I use my 96 Bronco for work and to tow my boat. It tows fine, but between the nearly 1000 lbs of tongue weight, and the 300 lbs of tools that I carry for my job, my poor Bronco is lower in the back then in the front. At first, it would rise back up after unhooking the boat. Now it's always lower in the rear. I don't like air shocks, so I'm going to install shocks with helper springs. Probably adding a leaf or two would be a better idea. I just don't understand why it squats now. The springs are huge, and I don't tow very far (usually). None of my other trucks did this either. Has anybody else had this problem with their Bronco?

 

Age has a lot to do with it along with the relatively short wheelbase of the Bronco. The load is concentrated over a shorter wheelbase. Tongue weight has to pull down on a lot more frame and vehicle in a longer truck. Most of the tongue weight is carried by the rear springs. The Bronco is only a 1/2 ton truck anyway. Sounds like you've got more than that in just tools and hitch. Not to mention that the 1/2 ton rating is for the entire truck not just the rear axle.

Age is really a bigger consideration though. There could be many reasons why the springs are not returning to normal height. Worn eye bushings and/or leaf glides (nylon or teflon spacers between sping leaves that assist in letting them slide as they compress and retract). Bent eyes or missing/broken leaves can also account for the loss of ride height.

 

I had a similar problem in my 86 bronco. I dont think that it was ever quite as severe as yours, but I got an add a leaf kit and it solved all my problems. It lifted the back up an inch and greatly stopped the sagging under load.

 

Yeah several places make leveling kits, for front, back, or both. They are not quite as complicated or expensive as a full on lift, but they do take a bit of work. However since you are just levelling, you don't have to worry about all of the bugaboos that come with lift kits.

Or you could put air shocks or air bags in, that would certainly be the easiest, but I am like you and prefer a hardware fix.

 

I installed AirLift bags on my rearend with a onboard compressor. I haul a 4000 lb boat and it was just to much for the rear. The bags work great but it sounds as if your springs are shot if your still sagging unloaded. One nice after-effect of the bags is if I keep them filled around 17 psi it really helps with cornering.

 

I once read something about air shocks and that while they will lift the vehicle, they still do not create any extra load capacity as far as weight and if you overload the vehicle and then pump it up level with air shocks then you are still messing with your suspension. I am not sure of the facts about this though, and if bags are different.

 

With any type of helper like air shocks-bags-helper springs your not increasing your load capacity-thats dependent on your axel. All it does is level your vehicle when towing or hauling making driving safer. I went with bags over helper springs do to the fact I can control the rate unloaded where helper springs will change your springs rate even if unloaded.

 

If you're looking into add-a-leafs call a local spring shop. They can sell new matched pair leafs and can install them for probably not a heck of a lot more than the quick fix.

 

Yeah that's what I thought. I'll leave the air shocks to my old hot rods back in the 80's, had to put them air shocks on to run those big N50-15's on our $500 GTO's!

 

Thanks y'all, for the good advice. I like the sound of using bags. I had my GTO in the 70's JBronco, and I paid $800 for it. A very clean 67 Goat. Sure wish I still had it.