**Update** Dobinson Heavy Duty Springs: Don't Do It!*

[Draughon]

**edit** - after being miserable for 3 months, I saved up and had them pulled out and replaced everything with the Eibach Pro Truck 2.0 coilvers and everything is WAAAAY better and smoother now. So $1800 to put them in + $2000 to replace them with Eibachs = expensive lesson learned.

*unless you're regularly carrying a CRAP TON (500lbs+) of weight over stock and don't mind losing the benefits of your swaybar disconnect.

Let my mistake serve as a lesson to others. The advice I was given to do this, although well intentioned, turned out to be terrible for a number of reasons. TLDR: Don't put the Dobinson heavy duty springs on your 2D - it just overkill and will ruin your driving experience.

Some background:

I recently put on a new winch and steel bumper on my 23 SAS Badlands 2D (approx 150lbs) and was encouraged by someone in the aftermarket parts industry to add Dobinson heavy duty springs to the front and rear to offset the weight. I’ll admit that I didn’t understand that the “up to 220lb” rating for the Dobinson front springs meant that you could put 220lbs on it, AND it would STILL give you a 2.5” lift. I just thought they were extra cushiony to handle the extra weight I added to the front end. I’m adding around 150lbs, they’re rated to “handle” 220lbs – no problem, right? Wrong. Very...very wrong.

**I specifically didn’t want a lift, I wanted something to take the extra weight of the bumper and winch, and maybe level out the front end, that’s it.**

The issue:

The result is that they’re so stiff they’re literally slamming the front and rear down so hard that any tiny bump is a “shake the fillings out of your teeth” terrible experience. It hits so hard that I’m actually worried about damaging something else in the Bronco due to the force it slams down with. I'm testing this with driving over a speed bump at 5mph.

It doesn’t feel like the Hoss 2.0 Billsteins are doing anything or absorbing any bumps, or even compressing much, if at all. So yeah, the ride is awful. In addition, after two weeks of off-roading in Big Bend, I have concluded that they’ve also severely limited, or even neutered, the benefits of my sway bar disconnect by not allowing any flex at all.

(this is with swaybar disconnected - that front passenger tire *should* be tucked up in the wheel well)

So now I have much less flex, and a “slam down hard” suspension - or lack of a suspension is what it honestly feels like.

I’m a newbie at this, so it’s partially Caveat Emptor, but I feel like I was really misled by the initial suggestion of adding these springs by someone who should know more than me about suspensions, what it would do to the ride characteristics, and how it would affect the swaybar.

I’m out about $1800 for parts and labor and have a vehicle that sits about 1” higher in the front than the rear (with everyone on the road flashing me because they think I’m driving with high beams on because of the angle) and is absolutely miserable to drive over any bump with.

What sucks is that I’m stuck like this in a less-than-desirable setup while I financially recover and can do something about it.

Is it critically bad? No.

Is it annoying and a daily reminder of my mistake? Yes.

Do I enjoy driving my Bronco less? Absolutely.

For the money and labor I’ve already spent, I guess I could spend the same amount for Eibach springs in the short term - which should be softer I guess? But that’s just throwing good money after bad and ultimately is just a guess that it’ll give me the ride I want, and since I do want to go to coilovers EVENTUALLY - it seems like a waste.

Right now, I’m leaning towards Kings (something that soaks up and eats bumps for breakfast) - and something I can adjust for height, but financially can’t make the jump for what could be many months, so I’m stuck for what might be a year like this.

I know, I know, I should’ve asked more questions and not gone blindly with trusting “experts” in the industry.

But the net/net is that installing Dobinson products into my Bronco has made it LESS capable than it was before.

Lesson learned.

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[JediMcMuffin]

Well this is exactly why I’m hesitant to make such changes. I’m sorry you got to learn it for me. My plan was to eventually swap the escv for 6100s but move the springs over. At least my understandings is that will give me bigger dampers and a bit of height adjustment. The loss will be the end stop dynamic damping the escv provides.

 

[FlyingBronco]

Let my mistake serve as a lesson to others. The advice I was given to do this, although well intentioned, turned out to be terrible for a number of reasons. TLDR: Don't put the Dobinson heavy duty springs on your 2D - it just overkill and will ruin your driving experience.

Some background:

I recently put on a new winch and steel bumper on my 23 SAS Bandlands 2D (approx 150lbs) and was encouraged by someone in the aftermarket parts industry to add Dobinson heavy duty springs to the front and rear to offset the weight. I’ll admit that I didn’t understand that the “up to 220lb” rating for the Dobinson front springs meant that you could put 220lbs on it, AND it would STILL give you a 2.5” lift. I just thought they were extra cushiony to handle the extra weight I added to the front end. I’m adding around 150lbs, they’re rated to “handle” 220lbs – no problem, right?

**I specifically didn’t want a lift, I wanted something to take the extra weight of the bumper and winch, and maybe level out the front end, that’s it.**

The issue:

The result is that they’re so stiff they’re literally slamming the front and rear down so hard that any tiny bump is a “shake the fillings out of your teeth” terrible experience. It hits so hard that I’m actually worried about damaging something else in the Bronco due to the force it slams down with. I'm testing this with driving over a speed bump at 5mph.

It doesn’t feel like the Hoss 2.0 Billsteins are doing anything or absorbing any bumps, or even compressing much, if at all. So yeah, the ride is awful. In addition, after two weeks of off-roading in Big Bend, I have concluded that they’ve also severely limited, or even neutered, the benefits of my sway bar disconnect by not allowing any flex at all.

(this is with swaybar disconnected - that front passenger tire *should* be tucked up in the wheel well)

So now I have much less flex, and a “slam down hard” suspension - or lack of a suspension is what it honestly feels like.

I’m a newbie at this, so it’s partially Caveat Emptor, but I feel like I was really misled by the initial suggestion of adding these springs by someone who should know more than me about suspensions, what it would do to the ride characteristics, and how it would affect the swaybar. Ultimately,

I’m out about $1800 for parts and labor and have a vehicle that sits about 1” higher in the front than the rear (with everyone on the road flashing me because they think I’m driving with high beams on because of the angle) and is absolutely miserable to drive over any bump with.

What sucks is that I’m stuck like this in a less-than-desirable setup while I financially recover and can do something about it.

Is it critically bad? No.

Is it annoying and a daily reminder of my mistake? Yes.

Do I enjoy driving my Bronco less? Absolutely.

For the money and labor I’ve already spent, I guess I could spend the same amount for Eibach springs in the short term - which should be softer I guess? But that’s just throwing good money after bad and ultimately is just a guess that it’ll give me the ride I want, and since I do want to go to coilovers EVENTUALLY - it seems like a waste.

Right now, I’m leaning towards Kings (something that soaks up and eats bumps for breakfast) - and something I can adjust for height, but financially can’t make the jump for what could be many months, so I’m stuck for what might be a year like this.

I know, I know, I should’ve asked more questions and not gone blindly with trusting “experts” in the industry.

But the net/net is that installing Dobinson products into my Bronco has made it LESS capable than it was before.

Lesson learned.

Did I read that you were supposed to get 2.5” of lift with just the springs, even with additional weight? Wow, way too much, no wonder it’s so stiff and no play.
I went with the Eibach Pro Lift kit(coils only). Maybe an inch lift over stock Sas badlands and it’s been great, stiffened up just enough to make the ride more poised and less dive up front. I know a guy who did the same and has the winch up front, he has also been pleased with results.

 

[shawn6107]

I’ve been looking at the Dobinson HD springs for my 4 door sas for a while. I’ve added about 150 lbs with the winch, 150 lbs with frame mounted sliders, 50 lbs with a transmission / crossmember skid, 50lbs to back with my 37” spare, and another 75-100 lbs of gear and cargo enclosure in the back. I’m running a spacer kit with 3” lift in the front and 2” in the rear but since I’ve added all the extras, I’ve noticeably lost about an inch or so of ride height.

My thought was to eliminate the spacer kit and add the springs. I thought that might give me my clearance back and handle the added weight. I know it’s not a fair comparison between your rig and mine from a weight standpoint but that picture of your two door not compressing at all scares me.

Has anyone tried the regular Dobinson 4D springs on the front to know how they would handle some added weight?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Damn, that sounds horrible... and a horrible, but very effective way to learn a lesson.
Sorry to hear that, but very happy you came to share the lesson.

This was an expensive way to learn that almost every single part on a vehicle operates as part of a system. In the case of a Bronco suspension, a VERY HIGHLY engineered system.
Bilstein put a metric shit ton of work into designing the suspension on your Bronco.
Their people had been active here in the past. Might have been a good source of info.


There would have been several ways to accomplish your goal of recovering the lost height, some of them very cost effective.
Far less than what you paid for that lesson.

Asking random strangers on the internet doesn't guarantee a correct answer, but finding solid information and learning how the various systems work can help you throw out all of the ignorant answers.
At a minimum, it can help you find a competent source of info to help you along the way.

I'm rather curious which "aftermarket parts person/company" led you down this road.

I once had a discussion with an employee of a primary Classic Bronco vendor about motor work. Just bullshitting, not looking for advice.
I discovered his knowledge of the workings of an internal combustion engine were very much, junior high school-ish at best.
So yeah, do your own research.
"Trust , but verify", kind of fits here.

 

[Squatch]

It's not "caveat emptor," because ypu didn't get a defective or poor product. You made the mistake of trying to prove the Dunning-Kruger effect and succeeding.

Your title is borderline libelous in your attempt to get everyone to read your ranting about this. I guess you wanted it to be like the titles in the style of "one weird trick they don't want you to know."

Lots of people complain about the suspension being too "soft" and "too much" body roll around corners, but that's because it is designed to be better off-road than an M2 bimmer.

Suspension is complicated and expensive to upgrade and keep the functionality and driveability.


New title, "Don't Upgrade to Stiffer Springs Unless You have put on a LOT of Weight Over Stock."

You just added a 150lb person, at most.

 

[Draughon]

I’ve been looking at the Dobinson HD springs for my 4 door sas for a while. I’ve added about 150 lbs with the winch, 150 lbs with frame mounted sliders, 50 lbs with a transmission / crossmember skid, 50lbs to back with my 37” spare, and another 75-100 lbs of gear and cargo enclosure in the back. I’m running a spacer kit with 3” lift in the front and 2” in the rear but since I’ve added all the extras, I’ve noticeably lost about an inch or so of ride height.

My thought was to eliminate the spacer kit and add the springs. I thought that might give me my clearance back and handle the added weight. I know it’s not a fair comparison between your rig and mine from a weight standpoint but that picture of your two door not compressing at all scares me.

Has anyone tried the regular Dobinson 4D springs on the front to know how they would handle some added weight?

I’ve been looking at the Dobinson HD springs for my 4 door sas for a while. I’ve added about 150 lbs with the winch, 150 lbs with frame mounted sliders, 50 lbs with a transmission / crossmember skid, 50lbs to back with my 37” spare, and another 75-100 lbs of gear and cargo enclosure in the back. I’m running a spacer kit with 3” lift in the front and 2” in the rear but since I’ve added all the extras, I’ve noticeably lost about an inch or so of ride height.

My thought was to eliminate the spacer kit and add the springs. I thought that might give me my clearance back and handle the added weight. I know it’s not a fair comparison between your rig and mine from a weight standpoint but that picture of your two door not compressing at all scares me.

Has anyone tried the regular Dobinson 4D springs on the front to know how they would handle some added weight?

Well, here's where it gets interesting - the front springs were so overkill, that I was asking the shop where I was doing the work if we shouldn't just take them out and put in Eibachs for something softer - they steered me into ordering the NON-heavy duty dobinsons for the rear so things would match up. That turned out to be bad advice as well for the aforementioned "butt slam" feeling I get going over bumps.

That being said, when we went to big bend, we had about 400lbs of gear in the back (water, filled rotopax, food, etc) and the back went down about another inch and a half or so, FURTHER annoying everyone on the road since I was shooting low beams directly into their eyes the whole trip down.

My take is that if you regularly are carrying 500+ pounds of gear front and back over stock, then this option might make sense - but for a non-overlanding 2D with stock tires, it's waaaaay overkill.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

You just added a 150lb person, at most.

....who rides on the bumper.

 

[Draughon]

LOL! Exactly.

After the fact, I learned that the heavy duty springs compression rating is something like 600lbs/inch - so I could add a chubby family of 3 up on the nose, no problem.


[/QUOTE]

....who rides on the bumper.

 

[Tonka Bronka]

*unless you're regularly carrying a CRAP TON (500lbs+) of weight over stock.

Let my mistake serve as a lesson to others. The advice I was given to do this, although well intentioned, turned out to be terrible for a number of reasons. TLDR: Don't put the Dobinson heavy duty springs on your 2D - it just overkill and will ruin your driving experience.

Some background:

I recently put on a new winch and steel bumper on my 23 SAS Bandlands 2D (approx 150lbs) and was encouraged by someone in the aftermarket parts industry to add Dobinson heavy duty springs to the front and rear to offset the weight. I’ll admit that I didn’t understand that the “up to 220lb” rating for the Dobinson front springs meant that you could put 220lbs on it, AND it would STILL give you a 2.5” lift. I just thought they were extra cushiony to handle the extra weight I added to the front end. I’m adding around 150lbs, they’re rated to “handle” 220lbs – no problem, right?

**I specifically didn’t want a lift, I wanted something to take the extra weight of the bumper and winch, and maybe level out the front end, that’s it.**

The issue:

The result is that they’re so stiff they’re literally slamming the front and rear down so hard that any tiny bump is a “shake the fillings out of your teeth” terrible experience. It hits so hard that I’m actually worried about damaging something else in the Bronco due to the force it slams down with. I'm testing this with driving over a speed bump at 5mph.

It doesn’t feel like the Hoss 2.0 Billsteins are doing anything or absorbing any bumps, or even compressing much, if at all. So yeah, the ride is awful. In addition, after two weeks of off-roading in Big Bend, I have concluded that they’ve also severely limited, or even neutered, the benefits of my sway bar disconnect by not allowing any flex at all.

(this is with swaybar disconnected - that front passenger tire *should* be tucked up in the wheel well)

So now I have much less flex, and a “slam down hard” suspension - or lack of a suspension is what it honestly feels like.

I’m a newbie at this, so it’s partially Caveat Emptor, but I feel like I was really misled by the initial suggestion of adding these springs by someone who should know more than me about suspensions, what it would do to the ride characteristics, and how it would affect the swaybar. Ultimately,

I’m out about $1800 for parts and labor and have a vehicle that sits about 1” higher in the front than the rear (with everyone on the road flashing me because they think I’m driving with high beams on because of the angle) and is absolutely miserable to drive over any bump with.

What sucks is that I’m stuck like this in a less-than-desirable setup while I financially recover and can do something about it.

Is it critically bad? No.

Is it annoying and a daily reminder of my mistake? Yes.

Do I enjoy driving my Bronco less? Absolutely.

For the money and labor I’ve already spent, I guess I could spend the same amount for Eibach springs in the short term - which should be softer I guess? But that’s just throwing good money after bad and ultimately is just a guess that it’ll give me the ride I want, and since I do want to go to coilovers EVENTUALLY - it seems like a waste.

Right now, I’m leaning towards Kings (something that soaks up and eats bumps for breakfast) - and something I can adjust for height, but financially can’t make the jump for what could be many months, so I’m stuck for what might be a year like this.

I know, I know, I should’ve asked more questions and not gone blindly with trusting “experts” in the industry.

But the net/net is that installing Dobinson products into my Bronco has made it LESS capable than it was before.

Lesson learned.

I added the Ford factory winch kit to my 21 4 door Badlands. I installed the Ready Lift 1.5" leveling kit to the front. Done! Back to stock ride height plus maybe .5" more. Stock ride quality plus maybe a little better with the added weight of the winch. Love it!

 

[swami37]

Another example of people having more money than common sense.
Don’t blame the springs

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I added the Ford factory winch kit to my 21 4 door Badlands. I install the Ready Lift 1.5" leveling kit to the front. Done! Back to stock ride height plus maybe .5" more. Stock ride quality plus maybe a little better with the added weight of the winch. Love it!

Did the extra weight reduce the ton of brake dive that these things have?

I can imagine the factory springs are really soft right at the top, leading to some of the brake dive, so if the extra weight squashes them down an inch, maybe a good portion of that dive will be eliminated???

 

[Draughon]

Very effective!

Absolutely 100% my decision to spend the money and do this and should've asked more questions. I think I'm just so new that I wasn't sure what questions I *needed* to ask to get the right result.

I'm a little mixed on the point that the person making the initial recommendation pointed me in this direction and should've understood a bit better the result it would give (or perhaps qualify the recommendation with a couple of questions) - but here we are.

So, despite another response to this thread not fully understanding the term, it IS Caveat Emptor. ;-)

Damn, that sounds horrible... and a horrible, but very effective way to learn a lesson.
Sorry to hear that, but very happy you came to share the lesson.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

LOL! Exactly.

After the fact, I learned that the heavy duty springs compression rating is something like 600lbs/inch - so I could add a chubby family of 3 up on the nose, no problem.

[/QUOTE]
Here's the deal. You said you added about 120# to the front. That itself does not call for stiffer springs or even spacers let alone any lift beyond stock

You added zero weight to the back bumper but you installed stiffer springs with builtin lift.

Your vehicle was factory designed to carry 4 medium sized people PLUS their baggage. It is not like a Honda Element whose GCW did not allow for tge 4 riders stuff

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Here's a crash course.
I'd heard about Accu-tune before, I think I've seen a video or two of theirs as well.
Suspension is what they do.

Somewhere it mentions the Bilstein factory spring rate is 415 lb/in vs the King's at 550.
Some felt the 550 might be on the stiff side.
You say you're at 600!!!



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