What's the current thinking on lift and 37s?

I’m gonna tell ya MY thinking and it ain’t current, it’s been my thinking forever. IRS just ain’t made for lifting.! (go ahead and flame me) Manufacturers have engineered the optimum axle/driveline angles/steering geometry. Ya just can’t start changing all that without sacrificing dependability. Longer upper and lower a-frames do help gain ride height without severe departure from the standard geometry, but this increases track width. Gimme a Dana 44 and a 9 inch.!!

jd-ford-hd

I’m gonna tell ya MY thinking and it ain’t current, it’s been my thinking forever. IRS just ain’t made for lifting.! (go ahead and flame me) Manufacturers have engineered the optimum axle/driveline angles/steering geometry. Ya just can’t start changing all that without sacrificing dependability. Longer upper and lower a-frames do help gain ride height without severe departure from the standard geometry, but this increases track width. Gimme a Dana 44 and a 9 inch.!!

Well, as a guy who wheels a heavily modified Jeep I'm not going to give you an entrenched argument against IFS. It's a compromise for sure. Not a hardcore wheeling machine compared to the Jeep but then again only a few push the Jeep to the max anyway. My wife is currently daily driving the Bronco and she says, quote, "It's comfortable to drive compared to the Jeep." That is why Ford will sell a lot of these. Comfort.

Wheeling, yeah, it's going to be a game of give and take for us. I already know my Bronco is not going places the Jeep goes on the reg. It's just not built for it.

jd-ford-hd

I’m gonna tell ya MY thinking and it ain’t current, it’s been my thinking forever. IRS just ain’t made for lifting.! (go ahead and flame me) Manufacturers have engineered the optimum axle/driveline angles/steering geometry. Ya just can’t start changing all that without sacrificing dependability. Longer upper and lower a-frames do help gain ride height without severe departure from the standard geometry, but this increases track width. Gimme a Dana 44 and a 9 inch.!!

I’ll see your Dana 44/9 inch combo and raise you two Dana 60’s. ;)

Vaughn Gittin jr and the Funhaver group are wheeling a Bronco on 37 and they have a very heavy modded Ranger.

Apparently with a little modification you can get IFS to handle about anything. And not like anyone is running 40’s on stock Jeep’s without heavy mods. And the Bronco Sasquatch is more than capable for 80% of the trails.

Rgwinn

Apparently with a little modification you can get IFS to handle about anything. And not like anyone is running 40’s on stock Jeep’s without heavy mods. And the Bronco Sasquatch is more than capable for 80% of the trails.

Welllllll, sort of, but actually no. Rock crawling (which is the kind of wheeling I prefer, and is the greatest test of a 4x4) will always require max articulation and IFS will never give you that. Can it be made to be highly serviceable and go lots of places, yes. Will an IFS truck of equal measure be able to follow a solid front axle truck anywhere, no. You can see just by watching the videos how many times the Bronco has a wheel up in the air on even fairly moderate rock obstacles. It'll always be a little bit limited.

-JC

I would do a least 3" lift

jd-ford-hd

I’m gonna tell ya MY thinking and it ain’t current, it’s been my thinking forever. IRS just ain’t made for lifting.! (go ahead and flame me) Manufacturers have engineered the optimum axle/driveline angles/steering geometry. Ya just can’t start changing all that without sacrificing dependability. Longer upper and lower a-frames do help gain ride height without severe departure from the standard geometry, but this increases track width. Gimme a Dana 44 and a 9 inch.!!

Exactly, so many think just toss a lift on and some new rubber, and your good to go! Unfortunately, like you pointed out there is so much more to make it work correctly that newbies neglect or some straight think it's not needed

Save your lift and bigger tire money for a SAS when/if one is available. 37" over 35" isn't even worth doing imo. I will say that when guys jump from the 33"/35" on the Dana 44 in 66-77 broncos that crawl, things start breaking more often with the jump to 37" tires. I already know I won't be able to do a third of the obstacles in a 2door Badlands with Sasquatch that I can do in my 71' locked front and back with 36" tires, and I don't even have extended radius arms. Just a 3.5" suspension lift, no body lift with some inner fender trimmed.

okie4570

Save your lift and bigger tire money for a SAS when/if one is available. 37" over 35" isn't even worth doing imo. I will say that when guys jump from the 33"/35" on the Dana 44 in 66-77 broncos that crawl, things start breaking more often with the jump to 37" tires. I already know I won't be able to do a third of the obstacles in a 2door Badlands with Sasquatch that I can do in my 71' locked front and back with 36" tires, and I don't even have extended radius arms. Just a 3.5" suspension lift, no body lift with some inner fender trimmed.

I am NOT doing a solid axle swap. I already have a big beefy wheeling machine and the Bronco is designed for slightly tamer adventures. Some moderate wheeling, maybe a little bit of overlanding.

I would disagree with your comment about 37s. Been wheeling any number of times that a similar Jeep on 35s struggled to do what mine could do on 38s. (Yeah, 38 vs. 37 but that’s just an extra half inch.) I do however find it humorous when I see a truck with a lift and some pretty good suspension/drivetrain/armor enhancements for wheeling with side steps dropping down from what should have been rock rails. Why’d ya spend all that money on ground clearance just to give it up again?

I will wade into this swamp. First, let me say that I have a 6.1 Hemi Wrangler on 39" tires, a Turbo S RZR on 35" tires and a 19 stock Raptor. I have been wheeling off road for over 20 years and currently spend almost 6 months each year in Moab. I plan to buy two Broncos, one 2 door Badlands SAS and put 37s on it, and the Raptor version and put at least 37s on it, maybe 39s. I probably will replace the Jeep and Raptor with them.

I have heard of the "articulation" story for years, and bought into it. My Jeep has the EVO desert racing rear and when articulated the top of the rear wheel is below the frame. I have gone across the Golden Crack without lifting a wheel. However, I much prefer wheeling with my RZR which does not have a solid front axle. Yes, occasionally I lift a wheel, but it still climbs. No, I don't do Pritchet Canyon with it, but do most every thing else. I can do most trails 3 times faster than in a Jeep. Sure it is apples to oranges, but I guarantee my Bronco will beat a Jeep on all but the most difficult trails rated 4.5 and higher. So if that is what you want to do, get a Jeep. Other wise get a Bronco with independent suspension.

Unfortunately until I get my Bronco I cannot comment on the lift. I had a 2015 2 door Jeep with only a 2 inch lift and put 37s on it, and wheeled it off road. My understanding that with a Bronco SAS and a 1 inch lift you can put 37s on it and I believe Ford is going to offer a 1" lift. Whether it will rub, I do not know, but if it does we can trim the body a little and even the frame if needed.

My 2 cents, and that is all it is worth.

Anyone that does wheeling knows the limitations of IFS it is not the answer to crawling but it is a good compromise between road manners and off roading. The question was if you can wheel with 37” and what size/brand lift to consider. There are folks doing some pretty heavy wheeling on 37” now. Is the Bronco capable of going to 100% of the trails I plan on doing I’d say yes. Will people mod the Bronco to do anything a Jeep can do that is yet to be seen. Might take a live axel conversation but I see it coming.

Slownstddy

Im going to say that your argumet is flawerd to the pount of absurdity. To get a jeep modded out the way your talking is to completely redesign and rebuild it and your trying to compare that to a lightly modified bronco. Its apple to kumquates comparison. Again you show your shallow mindedness.

Please do not be a moron. This is not the other thread. Over there, I treat you nicely despite your unpleasant demeanor. Here, stupidity is not tolerated.

First of all, it’s obvious I’m talking to someone (you) who knows little to nothing about off roading. This discussion is about articulation of a solid axle vs. IFS and the logical extreme limits of what can be done with an off road vehicle in a true wheeling environment. I get that you like to drive your Bronco around the mall parking lot and that even doing this “slow ‘n stoddy” (wtf) probably challenges your faculties to the breaking point. But some of us can wheel and actually intend to take our Broncos wheeling. There was NEVER a comparison of a highly modded Jeep to a stock Bronco. There was ALWAYS a comparison of the limits of IFS to what a solid front axle can do. Push both the Bronco and the Wrangler to the limit and the Wrangler will have the edge. If we’re talking creature comforts that’s fine. The Bronco wins in that category.

Again, to reiterate, please try to pay attention and stay on topic and don’t go out of your way to make dumb comments. Thank you.

-JC

JeepersCreepers

Please do not be a moron. This is not the other thread. Over there, I treat you nicely despite your unpleasant demeanor. Here, stupidity is not tolerated.

First of all, it’s obvious I’m talking to someone (you) who knows little to nothing about off roading. This discussion is about articulation of a solid axle vs. IFS and the logical extreme limits of what can be done with an off road vehicle in a true wheeling environment. I get that you like to drive your Bronco around the mall parking lot and that even doing this “slow ‘n stoddy” (wtf) probably challenges your faculties to the breaking point. But some of us can wheel and actually intend to take our Broncos wheeling. There was NEVER a comparison of a highly modded Jeep to a stock Bronco. There was ALWAYS a comparison of the limits of IFS to what a solid front axle can do. Push both the Bronco and the Wrangler to the limit and the Wrangler will have the edge. If we’re talking creature comforts that’s fine. The Bronco wins in that category.

Again, to reiterate, please try to pay attention and stay on topic and don’t go out of your way to make dumb comments. Thank you.

-JC

Thank you for so eloquently proving my point.

JeepersCreepers

1. 
   
   Good feedback from someone with the cred to make the comments. Thanks!

They have cred because they said what you want to hear haha.

Edit: and I'm not making light of jzweedyk's experience and time on the trails.

JeepersCreepers

Please do not be a moron. This is not the other thread. Over there, I treat you nicely despite your unpleasant demeanor. Here, stupidity is not tolerated.

First of all, it’s obvious I’m talking to someone (you) who knows little to nothing about off roading. This discussion is about articulation of a solid axle vs. IFS and the logical extreme limits of what can be done with an off road vehicle in a true wheeling environment. I get that you like to drive your Bronco around the mall parking lot and that even doing this “slow ‘n stoddy” (wtf) probably challenges your faculties to the breaking point. But some of us can wheel and actually intend to take our Broncos wheeling. There was NEVER a comparison of a highly modded Jeep to a stock Bronco. There was ALWAYS a comparison of the limits of IFS to what a solid front axle can do. Push both the Bronco and the Wrangler to the limit and the Wrangler will have the edge. If we’re talking creature comforts that’s fine. The Bronco wins in that category.

Again, to reiterate, please try to pay attention and stay on topic and don’t go out of your way to make dumb comments. Thank you.

-JC

As with every post I've seen you make, your comments about me personally show that you know nothing about what your talking about. It seems you cant/wont articulate a logical argument. I've posted my proof.

JeepersCreepers

Welllllll, sort of, but actually no. Rock crawling (which is the kind of wheeling I prefer, and is the greatest test of a 4x4) will always require max articulation and IFS will never give you that. Can it be made to be highly serviceable and go lots of places, yes. Will an IFS truck of equal measure be able to follow a solid front axle truck anywhere, no. You can see just by watching the videos how many times the Bronco has a wheel up in the air on even fairly moderate rock obstacles. It'll always be a little bit limited.

-JC

Agree, but at that point you are trailering your rig. :sneaky: As it’s horrible on the highway.:ROFLMAO: