When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
If I put a 4' lift kit on a 86 bronco do i need to do any thing to the axels?(extend/replace) the kit i'm thinking of getting includes.
This kit includes front coil springs, 4 Heckethorn Hydro 8000 shocks, black boots, cast iron block and ubolt kit, ibeam drops, radius arm drops, pitman arm, FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES, big bore steering stabilizer with bracketry, and all necessary hardware.
is there any thing this is missing that i may need, and is a 4" lift worth it??
With 4" of lift you should be ok on driveshaft(s) length. Axles should need nothing either. I personally love my 4" lift on my '92. Gets the truck up to a nice height for clearing stuff off road but still leaves it accessible to my 5'1" wife. (Interesting if she's wearing a skirt but 'nuff about that).
Ride improved quite a bit with my lift but I opted for extended raduis arms, new rear spring packs and no blocks. Not sure about your '86 but I got 33x10.50's under it with no rubbing and no bumper shimming. If anything your's will probably have more room I would think.
go for the 6" lift. its the same price, same amount of work, and all you need more is to shim the rear axle a few degrees. whatever lift you do go for, get ready for a whole lot of frame rivet removal...tis a biatch.
what is shim the rear axle a few degrees? and since i have independent front suspension will my front axel shafts be long enuf?? and one more thing what is the best way to get the rivits out????
I also would go with a 6 inch lift just because as soon as you see the 4 you will wish you had gotten the 6.
As far as front axle shafts they are not affected by the 4 or 6 inch lift, you should have no problems. I have a 6 inch lift on my 94 and I hace not had lengthen either drive shafts or axle shafts. The only thing that required lengthening were the shocks(new ones) and brake lines.
As far as shimming the rear axle, if you buy the 6 inch kit it will come with what you need maintain the proper pinion angle in relation to the driveshaft.
I agree with burly1 and marriedguy1, I was looking into getting the performance 4in lift and then when I realized the 6 is only about $50 more I think I am going to go that route. If you get the 4 and are not happy with the height, you basically just wasted that money if you were going to upgrade to the 6. I feel that the extra 2" are definitely worth $50. Either way, both lifts will be pretty much equal on the ride and being more top heavy than stock, the two inches shouldn't make it too much worse. The only downside about the taller lift is the cost of the tires, if you want to put the tallest you can fit without rubbing, and you most likely will have a bit of trouble fitting it in a garage with a stock height door.
go with the 6" i put the rough country lift on last june and now want the extra 2 inches doint was not that bad it took me 3 days working on and off but those rivits are a pain in the a$$ if you do go for the 6 get the brake ext.
The rivets in question are in the raduis arm mounting brackets. They are most easily removed with an air chisel in my experience. Unless my 92 had a lot of them replaced with regular hardware there were only three on one raduis arm bracket. The hole drilling was more time consuming than anything. The 4" Tuff Country under mine did NOT require any further shimming of the rear axle than the little one that was between the stock springs and the axle originally. The wide suport of the 6" lift is fine. Personally, as a daily driver, 4" on 33's is just fine with me. I have plenty of articulation off road and it still feels well planted on the highway even through tight cloverleaf exchanges. But then I never wanted my Bronco to look like Bigfoot either. If I want to see that truck I just have to drive out and see it. St. Louis is home to the original "monster truck".
Axle shafts are not even a consideration because when you lift the IFS/TTB you get brackets to drop the axle pivot points. So, in short the entire IFS is pushed further below the frame of the truck giving the axle halves more room to travel. The only lift system out there that does NOT drop the axle pivot points is Autofab's lift and if you have the money to buy that system, they will make certain everything you need is in the kit.