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68rockcrawler 1-ton build

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Messages
1,417
Well, I officially abandoned the idea of using the hi-steer arms. I reamed the knuckles and started getting everything lined up this weekend. I'm going to have to cut down my axle trac bar bracket and cap it. It's going to be right under the frame so I plan to make it part of my bump stop.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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I got all of the link brackets tacked onto the frame and got all of the links cut. The upper link mount on the frame was right in the way of the tranny cross member mounting bracket, so the link bracket is now going to double as the cross member bracket. I still have some additional bracing to do, but it's looking pretty good so far.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Before I ran out of welding wire last night, I got one of the shock mounts tacked in place. My plan is to cut off the front leg and fit the stock coil bucket under what's left kind of like the old Cage shock mounts that bolted to the top of the coil buckets. I'm sure the F-250 brackets would have been easier, but I had these and wanted to use them.

I also got my frame trac bar bracket cut down. It hung way too low originally.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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Hey thanks Jim! It's been a while since we wheeled together. Hopefully we meet up out at Rausch Creek or Gore this year.
 
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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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1,417
It is finally off the jackstands! Well, at least temporarily just for some testing. I have 12" travel shocks on it and I maxed those out with no binding with out the coils in. When I stuck the 3-1/2" lift coils in they maxed out before the shocks did, but there was also no tire hanging from the axle, so I'm sure with a tire the axle will drop a little more.

Yes, that is a piece of angle being used for the trac bar. I am short one piece of 1-1/2" DOM because I hadn't expected to be making a new tie rod. The tie rod that came with the axle was too short because it spanned between the hi-steer arms which are closer together than the factory knuckles.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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Here you can see my slightly used Trail Gear shock hoops that I am using. I wouldn't go out and buy these hoops to do this, but I had them and was able to make them work.

I am going to have to cut the welds on the coil buckets and move them a little bit.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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The front ended up being stretched about 2" forward.

It's not an optical illusion, the front is definitely shifted a little too far to the drivers side, plus the front axle is 4" wider than the rear. I started another thread about this a couple of months ago and everybody said it's no big deal running them different widths. That is my plan for now, but I feel like I'm going to eventually want rear spacers just to make them look the same.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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I moved the rear spring brackets back 4" and up 2" over the weekend. The rear bracket is now flush with the bottom of the frame. I had to notch out and box in the top of the rear bracket so that I would still have access to the body mount bolt, but you can't see that in any of these pics.

With the new rear cross member I built the axle has plenty of room for uptravel.
 

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thepunisher

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Mar 16, 2008
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summertown,
Lookin good, I run 100inch wheelbase and I love it. Looks like a good low center of gravity. Can't wait to see it flexed out .
 
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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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I tried out one of the rear shocks before finish welding in the leaf spring brackets last night. The shocks are 12" travel and I'm only getting 10". Right now my limiting factor is my rear brackets back by the bumper. I think you can see in one of these pics where it is hitting. Right now I am debating on whether to cut the bracket off and rotate it or just clearance it and reinforce it.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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Here's a little update just to show that I am still alive and working on the Bronco. Got my 1350 driveshaft from Tom Woods the other day and got it installed. Also got my bed rail armor drill and countersunk. Now I just need to pull it back off and paint it. I might finally get to spend some time working it it this weekend after several busy unproductive weeks.
 

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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
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I cut the spring and coil mounts off and moved them up on the frame which turned my 3-1/2" lift into about a 1-1/2" lift.
 

Desert Thrasher

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Jul 14, 2001
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2,353
Looking great! Very nice stance. Makes me want to do it to mine.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
 
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68rockcrawler

68rockcrawler

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Sep 18, 2006
Messages
1,417
I have the exhaust built back to the muffler. I bought mandrel bent tubes from Summit and cut and pieced them back together to get the fit I wanted. I didn't trust an exhaust shop to be able to get everything where I wanted it and with the 3-link and with it sitting pretty low, there is barely any room for exhaust. Now I just have to finish welding it up and paint it. There really is no room for the section after the muffler. I'm thinking about just turning it down in front of the axle, under the bed.

I am registered for the Roundup which is in 2 weeks so my deadline is fast approaching. Here is my to do list:
-finish up the welds of the 3-link brackets
-paint the front axle
-paint everything on the front half of the frame that I modified for this build
-finish the traction bar
-put in a couple of hard brake lines and bleed brakes
-hook up front driveshaft
-install power steering box and ram assist

Hopefully I'll get a lot of this knocked out this weekend.
 

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