Early Bronco Lift Kits & Suspension Systems

Early Bronco Lift Kits & Suspension Systems

If you’re looking to upgrade the stance, capability, or ride quality of your 66-77 Ford Bronco, a suspension lift kit is one of the most effective modifications you can make. Whether your goal is to refresh a worn factory suspension or build a Bronco capable of serious trail use, WILD HORSES 4x4 offers lift kits and suspension systems designed to match how these trucks are actually driven.

Our Early Bronco suspension lift kits replace the front coil springs, rear leaf springs, and shocks, providing additional ground clearance and improved suspension travel—something body lift kits simply can’t deliver. Each kit is engineered as a complete system, not just a collection of parts.

Our knowledgeable sales team can also help customize a lift kit to fit your needs. By factoring in tire size, driving style, and terrain, they’ll help you choose the right suspension setup for your build.

Most WILD HORSES Bronco suspension kits are available with your choice of Bilstein, Rancho 9000XL, or WILD HORSES shocks, allowing you to fine-tune ride quality and control.

Introduction to Early Bronco Suspension Upgrades

The factory suspension on the 66-77 Ford Bronco was well designed for its time. A solid front axle supported by coil springs and radius arms provided dependable articulation and stability, while the rear leaf springs over the Ford 9-inch axle delivered a proven balance of strength and flexibility.

Suspension technology, however, has progressed dramatically over the last 50 years. Modern spring designs, improved shock valving, and better bushing materials allow today’s suspension systems to outperform original components in nearly every category. Upgrading your Bronco’s suspension can improve ride quality, increase off-road capability, and better accommodate larger tires without sacrificing reliability.

Below are the most common reasons early Bronco owners choose to upgrade their suspension and what to consider when planning your own build.

Choosing the Right Lift Height for Your Early Bronco

Selecting the correct suspension lift height is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when upgrading your 66-77 Ford Bronco. More lift isn’t always better—the ideal height depends on how you plan to use your Bronco, the tire size you want to run, and how much modification you’re comfortable with.

2.5-inch lifts are a popular option for owners who want improved ride quality and moderate tire clearance without significantly altering driveline angles or steering geometry. This height pairs well with 31-inch to 33-inch tires and works great for daily-driven Broncos, overlanding, and light trail use.

3.5-inch lifts are often considered the sweet spot for early Broncos. This height comfortably supports 33-inch to 35-inch tires with proper wheel backspacing and fender clearance. It offers noticeable gains in articulation and ground clearance while maintaining good street manners when properly set up. It's worth noting, a 3.5-inch lift is where you start to require additional components to ensure proper handling and performance. This includes extended brake lines & parking brake cables, adjustable track bar with drop or riser brackets, adjustable drag link for centering steering gear, taller bump stops, and extended driveshafts to prevent overextension.

5.5-inch lifts and taller are well-suited for aggressive off-road builds. These systems are commonly paired with 35-inch tires and larger. While extremely capable on the trail, these setups demand careful planning to retain predictable road behavior. Don't worry, we've done this and can guide you through the proper steps to ensure your lifted Bronco performs as well as can be expected.

Tire clearance is influenced by more than lift height alone. Fender flares, wheel backspacing, suspension travel, and bump stop placement all play a role in how large of a tire your Bronco can realistically run without rubbing.

Early Bronco Lift Height & Tire Size Quick Reference

Larger Tires & Increased Ground Clearance

While light trail use and overlanding can be done with a stock early Bronco, many trails and obstacles are simply inaccessible without additional ground clearance. Adding a suspension lift allows the Bronco to clear rocks, ruts, and uneven terrain that would stop a stock-height truck.

Today, most early Broncos run 33-inch tires or larger, with many owners stepping up to 35s, 37s, or more. While not scientific, our best estimate is that the average early Bronco on the road today runs a 35-inch tire.

Suspension lifts aren’t the only factor in tire clearance. Fender flares can dramatically increase usable wheel well space by opening up the body tub. While this requires cutting the sheet metal, it can allow a stock-height Bronco to fit 32-inch or even 33-inch tires. Most builds combine both fender flares and suspension lift for optimal clearance and suspension performance.

Improved Ride Quality & Comfort

Modern suspension components provide a noticeable improvement in ride quality over original 1960s and 70s equipment. Updated shocks, springs, and bushings do a better job of absorbing bumps and reducing vibration, making long drives and rough trails far more comfortable.

The factory front coil springs on a 66-77 Ford Bronco were linear-rate springs, meaning they maintained the same stiffness throughout compression. Wild Horses' Early Bronco coil springs are progressive-rate, offering a softer initial ride for everyday driving while stiffening under load to prevent bottoming out during hard off-road use.

These advances in suspension design allow classic Broncos to drive better today than they ever did from the factory.

Improved Off-Road Performance

Upgrading the suspension is also one of the most effective ways to improve off-road capability. Advanced suspension systems are designed to increase wheel travel, improve traction, and maintain control as the Bronco flexes over uneven terrain.

Revised shock mounting locations, improved suspension geometry, and upgraded control arms allow the suspension to articulate more freely. Keeping all four tires in contact with the ground as much as possible is key to maintaining traction, especially in rocks, mud, and technical terrain.

For Bronco owners who spend serious time off-road, a properly designed suspension system makes a noticeable difference in both capability and confidence.