

 

[Justshootme84]

Read my first post. You don't absolutely need extended radius arms, but they will be a big help for alignment on the 6" susp lift. JSM84

 

[89eddie89]

what if i decide to go with 35x14.50x15. will i have to do anything space wise? or can i get by with them?

 

[Justshootme84]

On a 10" or 12" wide rim, the 14.50's will still rub the radius arms, moreso on the stock ones and with a minimum backspacing of 4".

 

[wileec]

Hmmmm,, maybe taking it to a qualified shop might be in order,, there are plenty of other father son projects to do on it,, I'd hate to get stuck in the middle of a lift

If you have time and space for a non moving vehicle for a few weekends. I think a lift would be a great project, with out a absolut finish date do not think you could get to stuck. I am looking at some multi weekend projects this winter, Really need to do body mount bushings and am thinking a sky shackle flip to get rid of the F-ed up add a leaf.

Keep us up to date. The more I think about it the more I like gettting my son into it. Right now He is helping the neighbor boy fix their bikes. Got a few years to go for the cars he is only 10.

I promissed both my kids that when they could get the clutch to the floor AND see over the wheel at the same time I would teach um to drive the Bronc.

 

[dunesday]

Did some shopping today,,,, out the door price for 4" Rancho lift with extended radius arms, 6 RS500 shocks, tires (33" Goodyear MTR) and wheels (aluminum 16" Pacer IIRC),, all installed was $3850. The tires alone were $1000,, That also included wheel alignment lug nuts caps etc.. Labor to install lift is $560,, seems reasonable to me if 10hrs is the amount of time to do it? I'm sure they're faster than 10 hrs,, but price still seems fair. Salesman also told me they would re-torque everything after 50 miles. I'm leaning this way. With the included goodies like balancing tires, warranty, disposal of old tires, blah blah blah,,, it seems like a fairly good deal. I might need to re-consider the tires though $1K for rubber is kinda high,, any other recommendations for that,, am I carazy?

Thanks for the input

Brian

 

[wileec]

The rubber price does seem steep, but I am having trouble finding a 16" 33x12.50. The 15s are around 200 so maybe. everything done all at once like that would be real nice. Over all the price does not seam bad.

I wish I had 4k to throw at mine :-&