1990 Bronco lift...help me please

[Lil'BlackCJ]

I have a good friend that is in the military overseas and I talked his wife into paying for a lift kit and tires to put on his Bronco for when he comes home. I was planning on going with the Skyjacker 8" system with 38.5x14.5x15 swamper tsl/sx's on 15x10 wheels, however I am a jeep guy and I don't know jack about TTB lifts. How complicated is this lift to install? I have access to a full auto shop (lifts, welders, etc.) but I have never lifted anything before that didn't have leaf springs on four corners. Is there anything you guys can tell me that would change my mind on what lift and tires to use on this thing? Will the 14.5's be too wide (hit the radius arms and such)? Anything wrong with the skyjacker lifts for the TTB trucks? Any info you guys can give me would be a big help.
Thanks,
Greg

[Dustin Smith]

Its not too hard to do, but I damn sure wouldnt be putting 38.5s on it. The axles wont live a week, let alone the gearing issues.

[MikeW]

Tell him to consider a solid swap if he wants 38.5's.
If you run the TTB just run 35s or 36s.

[Lil'BlackCJ]

If the 38.5s will eat up the TTB (I assume you guys don't mean the rear end will be a problem as it is a 9") then am I better off to just go with the 6'' lift and the 36s or will I still need the 8" kit to have room to get any articulation out of it? Also is there any reason to go with say a Superlift or Pro Comp kit instead of the Skyjacker?

[Chris85]

1990 broncos doesnt come with the 9" rear unless it was swapped in. if its stock it has the 8.8 rear end and they dont hold up well to 38.5's.
check out Dick Cepek lift, i like their kits for ttb's.
6" lift should clear 36" tires

[TDbronco]

Well you sure don't want the 8" lift with them big drop brct's and stock rad arms!

Go with a 6" superlift and the extended rad arms and 35s or 36s

You can go with procomp but if he wheels it for a bit he can plan on breaking the driver side rad arm procomp will replace it but it's a pain and two or three weeks down time.

But get the extended rad arms for sure.



Good luck

Travis

[87 Bronco]

Ya, Definately dont put 38s on the stock axles.. The best setup is a 6in lift and 35s.. Except if you can convience the wife to go for the SAS...

[4x4junkie]

The only lifts I've seen for a TTB that are worth a shit are the Skyjacker Class2 kits. Everything else (especially with fullsizes) suffers from weak inferior brackets. This is why you hear of so many people's headaches with keeping them aligned.

Definately go with the Skyjacker Class2 kits, but 38s are a bit much tire. After all, it is only a Dana44.

The rear 8.8 is a great axle if it has a Detroit in it (the stock diff is a bit weak), but 38s is pushing it a bit, even on a 9 (unless you got bigger than 31 splines on it)

[Dustin Smith]

:rolleyes: Skyjackers suck

The best brackets are in the BDS, Dick Cepek, and Pro-Crap kits.

[D60]

Originally posted by Lil'BlackCJ
I am a jeep guy and I don't know jack about TTB lifts. How complicated is this lift to install? I have access to a full auto shop (lifts, welders, etc.) but I have never lifted anything before that didn't have leaf springs on four corners.

It's not complicated. There's probably 12-16 rivets you'll have to remove. The choice is yours: air hammer, plasma, drill, grinder. After that you just bolt stuff on.

What you propose will work. Yep, you'll probably have some rubbing on the radius arms, but I don't think I'd consider it a show-stopper.

38.5s will be hard on the stock drivetrain if he 'wheels it.

Cepek has the best bracketry I've ever seen. Superlift has recently re-designed their lifts, at least for the fs trucks, and they're hella lame.

Silly Jeeper, even if it was the 9", which it's not, it won't live under a fs with 38.5s if it sees real trail use :flipoff2:

Have you figured re-gearing into the whole equation?

[welndmn]

Originally posted by 4x4junkie


The rear 8.8 is a great axle if it has a Detroit in it (the stock diff is a bit weak), but 38s is pushing it a bit, even on a 9 (unless you got bigger than 31 splines on it)

I have never seen a 31 spline 8.8 loose an axle or a carrier, most 8.8 bend at the tubes

[53CJ3aFlattie]

Right now I have a Sky Jacker class2 6 inch lift on my 95 F150. I had 36 12.5 TSl's on it and it was great. Then I got a great idea of putting a 3 inch body lift and 38.5 x 16 TSL's and they rub hard on the arms and body. I mainly play in the mud with it but other than the tires not balancing out for shit I have not had any real problems. I am going to be doing an SAS. I will post a pic of it after work so you can see what 9'' of lif and 38.5's look like

Will

[Lil'BlackCJ]

Ok guys it's got the 8.8 in it I went out and checked and you were all right. Anyway I will probably go with the 6" kit and some 36x12.5x15's swamper tsl/sx'x on steel wheels. I figure that'll leave plenty of money out of the $3000 budget his wife gave me to throw in a detroit. As far as the gearing thing goes, I am gonna let him handle that when he gets back because it's his DD and a dog already with the weak 302 he has in there. I'm hoping I can talk him into dropping a crate 302 in there. I checked out the Cepek kits on the web and the look pretty stout, has anyone ever seen anybody break one of those kits or seen how much flex you can get out of them? Also can I go wider than the 12.5's without them rubbing on everything?

[4x4junkie]

Originally posted by liliysdad
:rolleyes: Skyjackers suck

The best brackets are in the BDS, Dick Cepek, and Pro-Crap kits.
Yeah, OK :rolleyes:

Obviously you haven't seen the Skyjacker.

The Cepek stuff looks pretty good, but not like the Skyjacker.
Pro-crap? Well, at least you called it by its proper name
BDS is basically copied superlift junk.


Skyjacker center brackets
http://www.ok4wd.com/techdata/10102002162314/pic04-640w.jpg
http://www.skyjacker.com/image/search/kit/286BKS-A.jpg

I have the Class2 on my Ranger and its been flawless, as far as durability goes. The fs stuff looks equally good

Originally posted by welndmn
I have never seen a 31 spline 8.8 loose an axle or a carrier, most 8.8 bend at the tubes

I think the limited slip carriers are more break prone. The ones i saw were l/s ones.

[Dustin Smith]

I still say the Skyjacker looks like shit. I have put two of these damn things on in the last month, a BDS, which is much beefier than your Skyjacker, and my Pro-Crap, which is , surprisingly, a much better lift than most I ahve seen. The steel is thicker, and the barackets are much more supported and gusseted. You can keep your Skyjacker shit, I have heard nothing but bad thaings about the full size lifts, which are quite a bit different than your Ranger.

[D60]

Originally posted by Lil'BlackCJ
I checked out the Cepek kits on the web and the look pretty stout, has anyone ever seen anybody break one of those kits or seen how much flex you can get out of them?

No more or less than any other TTB kit, which is very little

[Franklin]

Honestly without knowing EXACTLY what the guy wants to do with his truck I wouldnt touch it. 38's and no regear w/ 3.55s and a 302 will suck at best. The will be a carrier break in that detroit if you go to 4.56= new detroit. Know you wanta do something nice but.......my.02

[Seth04]

I would go Soliad axle up front, dana 44 out of 76-79 is so easy, and you get rid of crappy TTB. My TTB is suffering very badly from its lift, and will be getting the swap soon, also - you might tell the wife instead of doing it, tell him that she wants to spend the money on it when he gets back.

[bigdave]

I've got a 6" lift and 35 x 14.50's on 12" wide wheels, and I rub. I had someplace order the wheels and tires for me, so they may have added some backspace.