87 Bronco II - To 4" Lift or Not to Lift

[8a8a4a9a]

Hey all,

Aside from the tires that I replaced last year with 235 75r 15's, my 87 B2 is full stock (manual, AWD, 2.9 V6). My current suspension and shocks are all original, and need to be replaced. Since I will be down there anyway, I am considering installing the rough country 4" lift with leaf suspension, that I found for $800. I read that the 4" suspension will only get me to 31s without trimming and without body lift. What do you all think? Is it worth the 4" lift just to get up to 31s, or should I invest the $800 on upgraded shocks and suspension and stick with my 235s? Also, will I absolutely need to regear to run the 31s? I know that for 33s I would for sure have to regear. Although, since tires that big are not recommended for the 7.5 rear axle, I will likely never go that route until my axles break, and by then I'll look into swapping my axles and motor with the Explorer 4.0, and beefier 8.8s and D35s.

I recently moved to the Sierra foothills in NorCal and there's lots of offroad opportunities around me, so that's why I am looking to repair/upgrade the B2. My B2 is not a daily driver, it's a project/recreation car.

Thanks!

 

[ericbphoto]

It really depends on what offroading you want to do. Any increase in tire size will increase clearance under the axles. Even an inch makes a big difference in where you will or will not get stuck. The suspension lift gives you greater clearance under the rest of the truck and, of course, helps clear the tires.

Think about what you want long term. If you go half way to your goal now, what is the likelihood of saving up the money to complete it later? Would it be better or even cheaper to just do whats necessary now and save the money up to complete your goal in another year? Or modify your end goal and do it all now? Only you can really assess your goals, your financial situation your life situation (wife, kids, college, career, etc), and your own ability to stick with a plan long term.

When I did my truck, i was in a situation where I could do 95% all at once. So it worked good for me. Not sure how I would have tackled it piecemeal.

 

[8a8a4a9a]

It really depends on what offroading you want to do. Any increase in tire size will increase clearance under the axles. Even an inch makes a big difference in where you will or will not get stuck. The suspension lift gives you greater clearance under the rest of the truck and, of course, helps clear the tires.

Think about what you want long term. If you go half way to your goal now, what is the likelihood of saving up the money to complete it later? Would it be better or even cheaper to just do whats necessary now and save the money up to complete your goal in another year? Or modify your end goal and do it all now? Only you can really assess your goals, your financial situation your life situation (wife, kids, college, career, etc), and your own ability to stick with a plan long term.

When I did my truck, i was in a situation where I could do 95% all at once. So it worked good for me. Not sure how I would have tackled it piecemeal.

Thanks for the tip! I am pretty certain that I'll be happy with 31's for a few long years to come or until I need to replace a major part due to damage. Jumping to 33's seems to open up a whole new can of worms that I am not ready for. I am not an offroad extremist, and more of a weekend hobbyist. However, I do want to improve on the offroad performance of the car, without having to do too many mods, and without negative impact to the geometry of the car and/or other components. I want to improve on the car by installing a lift, and running tires that the stock motor, transmission, diffs, etc. can handle. I don't want to start a domino effect of things to replace just because I installed a lift and bigger tires.

I may actually just go with the James Duff 3" Stage 1 lift kit, since they supposedly accommodate 31s, and I also hear that they perform better that the Rough Country.

 

[DirtBronco]

Definitely stick to 31's. The difference in cost would allow you to get a proper suspension lift and BFG's instead of Atturo's.
Plus, that's 40 more lbs of meat to spin