I just got my first bronco, which is going to be used mainly as a winter vehicle, and I was thinking about doing a few mods. What kind of mess am I going to be getting into if i put a body lift on it? Also, I'm looking to enhance the performance a bit (after fifty mph she struggles a little bit). It has a 4.9 with a manual 4spd w/ od. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

DO NOT get a body lift. They are garbage. You will never get your bumpers to line up again, also it leaves very unsighlty gaps betweem the frame and body.

Do yourself a favor and save up the money to get a suspension lift. You can pick up a decent one for $650 (new).

 

Body lifts have there place, they help in many ways and if not done right they can mess things up. A properly installed body lift should have no ill effects.
When I come up with the money, I'm putting a 3" body lift on my 82. A couple local shops here in SA tell me that a body lift on a unibody will take up the flex so the body doesent flex so much due to the chassis flex.
It's all personal opinions and expiriences.

Oh, and the bumper? most companys will have relocation brackets that work well. You can also cut and trim the frame and relocate the mount horns yourself, then line the bumpers up perfect.

 

Is this winter vehicle going to be used on the streets or off-roading? It makes no sense to install a body lift and bigger tires if the Bronco will be used on the streets in winter due to the fact that your braking performance will suffer in the snow and ice due to the bigger tires.

 

its going to be mainly a street vehicle with occasional trips off road (nothing crazy though). I had planned on getting the bfg all terrain K/O's which some one told me wouldn't be too bad for winter driving. Also, my driving habits probably lead many people to believe that an old woman is behind the wheel. So I guess that I'm saying "overcautious" is my middle name.

 

just an suggestion, but if you do decide to get a body lift, I would only get 2". I tried to put a 3" lift on my pickup, and a lot of things are just a pinch short to fit right without a lot of hammer action.