Deep Dive Into Lift Kits (For Sasquatch Broncos) That Won’t Break the Bank

[Chritaka]

@Broncobro04 What would you recommend for my setup?

• I have a '23 Wildtrak w/HOSS 3.0, which rides nice on the street STOCK, but is slightly squishy in the rear and corners for my taste. - Again STOCK.
• I've now added ~170 lbs bumper/winch in the front, ~120lbs rock sliders, ~180 lbs rear bumper/tire carrier. I'll be adding another ~10-15 lbs in the corners and on the tire carrier with 37's
• I've lost ~.65" in the front and 1" in the rear due to the weight.
• It feels more planted in the corners now, and good when I'm solo, but once I add a truck full of passengers and just a little cargo (cooler, bat bags, luggage) it's too stiff/harsh and it feels like SAS Bilsteins. No more HOSS 3.0 Fox wow'ness... This is just on the street, and I've not had it offroad since the recent additions...
• Usage: Some overlanding, mudding, trail running, minor rock crawling (nothing too crazy).
• I need to restore the lost height and add 2-2.5" lift for 37's.
• I'm ok with doing the JKS Max Tire kit...

Options:

• I was planning to do RPG/FMS perch collars, but I'm now thinking that compressing these springs further will just multiply the harshness and will not help the passenger/cargo ride.
• Other option is the RC 2.5" lift, which is top hat spacer only, with diff drop and cheap UCAs. Discussed in multiple HOSS 3.0 threads....Thread, Thread2, Thread3... Again, won't help ride with more weight.
• Eibach is said to be making upgraded springs for the HOSS 3.0 Foxes, but are still prototyping and likely months out at the earliest...
• Full coil overs and UCA's (?), ditching the HOSS 3.0 Fox's. I've been looking at Radflo, ADS, and Fox primarily... I'm not really wanting to fork out this $$$ as I need to split remaining "upgrade" funds with a hardtop option within the next 6-12 months.. However, I want to do it right.... Is this my only real option at this point?

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[Broncobro04]

@Broncobro04 What would you recommend for my setup?

• I have a '23 Wildtrak w/HOSS 3.0, which rides nice on the street STOCK, but is slightly squishy in the rear and corners for my taste. - Again STOCK.
• I've now added ~170 lbs bumper/winch in the front, ~120lbs rock sliders, ~180 lbs rear bumper/tire carrier. I'll be adding another ~10-15 lbs in the corners and on the tire carrier with 37's
• I've lost ~.65" in the front and 1" in the rear due to the weight.
• It feels more planted in the corners now, and good when I'm solo, but once I add a truck full of passengers and just a little cargo (cooler, bat bags, luggage) it's too stiff/harsh and it feels like SAS Bilsteins. No more HOSS 3.0 Fox wow'ness... This is just on the street, and I've not had it offroad since the recent additions...
• Usage: Some overlanding, mudding, trail running, minor rock crawling (nothing too crazy).
• I need to restore the lost height and add 2-2.5" lift for 37's.
• I'm ok with doing the JKS Max Tire kit...

Options:

• I was planning to do RPG/FMS perch collars, but I'm now thinking that compressing these springs further will just multiply the harshness and will not help the passenger/cargo ride.
• Other option is the RC 2.5" lift, which is top hat spacer only, with diff drop and cheap UCAs. Discussed in multiple HOSS 3.0 threads....Thread, Thread2, Thread3... Again, won't help ride with more weight.
• Eibach is said to be making upgraded springs for the HOSS 3.0 Foxes, but are still prototyping and likely months out at the earliest...
• Full coil overs and UCA's (?). I've been looking at Radflo, ADS, and Fox primarily... I'm not really wanting to fork out this $$$ as I need to split remaining "upgrade" funds with a hardtop option within the next 6-12 months.. However, I want to do it right.... Is this my only real option at this point?

Hey man, I’m gonna send you a message as to not blow up the forum thread, but yes, it sounds like the perch collars or a full coilover replacement are your best options

 

[Broncobro04]

It has nothing to do with the tie rods. From my understanding I believe it all comes together as a kit. I may be wrong, but it looks like I'd be paying for something I can't use. I don't think I can purchase just the Hoss 3.0 tie rods.

Try to see if anybody is selling their hoss 3.0 tie rods. Might be able to find some

 

[4doorbu]

Bronco brothers and sisters, this is it!

I’ve noticed so many bronco owners asking about which lift kit is best and there is so much confusion with all of the different conflicting answers. I’ve decided to make it simple for you and create an easy reference guide to clear things up. I couldn’t do it by myself though, I reached out to @DoYouBronco, the cofounder of Hammer Built, and @popo_patty, the Gold Country Broncos suspension guru. From ripping through the deserts of the West to crawling the mountains of the East, we’ve certainly seen a thing or two. Combining our vast trail experience and in depth product knowledge is the only way we could come up with this comprehensive list that will satisfy 80% of bronco drivers, without spending $5-6000 on a high end kit from ADS/Fox/king/icon etc. If you are interested in any of these kit, shoot me a message or leave a comment below and take advantage of our 4th of July sales!

We put together this list so that we could save you the headache of research and ease your way into the bronco suspension rabbit hole. There’s lots of strong opinions out there, sit back and relax while we unfold them. New bronco owners or off-roaders, take note, there’s some valuable inside info here with actual facts that reinforce our street and off-road rating system. We’ve come up with the Send It™️ scale to help you better visualize which kit applies to your specific needs (but feel free to challenge our opinion ). This scale is a single score that encompasses damping ability, travel numbers, shock fade resistance, off-road comfort/harshness, and bottom out control.

For reference, we placed the HOSS 1.0 Hitachi shocks at a 3/10 for streetability and we gave it a 1 on our Send It™️ scale. HOSS 2.0 or factory Bilstein shocks are a 3 and 3. On the other hand, a 10 on our Send It™️ Scale would be our personal favorite, ADS Racing Shocks. Fox and King are also up there on the list but we’ll cover those high end systems at another time. A 10 on our street scale would be an electronically valved shock similar to the Raptor’s live valve or SDI E-Click that instantly adapt to your driving style.

We’ve done all of the research so you don’t have to and we put the personal bias aside. We narrowed this list down by scrutinizing popular products, hearing from YOU ALL (who were a huge help in creating this list) as well as witnessing and testing first hand these tried and true suspension kits. If you have a kit that’s not on our list, that doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice, these our just our top recommendations. Our target audience for this list are the bronco owners that want to take their Sasquatch broncos to the next level, or if you are just wanting to dip your toes into the off-road vehicle modification world.



ReadyLift 3” SST ($999)
Street Scale: 4/10
Send It™️: 5/10
Front: 3” / Rear: 2”

Similar to the Icon spacer kit, this one is a mix of a perch collar and a top hat spacer. This effectively lengthens the shock but not so much where it increases wear on components as opposed to a 3” top hat spacer. Provides 3” of lift to comfortably fit 37s. Decreases brake dive in the front. Leaves the rear a little soft, resulting in less of a “bucking bronco” when going over whoops or potholes. While punching it, you’ll feel the weight shift to the rear end. This helps raise the front to glide over whoops like butter. This kit includes new UCAs which will prolong the life of ball joints and maintain OEM alignment specs for optimal tread wear. Also included is a rear track bar relocation bracket to center your rear axle at your new ride height.
(See also: Icon 3” C/O spacer lift *UCAs separate)

Just getting into looking at modifications for my non-SAS Black Diamond. I was looking at grabbing someone’s SAS takeoffs and going with 35’s. Seeing this Readylift kit at only a little more when people are selling the takeoffs seems like a better option. Just unsure how much lift 3”/2” is going to give a non-SAS BD. Is in 2” on top of the listed, so 5”/4” total? I plan on getting a winch. I’m not doing anything crazy. I live in south Jersey where we only have a few deep mud puddles go to through. Tired of getting pulled out by jeeps when I bottom out in my current setup.

Never mind just saw this is just spacers and not struts. SAS takeoffs it is.

 

[Broncobro04]

Just getting into looking at modifications for my non-SAS Black Diamond. I was looking at grabbing someone’s SAS takeoffs and going with 35’s. Seeing this Readylift kit at only a little more when people are selling the takeoffs seems like a better option. Just unsure how much lift 3”/2” is going to give a non-SAS BD. Is in 2” on top of the listed, so 5”/4” total? I plan on getting a winch. I’m not doing anything crazy. I live in south Jersey where we only have a few deep mud puddles go to through. Tired of getting pulled out by jeeps when I bottom out in my current setup.

Never mind just saw this is just spacers and not struts. SAS takeoffs it is.

Hey man. So there’s also an eibach stage 1 lift kit that is struts and and springs for I think around $1100 that gives up to 2.8” front lift height over non sas. We just didn’t include it in this list to avoid too much eibach bias

 

[Aonarch]

Installed the Ford Performance 2" lift kit on Sunday. I'm giving it 100 break in miles before I take pictures and my thoughts.

So far so good though. The first 5-10 miles were a bit stiff as others have mentioned. These take a little break in time.

Here is my thoughts on IFS lifts:
I've seen multiple people post that lifting IFS will let you fit a larger tire, that isn't true, an IFS lift only gives you more tire clearance at ride height. Too big a tire will not clear offroad. Too big a tire might not even clear driving to the mall.

But the downside of lifting IFS is, the lift reduces your total down travel.

You are just pushing the suspension down through it's total range of travel, because the pivots and geometry are the same. A true extended coilover paired with a compatible UCA might give you 1" extra of down travel, but not a lot.

You do gain approach, break over, and departure angle from a lift, but again at the cost of reduced down travel, which is crucial for off-road capability and more important, stability.

The general rule is, fit the largest tires that you want, with the smallest amount of lift.

The only way to effectively get a big lift on IFS is a long travel kit with lower control arms, upper control arms, CVs, extended coilovers, a diff drop (Ugh) and other pieces.

 

[retrospex]

Hey man, I’m gonna send you a message as to not blow up the forum thread, but yes, it sounds like the perch collars or a full coilover replacement are your best options

I've been wondering what to do with my HOSS 3.0 (Wildtrak) setup to fit 37s as well, it seems all roads point to the perch collar lift. I am not planning on adding all of that extra weight from bumpers or roof racks, I do want to maintain as much capability and performance off road as possible.

 

[GrayGhostDog]

My Bronco Badsquatch is my daily driver and have no plans to go up over the OEM tire size, but I am planning on adding the FP/Warn winch kit to the modular bumper for peace-of-mind when out on a trail, solo... since this installation may add a bit more weight up front I've considered maybe going with the Bilstein 6112's and possibly setting the spring seat to the #2 setting, at most. I have no desire to augment the suspension too much to cause any adverse geometry shifts... does this sound like a decent setup?

 

[Broncobro04]

My Bronco Badsquatch is my daily driver and have no plans to go up over the OEM tire size, but I am planning on adding the FP/Warn winch kit to the modular bumper for peace-of-mind when out on a trail, solo... since this installation may add a bit more weight up front I've considered maybe going with the Bilstein 6112's and possibly setting the spring seat to the #2 setting, at most. I have no desire to augment the suspension too much to cause any adverse geometry shifts... does this sound like a decent setup?

That does sound like a solid set up, what kind of ride quality do you value more? Firm with better handling on the street at the expense of a little more harshness over bumps? Or a soft, floaty/pillowy ride to soak up bumps easier, at the cost of slightly worse handling?

 

[GrayGhostDog]

That does sound like a solid set up, what kind of ride quality do you value more? Firm with better handling on the street at the expense of a little more harshness over bumps? Or a soft, floaty/pillowy ride to soak up bumps easier, at the cost of slightly worse handling?

... I actually don't mind the ride quality of the OEM Sasquatch shocks/springs and am leaning more towards better handling and willing to sacrifice a little harshness over bumps. I am hoping that the 6112's will be a bit of an improvement over the OEM Bilsteins without requiring an aftermarket UCA or more for proper alignment and/or geometry correction... thanks for the response.

 

[choppersean]

My Bronco Badsquatch is my daily driver and have no plans to go up over the OEM tire size, but I am planning on adding the FP/Warn winch kit to the modular bumper for peace-of-mind when out on a trail, solo... since this installation may add a bit more weight up front I've considered maybe going with the Bilstein 6112's and possibly setting the spring seat to the #2 setting, at most. I have no desire to augment the suspension too much to cause any adverse geometry shifts... does this sound like a decent setup?

This is the setup I am pretty sure I have settled on. I put a JCR winch plate/winch on my capable bumper and feel it sagged it a bit more than I wanted. I was stupid to not measure the before and after of the stock Badlands setup, however. May be more my perception than anything, but I like the 6112s for that adjustability, for the stiffer ride (don't like the squishy, brake-dive of the stock front end.....although it does ride nicely), and I figure once I need to replace rear shocks and such that I will just upgrade those at that later stage. This will probably be a winter project for me.....although "project" should take less than 2 hours with my son's tools and lift at his hop and such.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

@Broncobro04 what do you think of the APG Midrunner kit?

 

[Broncobro04]

@Broncobro04 what do you think of the APG Midrunner kit?

The mid runner kit is nice. APG makes good stuff. Just remember, aside from their custom tuned shocks, it’s no different than just getting some new coilovers and UCAs, since that’s essentially what a mid travel kit is.

Say you went with ADS Coilovers with Foutz UCAs and links, now you’re on the same level as the APG Midrunner. Hope that makes sense.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

The mid runner kit is nice. APG makes good stuff. Just remember, aside from their custom tuned shocks, it’s no different than just getting some new coilovers and UCAs, since that’s essentially what a mid travel kit is.

Say you went with ADS Coilovers with Foutz UCAs and links, now you’re on the same level as the APG Midrunner. Hope that makes sense.

Thank you for the feedback!

 

[Lak34ers]

Bronco brothers and sisters, this is it!

I’ve noticed so many bronco owners asking about which lift kit is best and there is so much confusion with all of the different conflicting answers. I’ve decided to make it simple for you and create an easy reference guide to clear things up. I couldn’t do it by myself though, I reached out to @DoYouBronco, the cofounder of Hammer Built, and @popo_patty, the Gold Country Broncos suspension guru. From ripping through the deserts of the West to crawling the mountains of the East, we’ve certainly seen a thing or two. Combining our vast trail experience and in depth product knowledge is the only way we could come up with this comprehensive list that will satisfy 80% of bronco drivers, without spending $5-6000 on a high end kit from ADS/Fox/king/icon etc. If you are interested in any of these kit, shoot me a message or leave a comment below and take advantage of our 4th of July sales!

We put together this list so that we could save you the headache of research and ease your way into the bronco suspension rabbit hole. There’s lots of strong opinions out there, sit back and relax while we unfold them. New bronco owners or off-roaders, take note, there’s some valuable inside info here with actual facts that reinforce our street and off-road rating system. We’ve come up with the Send It™️ scale to help you better visualize which kit applies to your specific needs (but feel free to challenge our opinion ). This scale is a single score that encompasses damping ability, travel numbers, shock fade resistance, off-road comfort/harshness, and bottom out control.

For reference, we placed the HOSS 1.0 Hitachi shocks at a 3/10 for streetability and we gave it a 1 on our Send It™️ scale. HOSS 2.0 or factory Bilstein shocks are a 3 and 3. On the other hand, a 10 on our Send It™️ Scale would be our personal favorite, ADS Racing Shocks. Fox and King are also up there on the list but we’ll cover those high end systems at another time. A 10 on our street scale would be an electronically valved shock similar to the Raptor’s live valve or SDI E-Click that instantly adapt to your driving style.

We’ve done all of the research so you don’t have to and we put the personal bias aside. We narrowed this list down by scrutinizing popular products, hearing from YOU ALL (who were a huge help in creating this list) as well as witnessing and testing first hand these tried and true suspension kits. If you have a kit that’s not on our list, that doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice, these our just our top recommendations. Our target audience for this list are the bronco owners that want to take their Sasquatch broncos to the next level, or if you are just wanting to dip your toes into the off-road vehicle modification world.

Our list covers the following kits:
1. RPG Off-road Spring Perch Collars
2. Eibach Pro Lift Springs
3. ReadyLift 3.0 SST Kit
4. Eibach 2.0 Pro Truck Coilovers
5. Bilstein 6112 Series Coilovers

So without further ado, here is our #hammerbuilt Best Budget Lift Guide for Sasquatch Broncos

RPG Perch Collars ($250)
Street Scale: 4/10
Send It™️: 4/10
Front 2.25” / Rear: 1.25”

For somebody who is just looking for a small lift that’s low cost, we decided on the RPG spring perch collars. This kit comes with everything you need to simply level your bronco to look best with 35” tires when utilizing the 1.25” collar up front. Save the 2.25” for later when you want to run 37s or just like the extra stance and tire clearance. Unlike other spacer lifts, perch collars DO NOT change the factory suspension geometry specs and causes zero additional stress to ball joints, CVs, tie rods etc. These add a sporty element to the ride, and make things like sharp edges like man hole covers and pot holes, cracks slightly more noticeable. Most have noted no noticeable Negative change in ride quality. Expect slightly better handling, reduced body roll and brake nose dive, as well as more bottom out control vs stock. If you like the more floaty and soupy ride of the stock suspension these are not for you!
(See also: SVC spring perch collars)


Eibach Pro Lift Springs ($450)
Street Scale 5/10
Send It™️ 4/10
Front: +2.3" / Rear: +1.6"

The next step up from perch collars are to completely upgrade the coil springs to the Eibachs. Expect a similar look and lift height as the RPG collars but with a slightly softer ride. While perch collars increase the preload on the factory spring to achieve the extra height, the Eibach coils are designed from the ground up to not only sit taller but ride 15-20% smoother than the perch collars. We’d place the ride stiffness as between stock and perch collars. These springs reduce the harshness felt when driving over sharp angles like man hole covers, pot holes, road cracks and bridge expansion joints that some say feel more pronounced with the collars.


ReadyLift 3” SST ($999)
Street Scale: 4/10
Send It™️: 5/10
Front: 3” / Rear: 2”

Similar to the Icon spacer kit, this one is a mix of a perch collar and a top hat spacer. This effectively lengthens the shock but not so much where it increases wear on components as opposed to a 3” top hat spacer. Provides 3” of lift to comfortably fit 37s. Decreases brake dive in the front. Leaves the rear a little soft, resulting in less of a “bucking bronco” when going over whoops or potholes. While punching it, you’ll feel the weight shift to the rear end. This helps raise the front to glide over whoops like butter. This kit includes new UCAs which will prolong the life of ball joints and maintain OEM alignment specs for optimal tread wear. Also included is a rear track bar relocation bracket to center your rear axle at your new ride height.
(See also: Icon 3” C/O spacer lift *UCAs separate)


Eibach Pro Truck 2.0 Coilovers ($1799)
Street Scale: 7/10
Send It™️: 6/10
Front: 0.5-3” / Rear: 1.2-2.7”

The next level up in street and trail comfort comes from completely upgrading the shocks to the internal floating piston Eibach 2.0 coilovers. This upgrade gives you a much wider range of height options that allows you to grow with your build. They are height adjustable, so you could start off with 35s and a level look with 2” up front and 1” taller in the rear, then increase the ride height for when you plan to move up to 37s. If you plan on adding heavy accessories like bumpers, winches, swing out tire carriers, tents, recovery gear, etc. You can correct your rake/squat by simply adjusting the preload collars on the Eibach shocks. Unlike snap ring style shocks these adjustments can often be made without uninstalling the shocks from the bronco.


Bilstein 6112 Series Coilovers ($1650)
Street Scale: 6/10
Send It™️: 7/10
Front: 0.8”-2.8” / Rear: 0.3”-1.7”

If your bronco will see more trails than most, expand your horizons with a complete coilover assembly from Bilstein. Like the Eibach 2.0, These shocks are also height adjustable via a snap ring system (up to 2.8” lift) but require removal and reinstallation of the coilover to change height. The difference between the Eibach 2.0 and the 6112 is the larger 2.5” diameter shock body that holds much more oil for sustained comfort and durability during longer and harder off-road sessions. The 6112’s larger 60mm piston surface area provides more dampening for a smoother ride and more control over tougher terrain. Broncos with extra weight from winch bumpers, overland gear, extra passengers, maybe you ate a few too many donuts this morning, etc. will experience enhanced stability and less body roll due to the digressive valving. These shocks ship unassembled and require assembly prior to install, allowing you to set your desired height out of the box. These shocks also have a zinc coating to protect the body from developing surface rust, further improving durability.


Honorable mention:

BroncBuster 1.5-3” Body Lift
We know the stigma around body lifts, “they’re unsafe”, “they aren’t a real lift”, “there’s no benefit” blah blah blah. That stuff just simply isn’t true and there is a very real purpose for body lifts. The kits listed above can only fit a max of 37” tires comfortably without body work. A body lift allows you to get that extra bit of fender clearance to safely fit those 38s or 40s. On an IFS rig, you are limited by CV axle, ball joint, and tie rod angles. You can’t just slap long shocks on for more lift, and that’s where the body lift comes into play.

If anybody is interested in any of these kits, send me a message, leave a comment, or even shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’re offering special pricing for forum members plus 4th of July sales so don’t miss out!

Great review. I did the 6100s for around $800 for all 4 and they are great! For the money and performance it is tough to beat plus the lift and level. Would never go back to OEM SAS.

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