Would you install an old duff lift today?

[jamesroney]

The factory 78/79 Bronco shocks were eye (bottom) and stud (top) regardless. You got one short one and one long one with the 2-shock staggered setup and two short and two long with the quad shock setup. Drove many a counter man nuts, I'm sure. We (I, anyway) almost always converted the frame shock mounts to be the eye config on the top too.

Thanks. I did some Internet sleuthing, and edited my post just before you replied.

But you are a vehicle dynamics engineer. So I'm asking for your opinion. The asymmetric implementation of the front dampening can only happen because of three possible things:

1. Design requirement. (Engineered that way...)
2. Implementation prerogative. (Operations did it that way...)
3. Marketing override. (Marketing mandated it.)

It clearly is NOT a mistake. And it's not someone scabbing it some years later. Ford built it this way. But why??? I have attached a picture from the Car and Driver 1978 Bronco Ranger road test. You can see that the lower Left side damper is mounted to the radius arm cap, and the right side damper is NOT. This would require the BOM to include 1 "special" radius arm cap, and one "special" upper frame mount, and two different shocks. And that upper frame mount would have been welded on a couple of days before chassis assembly.
@DirtDonk you were right! Staggered front shocks.

@bmc69 Do you happen to know if the Passenger side Quad shock upper frame mount was present in the non Quad shock version?

 

[bmc69]

@bmc69 Do you happen to know if the Passenger side Quad shock upper frame mount was present in the non Quad shock version?

For reasons unknown, the "extra" frame mounts were never included for the 2-shock configuration and only one of the front C caps had the shock mount tab. To convert to quad shock, you had to track down another front C cap as well as the two frame mounts, one short and one tall. Seems kinda nuts from a production viewpoint.

 

[toddz69]

I'm going to send a note to my two old Bronco engineer friends and see if they recall why it was done that way.

Todd Z.

 

[DirtDonk]

Somebody probably assumed that most of them would be ordered with single shocks, so they decided that when they were that way they would include one of each from the quad set up. So as not to have too many front shocks left over sitting around excess.

 

[lars]

So fun to read through all of this. My supervisor/boss/whatever at my last real job had a 1978. One shock on either side and I remember his frustration when the local parts store listed the same for each side except that one side didn't fit.

James, if you are reading this, sure was great to meet you on Saturday! Paul, great to see you again!

And @jamesroney I have an OPINION about what WH calls the Wrap Trap. I made a dynamic model of it back when I knew how to do that and had access to the software. If you are interested.

 

[jamesroney]

So fun to read through all of this. My supervisor/boss/whatever at my last real job had a 1978. One shock on either side and I remember his frustration when the local parts store listed the same for each side except that one side didn't fit.

James, if you are reading this, sure was great to meet you on Saturday! Paul, great to see you again!

And @jamesroney I have an OPINION about what WH calls the Wrap Trap. I made a dynamic model of it back when I knew how to do that and had access to the software. If you are interested.

Hi @lars Yes, very interested in any insight on controlling the axle wrap. (Short of doing a 4 link.) It was really nice to meet you and to see your Bronco. Don't let Paul @DirtDonk keep your trophy. Your Bronco won an award at the Wild Horses Round Up. It was a toss-up between me and Paul for who would see you next. Paul won...

 

[DirtDonk]

Too late. Already on the wall at my house!
We can take it back down during the next “Lars Bars Build Party” get-together.

 

[lars]

@jamesroney, verbose reply regarding anti-wrap when I have time, new thread. Look forward to batting around ideas.

@DirtDonk, photo of it please!

 

[sprdv1]

I'm going to send a note to my two old Bronco engineer friends and see if they recall why it was done that way.

Todd Z.

the man w/the know how

 

[sprdv1]

@jamesroney, verbose reply regarding anti-wrap when I have time, new thread. Look forward to batting around ideas.

@DirtDonk, photo of it please!

Definitely need some pics..