Suspension kit opinions

[bones]

Sorry guys, I know what happens when someone asks for opinions, the whole 'opinions are like a$$%#@*' issue, but this is what its coming down to.
I am looking to lift my bronco 2.5", no body lift. Its going to be on the road 80% or more of the time, so on road handling and ride are going to be important. I will also run the full hard top 90+% of the time. I have found the following kits that look close to eachother and was hoping some of you had experience with them.
TOMS
WILDHORSES
JBG

Any opinions? Or will I be better off piecing it together separately?
Thanks for the feed back!

[777mechanic]

i've bought from wh and toms both have alot of knowledge about there products . buying a complete setup saves you a ton of money on shipping

[airbur]

I have the Horses setup but with a 1" body lift. I'd recommend their suspension setup as it seems high quality and I've had no problems thus far. I would also suggest you buy from the Bronco Hut. They carry the Horses kits and you don't have to pay for shipping!

[airbur]

I have installed 2 of WH lifts and man do they ride nice and are complete. Even with shipping they beat most other Vendors prices badly if you ask them for a better deal on the phone. My 3.5" kit was a little more than a $100 cheaper than BH even with shipping and was more complete and they had all the parts in stock ready to ship. I put the 2.5" Bronco Graveyard lift on my Old 66 and was not happy with that kit as it only raised it 1.75". The WH kits raise them a little more than advertised, about a 1/4" which allows for settling. Make sure you get the complete leaf pack for the rear and not just the add a leafs. You are more than welcome to stop by to check out my 2.5" and 3.5" WH lifts and take them both for a spin to see what you think.

Agreed, you need to work with the BH to make sure you get everything you need. But their pricing has always been cheaper for me especially if you come prepared with what you can get from the other vendors. Either way, the WH kit is the way to go.

[sbolt19]

Check out BC's lift too. I think they are using a 9-leaf pack rather than the now standard 11-leaf pack, which from talking to Chuck down there gives a little softer ride. As far as JBG, I'd stay as far away from them as possible for the simple fact that if they screw something up on your order, they don't give a sh*t.

[Entourage]

A Suspension Lift is one of the most important upgrades you get for your Bronco so making an informed decision and getting opinions is smart. I echo what has already been said - I have the Wild Horses lift on mine and love it. I would get a 3.5" for the taller stance and ability to about any size tire - but that is just me.

Wild Horses shipping is fairly inexpensive for heavy Bronco coming 2 states away.

[sbolt19]

I should have also said that I do have the WH rear leafs with Cage coils. The leafs are a nice ride, flex really good but the front coils are absolutely killer. The problem there is that Cage isn't there any more. I know the guy that was running the shop for Cage started another business, but can't recall the name, but the Cage coils are far superior to any I have ever ridden with. The other thing I will HIGHLY STRESS is shocks. Do not skimp on a good set of shocks because that has just, if not more-so effect on your ride as the springs do. My recommendation is to either go with Rancho 9000, Pro Comp MX6 or the Bilstien 5100 series. They are all top notch and the difference between these shocks and just one step lower is enormous. You will definitely enjoy the ride a lot better with good shocks.

[Justin]

The guy from Cage now runs Bloody Knuckles Garage. They don't have much of a web presence yet, but he can be reached via email. I don't have it, but it shouldn't be too hard to track it down on CB.com.

[Entourage]

I think the Cage items are finally back in production. They are under a name Bloody Knuckles Garage. The Cage Brand Front oil/Shock Mount, Extended Radius Arms, and Rear Double Shock Mount will be in my next Bronco. jim@bloodyknucklegarage.com

[bones]

Wow-thanks for all the advise and tips guys. I have had not-so-good luck with JBG before but thought maybe it was isolated, I guess not! I'll work with BH and see if they can help at all but will have to go the cheaper route (as long as its quality parts and complete) any day of the week. And zillicon - I may take you up on that offer. Or stalk you next time you stop by Advanced.

[PonyCorral]

Guys-

With your WH 3.5" lift did you order the adjustable trac bar and drop pitman arms or were your rigs still good after the install? After repairing all the sheetmetal in my truck I will be going the way of WH!

[hockeydad4-22]

I did the drop PA and drop bracket and I am right on the money. Just make sure you are a good welder to make sure the drop bracket is done properly or go with the adjustable TB.

Um - yeah, second this - and I would also sugest you reinforce the track bar area on the frame. Otherwise you could end up with this where the track bar used to be.

Trust me, it is not nearly as much fun as you think it might be when you get to do that repair.

[PonyCorral]

Fellas-

I appreciate the info...Do you know if there is anyone who is running the adjustable trac bar in CCB? I would like to see what it looks like on the rig. My concern is the geometry!

[hockeydad4-22]

Fellas-

I appreciate the info...Do you know if there is anyone who is running the adjustable trac bar in CCB? I would like to see what it looks like on the rig. My concern is the geometry!

We have one, but geometry is probably not going to be the same considering the repairs, custom heavy duty track bar bracket we are now running. You are welcome to take a look anytime though. I will tell you this, that thing is substantuial compared to the stock track bar.

[sbolt19]

I am gonna sound like a broken record here, but I don't like, nor do I trust the drop TA bracket. And for 3.5", you don't need it. The drop PA will work. If you have to get the TA angle right, do it with the riser on the axle that WH sells. Yeah, it's more expensive, but it also a safer bet and doesn't create the torque on the frame that the TA drop bracket does

[PonyCorral]

That's the info I am looking for...anyone else out there with a suggestion?

[akaFrankCastle]

That's the info I am looking for...anyone else out there with a suggestion?

Hey, is there a dead horse? Let me go ahead and take a whack at it!

But seriously,
WH offers "Suspension Kit X" or something similarly named. Basically, you just add whatever components you want to your cart and make your own kit. If you decide to go this route, always best to talk to them on the phone and explain exactly what you have and what you are hoping to achieve. This can alleviate a lot of pain associated with aftermarket upgrades such as dual shock mounts or radius arm drop brackets. Last thing you want to do is spend money on stuff you don't want/need.

Don't get in to the mindset that you need to buy a complete kit from one vendor either. If you have to piece things together from a couple of different sources, go for it. You might want leafs from one company and coils from another. Keep your options open, and as long as you don't NEED a new lift now, be patient and wait for things to go on sale.

[PonyCorral]

How often does WH put their suspension kits on sale? It won't be for a while but I am open to all options...

[crawlercreations]

100% agreed with the track bar riser off the axle. I built my own adjustable track bar and added the riser to the axle. I had no bump steer. Then I added ram assist steering and had no steering "feel". Completely numb now.

[Justin]

Fellas-

I appreciate the info...Do you know if there is anyone who is running the adjustable trac bar in CCB? I would like to see what it looks like on the rig. My concern is the geometry!

I'm running one. My front suspension is 5.5" Softride coils, adjustable track bar with no drop or riser brackets. I've done a tie rod over conversion with the stock pitman arm. The angles are lousy and I get a little bump steer, but is does not affect the driveability of the rig in any way. You can see pics here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=963

[PonyCorral]

Thanks for the pics, thats a lot of food for thought!

[Rox Crusher]

PonyCorral

I am going to buy a WH kit in the next couple of weeks.............maybe we could get a discount or free freight if we buy at the same time or something ?

[PonyCorral]

We might be able to get a quantity discount! I just bought a console from WH and the sales guy said that if I didn't need it right away with a big enough order it could be shipped on a truck which would save some $$$$. Lets consider it.

Zilla- do you remeber how much your shipping was?

[ZOSO]

WH all the way. Love the set-up on the 74. As for JBG I must be the only one with good luck. Have ordered a couple grand through them with no issues.

[BNC04]

Saw a Duff kit advertised on Jeffs Bronco Graveyard. Guys lives in Colorado. It's one of the more exspensive ones I think but sounds like you can save some bucks in shipping

The link is here..
http://broncograveyard.com/classifieds/ ... ronco.html

I have no dog in this hunt, Just passing it along.

Brett

[akaFrankCastle]

Also listed in Denver Craigslist, IIRC.