Bronco suspension sag
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2020
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Bronco suspension sag
I have also posted this in the Bronco forum, but thought I would try here as well since the suspensions are the same and there seems to be more activity over here….
A friend of mine has a 1991 Bronco. Since he bought it a few months ago it has always had a lean to the driver front, not just a little sag, it was definitely noticeable. He chalked it up to worn suspension. We recently installed a 4” lift…coils and full compliment of drop brackets in the front and new leaf springs in the rear. Also new radius arm bushings. It still has the same lean! Measuring from center of hub to fender lip there is about a 2” difference on the driver front. We took the front sway bar loose in case it was causing some odd twist with no impact. Sitting on fairly level ground the shock on the passenger side is extended 1” more than the driver. The driver spring is also shorter by about the same. Upon inspecting the ttb and radius arms, there is no obvious damage, nor does there appear to be any frame damage.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
A friend of mine has a 1991 Bronco. Since he bought it a few months ago it has always had a lean to the driver front, not just a little sag, it was definitely noticeable. He chalked it up to worn suspension. We recently installed a 4” lift…coils and full compliment of drop brackets in the front and new leaf springs in the rear. Also new radius arm bushings. It still has the same lean! Measuring from center of hub to fender lip there is about a 2” difference on the driver front. We took the front sway bar loose in case it was causing some odd twist with no impact. Sitting on fairly level ground the shock on the passenger side is extended 1” more than the driver. The driver spring is also shorter by about the same. Upon inspecting the ttb and radius arms, there is no obvious damage, nor does there appear to be any frame damage.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2020
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Likes: 150
I checked the mounts at the radiator support and they are even. How would a bad body mount create more load on the suspension? To add more clarity…when taking measurements, the frame is lower on the left side as well. The tire situation on it right now is sketchy, so we are not trusting solely on that. The suspension is more compressed on the left side of the rig, and that is really baffling to us.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2022
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Lower body would be closer to the ground. It would give the impression of sagging, even if the suspension and frame are level.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2020
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The suspension and frame are not level, that is the problem we are trying to figure out. Every way I can think of to measure, the driver side suspension is compressed around and inch more than the passenger side, with no obvious payload or cargo load causing it. We were hoping that the sag was worn front suspension, but the “wear” components have been replaced and the sag is still with us.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2020
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He owns a body shop, and has been working on these fords most of his life, so that is what really has the head scratching going on. The hope is that the issue is causing a sag on the drivers side, not excessive lift on the passenger side. From the passenger side it looks “right”, but on the driver side it sits up like a horny cat.
Once he gets a bay open I think it is going back inside and then rectify the tires and start measuring. He has 4 more with stock suspension on the property, so it may just come down to going over every inch of the frame and suspension, comparing it to one sitting “right” until the problem reveals itself.
Once he gets a bay open I think it is going back inside and then rectify the tires and start measuring. He has 4 more with stock suspension on the property, so it may just come down to going over every inch of the frame and suspension, comparing it to one sitting “right” until the problem reveals itself.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 2,258
Likes: 742
From: Maryland
When I put new leaf springs on my truck, I turned this bolt around and the threads hung up in the hanger, where the red dot is.
This caused the truck to lean to the driver's side, because the shackle couldn't rotate forward.
I thought my frame was bent, until I discovered it.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2020
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Just dropping an update on this…we got the lift installed, new tires, and new body mounts for kicks…btw, I did not get in on much of the body mount replacement, but apparently that is a full blown circus act! The only “serviceable” components in the front suspension not replaced were the I-Beam bushings, which will be replaced Monday. There is no telling damage to any of the body mounting points. We did lots of measuring at different points on the frame to the ground and really did not find anything definitively “wrong”. And it still leans a touch to the driver front. Now we did figure out when it was parked outside it must have been on a bump or something, because once we got it on a flat concrete floor the lean was much less noticeable. So here is chalking it up to a big ole shrug! A group of us are taking our sons to the mountains next weekend for a guys trip, and it will have about 1000 miles put on it, so I guess we will see how things look after that.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,331
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From: Laramie, WY
If I recall right this caused a passenger side lean but I just remembered it. I once mixed up the front lower spring perches that have the sway bar lower mount built in. They're not equal height.
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RJCarp2
1978 - 1996 Big Bronco
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Apr 11, 2014 01:22 PM