2025 Suspension Recommendations (by Snacktime)

[Brian_B]

But also considering leaving as-is and curious if no lift would be less stress on components

The stress comes from two things

First is just the weight. Heavier tires and wheels will just put more stress in the drive train and no amount of lift will reduce that.

Second is in your angles - and how you lift has a big impact on that. You want your CVs in the front as straight as they can be when sitting naturally - the more angle on the joints, the more they get worked. And it’s key to look at them at full droop to make sure you don’t exceed their maximum angle (28’ for most CVs). There are two joints on them - the one at the FDU and the one at the wheel hub. Same thing really goes for the rear driveline going from the tcase to the rear axle pinion.

Spacer tophat lifts are probably the worst for those angles. Body lifts do not affect the angle at all. Pre-load lifts affect angles at the natural ride height, but leave the full droop/stuffed angles the same.

That doesn’t make top hat lifts all bad and body lifts all good - they all have pros and cons. It’s a matter of choosing the right tool. I have a little bit of each of those on my rig right now to try to keep out of the more severe negative aspects of each of them but get enough clearance for my 38s

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[Jack667]

Spacer tophat lifts are probably the worst for those angles.

gotcha! thx for the reply! So - it seems like it would be better to go no lift than a spacer lift, if those were the only two choices, right?

 

[Brian_B]

gotcha! thx for the reply! So - it seems like it would be better to go no lift than a spacer lift, if those were the only two choices, right?

If you can get by with no lift - yes. Most serious folks try to minimize their lift as much as possible - just enough to get their tires to clear and no more.

That said, a small top hat lift isn’t bad. I think they are probably the best tool for leveling if you don’t have adjustable coil overs, those 0.5-1.0” lifts just to get the rake where you want it or offset for heavy things like steel bumpers with winches. The common advice is up to about 2” is ok, beyond that you start to risk overextending your CVs at full droop.

 

[Snacktime]

@Jack667 Put the wheels and tires on! Take it for a spin! If you don't like the ride come back. I would do 5100s at a minimum because I like a firmer ride and some lift.

 

[fuesting]

Could someone help me with my 6100 setup.

Backstory: I obtained a set of 6100's with SAS springs (mounted) from a forum member to deal with my blown stock non-SAS Bilsteins.

Here's what I have:
'22 non-SAS Badlands 4-door with 2.3L, manual trans and capable bumper, soft-top

Here's what's going on:
- Bilstein 6100's on SAS springs from a '22 SAS Badlands 4-door w/ 2.7L and auto trans w/ capable bumper
- Stock non-SAS badlands wheels w/ LT285/75R17 Nokian Output nAT's

After reading this thread as well as many others, I'm not sure what position to place my circlips. I was hoping I could get a recommendation.

My goal is to have a 1" overall lift from stock non-SAS badlands heights with a bit more level. I won't be carrying a lot of gear. I want reliability and longevity for the stock suspension and driveline components. Concerning with CV's and UCAs etc.

I'm thinking circlip location #3 for both front and back but would love some opinions.

 

[mpeugeot]

Could someone help me with my 6100 setup.

Backstory: I obtained a set of 6100's with SAS springs (mounted) from a forum member to deal with my blown stock non-SAS Bilsteins.

Here's what I have:
'22 non-SAS Badlands 4-door with 2.3L, manual trans and capable bumper, soft-top

Here's what's going on:
- Bilstein 6100's on SAS springs from a '22 SAS Badlands 4-door w/ 2.7L and auto trans w/ capable bumper
- Stock non-SAS badlands wheels w/ LT285/75R17 Nokian Output nAT's

After reading this thread as well as many others, I'm not sure what position to place my circlips. I was hoping I could get a recommendation.

My goal is to have a 1" overall lift from stock non-SAS badlands heights with a bit more level. I won't be carrying a lot of gear. I want reliability and longevity for the stock suspension and driveline components. Concerning with CV's and UCAs etc.

I'm thinking circlip location #3 for both front and back but would love some opinions.

I would probably start with 3 in the front and lower it to the next setting in the back door unless you want some rake. You are going to have to put them on to truly see how it sits. It might be fine with 3 on both. I am going to guess that you will see 1.25" lift.

 

[crenca]

Let us know how those 4 door springs ride on your 2 door. My first thought is you will be oversprung, but maybe not?

Edit: my bad, yours is a 4 door as well....

 

[fuesting]

I would probably start with 3 in the front and lower it to the next setting in the back door unless you want some rake. You are going to have to put them on to truly see how it sits. It might be fine with 3 on both. I am going to guess that you will see 1.25" lift.

Thank you for the recommendation. Starting in the front is smart. Never thought of that. The back would be easier to take on and off as well as even modifying while on vehicle.

 

[Jack667]

@Jack667 Put the wheels and tires on! Take it for a spin! If you don't like the ride come back. I would do 5100s at a minimum because I like a firmer ride and some lift.

Picked up the car today, brought it home and started on the mods. Crash bars off, bull bar on, BD wheels off, new Sas tires/wheels on (bought used, very low miles, wheels in perfect condition, $2k. I added the blackout centercaps and lugs). More mods to come tomorrow (zroadz sliders, RC tailgate reinforcement, Bronco script emblems, mudflaps), and black Bronco grill letters coming soon.
But as far as the lift, I gotta say I think it looks amazing as-is. Walking up to it - to the door, it's taller than anything I've owned. I love it! Still need to drive it though.
btw - I cleaned up the mess and aired up the tires. They were all around 12 psi!

 

[BamaBronc]

I need to clear 37" tires. Stock '21 BB SAS two dr. No wild crawling, just basic trails and minimal cargo. I may change wheels to an 18" with +20 offset. This is my dream setup but have zero idea what is happening here. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Broncolander]

Back from the shop and all measured up empty with spare mounted - 24.5 inches axle center to top of inner wheel well, front and back. So I’m stock SAS with about 2” lost, with 1.5” spacer/1” level to compensate - rides great, no brake dive etc. I’ll go the rear spacer route to help my road trip loads.

I’ll keep next-level tuned 2.5’s ($$$) on my list for a next generation build.

Sorry if I missed this, but what 1.5” spacer/1” level did you go with? Thanks!

 

[murphtron]

Bilstein 8112 install in progress on my non-sas Badlands 4dr. More to report in late October after off-roading them. Also includes upgrade to 35s (Falken Wildpeak at4) and Method bead grip +25 wheels.

 

[BroncoStorm]

Bilstein 8112 install in progress on my non-sas Badlands 4dr. More to report in late October after off-roading them. Also includes upgrade to 35s (Falken Wildpeak at4) and Method bead grip +25 wheels.

Feel free to play with these in the dirt. I took the liberty of tuning and dialing the settings, listed them here.

 

[murphtron]

Feel free to play with these in the dirt. I took the liberty of tuning and dialing the settings, listed them here.

@BroncoStorm thanks for the link. I hadn’t seen your settings. Is the bar chart your settings for road? I see the tables for high speed and crawling.

 

[Quest]

Looking for advice on suspension upgrades after early control-arm failure

2023 4-door Badlands, 2.7 auto, non-SAS.

Right before 36k miles I had to replace both lower control arms, which seems early. I’m trying to figure out if my current setup is creating stress points that justify upgrading the suspension or specific components.

Current setup:

• Steel front bumper w/ winch
• Additional skid plates
• 35" Falken Wildpeak RTs on stock wheels
• 2023 Badlands Sasquatch coilovers (under 5k miles)
• Tow a pop-up camper a few times a year (aftermarket trailer setup)
• Moderate off-roading, occasionally medium difficulty

Question:
Is this combination likely overloading the stock geometry/arms, or does it point to weak factory parts and just bad luck? Should I be looking at aftermarket UCAs/LCAs, different shocks, or a whole suspension package? I want durability first, ride quality second.

Any firsthand experience or failure patterns would be useful.

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