Behind the iconic look of many lifted Broncos lie serious geometry and handling problems. This project involved a complete re-engineering of the front and rear suspension to build a Bronco that actually drives the way it should.
Let’s be honest: we all dream of a tall, black Bronco on big tires. It’s one of those cinematic images that transcends generations. Millions of people around the world would hardly argue with that statement.
This Bronco arrived at Collino from the workshops of Maipú Garage, where it had been restored to an exceptional standard: inside, outside, and under the hood. Visually flawless. Mechanically healthy. But, as often happens with projects like this, there was a clear Achilles’ heel that couldn’t be ignored: the way the suspension had been handled.
This is extremely common in this type of vehicle. There are no truly well-engineered, high-quality lift kits available for these trucks, and the outcome is almost always the same: welded flat bars, improvised steel parts, spacers added without any real technical criteria. All in pursuit of ride height… but at what cost?
The cost is usually high: a vehicle that doesn’t behave as it should, one that darts unpredictably over a simple bump in the road, or that gets pushed toward the shoulder by the wind suction of a passing truck in a matter of seconds. That’s exactly what Fernando Fraresso told us when he handed over his beloved Bronco. Instability, lack of precision, and a constant feeling of insecurity behind the wheel.
In Argentina, this happens frequently, especially with 1980s Broncos. Ironically, many of them display that Californian, young, rebellious look we all love, but they are far from driving the way they should. They look right — but they don’t work.
THE PROBLEM
These Broncos — just like the Rangers of the same era — are equipped with a Twin I-Beam front suspension with an integrated differential. Yes, as strange as it may sound, the left I-Beam arm actually carries the differential “pumpkin” as part of its structure.
In the rear, previous lift attempts had added massive steel blocks between the axle housing and the leaf springs.
The result was predictable: stiff, bouncy suspension, wheels sitting out of position, asymmetrical track widths, strange steering behavior under braking, and that constant feeling of insecurity while driving. That’s where the real challenge began for us — the true technical complexity of the project.
THE TECHNICAL WORK
Up front, we developed new chassis-side mounts for the Twin I-Beam arms and for the radius arms (also known as “wishbones”), all designed to operate at the same height. Knowing that the position of these mounting points directly affects camber and caster alignment, we precisely defined their locations, based on a 440 mm spring at static ride height, equivalent to a 4-inch lift over the original configuration.
These mounts were engineered with high structural rigidity to prevent flex and front-end misalignment under load, and they also feature adjustability. This allows the Twin I-Beam mounts to correct track width and lateral wheel position, while the radius arms include a dedicated adjustment point to fine-tune caster on each front half-shaft.
Additionally, we developed CNC-machined aluminum spring seats to properly locate the coil springs. These components ensure precise fitment, allow for shims, and can also be machined down on a lathe to fine-level the vehicle. It’s important to note that these kits must be assembled only by experienced professionals.
Between the two radius arm mounts, the original chassis is open, which leads to significant flex. To address this, we added a transverse reinforcement that ties both frame rails together, closing the chassis at a critical point and greatly improving structural rigidity.
For the rear suspension, we made a fundamental decision: eliminate the original leaf spring setup entirely and design a new geometry based on four longitudinal links plus a Panhard bar. On the chassis side, the entire system was designed to be bolt-on, requiring no welding. All brackets are bolted to the frame, including those for the lower links, the upper links (mounted inside the frame rails), and a uniquely shaped Panhard bar that artfully clears — and “dodges” — the rear differential housing.
The four links and the Panhard bar avoid the use of spherical rod ends that require regular maintenance. Instead, we used special bushings developed by Capemi specifically for Collino, offering long service life and zero maintenance — no cleaning or lubrication required. Alignment is handled through eccentric adjustment components that compensate for link length. A brilliant solution conceived by José Collino, the system’s designer and the person responsible for identifying and solving the structural and geometric issues present in this Bronco’s front end.
As for damping, the front suspension uses four Bilstein shock absorbers specifically matched to this vehicle, while the rear features long-travel coilovers combined with CRH springs with a 2 1/4” internal diameter.
ROAD TEST & OFF-ROAD TEST
The road testing phase was complemented by a demanding off-road test on the rural roads of the Castellanos department, in the central-western region of Santa Fe province. Truly unforgettable moments — so much so that Collino TV even produced a short music video featuring an original, unreleased track.
CONCLUSION
Today, this Bronco can truly be driven. It’s now perfectly suited for highways and back roads alike — beach or mountains — with safety, precision, and comfort.
All components are fully developed and available through Collino. That said, it’s important to emphasize: installation must be carried out by specialists. For now, we offer in-house installation, which we consider the best option, but we can also ship the components for installation by workshops experienced in this type of modification.