Back sagging under weight also lifting top

[mack092]

We camped on the bronco over the weekend and my rear sagged real bad. Also hoisted the top up; no problems driving but the headlights were up in the sky. Pic for reference. Normally the rear sits 1.5 inches higher than the front. But here the front is sitting 1 inch higher than rear. The way my set up is with skyrider top I probably would not be redistributing weight. So looking for solutions , I have the ford performance bilstein shocks with the Sasquatch springs. Came across the following options… a) sumo air springs b) dobinson’s or Eibach HD springs. I also kind of liked how it looked when the front was raised up so couple inch extra height is good. Maybe I shall add 37s if it clears. What have others done in such situations that have worked??

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[mjp2]

Sumo Springs aren't air springs, but they are excellent. I'm running them on my truck and it rides like stock empty but does not sag when loaded down and/or towing. They're a worthwhile upgrade if you're loading down the vehicle the way you are.

 

[mack092]

I was also looking at the rough country air bag system. Does that have any advantage??

 

[mjp2]

I was also looking at the rough country air bag system. Does that have any advantage??

Pros: Adjustable ride
Cons: More complexity, more cost

I went with the Sumo Springs because they're dummy proof and virtually indestructible. I already have an air compressor hard-mounted in my truck but I didn't want to worry ripping out an air line on the trail or rocks and then having issues towing the camper home after a weekend of wheeling.

I went with the blue springs and they're just right. The kit comes with spacers to work with different amounts a lift, so you can determine when you want the helper spring to engage. I initially installed with both spacers and found the ride to be a bit harsh when driving empty. In the pic above I'm running without any spacers on my non-SAS Badlands and it's just right.

When the times comes for lift struts and 35s I'll add the spacers back so the sumo springs engage at the same relative point in the suspension travel.

 

[Calm horse]

This reminds me of aunt Edna strapped to the top of Clark w griswalds Vista cruiser packed full of kids and shit heading to wally world..
I would suggest a trailer or small tear drop camper for better weight distribution...with the amount of crap hanging 5 feet off the back of rig , I'm surprised it's not doing a wheelie down the road.

 

[mjp2]

This reminds me of aunt Edna strapped to the top of Clark w griswalds Vista cruiser packed full of kids and shit heading to wally world..
I would suggest a trailer or small tear drop camper for better weight distribution...with the amount of crap hanging 5 feet off the back of rig , I'm surprised it's not doing a wheelie down the road.

Just need to hang more crap off the front to balance it out

I'd honestly love to hear what @X-Rack recommends as their truck has more mounting points and external gear than any other I've seen.

 

[Tilzbow]

The OP’s picture is exactly why I’m looking at off-road cargo trailers so I can take a good base camp for 10-14 day hunting, fishing and camping trips. But dang those things are expensive!

Unless they’re interested in the trailers I’ve researched, I can’t really help the OP since I don’t think the Bronco was designed, nor is there a good safe way to modify it, to haul the amount of gear some want to load them up with.

 

[mack092]

Trailers also need a specific set of skills to maneuver, I think the sumo rebel springs will set it right.

 

[Ellishousehold]

I went with the Blue Sumo springs as well for towing my trailer. Basically it’s a big progressive bump stop so not much to maintain or go wrong. Only down side might be a stiffer ride when unloaded, but I didn’t notice much of a change.

 

[TLO]

Hanging all that stuff on the hitch basket will actually LEVERAGE down the rear end, being that far from the rear axle compared to having that same weight OVER the rear axle.
If you have room on your roof, ahead of the RTT, I'd rather load that up before even looking at one of those hitch dealio's.
Aftermarket roofracks (and the Bronco roof) can hold a lot of weight. Take it from me

 

[mack092]

Hanging all that stuff on the hitch basket will actually LEVERAGE down the rear end, being that far from the rear axle compared to having that same weight OVER the rear axle.
If you have room on your roof, ahead of the RTT, I'd rather load that up before even looking at one of those hitch dealio's.
Aftermarket roofracks (and the Bronco roof) can hold a lot of weight. Take it from me

Makes sense!! Thanks for the advice; my roof is a bit non traditional in the sense that it has skyrider soft top half way through. But I am putting in new rhino rack reconn deck bars which I think would solve that problem and would allow me to put the spare tire up top also. Definite not the best way to do these things but balancing usability and affordability lol.

 

[TLO]

Makes sense!! Thanks for the advice; my roof is a bit non traditional in the sense that it has skyrider soft top half way through. But I am putting in new rhino rack reconn deck bars which I think would solve that problem and would allow me to put the spare tire up top also. Definite not the best way to do these things but balancing usability and affordability lol.

I'm a two door adventurer, and with my back packing experience, I've learned lots about compromise, how to multi-pupose things and save weight and space

 

[Tuco76]

I had the same problem. The truck sagged really bad if we loaded up gear for any overlanding trip. I replaced the rear suspension with Old Man Emu shocks and their heavy duty springs. This worked great and didn't cost a fortune. No more problems with the back end hitting bump stops off-road when the Bronco is loaded.

 

[gbub]

I have considered many ideas including most that have been mentioned in this thread. Right now I am leaning heavily toward Eibach coil over suspension because they are adjustable without having to take them apart. Are the Old Man Emu shocks adjustable like the Eibachs? I have heard good things about OME shocks but don't know much about them.

 

[mack092]

Also another thing to consider is that eibach says on the website that if it’s an occasional load the ride will just become stiffer with normal loads. It’s already stiff for my tastes being a first timer with e ply tires and off road shocks. Dunno if stiffer would be the way I wanna go.

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