Ford Bronco Gets $1,300 ‘Severe-Duty’ Steering Option to Keep Tie Rods From Snapping
IFS is great until you bash into a boulder and are left making repairs on the trail. This kit aims to prevent that altogether.
The Ford Bronco follows the old-school off-road formula in a few key ways—you can spec it with huge tires, a front locker, and even a crawler gear. But what's decisively more modern about the Bronco is its independent front suspension; there's no solid axle to be found up there. IFS is meant to provide a better ride and better high-speed performance, though it has its weaknesses. Ford aims to remedy them by offering owners a new severe-duty steering upgrade kit.
It's a $1,300 setup sold by Ford Performance that was first spotted by Ford Authority. Included is a higher torque motor with an improved and reinforced steering casing from the Bronco Raptor. That's the big boy that comes with 37-inch BF Goodrich tires from the factory. Also sold as part of the kit are stronger inner tie rods and reinforced outer tie rods with increased deflection ball joints. The goal is to provide more articulation while strengthening the steering system as a whole. Ideally, once you install these, you won't have to worry about your friends posting pictures of your Bronco with both front tires pointing inwards.
Although the kit costs $1,300, a Ford Pro-Cal 4 programming tool is also required to complete the job. That adds $495 to the total price.
If you own a 2024 Ford Bronco Wildtrak, then good news! Your rig already has this upgrade. It's part of the H.O.S.S. 3.0 suspension equipment. But if you own a 2021-2023 Bronco four-door Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Black Diamond, or Badlands without the factory Sasquatch package, then bad news: these parts won't fit your truck.
This is probably the simplest way to go about strengthening your Bronco's front end. It's been a concern ever since the 4x4 was revived a few years back, and companies like BroncBuster immediately started developing kits to improve the IFS. Others have gone as far as swapping in a solid axle, which is great if you want that old-school simplicity, but it's not really a viable option for most people because that's a lot of work.
As it is, the Bronco's front end is plenty tough for most people. You won't overstress it driving around town, I'll tell you that. But for people who beat on their rigs off-road, this is a great place to start, especially if don't need to shell out $4,000 for a comprehensive aftermarket kit.
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