OK, so the rear is at maybe 8/8.5" off the axle tube itself (not the perch)...
Yep, approx. 2 to 2.5" of lift.
...and the front is at ~7" to the perch or ~8.75" to the axle tube.
So almost 2" or so of lift in the front.
Still consistent and more in keeping with it's age. The whole "2.5, 3.5 etc" lifts with that half inch extra was a new thing in the '90's or so.
Prior to that all lifts (or at least all that I knew of) were in 1, or 2, or 3, or 4 inch increments. Yours are linear rate (as opposed to variable rate) coils with a slightly larger wire diameter than stock. Not super big like Rancho 3" or Trailmster 4" lift coils, but almost. Still consistent with a 2" lift in fact.
I think gray/silver/argent coil colors were Rough Country before they went to everything being yellow, but that's a vague memory and other companies might have used that color as well, since neutral "normal" colors were the norm rather than the exception. Plain old black being the most common.
Once a few companies got popular with their brightly colored products, everyone had to have their own cool color to show off.
I had gray colored 2" lift coils on my '71 that could be the same thing you have. I thought they were Rough Country.
VERY STIFF RIDE!!!!!
Does that translate to the rear generally having a ~2-2.5" lift, and the front a [somewhat sagged] ~2" or so?
Yep.
There may still be companies that use gray coils, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.
So while your stuff could have been done 20 years ago, to my mind it's more like 40 years ago. Mine was outfitted in such a way at least 48 years ago.
Nothing you have is unusable (perhaps) but most of it can readily be updated/upgraded to work better and safer (and at least cleaner!) to give you a more pleasant driving experience.
Just some more observations from the pics:
1. You still have the Dana 30 front end that is what your Bronco would have come with in '68.
2. You still have rubber C-bushings which were stock and look to be original by the checking/splitting visible.
3. You probably want new upgraded brake hoses.
4. Unless you're trying to keep it as original as possible, swapping in disc front brakes is definitely an upgrade in many ways. Stock brakes were actually adequate if you kept them in good shape and adjusted properly, but discs get rid of 90% of the maintenance of drums, offer more stability in hard braking, shed water and heat quicker, and are very likely stronger too. Rears not quite as much, but the fronts are a huge improvement over the originals.
5. You'll need a new vent hose on the front axle (and likely the rear too) but you'll also want to make sure that the vent tube is clean.
The vent tube is actually a hollow bolt that holds the brake hoses and lines to the top of the housing. If you remove it you can check that it's not clogged with mud or mud dauber nests.
Just some more stuff. I'm sure you'll get to most of that anyway because you're going to go through this thing with a fine toothed comb. But at least you can add them to your list!
Paul
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