coil or fox shocks

Bullardbs

Bullardbs

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 7, 2007
Location
Thomasville, NC
I took my bronco down to ure today with Doc and found out that the front leafspring setup on the bronco needs to go away. The leafs wraped bad and bent and it sent the front drive shaft into the trans shift linkage so had to crawl under the truck to shift and after every bump had to crawl back under and shift it back in drive. Made it almost to the parking lot and one of the trans lines let go and the trans went out as we made it in the lot. Had to winch it on the trailer with some rachet straps because the battery died also so the winch was no good at that point. So to say the least I learned a lot today and found out that I need to link the front so should I go with coils or shock and if shocks how much travel do you guy run in the front. My rig is a 90 bronco 2 with a efi 302 and has a hp 44 front and 8.8 rear going to a 9" in the rear soon.

any ideas will help
 
I'm unclear on what you are asking...

Are you asking should you run coil-overs or coils and shocks?
If so, coil-overs are nice..Sway-a-way is the way to go.
 
air shocks are cheaper, I have never had a complaint with air shocks, you might want 2.5" air shocks though to support the extra weight of the 302, I think 2" shocks are rated for 1000lbs per corner.

Doubt you plan on getting super serious with it (racing, etc), so I vote air shocks. Many guys race with air shocks too, save the money IMO.
 
Tacoma747 said:
air shocks are cheaper, I have never had a complaint with air shocks, you might want 2.5" air shocks though to support the extra weight of the 302, I think 2" shocks are rated for 1000lbs per corner.
Doubt you plan on getting super serious with it (racing, etc), so I vote air shocks. Many guys race with air shocks too, save the money IMO.
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thanks for the info no its just a weekend trail truck but is not on the road it is trailered to and from the trail
 
coilovers. By the time you get a set of 2.5 airshocks you could be into a set of cheap coilovers (FOA's or Radflos) and will be MUCH happier.
 
I'd go coilovers, you dont have to by cheap coilovers either, I can do fox's for 10% off. I'd try to avoid air shocks unless you have the cheese to spend 350 on a pair of 2.5's which at that point you'd be crazy not to go coilovers. Coils aren't a bad option at all but the budget is what would be the determining factor in this.
 
CarolinaTruggies said:
I'd go coilovers, you dont have to by cheap coilovers either, I can do fox's for 10% off. I'd try to avoid air shocks unless you have the cheese to spend 350 on a pair of 2.5's which at that point you'd be crazy not to go coilovers. Coils aren't a bad option at all but the budget is what would be the determining factor in this.
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I dont have a lot of money to spend on this but dont want to spend 100s and end up in the same place I am now so I want to spend the money to do it right just dont know much about either setup. With the coil overs how to you decide what springs to run etc?
 
I would do the coils that what im getting ready to do on my jeep. have you been to CV Products and see what they recommend?
 
If you want to do it right then just go with coilovers. Airshocks are easy to package and cheap, but otherwise mostly suck when it comes to handling. I'm sure some people will bitch about that, but when was the last time (after the airshock fad a few years ago) you saw someone switch from c/o's to airshocks rather than the other way around?
 
Bullardbs said:
I dont have a lot of money to spend on this but dont want to spend 100s and end up in the same place I am now so I want to spend the money to do it right just dont know much about either setup. With the coil overs how to you decide what springs to run etc?
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If you bought them from me I would send you a 300lb bottom spring to get you started. You would mount the coilovers, drop the spanner nuts all the way down as if you where running single rate coilovers. Let the truck down with all its weigh being held by the coilovers and take a measurement of that spring compressed. From there I can tell how much your truck weighs and I can send a top spring to you. If you want to save some money I can get you a Blue springs that Ballistic sells with all of their shocks and save you about $25. For Fox 2.0 14" emulsion coilovers you're looking at $800 with springs, about $100 more than 2.5 air shocks. It would be money well spent.
 
CarolinaTruggies said:
If you bought them from me I would send you a 300lb bottom spring to get you started. You would mount the coilovers, drop the spanner nuts all the way down as if you where running single rate coilovers. Let the truck down with all its weigh being held by the coilovers and take a measurement of that spring compressed. From there I can tell how much your truck weighs and I can send a top spring to you. If you want to save some money I can get you a Blue springs that Ballistic sells with all of their shocks and save you about $25. For Fox 2.0 14" emulsion coilovers you're looking at $800 with springs, about $100 more than 2.5 air shocks. It would be money well spent.
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is the 800 for a pair or each?
 
The cheapest way would be to put a set of early Bronco coil springs in there with a set of regular shocks. Then use a set of radius arms from an early Bronco, F150, 78-79 FS Bronco and build a track bar to locate the axle. You could probably find a set of radius arms for $50 or less, but you would need the wedge brackets to weld on the axle unless yours has them plus you would need to find/fab some brackets for the radius arms to attach to the frame and some spring buckets for the frame. That is what I did to put the D60 under my junk. It works about half ass really and I plan on changing it to a true 3-link, but it was easy to build and probably cost me $500 total ($200 for springs, $100 for shocks, $80 for wedges, $100 for track bar)

If you want to do it right the first time, then I would do a true three link with panhard bar and go with the coilovers. The parts alone will probably cost you $1,300-$1,600 though.
 
drkelly said:
The cheapest way would be to put a set of early Bronco coil springs in there with a set of regular shocks. Then use a set of radius arms from an early Bronco, F150, 78-79 FS Bronco and build a track bar to locate the axle. You could probably find a set of radius arms for $50 or less, but you would need the wedge brackets to weld on the axle unless yours has them plus you would need to find/fab some brackets for the radius arms to attach to the frame and some spring buckets for the frame. That is what I did to put the D60 under my junk. It works about half ass really and I plan on changing it to a true 3-link, but it was easy to build and probably cost me $500 total ($200 for springs, $100 for shocks, $80 for wedges, $100 for track bar)
If you want to do it right the first time, then I would do a true three link with panhard bar and go with the coilovers. The parts alone will probably cost you $1,300-$1,600 though.
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I am thinking of going that way the axle has the wedges on it so just need the rest but still will be cheeper so not sure what I will do yet
 
Bullardbs said:
I am thinking of going that way the axle has the wedges on it so just need the rest but still will be cheeper so not sure what I will do yet
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Just a little more FYI. I used my stock TTB frame side radius arm brackets with the 77 F150 radius arms I got. I just had to move them to the desired position on the frame and drill some new mounting holes. I also used the spring buckets from the same 77 F150. You could probably get those brkts from the JY for cheap. Hit me up if you want some pics of my junk, or better yet you can see it yourself in person if you are going to the Flats Saturday.

Later,
Danny
 
Think I am going to go with air shocks so will be collecting parts and hope to have it finished for the opening of ure in April
 
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