# 1993 Ford Bronco and plowing



## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

I am trying to mount a meyer ez mount plow on my 1993 Full size Bronco and they say my front end can't handle a plow. Can I beef up my suspension with air bags and what else to save my front end. Can I use a 1993 f-150 mount? Please help or e-mail me at [email protected]


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

You could use an F 150 mount. However you bronco probably has the light duty front end (2900 GVW). To plow with an F 150, you should have the heavy duty front end (3800 GVW). 

You can always buy the F 150 plow mount cash and carry. However there recomendation is correct. If you add front end product, it will help, however its no guareentee.

Geoff


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

You are right. My front end GVW is even less only (2600). I am sure there is something I can do. I have already bought a Meyer ST-7.5 e-z mount plow and lift mount. Now I have to figure out if I am going to try and mount it somehow or strenghthen my suspension. If anyone has any ideas please reply.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

I have seen plows on the Broncos. Usually 7.5 and they sag quite a bit. I would recommend some suspension upgrade if you go this route. Heavier springs, timbrens or air bags are options.

On a side note to keep the Ford/Chevy debate alive. I have seen fullsize Blazers with the same size plows and they seem not to sag as much. From talking to one owner he told me it plowed awesome. I found this odd because they are basically the same type of vehicle (fullsize suv) and both were early 90's models.


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## WHITE=GREEN (Jan 14, 2001)

bsgoldn,
when i started plowing my first truck was a 90' f-150. i replaced the springs with i believe skyjacker 2" leveling coils and put air bags in them. when i plowed i filled the air bags and when done i let the air out. set up worked great on my half ton. in fact in 96 i plowed the blizzard, 33" on the white stuff, and had no problems at all. my transfer case chain was a little sloppy whan all finished but the truck paid for itsself in that storm. if you need anymore help email me.


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

*93 ford brionco*

Thanks alot for your replies and help. Ia m going to try new springs and air bags. As far as your chevy vs. ford theory that is your opinion. But I am sure my ford will be running through the snow alot longer than your Chevy.


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## HD61CUIN (Dec 21, 2001)

I have a 91 Bronco that I got for $250, from an auction. It has 103k on it. I got to talking to one of my plowing buddies and he has a plow for it for a grand. Now I know I have a few things to do to it before next winter. Grinding some surface rust, ball joints, tie rod ends. I am thinking of going with retreads for tires, I plan to use the vehicle only during the winter. Now as for the front springs I have read about the airbag/hefty spring setup. Who sells these hefty springs and are they the only place to get them? Airbags are they necessairy or can I go with a good spring. I don't care about the ride really, I was planning a lift before a plow deal came along. Also give some input on retreads for the setup that I am attempting?


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

*91 ford bronco*

I am not sure but you probably don't need to add the air bags or the new springs. Ford Broncos changed their GVW on the front axles in 1993 to a much lower weight limit. You should check inside tour driver's door for the actual weight limit on your vehicle and check with a local plow dealer for the weight class for your actual plow and frame kit. You might still need to beef up your front end. air bags add another 1000 lbs. limit to your front end. They are available from airlift.com (might be wrong website,but right name). good luck. Any problems e-mail me at [email protected]


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## HD61CUIN (Dec 21, 2001)

Hmm, ya know I never really checked into the rating on the door. I have just been hearing that I couldn't put a plow on the front. Well now I have to go and look at the door. Thats where I should have started.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

bsgoldn,the springs will only rasie the GVW of the front end,if the axle is actually able to handle the extra weight too,the ball joints, stamped styeel TTB have to be able to hold the weight,or all the spring in the world wont keep the thin steel axle housingfrom ripping,and breaking.I have seen this afew trimes.As for the FOrd/Chevy debate,ill take a early 90's K blazer with solid axle ,and 350TBI/700r4 any day,strong powetrain,a guy i ride with has a 90 with a 9'2" BOSS V on it,980 lbs of plow on this K 1500 Blazer,for 11 yrs now,all it has is timbrens on the front,and nothing has broken,juts normal wear and tear for vehicle that old,i dont think a bronce's TTB would last 10 minutes with that blade.


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## HD61CUIN (Dec 21, 2001)

I have the option of getting a Blazer too, I can sell this Bronco easy. I only paid $250, its not in bad shape either.


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

*93 ford bronco front end install*

Jon,
First of all let me refresh you on my vehicle, since it has been a while since I have visited the site.
I own a 1993 Ford full-size Eddy Bauer edition Bronco with the light weight front end. I heard a lot of negative comments before I installed the plow as well as positive. Regardless I went along and put both the heavy duty coil springs as well as the airbags. 
I located the airbags on the Internet. I forgot the site name (either code search airbag or airspring will find it). I think they cost me about $90.00. The coil springs I got from my local auto parts store. The stocked both regular duty coils as well as heavy capacity. I got the stronger ones. At first I thought this was going to be overkill, it wasn't. I have been plowing for about 20 years with numerous different vehicles. This is the best handling plow truck I have ever had!!!!!!
I keep the airbags filled to about 65 pounds with the plow on, 50 pounds without. Even with the plow on my truck it sits straight with the rear end (even when I didn't have the plow on previous I could never say that). It handles great around turns as well as the highway.
I thought this whole thing was going to be a complicated install. It wasn't at all. I jacked the vehicle up removed the tires. Then I removed the shocks which in turn let both sides drop. Then I proceeded to remove the upper bolts from the coil retaining clips. They fell to the side then I removed the lower retaining bolts and success there was the removal. Install was just the opposite except that I installed the airbags in the new coils after I reattached the lower bolts on the coils. As long as I went to this much trouble I decided to purchase new shocks (I thought my Bronco deserved them) and I was halfway there.
This year up in the Northeast (Connecticut) we have had about 4-5 snow storms. Last year we only saw about one.
So far my Bronco has been plowing right on through. It only has a 5.0 compared to some Bronco's with the 5.7 so I would prefer a little more power but that has nothing to do with suspension. I really does handle quite well. Even when we got hit with about 4 inches of wet snow, my front never went down when I was pushing it.
Good Luck !!!!! Let me know how it works out and if you need any more help feel free to e-mail me.

Brian S. Goldstone


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Watch for the driver side TTB to crack right beside the spring mount.It's very common on the heavier GVW front ends,I'd be real concerned with the 2600 lb FAWR.


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

*93 ford bronco front end install*

Please excuse my ignorance but what do you actually mean by Driver's side TTB?


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

Im with wyldman,i have seen them break a lot,thats what i warned of last yr.They crack right between the the differential /spring pad.It is $$ to replace.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

A TTB is a Twin traction beam,or the stamped metal piece that connects from the opposite frame rail to the steering knuckle.The ball joints are pressed into it as well.TTB is Ford's terminology for it.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Yeah,I've seen lots break,even on the bigger F250HD's.They are about $800.00 CDN just for the part.They are usually too deformed afterwards to repair.They also tend to take out the LS axle shaft,and sometimes the diff assy as well.

Just be carefull,and keep an eye on it.


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## Big Nate's Plowing (Nov 26, 2000)

I hang a 8 foor meyer off of a 78 bronco, I run airlift 1000's and run them 50-65 psi all the time.

if you look at the image below you will see what the ttb front end looks like and how it works, the green tire is the normal every day driving position of the beams & tire, when you hit a bump the beams flex upwards and the tire goes to the orange position causing tire alignment to be off for a few secconds.
because the beams do not allow the spindle / hub to remain parralell to the road excessive suspention/tire wear is going to occur. when your plow is on and up while driving the suspention will droop causing the tire to be in the orange position all the time and it will flex to the red tire zone when you hit a bump, causing excessive bearing side loads, which can ruin a wheel bearing in less then 50 miles. if the beam hits the bumpstops hard enough a few times it will crack at the place of the most load, which John pointed out is right under the coil buckets.
remember those beams are made out of 10 gauge sheet metal and if I can take a 4" wide piece that is 2 foot long and bend it over my knee into a arch how well do you think it is going to hold a 700#+ plow?  

~Nate~


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

I had a 92 F-150 4X4, 300-6, 5 spd with a 8' Western, I plowed for 4 years with that truck. I bought the truck with the plow on it and the front end sagging badly with the plow on. So as soons as I got the truck I went to the auto parts house and got new coils for a 92 F-150 S.C. 4X4 long box, V-8, heavy duty ac, and auto tranny. They had either standard or heavy duty, I got the heavy duty ones and got 3" of lift out of them, and then truck only sagged 2", so it still sat about an inch higher with the plow up than it did when the truck was completely unloaded. I never had an problem with the frontend breaking or cracking. I also had a 95 F-250 4X4 PSD with a 8.5" Western, and sold it with 150,000 miles never a problem wth the frontend here either. My father also has a 84 F-250 6.9L (diesel) with a 8' plow, only used for plowing other that it just sits in the summer. He bought it new, and I don't remember the plow ever coming off the truck (except maintiance), now has over 180,000 miles on the truck and never had a problem with the TTB cracking or breaking. Granted i will take a 1 ton straight axle with leaf springs over any type of independant front suspention any day, but I can't think of anyone that I know that has had problems with the TTB system other than the fact that they need alginment jobs every 20,000 miles.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Usually the reason they require such frequent alignments is due to the axle beams stretching and twisting.

Not all of them break,but LOTS of them crack,unknown to the driver.They even crack without a plow,so the extra weight only compounds the problem.I wasn't trying to scare anyone,just letting them know.A vehicle with that light of a front axle should never have a plow hung on it in the first place.Just be careful.


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## bsgoldn (Dec 27, 2001)

*93 ford bronco front end install*

Thanks for all the information guys I really appreciate it. I was getting very worried about plowing with my light weight front axle. Eithor way I will be cautious. I wil also keep a lookout on my TTB's just in case. I don't do a lot of heavy plowing and I usually take my plow off right after the storm is over. My E-Z mount frame makes less work out of that. 
Brian
:waving:


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

I thought the 150's and broncos had Twin I beam with coils, and the F-250's had Twin Traction Beam with leaf springs? I realize that it is the same basic design, but it was called different bames. In fact the TIB continued on the Rangers and Explorers till the late 90's
Dino


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

I may be wrong ,I thought the twin I beams were the 2wd models,the 4x4's all call traction beams,sinc they have axle shafts running thru them.Either way anyone running a Ford with the TTB front end should be checking that stamped steel axle housing during the plow season especially.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Your right John,2WD's used cast iron Twin I-Beams (Solid Beam on F450's) and the 4WD's were stamped steel TTB setup's.Dino was correct on spring setup,All F150's used coils,F250's and up used leafs.


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## Big Nate's Plowing (Nov 26, 2000)

but most fords that were built before 80 had a high pinion reverse cut dana 44 or 60 strait axle up front. My bronco does.


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## SIPLOWGUY (Mar 21, 2002)

I run a 93 F150 5.8L with a 7.5 Fisher Minute Mount. I put in a set of HD cargo coils. Better but not good enough. I just put in a set of CC844S TRW front springs. The application is F250 4X2. The load rate is the maximum that fits the truck. It works like a charm. I had to get the rear springs done to level the truck. Added a leaf and put the F350 helper. The truck rides a little harder empty, rides great full. I picked up 3" in height. The truck doesn't bottom out with the plow on anymore. The F350 helper carries a full load in the bed with ease. I should have done this 3 years ago when I got this truck!


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## SIPLOWGUY (Mar 21, 2002)

FYI. The "S" at the end of the part number is important! Moog doesn't make this spring. I spoke to the techline. The "S" is a spring with a 500 pound increase over the spring without the "S" in the part number. I think McQuay-Norris makes a spring like this too.


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## fordman (Oct 31, 2001)

I would just make sure you get the suspension air bags. Almost all of the broncos I've seen with plows have them and they take the weight just fine, barely any sag


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## captfudd (Jan 11, 2003)

i have had bronco's in the past tey are excellent plow trucks, first off heavier springs in the front will be needed, second off if you have automatic locking hubs i would replace them for the manaul type, both bronco's i had i had problems with them auto hubs disengaging or staying locked when they aren't supoosed to, and other guys that i plow with have had the same prob's

good luck


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## fordman (Oct 31, 2001)

I had the same problem with the auto hubs on my Bronco. I now have Warn manual ones. A little more work cause you have to do it manually, but atleast you know when they're locked in or not.


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