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The stock Bronco is genuinely capable. Ford's HOSS system gives you an independent front end, taller coils, and dampers tuned for terrain, which is more than most trucks leave the factory with. Then you put 37s on it and go find something to climb, and the factory suspension starts writing checks it cannot cash.
Problem is, "Bronco suspension upgrade" covers everything from a $300 spacer to a $6,000 coilover package, and those parts are not doing the same job. Buy the wrong tier and you either waste money or buy it twice. Six categories, in the order people actually work through them, with the honest version of what each one gets you.
1. Strut Spacers
Spacers create room between the shock and the body so you can clear a taller tire. That is the whole job. They are the cost-effective way into a bigger wheel and tire package, and they are honest about being a stance modification rather than a performance one.
Worth being clear about the tradeoff: a spacer lifts the truck without adding suspension travel. You get clearance and the look, you do not get more articulation. If your Bronco spends real time on rough trail, skip to the next section.
Up to 2.75" rear on non-Sasquatch
Clears 35" to 37" tires
CNC 6061 billet, black ionized
2. Lift Kits
A lift kit gets you the height a spacer gets you, plus suspension travel and ground clearance a spacer cannot. That is the difference worth paying for if the truck actually goes off pavement.
Ford Performance's 2-inch kit is a collaboration with Bilstein, and the shock tuning is the reason to buy it. It was developed and validated by Ford Performance Engineering on the platform, which means the on-road ride quality was a design target rather than an afterthought. Two inches of lift, better approach and departure angles, and a truck that still behaves on the highway.
Unique shock tuning
Validated by Ford Performance Engineering
2" lift front and rear
Improved approach and departure angles
3. Coilovers
This is where it stops being a lift and starts being a suspension. Coilovers do the same structural job as a strut, supporting the weight and damping the shock, with one addition that changes everything: adjustability. Ride height, spring rate, and camber become variables you set instead of things you accept.
That matters more off-road than on. A truck dialed in for its actual weight and its actual tire package resists rollover through corners and quits using its bump stops as suspension. Front coilovers working with the rear is also what keeps you from bottoming out hard enough to hurt the shocks or the steering, which is the expensive way to learn this lesson.
Compression adjuster
Independent support per front wheel
Reduces body roll
Progressive spring design
Variable force valving
Made in the USA
We put the Eibach Stage 2 kit on our own Bronco along with a full RPG Offroad rear setup. The step by step is in our Bronco suspension install guide, torque specs included.
4. Control Arms & Links
This is the section people skip and then pay for. Once you add height with coilovers or shocks, the factory upper control arms often cannot live with the new geometry. On the rear, the lower links are what correct lift height and keep the axle lined up in the wheel well. Get this wrong and you have a lifted truck that binds, wanders, and eats parts on the trail, which is a long walk back.
RPG builds both from aircraft-grade billet aluminum. The upper control arms handle bending loads better than typical tubular arms and are lighter doing it. The rear lower links use stainless steel misalignments plus RPG's Viton wobble stopper and a spherical bearing at both the frame and axle, which buys you articulation without deflection. They are fixed length on purpose, because strength beats adjustability at that position.
Anodized finish
Caster and camber adjustable on the vehicle
17-4 stainless pins
Viton wobble stopper
Spherical bearing at frame and axle
Fixed length for strength
5. Track Bar
The track bar keeps the rear axle centered under the truck. Lift the Bronco and the factory bar is now the wrong length for the new geometry, which shows up as a truck that wanders on the highway. An adjustable bar is not optional on a lifted rig, it is what makes the lift drive straight.
Fabtech's uses 1.5" OD, 0.375" wall steel tubing, so it deflects less than stock. The one-ton rated adjusting collar lets you set length with the bar still on the vehicle, which anyone who has done this the other way will appreciate. A 1" ID FK heim on the passenger side handles rotation and angularity off-road, and the vulcanized bushing on the opposite end is what keeps highway noise down.
One-ton rated adjusting collar
Adjust on the vehicle
1" ID FK heim, vulcanized bushing
6. Full Suspension Kits
Add up the sections above and you arrive at a package. Buying it as one is usually cheaper than buying it piece by piece, and more importantly the parts were engineered to work together instead of being a collection of good decisions made six months apart.
RPG's Stage 3 is the version we point people at when they already know they are going all the way. What is in the box:
- Billet upper control arms
- Full tie rod kit with boots
- Billet rear upper link
- Billet rear lower link
- Panhard bar
- Front and rear Fox Performance Elite Series 2.5 coil-over reservoir shocks
Maximum travel, ride quality that holds up across terrain, and room for 37s. This is the full send. RPG also builds Stage 1 and Stage 2 if Stage 3 is more truck than you need, and there is no shame in that.
Arms, links, tie rods, panhard
Clears 37" tires
Maximum travel setup
Clears 37" tires
Step up without going all in
Stage 2 also available
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of suspension does the Ford Bronco have?
Late model Broncos come with Ford's High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) system: an independent front suspension, taller coil springs, and HOSS-tuned heavy-duty dampers.
How much suspension travel does a Bronco have?
The stock HOSS system delivers 8.7 inches of travel up front and 10.2 inches in the rear on 33-inch tires.
Is the Ford Bronco a smooth ride?
Even stock, yes. HOSS is tuned to feel stable and composed, and it handles rocky and broken surfaces without much drama.
Does the Bronco ride smoother than a Jeep?
Most reviews put the Wrangler on the stiffer end, so you feel more of the road in it. The Bronco was tuned for a softer all-around ride.
Do I need control arms if I install a lift kit?
Past about 2 inches, yes. Factory upper control arms often cannot accommodate the added height, and the rear links are what correct lift geometry and keep the axle located properly. A track bar becomes necessary at that point too.
Are strut spacers the same as a lift kit?
No. A spacer raises the truck to clear a bigger tire but does not add suspension travel. A lift kit or coilover adds height and travel. If the truck sees real trail use, skip the spacers.
What size tires can I run on a lifted Bronco?
The Icon 3" spacer kit is rated to clear 35" to 37" tires. RPG's Stage 3 package clears 37s. Fitment always depends on wheel offset and trim, so verify against your specific truck.
Should I buy a full kit or build it piece by piece?
If you already know you want maximum travel, buy the kit. It is typically cheaper than the sum of the parts, and the components were engineered to work as a system. Build piecemeal only if you are genuinely unsure where you will stop.
Keep Reading
Build the Setup, Not a Pile of Parts
Spacers to full coilover packages, and techs who will tell you when you are buying more truck than you need.
