BILSTEIN ESCV Bronco suspension / shocks explained - "End Stop Control Valve" Dampers (Bronco HOSS Suspension w/ Position Sensitive Dampers)

[stueyd]

The Sasquatch is available on all trims and with it you get all of the cool off road stuff that is part and parcel with the two highest trims; Badlands and Wildtrak. With the exception of the sway bar disconnect and wheel tire combo on the BL (but it is available with a reduced SAS cost).

If the BL is out of reach, go with a BD with Sasquatch. If the Wildtrak is more your speed, but not pocket book, then a BB or OBX with Sasquatch All you will give up is the High and Lux packages. There is also the Base, and if you put SAS on it, it’s damn near an off-road purpose built monster under $35k straight from the Factory.

Any Bronco with SAS is more than 98% of us can probably take full advantage of.

I really don’t think you can go wrong in any trim, in any configuration. You could always get the most vehicle now but wait for aftermarket. The Bronco is awesome!

Peace Bronco's

I just wish you could squatch a BD but option out with 33"'s instead of 35"'s.

Sponsored

 

[BroncoChicken]

Am in the exact same boat! Love the 33” setup but don’t want to have to upgrade to BL. Question I have is what all would be required other than tires, suspension, and lift kit to be on par or better than BL HOSS based setup. Sounds like there is additional gearing as well. Is it just best to go BL and get it all from the factory or are there good, if not better, options to go aftermarket?

Going Sasquatch gets you the upgraded front differential, different gearing, tires, suspension, wheels, etc. I haven't decided what I'm doing yet, I wish I could get the Sasquatch package with 33"s, but I'll probably get it anyway.

 

[BunkieDuster69]

Oct 5, 2020

“The Truck Show PodCast #142... good podcast ( 2 hour+) to compliment a work day at home session and Also to compliment this fine thread by workedperformance On the Bilstein shock specifically for the 2021 Bronco.

From TTS:, “The guys nerd out on the Bilstein shock technology behind the Ford Bronco and RAM TRX with Bilstein’s head of Damper Magic, Jason Engelman. Find out how these shocks work, how they were chosen, and, in the case of the TRX, what makes the Blackhawk e2 the most sophisticated shocks ever installed on a factory pickup. Holman also talks Defender and listeners actually defend Lightning.“

BTW: it appears the rear diff is attached with a panhard bar.... why not use a Watts link system with a central pivot... maybe saving that for a raptor version?



A link to understand panhard vs Watts link:
https://www.turnology.com/tech-stories/brakes-suspension/differences-panhard-bar-watts-link/

 

[Werkedperformance]

LOL, I watched in on Youtube at 1/4 speed... Believe it or not, it is no better when it is slowed down.

But now I have a question! I caught in one shot where it said "tunability". Any Thoughts? I'm not smart enough on this to know. And there was not enough information on the interwebs.

I updated the first post with a hopefully manageable follow along explanation with labeled cross sections.

 

[North7]

BTW: it appears the rear diff is attached with a panhard bar.... why not use a Watts link system with a central pivot... maybe saving that for a raptor version?

A link to understand panhard vs Watts link:
https://www.turnology.com/tech-stories/brakes-suspension/differences-panhard-bar-watts-link/

You guessed right, Warthog prototype...

Whatever is going on with that 2 door it is much more than a simple 2in lift. Look at it compared to the Sasquatch suspension.

Now, I wonder if this is the Raptor rear end. I understand the watts is on the new Raptor Ranger. Curious is this is going to be included in the package...Also maybe it is a 9" Ford. So many questions...

 

[lsustang05]

LOL, I watched in on Youtube at 1/4 speed... Believe it or not, it is no better when it is slowed down.

But now I have a question! I caught in one shot where it said "tunability". Any Thoughts? I'm not smart enough on this to know. And there was not enough information on the interwebs.

I’m thinking it means they can be rebuilt and you can change shim stacks or the bottom out cup/spring to tune how the shock reacts to terrain and feels while driving.

 

[lsustang05]

BTW: it appears the rear diff is attached with a panhard bar.... why not use a Watts link system with a central pivot... maybe saving that for a raptor version?



A link to understand panhard vs Watts link:
https://www.turnology.com/tech-stories/brakes-suspension/differences-panhard-bar-watts-link/

The answer is always, money. Cost vs reward. The panhard 3 link setup has been used for basically forever and it works relatively well when setup properly. And it’s pretty simple.

Also, probably saved for the Warthog.

 

[Badplaid72]

I’m thinking it means they can be rebuilt and you can change shim stacks or the bottom out cup/spring to tune how the shock reacts to terrain and feels while driving.

That makes sense, thank you. Is that a common maintenance or repair item on off-road vehicles? It seems to me that if I was in need of repair for my suspension it may be better to upgrade?

 

[timhood]

While I love the bottom out control for the 5% I will off-road, I'm really hoping the " soft in the middle" means the 95% of the time I use it for my Daily Driver it will have comfortable on road manners.

Okay, I admit it, I'm coming from an SUV, not a TRUCK, so I'm use to and still want a good daily driver. I know the forum is full of truck and jeep people that will say, WHAT, but this is why I did not buy a Jeep Wranger or a Ranger class pickup with I bought my SUV in 2017.

I think the Bronco will bring in many people, like me, as new owners who will also appreciate a comfortable daily driver.

I believe Ford has worked at making this a daily driver, which is why the Bronco has independent front suspension and why the shocks are tuned softer in the area that will see most use on the road.

IMO, unless someone is going hard off-road (meaning higher speeds, not rock-crawling), the upgraded shocks won't be missed.

 

[North7]

I believe Ford has worked at making this a daily driver, which is why the Bronco has independent front suspension and why the shocks are tuned softer in the area that will see most use on the road.

IMO, unless someone is going hard off-road (meaning higher speeds, not rock-crawling), the upgraded shocks won't be missed.

Thanks for the explanation you're correct about the IFS, I'm buying the Badlands, which come standard with the "upgraded shocks", the "Bilstein Position Sensitive Dampers" (ESCV "End Stop Control Valve"), the ones we are discussing in this thread. What I'm trying to better understand is how they specifically will perform in normal daily driving, not the standard lower trim, non-ESCV shocks.

So the ESCV has the Compression ESCV and the Rebound ESCV, which will be great when hitting jarring potholes or speed bumps but we do not know how Ford and Bilstein tuned the dampers to perform the "soft in the middle" function, the key area you will experience during normal daily driving. Regardless the Jeep and truck drivers will love the ride compared to the Wrangler or some trucks. The 30% - 50% of new Bronco owners may be coming from cars, CUVs or SUVs and would find the Wrangler or some truck rides jarring or bouncy, and that is why they never purchased one, including myself. It is this group of Bronco buyers that will really appreciate a well tuned shock/damper for a better 95% daily driver ride.

Lacking this, it will send the Bronco buyers searching out new threads titled "how can I improve my ride" and then the discussion will devolve into, buy Fox Live shocks, no, you need to buy progressive shocks, with the follow-on opinion, no, you need to buy digressive shocks. It will be great if Bilstein ESCV's meet the needs some of us are looking for without having the additional expense of after the fact upgrades.

CURRENT/PREVIOUS WRANGLER OWNER

 

[Evolkidbell]

Lacking this, it will send the Bronco buyers searching out new threads titled "how can I improve my ride" and then the discussion will devolve into, buy Fox Live shocks, no, you need to buy progressive shocks, with the follow-on opinion, no, you need to buy digressive shocks. It will be great if Bilstein ESCV's meet the needs some of us are looking for without having the additional expense of after the fact upgrades.

Bilstein only makes "Digressive" shocks, as far as I remember.
I believe they will work great for the 95% of driving these vehicles will see.
Pros and Cons to both Linear/Progressive and Digressive shock designs.

If a buyer is going to start having shock fade or not enough damping in higher speed off road use, I would assume that Fox/King/Radflo/Bilstein will offer a fairly upgraded setup. Even Fox had an upgraded set up for the Raptors, even though they made the OEM units.

Bilstien already markets the upgraded 8112 shocks for the Toyota Crowd.
I assume right out of the gate, they will have a full rebuildable/revalvable/remote reservoir set-up for the guys who don't have the HOSS set-up from Ford.

Bilstien B8 8112

 

[BadlandsJP]

Good info. I’m seriously thinking about buying these aftermarket and switching the tires to 33”s on ours instead of the Sasquatch pkg.

One thing though, Ford is using the HOSS (High-performance Off-road Stability Suspension) designation for all Bronco suspensions. The upgraded Badlands/Wildtrak/Sasquatch suspension is designated as HOSS with Bilstein position sensitive dampers.

All models have the HOSS?

 

[North7]

All models have the HOSS?

Did you even read the thread?

This chart has already been posted twice, here it is a THIRD time.

 

[BroncoChicken]

All models have the HOSS?

HOSS is just the name they have designated for the Bronco suspension. There are 2 HOSS suspensions, the normal HOSS and the HOSS with Bilstein Position Sensitive Dampers.

 

[lsustang05]

That makes sense, thank you. Is that a common maintenance or repair item on off-road vehicles? It seems to me that if I was in need of repair for my suspension it may be better to upgrade?

There will be a maintenance schedule for on-road and off-road use cases. Fox actually specifies rebuild intervals for the stock shocks on the Raptor and other truck platforms. I would use their guidelines for the Bilsteins also.

https://www.ridefox.com/service.php?m=truck

Sponsored