Suggestions for Replacing Shocks/Coils for our specific uses

[cjorca]

Hello everyone.

I have questions I hope you all might be able to answer.

I've been doing some research...& frankly ..im overwhelmed with info, not knowlegable enough regarding Shocks/coils & my mind is now mush.

We have a 2021 Ford Bronco - Badlands with Sasquach pkg & Warn front winch.

Currently the shocks/coils are stock (Bilstein ESC-V)

As you all know, these shock have been notorious for the attached reservoirs to leak and/or fall off.

Aftermarket suspension changes that have been done so far:

• BDS Upper Control Arms
• 37 inch tires on Fuel Rims
• RC 5 inch Suspension lift (recommended by my ford dealer to acommodate the 37inch tires & to keep the factory geometry
  • https://www.roughcountry.com/product/configurable/ford-bronco-lift-kit-41100
• Icon Tire Rods

I would like to upgrade/replace the stock shocks/coils with something better, BUT not make the bronco any taller.

I work from home - so not a daily driver but we do take it on road trips (pavement).
We do get out for a decent bit of off-roading. Mainly aggressive rock crawling/trails etc (not any fast offroading stuff like Baja).

We have a off road trailer we haul for off road camping (2022 Off-Grid - Expedition 2.0) https://ca.offgridtrailers.com/pages/expedition

and hope to road trip down to MOAB one day soon

my question (s)...

what shocks/coilovers would you recommend to replace the Bilstein with, accounting for our current setup, off roading preferences & towing a trailer??

... would you recommend replacing any other suspension components ?

Apreciate you thoughts/advice.

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[PWillette]

Upgrading the coil overs for a 5" lift may not leave you w/ many options...depends on how deep your pockets are. Check Accutune and ICON.

 

[Mike leggiero]

just get the hoss 3.0 and swap over your lift your spring will work on the hoss 3.0 shop around you can get hoss 3.0 without springs for the same price of most 2.5 without reses. . i am about to put hoss 3.0 in my black diamond i have a 2.5 rc lift in it now on 37s just swaping the 2.5 spacer to 1.5 spacer that will keep me about the same way it is now. i have the stock black shocks .

 

[Snacktime]

The lift is an issue, I would look at 6100 or some take off fox shocks. Rough country bracket lift is known to have issues with front overextending and killing cv axles.

 

[Canyon Coolers]

Call Accutune, they offer Ride, Fox and King and will custom tune them for your exact Bronco weight and driving style.

I'd say removing the Rough Country stuff and new coilovers is where your going to end up and the ride will be much better.

I've had HOSS 3.0, custom King's, and customized Ride. Ride was the best of the bunch with better adjustability, but they are all good.

 

[Broncolander]

I recognize your Bronco. I’m also from Vancouver area (though not the island) and manage our local Bronco 6G group!

My recommendations are:

Remove the [exaggerated and excessive] Rough Country lift. First because Rough Country products are cheap and if you wheel your Bronco frequently it won’t take long until things start fall apart. One thing is to buy their lights and if they die… oh well. It’s a whole different game to rely on RC products for suspension or drivetrain. Don’t cheap out on those!

Also, a 5” lift will leave your Bronco at weird angles that your cv axles, tie rod, and steering rack weren’t designed to handle!

You don’t need a lift if you run small 37s (36-36.6”) like ko2s with zero offset wheels. You can trim the crash bars, the rock sliders, and push the inner fenders inward a bit and it won’t rub at full lock. Mine doesn’t! Just did a rock crawling night run yesterday and max flexed out my susp, no issues! Talk to Overland Outfitters, they worked on mine with me and know the process now!

If you want a lift, I’d say a 2” complete coilover lift is a good threshold. It will help you clear the body for larger tires without compromising too much suspension travel and angles. You can use it to level your vehicle if you do overland and sag when fully loaded. Not to mention it will improve handling.

Personally, my Phase 3 will be getting a lift from AccuTune + Ride Shocks. These guys are awesome, they will fine tune their shocks and lift kits to your needs.

A few good videos on IFS:

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah, dump the RC lift kit. Just about any decent aftermarket solution will let you continue to run 37s

You can find suitable options for just about any budget really

 

[Oldhippie]

Ditch the RC stuff and call accutune and get a some ride coilovers

 

[hookedspur.tc]

There is nothing wrong with the RC lift to start with. I have a 5" RC lift and the only downside I have found is the uca's. The point of that lift is to lower the front suspension entirely creating less drastic angles.

 

[Brian_B]

There is nothing wrong with the RC lift to start with. I have a 5" RC lift and the only downside I have found is the uca's. The point of that lift is to lower the front suspension entirely creating less drastic angles.

Well it does have that front cross member and a diff drop to help keep the angles in check.

But that front cross member and diff drop also eat up a lot of the clearance gain you got with the bigger tires.... I'm just eyeballing it from the pics on their web site - it looks like it comes down what, 3 - 4" from the stock LCA mounting spot. So to make up from that, using my back of the envelope non-geometric redneck math - coming from 35s you'd need to run a 41"+ tire just to get back to the same amount of clearance you had before adding in that cross member.

So I guess I'd say there's nothing wrong if your goal is just to run bigger tires for the sake of looks. Which - don't get me wrong - nothing wrong with that. Just as long as you realize it isn't the same as something actually intended for going someplace where you'd want the clearance afforded by running larger tires.

 

[Mike leggiero]

build the truck to what you drive you dont need high end shock to trail ride . if your going to do high speed stuff then spend the money . keep the lift low . 30 plus yrs ago we had to build it now you buy it . my 84 ram chager i built back in 92 would out do a lot of stuff today . it had custom spring work and saw alot of air time. some off the shocks 35 . li had limit strips to keep the drive shaft from binden. . now that being said i dont live out west any more i live in ky and had to rethink my build . my base had a 2 in lift on 37s so 1in taller then a sas bronco. my black diamond is on a 2.5 lift that for the sas shocks to make it 3.5 in so i sit 1.5 in higher than a sas bronco it a rc kit with a diff drop now it will get hoss 3.0 and a 1.5 in spacer to keep it at the same 2.5 lift so i dont push anything past its point . so if your going to do any lift put in a diff drop to match and dont over lift it.

 

[TruckCamper]

I think the drop bracket lifts are a great option if going above 2". However, you do want the highest quality available... RoughCountry is built in China and not known for quality but cheapness. Belltech or Superlift may be the best?

Once you go drop bracket there is no easy "going back". It requires cutting the crossmember which is a welded section of the frame. Realistically, you might consider a higher quality drop bracket setup that includes shocks designed around the geometry of the system.

Biggest issue people have is mixing a bunch of parts together and hoping for the best.

Another issue you have is the rear end sag... You want the truck to ride level when fully loaded. With the front end sitting high and the rear sacked out.... you will have strange handling dynamics as it throws off your alignment and reduces weight on your steering axle (floaty feel) and headlights will be pointed up. Air bags or heavier rate rear springs could be a solution.

You need to do a lot more research before building a rig. Otherwise you will have a hot mess.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

5" lift for measly 37s...???...No wonder you dont want the new shocks to make it any higher. It's already TOO tall. jokes aside, the dealership gave poor advice. (imagine that). how's yer CV angle at ride height? If it was me I would yank all that RC crap off and put on a set of Hoss 3.0's and a couple of aluminum Top Hat spacers and be done and call it a day.

 

[TruckCamper]

5" lift for measly 37s...???...No wonder you dont want the new shocks to make it any higher. It's already TOO tall. jokes aside, the dealership gave poor advice. (imagine that). how's yer CV angle at ride height? If it was me I would yank all that RC crap off and put on a set of Hoss 3.0's and a couple of aluminum Top Hat spacers and be done and call it a day.

That won't work. He's hauling a trailer and way overloaded. He needs springs and shocks setup for the weight he is hauling. There is no simple solution at this point. Structural crossmember has been removed as well.

 

[23OBX2.7]

Can get deals on Raptors now in Canada probably $15-20K off for cash buyers...besides that a budget would help narrow it down it seems more info overload now

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