START WITH THE C-BUSHINGS:

Hey, fellow Bronco lovers! Jim Creel from Wild Horses here, and today we’re diving into one of the most overlooked but critical components of your Early Bronco’s suspension: the C-bushing. Now, these little guys may look simple, but getting them right is key to a smooth ride and preventing that dreaded "Bronco lean." Let’s break it down.

C-bushings are a part of the Early Bronco's suspension system, designed to provide the right caster angle to your front axle, helping your rig track straight down the road. They’re particularly important when you lift your Bronco, whether it's by 2.5, 3.5, or even 5.5 inches. And trust me, if these bushings are installed wrong, you're in for a rough ride—or worse, a Bronco that leans to one side.

Now, C-bushings aren't just any ol’ chunk of urethane or rubber. They come with labels like “Front Bottom” or “Rear Bottom” to guide you. Sounds simple, right? But here's where things get tricky.

Let’s say you’re working with a 7° offset C-bushing. When you flip it over and look at the inside of it, you’ll see a label that says “Front Bottom.” This is where it gets critical. On the front bottom side, you'll notice a slight lip that rises up. That lip is what helps rotate your front axle backward, giving you the caster you need for proper alignment.

If the bushing is flipped upside down during installation, it messes with the caster angle, potentially causing your Bronco to lean—and that’s not the kind of “rock and roll” you want when you're on the trails!

Here's a fun little tidbit: About 20 years ago, one of our manufacturers had a batch of C-bushings where the tooling was flipped 180°, so the part labeled "bottom" was actually the top! Imagine how many people scratched their heads trying to figure out why their Bronco leaned after installing “perfect” bushings.

To avoid the lean, let’s go over how to spot the correct orientation on your rig. When you're looking at a properly installed C-bushing on a lifted Bronco (3.5 inches, for example), the front side of the bushing will show that raised lip. The back of the bushing will be sunken in, which is a sign that it's correctly rotating the front axle backward, giving you the caster you need for a smooth ride.

If you’re worried about Bronco lean but don’t want to rip everything apart just yet, there’s a simple way to check things out. Head to the front of your rig and take a look at the bushings. If that raised lip is at the top, you've got a problem—it’s installed upside down! Most of the time, it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s directions and ensure that “Front Bottom” means exactly that—front bottom.

At Wild Horses, we see plenty of Broncos roll in with a serious case of lean. In most cases, we inspect the C-bushings and—sure enough—one is installed upside down. It’s a quick fix, but catching it early can save you a lot of hassle and frustration. Before you tear into your rig, give your C-bushings a once-over and make sure they’re sitting pretty.

And if you're still stumped or want a second opinion, don't hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected]. We're always here to help keep your Bronco riding straight and true.

That’s the lowdown on Early Bronco C-bushings and how they can factor into the infamous Bronco lean. It's all about getting the right angles and installing these babies correctly. So, next time you’re lifting your rig or tackling suspension work, remember: It's all about the details. Keep it straight, keep it smooth, and keep on wheelin’!

After I installed my new suspension system I noticed that my Bronco started leaning to one side. Is there an easy way to fix this problem?

Answer: Heck yes! Read on!

Drivers side lean or less common, passenger side lean in the front of your Early Bronco distracts from it's appearance.. This condition is commonly caused when replacing stock or older "stiffer" style front coil springs with the newer soft riding more flexible coil springs. It can also be caused by replacing your c bushings alone and not replacing the springs. Read on:

If you have the dreaded "Bronco Lean", chances are you have recently replaced the coils with newer soft coils or you have replaced your "C" bushings. This lean can be measured at the bottom edge of the front fenders, bottom edge of front reflectors or any other handy place, making sure that any body damage or bad body bushings won't affect the numbers. . Quite commonly the lean is 2" or more in the front of the Bronco. The cure to this problem follows:

You must disconnect the entire front axle assembly from the Bronco. Disconnect and remove the front coil springs, disconnect the frame to axle brake line, disconnect the front housing breather line, remove the radius arm nuts from the rear mounts. Remove the rear original rubber bushings or aftermarket poly bushings that are on the end of the radius arms. With a set of jack stands supporting the axle (under the front hub assembly on either side works good) lower the threaded end of the radius arms down so they touch the LEVEL concrete floor. It's important that the floor surface is a level, flat surface. With a floor jack under the "pumpkin" or gear housing of the Dana 44 or Dana 30 differential, this makes this step very easy. Look very carefully at the ends of the radius arms. Do they BOTH touch the floor at the SAME time? If one radius arm is touching the floor and the other is not, then this is the most common cause of your Bronco leaning to one side or the other. You must have both radius arms parallel to each other. Are the C bushings installed correctly? Remove them and check the writing on the inside of the poly style bushings to verify correct installation. This step is critical. If the c bushings were installed wrong, then improper installation could be causing the lean.

To correct the lean, you must loosen the 4 bolts that hold the radius arm caps on. Randomly choose one side to start with. By loosening the cap bolts on this side almost all the way out and then tightening them back diagonally or slightly quicker at the top or bottom (try different ways), the c bushing will seat differently You can vary the distance off the floor of the offending radius arm by 2" or more by proceeding this way. However, sometimes you cannot get the threaded end of the radius arm that you want closer to the floor (more parallel to the other arm), only farther off the floor!! If this is the case, then you must try to get the arm back as close as parallel to the offending arm and then tighten/torque the radius arm bolts. Proceed to loosen the cap bolts on the other radius arm and repeat the steps you've already tried on the first arm. It may take 5 or 6 times on either or both radius arm caps before you will get the arms parallel to each other. Keep trying. It is hit or miss.

The bushings are IMO, the main culprit for front end lean when new suspensions are installed and the lean is a new condition. Of course this method or example won't solve your problem if your springs are bad or you have other front end problems. However, many Early Bronco owners have emailed me saying that this has cured the "infamous front end lean" in their Broncos.