Bronco II lift questions. Also, skyjacker vs RC shocks.

[koda6966]

I tried some searching on the site to find what I'm looking for, a few questions got answered and some more ended up with conflicting information. A couple more didn't really get answered at all so I guess I'll throw my questions on here and take the "use the search button jackwagon!" hit anyway.

1)Will Ranger coils, specifically 1993 coils, fit an 88' Bronco II? I pulled up the part numbers for skyjacker's leveling coils and they SEEM to use the same part number according to Summit Racing. And should I expect a 1.5" leveling coil for a ranger to do the same with a bronco II?

2)At a total of 3" of lift, will I need to modify my driveshaft lengths on a Bronco II? I'm making adjustable sway bar links so I'm not too worried about those. There's plenty of local driveline shops nearby, but if I'm going to have to have a shaft made I'll just skip the shackles and spacers and stay with a 1.5" of lift from the explorer springs/leveling coils.

3)I'm looking for new shocks when I throw in the leveling springs/spacer and explorer springs/shackle in the rear. I'm a cheap mofo, and I honestly plan on upgrading the axles and lifting HIGHER in a few years so I dont exactly want to break the bank on parts. So that leaves me with Rough Country N2.0's or Skyjacker Hydros. I'm leaning towards the Hydros because I'm planning on using Skyjacker springs. Other than that I have no preference. What is everyone elses opinions on these two brands and why?

4)At what point do I need to buy drop brackets for the front beams, and how far off should I expect 3" of front lift to throw off my camber?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ok, lets see here...

1) Ranger and Explorer coils fit. Assuming you have a 4x4 Bronco II, yes, lift coils will lift it. If you have a 2wd, they already have a lift/level coil in it.

2) Do you have the CV joint rear axle or U-joint? CV axle would have to be replaced. You want a U-joint axle and those seem to tolerate lifting rather well. Supposedly the shaft in my choptop is a Tom Woods shaft, but it looks like a normal U-joint shaft to me and I'm running 5ish inches of suspension lift.

3) I got shocks from an auto parts store that fit my compressed and extended lengths, that was the cheapest solution I could find. Somewhere I have the part numbers, I have no idea what vehicle they fit.

4) Anything over 1.5" you will probably need drop brackets. Even at 1.5", it's going to be a pain working on the coils without extended arms.

My choptop I did James Duff 3" lift coils and 3" axle pivot drops in the front with F-150 spring perches. Rear has Explorer leafs with an extra leaf and drop shackles. Don't forget about extended brake lines for the front. I custom built my extended arms.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[koda6966]

If I need drop brackets anyway I might as well get the 4" RC kit. Hmm

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The only other way would be to modify the axle beams, cut the lower ball joint free, space it out and weld it back together to avoid drop brackets


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[koda6966]

Drop brackets it is then, lol.

 

[4x4junkie]

A couple other tidbits I can add:

1.
Coil fitment is indeed the same across all TTB & TIB RBVs, however spring rates (stiffness) varies. Coils from a heavier Ranger (Supercab, especially) will be stiffer than ones for a BII. This can result in a slightly taller ride height, but also will result in a stiffer ride too (and of course less suspension articulation off road).


3.
I would suggest any shock that is nitrogen-charged over something that is not. Not all nitrogen shocks are costly, so look around, you should be able to find something available similar to what a Skyjacker Hydro costs.

I run KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on my Ranger. The KYB is a very good shock for the price IMO (a little more than a Hydro, but not by much).