Which Dobinsons Lift Kit Is Best For Your Bronco Build?
Dobinsons offers two kits for the 6th Gen Bronco. The Internal Monotube Shock (IMS), and the Monotube Remote Reservoir (MRR), which is a 3-way adjustable shock. Both are great kits, but come in at different price points. If you’ve had trouble deciding which is best for your rig, you’re in the right place.
We tested both suspension setups on a 6th Gen Bronco to give you an in-depth comparison so you can make an informed decision. After reading this article, you’ll be able to decide if the IMS kit is enough or if investing your hard-earned money in the MRR kit is a better option.
I’ve also linked a YouTube video on this subject at the end of the post.
Find It Online
- MRR Lift Kit
- 4 Door: Check Price
- 2 Door: Check Price
- IMS Lift Kit
- 4 Door: Check Price
- 2 Door: Check Price
Table Of Contents
Who Is Dobinsons?
Dobinsons is a household name IF you are an overlander or drive a Toyota truck. However, the name may be unfamiliar if you’re a new Bronco owner.
Family-owned and operated, they are an Australian company that has been around for over 70 years. The founder, Reg Dobinson, spent the 1940s and 1950s as a blacksmith specializing in spring repair. With his quality work being recognized and work piling up, he officially founded Dobinsons Welding Works in 1953.
The addition of Reg’s sons to the company in the late 1970s ultimately led to their first export in the mid-1980s, showing a demand beyond Australia. That demand has not slowed down and they now export their products to over 50 countries.
The company that started in Reg Dobinson’s backyard under a tree now has a 60,000-square-foot design and manufacturing facility with 5 distribution facilities in Australia. They’ve grown to become one of the leading shock and spring companies for the off-road community.
Technical Specifications
IMS
The IMS kit is equipped with a 50mm piston, which is already larger than the factory suspension on the Bronco. This provides greater control and lower operating temperature while considerably reducing shock fade.
The 56mm diameter shock body is fully threaded, allowing for fine-tuning your ride height. Up front on non-sasquatch models, you can expect to see 2.5″-3.5″ of lift, and 1.5″ – 2.5″ on Sasquatch-equipped Broncos. Expect the rear to land around 3″ and 2″, respectively.
The shock body and leg are all one piece whereas your factory strut body will be welded to the shock mount via a small rod. When shocks break, this is a common failure point. Dobinsons eliminated that possibility with their super thick, one-piece construction.
MRR
With the MRRs, you can expect the same lift heights as with the IMS. However, these shocks are beefed up with a high-flow, 60mm billet aluminum race piston paired with a 66mm shock body. More surface area on the piston means even better control and heat dissipation.
In a shock without a remote reservoir, nitrogen and oil inside are mixed. While this is perfectly fine for typical applications, it does result in a slightly mushier ride and less control depending on the valving. A remote reservoir keeps the oil and nitrogen separate, increasing the shocks’ performance and allowing for adjustability.
MRR allows you to adjust low-speed and high-speed compression as well as rebound. This means that the shock can be tuned for any terrain, style of driving, and additional weight.
Coil Options
When you order the IMS kit, you will have a few spring options depending on your engine, how many doors, or if you are carrying additional weight. In the front, you can select springs suitable for stock loads up to 220 lbs. while in the rear, you will have options for up to 350 lbs.
With the MRRs, you do not have the option of springs since you can adjust the shocks’ valving. However, they are 15% stiffer than the factory springs.
Installation Overview
I have installation/review articles and videos on both the IMS and MRR kits below if you would like more detailed information.
While both kits are technically direct bolt-in kits, the IMS will require a little more time to install as they require assembly before going on the Bronco. This kit will reuse the factory top hats, meaning you need to disassemble the OEM shocks and transfer them to the IMS shocks.
While it is not that difficult, I ended up having to take the IMS shocks and springs to a local shop to compress the springs enough to get the top hat on.
Another thing that I struggled with was setting the ride height on the front of the Bronco with the IMS. According to Dobinsons, the spring seat should be set at 230mm or 9″ from the center of the bushing eye. However, that setting resulted in a 5″ lift for me. After a few iterations of adjusting the spring seat position, I ended up at 7.25″ for the spring seat, giving me about 1.5″ of lift. I think 7.75″ is the perfect height for these, but start with what Dobinsons recommends and adjust from there.
The MRRs were cake. They come pre-assembled, so there is no messing with transferring the top hat, although it is recommended that you double-check it. The only additional requirement here is the installation of the reservoir mounting brackets. That can be kind of tricky due to the tight tolerances you are working in, but straightforward overall.
Installing either set could be done in one day, especially if you have help.
On-Road Performance
Tire construction, load rating, and size all affect how a vehicle drives. The Goodyear Territories that come standard on the Bronco Sasquatch, for example, are load range C. These are softer than E load (what I currently have) and provide a more comfortable ride. With that in mind, note that your experience may differ depending on the tire you are running.
IMS
On road, the IMS kit is extremely plush. Since they are not adjustable, they are valved with the trail in mind. This means that on pavement, they can be a little soft. I noticed a dramatic increase in body roll around corners and brake dive. Under more extreme maneuvers, I felt that the IMS was a little too soft and the weight transfer caused minor instability. Nothing that wasn’t manageable, though.
Under normal driving conditions, while still soft, it felt great and did not compromise my control of the Bronco. And naturally, an improvement over stock.
MRR
The MRR on the other hand, is a different animal. Even on the softest setting, it felt a little stiffer than the IMS. However, still much softer and more comfortable than the OEM suspension. It also feels much sportier on the street than the IMS with body roll and brake dive being greatly reduced.
Since the MRRs are adjustable, you can fine-tune them as well. I put the high-speed compression at its lowest setting and the low-speed compression 5 clicks up from the softest setting. This gives me a “sporty” feel under normal driving conditions. As soon as I hit a bump in the road with some speed, the suspension takes all of the impact out of it. It genuinely turns into a cloud when the road gets rough.
If you are looking at these lift kits though, off-road performance is what you really want to hear about.
Off-Road Performance
Since both kits are suspension lifts, approach, breakover, and departure angles will all improve. I have never had issues with approach or departure angles as they are pretty killer from the factory. However, the breakover angle has been an issue. There is a specific peaked hill that I would always scrape the belly of the Bronco on, but I don’t anymore with a lift.
IMS
While the IMS might be a little soft on the road, it starts to make perfect sense when the pavement ends. This mid-tier coilover setup was tuned perfectly for the trail. It was still very soft and plush but offered better articulation on obstacles. I noticed that I maintained contact with the ground and therefore traction in areas that would have left me reaching for the locker with the OEM suspension.
There is a higher level of pucker factor in off-camber situations with the IMS due to how soft they are. It didn’t feel like the kit was supporting the low side as well, causing a more dramatic lean. So, while the IMS is great in moguls, higher speed obstacles, and flexing out, it falls short in off-camber situations.
MRR
The MRRs are stiffer than the IMS and provide a slightly harsher ride. However, they’re a little more comfortable off-road than the OEM Bilstein setup. Again, fine-tuning the shocks for the terrain you are on will significantly improve ride comfort. Typically when I get to the trailhead, I soften both the low-speed and high-speed compression all the way.
Even though this suspension is stiffer, it still allows the wheels to articulate as they should. I am still running the OEM upper control arms, which limits droop in the front, but I still maintain more ground contact with the wheels over stock.
Compared to the IMS kit in off-camber situations, the MRR is much more supportive of the low side of the vehicle. It allowed the high side to compress enough while the low side remained stiff, resulting in the Bronco being more level.
Which Kit Is Right For You?
We covered a lot here and hopefully, at this point, you have a pretty good idea of what kit will be best for you and your driving style. But just in case you are still up in the air, here are my thoughts on these kits and what they would be best for, starting with the IMS.
If you are looking for the most plush ride you can find, and do moderate off-roading in a relatively flat environment, then I think the IMS kit would be a great fit. These do fantastic on the trail and allow the Bronco to really flex and keep those wheels on the ground. This level of lift will also allow you to fit 37s with no other modifications, further improving overall ground clearance, approach, breakover, and departure angles.
In my opinion, they fall a little short on the road due to the body roll and brake dive during spirited driving.
On the contrary, if you spend a lot of time bouncing between highway and forest road driving, love high-speed desert driving, or slow and technical driving, then the MRRs are the move for you. The adjustability of these shocks allows you to adapt to any terrain while remaining supportive of additional weight and accessories. They perform amazingly on pavement and give the Bronco a “sporty” feel around town. Seriously, hit a speed hump at speed and you will barely notice it. It also has that same level of comfort and control when you take it to the dirt.
If the MRRs are a little out of your price range, the IMS kit is still a fantastic option and will do almost everything you need. While it is super nice to have the adjustability of the MRRs, you don’t need that to enjoy the outdoors. However, if you can afford them, I would certainly spring for the MRRs.
Final Thoughts
If you have the means to get the MRRs, I think they will better serve you in the long run. The adjustability, while not necessary, is so nice to have because it allows you to get the best performance on and off the road. While the IMS is tuned to be a great off-road kit, the MRR’s adjustability allows it to adapt and match anything the IMS can do. It’s truly a zero-compromise kit.
Regardless of which option you choose, you’ll get Dobinsons’ unrelenting durability and reliability. You can’t go wrong with either suspension kit and you’ll be extremely satisfied with the handling improvements over the stock suspension.
