Dual shock suggestion?

1buckeyefan1 · Jan 19, 2018

So my PO installed these dual shock towers. When I get to splitting and painting the frame, I would like to replace the shocks.

1.) Can someone educate me on this setup? I browsed a number of threads but couldn't ID it. I suspect it's an old school tower setup.

I measure 7' from axle to frame so I don't believe the PO has any suspension lift components. I have 33" bfg's now with a 2" body lift.

2.). Any shock suggestions when I get around to replacing them? I don't plan on any serious offroading and would be looking for a nice street ride. I'm not really keen on replacing the mounts unless they are a safety issue, don't incorrect, etc.

3.) Is there anything custom on my rear? I haven't seen many stock eb's to compare to.

I will try to post some better pictures later with the wheels off.

As always y'all have been a wealth of information as I learn about my EB.

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Crush · Jan 19, 2018

That looks to be a home made front dual shock setup

SteveL · Jan 19, 2018

Cut that thing off the coil bucket and go single bilstiens

markatherton · Jan 19, 2018

shocks

Modern shock absorbers are much better than they were back in the day. You do not need double shocks.

Local Boy · Jan 19, 2018

SteveL said:
Cut that thing off the coil bucket and go single bilstiens

^^^^ This is the way to go! ^^^^

5100 is a great platform

These are 7100's

Aloha

DirtDonk · Jan 19, 2018

The rear is stock. You can see the notch cut in the body for the upper mount clearance, but with the extra 2" added from your body lift.

I've seen dual shock mounts like yours before, but agree it's a home-made job. I don't think (but don't know for sure) there was ever a kit offered like that.

Agree too, that dual shocks are usually not needed these days. But I'm of the opinion that it depends more on your intended and expected use than the quality of shocks.
What do you intend to do with your Bronco?

Paul

1buckeyefan1 · Jan 19, 2018

DirtDonk said:
The rear is stock. You can see the notch cut in the body for the upper mount clearance, but with the extra 2" added from your body lift.

I've seen dual shock mounts like yours before, but agree it's a home-made job. I don't think (but don't know for sure) there was ever a kit offered like that.

Agree too, that dual shocks are usually not needed these days. But I'm of the opinion that it depends more on your intended and expected use than the quality of shocks.
What do you intend to do with your Bronco?

Paul

Paul, great thoughtful response as always (based on many of the threads I've read)

Mine is going to be a street ride in the near future. I plan to put a family cage into it and drive it around town in the summer.

Therefore ride is probably most important, but I can tolerate a bit of stiffness since it will only be a weekend driver. I'm in glacial-flattened /Central Ohio, so it probably won't see any trails soon.

The PO used it in new Mexico and appears to have an early restoration. I don't plan on a suspension lift soon (I know..) and would rather focus my budget on safety and improved body panels for now. But want to take logical steps as I clean up the frame with the body off.

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DirtDonk · Jan 19, 2018

Sounds good. Similar to what most use theirs for I would say.
And what the others have already said makes even more sense now, knowing how you intend to use it. Some 5100 series Bilstein shocks would likely be the ticket.

From what my company sells (WH, Bilstein and Rancho) I'd have to say the Bilsteins will give you the best street ride with a stock or mildly lifted Bronco.
If you were going to add a heavy winch and bumper to the front, the stock rated shocks might be a bit soft. Or if you were going to be high-speeding it down a rutted dirt road, they might be too soft. But then, even with the state of the current shock art being what it is today, high-speed rutted dirt roads are kind of why dual shocks were invented in the first place!
But for mostly the street and slower off-roading they're hard to beat in the ride comfort and vehicle control ratio. At least of all the shocks that might be considered "standard off-the-shelf parts" that is.
Some are praising the Fox shocks and a couple of others, but the number of people here on the forum that own and have experimented with them is still fairly low. The Bilstein, Rancho and others however are well tried.

I ran the adjustable Ranch 9000's for many years and found them wanting. While versatile and covering a wide range of uses with their manually adjustable nature, they just didn't do anything for me on the street.

So my vote goes to the Bilstein 5100's.
Being a kind of middle price-wise shock is a nice bonus.

Good luck

Paul

1buckeyefan1 · Jan 19, 2018

Thanks guys. So is the consensus a single Bilstein 5100? I did fail to mention that y'all talked me into a Protofab rocksolid front bumper based on my last thread + discovery that I inherited a Protofab rear bumper from the PO.

https://www.protofab4x4.com/products.php?ID=00&ID2=21

No major offroading, so I didn't buy the winch version. Would the protofab rocksolid be considered a heavy enough bumper to adjust my shock purchase? It's in the process of being built. I bet my rear one is probably 100-125lbs w/ the swing racks.

Is there any sense, outside of "hey that'd look 80's cool" to leaving the dual shock towers on and putting on a pair of 5100's?

DirtDonk · Jan 19, 2018

Well, there is something to be said for the "hey that's cool" aspect of anything we do to our rigs.;D

The rear should be fine and I don't think the bumper alone would be a problem for the standard valved front. But any more weight and you might start to feel it.
Do you have a 351 or other heavier motor up front?
The suspension is stock? Or is it just stock height, but aftermarket?

You should be fine I think. Some here (blubuckaroo for one I think it is?) found the Bil's to be too soft for their taste. You might check with him to see what is driving habits are and how his rig is set up. I think it's stock too, but not sure 100% anymore.
There are many threads where we've discussed this and while most love their Bilstein's, Mark and a couple of others have gone in another direction.
Some of those others at least are known to need a heavy shock due to their heavier use habits. But I'm pretty sure it's blubuckaroo that is a more "normal" user with lots of experience with his long-term Bronco and wanted to go with something else.
Which is why I brought him up specifically. Might make him a good foil and counterpoint for my praise.

Never hurts to have multiple opinions. As you can see, you're at least making a pretty good bet with the Bilstein brand from what many of us have experienced. But it's good to get another side of the story before you spend your $350-ish buckaroos.

Paul

blubuckaroo · Jan 19, 2018

1buckeyefan1,
If you're Bronco has the stiff stock coils and leaves, I think you'll be happy with the Bilsteain 5100s.
I had a problem using them on my car with the softer 11 leaf rear and front variable springs.
The problem I noticed was body lean when going into a flat curve at a moderate speed.
I ended up going back to the 70/30 shocks. Shocks with this valving are available from Toms, Duffs, and I believe Pro-Comp too.

DirtDonk · Jan 20, 2018

And in the "one thing leads to another snowball" category, if you find that you like the ride but it leans a bit much in the corners, we now have a couple of pretty good anti-sway bar kits available for our rigs as well.
Yes, it just keeps on growing (the list of things you can do) but they are legit cures for legit problems and are in use on most, if not all modern vehicles.

So anyway, just some options.

Paul

ntsqd · Jan 20, 2018

Shocks really aren't for fixing sway or lean in corners, they just mask the problem. If you want flatter cornering then a front sway-bar or front & rear sway-bars are what you need.

If you want to keep the dual front shock look Bilsteins can be ordered with the correct valving in them for this application. The trick might be the top pin mount. That mount style isn't offered in the universal Bilstein p/n's where it is relatively easy to get the dual damper valving, so best to work with WH directly to see if they can special order the fronts with that valving.

nickgp · Jan 20, 2018

I'm 3/4 of the way being finished on the 68 which was started by the PO in the mid 1990s. As true to the era, it's got dual shocks at all four corners. All quality new Duff stuff from that time. As you can imagine, it rides very stiff, even w a 351W, winch bumper in the front and bumper tire carrier combo out back. Being of that era, the spring rates are not progressive and the shock valving is just as hard. Knowing all this, it will eventually get modernized components. For what you describe, id stay away from dual shocks. Progressive rate springs and a mid price, reservoir type shock(remote Res or body Res) will ride like a dream compared to the old technology. Anyone remember in the 80's if you didn't have two or three rancho or rough country shocks on each wheel you weren't considered cool? Ha. And if you went chrome, you were the shit! Oh well, thankfully things have changed.

DirtDonk · Jan 20, 2018

And don't forget the necessary neon colored shock boots and matching windshield wipers!

Paul

sykanr0ng · Jan 20, 2018

You know how things that pass out of style come back years later?

In this case I sure hope not!

nickgp · Jan 20, 2018

And triple double chrome show bar w six 150 watt Daylighters!

Case · Jan 20, 2018

Local Boy said:
^^^^ This is the way to go! ^^^^

5100 is a great platform

These are 7100's

Aloha

I disagree, you need a minimum of 4 chrome shocks per corner.....;D

sykanr0ng · Jan 20, 2018

Case said:
I disagree, you need a minimum of 4 chrome shocks per corner.....;D

/\/\ With glow in the dark boots.

ntsqd · Jan 20, 2018

Not near enough shocks on this truck:

Or this one:

Dual shock suggestion?

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