I would like any and everyone's opinion on the best lift kit for my '78 Bronco?

I'm not so much interested in the cheapest, but in how easy it is to install and the one least likely to have weird problems afterward.

I'm not a master mechanic - I've pulled a few motors, had them built and reinstalled, taken a pickup down to the frame and cab and put it back together successfully. I want to try to install it myself so I need the instructions to be clear and the parts to be well made and fit properly.

Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge!

rpoe

I've heard poker chips hockey pucks and laminated phone books work very well

Skyjacker are the best made from what ive seen. Any major brand is going to be good, Skyjacker, Superlift, Procomp, I think Rancho makes a few also. Get a good bronk mag and look it through.

Depends what your using it for, DD or off road. Do you want flex or is it just for looks. A lift on a 78-79 is an afternoon project. Make sure you use an AAL in the back and not blocks.

What kind of lift are you looking to install? Body? Suspension? How much are you willing to spend? Are you looking to put bigger tires on the truck as well? If so, are you willing to change axle gearing to compensate for the change in size? Are you willing to replace springs? Radius arms? There are a lot of options to consider.

I say this because no matter which manufacturer you choose, you still have a lot of options based on the questions above and quite a bit more. Lift manufacturers try to do what any good supplier does, cater to as many budgets and levels of quality as there are customers. So, my suggestion is to research this heavily. Make some hard decisions about what you want the truck to be able to do once you have finished this project. The red link in my signature addresses all of these questions and attempts to give some very realistic advice about what to expect from a project like this.

Take this for what it is, merely my advice. The original question poses at least as many as I have posted here.

Lift manufacturers include but are not limited to:

Autofab
BDS
Black Diamond
Cage
Calmini
Fabtech
Full Traction
Kelderman
ProComp
Rancho
RCD
Revtech
Rize
Rough Country
Super springs
Superlift
SkyJacker
Trail Master
Tuff Country
Warrior

Thanks everyone for your advice - think I'll go with the poker chips and hockey pucks.

Please understand - the 4" lift it has now was the worst hack job I've seen - they raised the truck alright but didn't spend 1 brain cycle on getting the front end geometry back to factory specs. So I've experienced the death wobble, a half turn of dead space in the steering wheel, lane drifting, etc etc.

I do know what I want to use the truck for - I don't want it for a DD - I have 2 other 4x4 trucks, one in decent shape. (They're chebies - I'm SO ashamed!) A '74 stepside and 93 Blazer.

I used to use it when we had a rare snow here in AL - ironically, it's sleeting outside right now. If it hadn't been for the Bronco in '93, I would have been stuck way out in the boonies in an all electric house. We had to run over many downed tree trunks to get to a house with power, and the only damage was a broken side mirror. I live in small farm country (8 acres myself) and there's always somebody (me the most) getting a tractor or some vehicle stuck and need a truck like I'm shooting for.

A federally funded offroad park about 20 miles from here is opening in Feb, plus there are 5 more parks within 60 miles. But the Bronco needs repair and one of the first things it needs is to remove the hack lift and install a good factory lift before hitting the trails.

Looks like I have a lot to think about - however, I do think I can honestly answer the questions you're posed and hopefully decide on the best kit.

Again, thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.

rpoe

bigger tires will need gearing....

What gears do you have now?

To be honest, I've never checked - however, I do have a past magazine that bookmarked that has the formula to calculate it so looks like I need to get busy gathering info. As you can see, I'm a newb.

I do know the Bronco is completely stock except for the hack lift if that helps - it has had 33" tires with steel rims most of its life, if that helps.

I guess I should have been more clear with my original question. What I was looking for was anyone who has installed a lift within the past year and either had a horror story or a "Man, that was a breeze, I'd recommend it to anyone" experience

Just looking for an endorsement from any of you guys on a good product - one of my big concerns is whether the kit comes with excellent instructions. I think I know how all the parts fit just never done it before.

I will definitely read up on the info before I ask a question next time. It's just that nothing is better (to me) than getting advice from someone who has used the product. That's what I was shooting for.

Thanks again for your time and experience.
rpoe

Hopping in here a little late, and everyone has pretty much covered everything. However, I'll throw my 2 cents in, it has been my experience that you really do get what you pay for when it comes to lifts. The more expensive the lift, the better the ride quality and flex, and the opposite is true for cheaper lifts. I like SkyJacker, and they're more pricey...Rough Country seems to be a popular option and is cheaper, but as I said rougher ride and worse flex. As far as what gears you have, if it's stock, it should be 3.55's or 4.10's. I wouldn't advise keeping the 3.55's for anything over a stock tire, and 4.10's will be a pretty decent gear for getting power to the ground and mpg's for a 35" tire. However, I'm all for getting more power to the ground and would probably go for 4.56's with 35's. If you approach the 36-38" area, I'd consider 4.88's to maximize power to the ground.

If I had to put money on it, you probably have 3.50 gears.
There is a chance of 4.10s and I believe 3.08s, both are rare.

Not many lift kits have EVERYTHING you need, so you have to buy seperate to get it all, so I bought everything seperate from www.broncograveyard.com when I got mine....

For a 4", you'll need:
4" deaver coil springs (cage and skyjacker are also good springs)
7 degree C bushings
drop trac bar bracket
add a leaf or shackle flip
4 new shocks (skyjacker nitro or Rancho 5000s are good and don't break the bank, and rough country shocks are a waste of money)

Some people get away without these for a 4" lift, but for reliability/quality you'd need:
3" Radius arm drop brackets and 4 degree c bushings (instead of 7*)
new radius arm bushings
drop pitman arm
extended brake lines front and rear
adjustable trac bar (instead of drop bracket)


Regearing is recommended, but it's not cheap...You'd be looking at least $1,200 for both axles, so sticking with 33s and living with slightly slugish acceleration might have to be an option if you don't have a extra grand to through into it.