OBS Ford Long Travel Kits: 1980-1996 F-150 and Bronco

October 12, 2026
OBS Ford long travel: Desolate stock width 17 inches no fiberglass vs extended width 18 inches fiberglass required, plus 4WD TTB and 2WD I-beam options

The short answer: long-travel kits for the 1980–1996 F-150 and Bronco exist, and on a 4WD truck you don’t need fiberglass to get serious travel. Desolate Motorsports’ stock-width kit for the Twin Traction Beam front end cycles 17″ of travel on 35″ tires with “no need for fiberglass fenders”, from $4,752.99. Its extended-width kit adds 4.5″ per side for just 1″ more travel (18″), takes 37s, and requires fiberglass, from $7,549.99. For a 2WD Twin I-Beam truck, the catalog option is GIANT MotorSports’ equal-length I-beam kit.

OBS FORD LONG TRAVEL1980-1996 F-150 AND BRONCO+4.5″ PER SIDE BUYS ONE MORE INCH OF TRAVEL, AND FIBERGLASSSTOCK WIDTHEXTENDED WIDTHWheel travel17″18″Trackstock+4.5″ per sideTire35″35″ or 37″Fiberglassnot neededrequiredPrice, front onlyfrom $4,752.99from $7,549.99Desolate Motorsports 80-96 4WD F-150 / Bronco TTB kits, 3-5″ lift, beam core charge included.4WD (TWIN TRACTION BEAM)Desolate: stock or extended width,or a Super Duty Dana 60 swap.Solo: Stage 3, 15″ on Dana 44 TTB, $5,615.2WD (TWIN I-BEAM)GIANT: equal-length I-beams replace thefactory twin I-beam, $3,550, up to 19″.Lift pivots for 2WD stock beams, $875.Desolate Motorsports, GIANT MotorSports and Solo Motorsports listings. As listed October 2026.

First: which front end do you have?

The factory front end decides what you can buy:

  • 4WD F-150 and Bronco: Twin Traction Beam (Dana 44 TTB). Desolate’s long-travel kits are listed for the 80–96 4WD F-150 and Bronco. They keep the factory beams and add plating, uniball pivots and radius arms. Solo Motorsports builds its kits on “Cut N’ Turned Dana 44 TTBs.”
  • 2WD F-150: Twin I-Beam. GIANT’s equal-length I-beam kit “replaces the factory twin I-beam setup,” which GIANT says was “never designed for long travel.” GIANT also sells lift pivots that it says work “with 2WD stock beams too.”

The kits below list 1980–1996 for the F-150 and Bronco.

Every front kit, as listed

Kit Front end Price Travel Width Fiberglass
Desolate Long Travel (Stock Width) 4WD TTB $4,752.99–$10,091.99 17″ stock not needed
Desolate Long Travel (Extended Width) 4WD TTB $7,549.99–$12,888.99 18″ +4.5″/side required
Desolate “Super Duty” Straight Axle Conversion 4WD, swaps to a 2005–16 Super Duty Dana 60 $3,707.99–$7,841.99 not listed about +4″ not listed
Solo Motorsports Stage 3 Dana 44 TTB $5,615 about 15″ stock not required
GIANT Equal-Length I-Beam Kit replaces twin I-beam $3,550 up to 19″ 84–92″ outside tire to tire not listed

Manufacturer listings, as of October 2026. Price ranges span each kit’s options: steel or billet radius arms and crossover, and no shocks up to King 3.0 internal bypass. Desolate’s long-travel prices include a $500 beam core charge, refunded if you send a good core. Solo’s Stage 3 includes King 2.5×12″ coilovers, and Solo quotes installation from $2,400. GIANT’s kit includes the beams, Dana 44 spindle mounts, radius arms and bolt-on frame mounts. Spindles, crossover steering, coilovers and an engine cage are extra.

Desolate positions the Super Duty swap differently from its long-travel kits: 4–8″ of lift, 8-lug Dana 60, and “better for rock crawling and trail applications.” You supply a complete 2005–2016 F-250/F-350 front axle.

The width trade-off

On most modern trucks, long travel means a wider track and fiberglass fenders. Dirt King’s 2004–2020 F-150 kits, for comparison, list 12″ of travel and front fiberglass as required (see our F-150 long-travel guide). The OBS Ford TTB is different. Desolate’s own two kits for it show the trade: going from stock width to +4.5″ per side moves travel from 17″ to 18″ and tire size from 35″ to 35–37″, and it adds fiberglass, extended inner axle shafts and about $2,800 to the starting price.

If you want 37s, go wide and budget for fiberglass. If 35s are enough, the stock-width kit keeps your sheet metal.

Rear suspension

  • Desolate 80–96 F-150 Complete Rear ($2,872.99–$5,824.99): Deaver leaf springs, hangers, extended shackles and shock mounts, 15″ of travel, up to 35″ tires. Desolate says it only works if the truck has no factory front fuel tank, or that tank has been removed.
  • GIANT F-150 64″ Long Travel Leaf Spring Kit ($1,120): spring-under conversion, up to 19″ of total travel.
  • GIANT F-150 Daily Driver Link Kit ($3,550): a 4-link that keeps the stock frame, axle, bed and gas tank, up to 25″ of travel. Hardware, brake line, shocks and bed cage are not included.
  • Camburg lists a rear 4-link kit for the 1980–1996 Bronco. Its catalog has no front long-travel kit for these trucks.

OBS Ford long-travel FAQ

Does OBS Ford long travel need fiberglass fenders?

Not on a stock-width kit. Desolate’s stock-width TTB kit says “no need for fiberglass fenders,” and Solo lists “Fiberglass required: No” on its Stage 3. Desolate’s extended-width kit does require fiberglass.

Can I keep 4WD with long travel on an OBS F-150 or Bronco?

Yes. Desolate’s kits keep the factory Twin Traction Beam and Solo’s are built on Dana 44 TTBs, and Desolate’s extended-width kit includes extended inner axle shafts for the wider track.

Does Camburg make an OBS Ford long-travel kit?

Not a front kit. Camburg’s catalog lists a rear 4-link for the 1980–1996 Bronco, a 2WD 1987–1996 F-150 I-beam race spindle hub kit, and shackles.

How much does OBS Ford long travel cost?

A front kit runs from $3,550 (GIANT, before spindles, steering, shocks and cage) to about $12,900 (Desolate extended width at its top option). Desolate’s complete front-and-rear packages for the F-150 list from $11,690.99 to $15,225.99.

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