2" body lift, help with stock front dress and electric fan?

[OX1]

Ended up with a body lift, so can't really use stock shroud.
Does a 2" body lift move stock WP snout far enough away
(from center) to help get an electric fan in?

I've also thought of maybe moving drivetrain back 1/2 or 3/4"
if that would get enough (and for that matter, does a body lift
give you any clearance to move motor back?).

Don't want to go serp/explr dress.

 

[sykanr0ng]

You could move your radiator and shroud to line up with the fan:

https://www.dufftuff.com/Extended_Lower_Radiator_Brackets_Body_Lift_Bronco_p/3111.htm

 

[charlie6976]

You could move your radiator and shroud to line up with the fan:

https://www.dufftuff.com/Extended_Lower_Radiator_Brackets_Body_Lift_Bronco_p/3111.htm

I went with this. Worked good for me.

 

[stoker]

I used a shroud from Tom’s built to accommodate my 2” body lift and kept my stock fan. It’s a good fit. Very happy with it.

https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...oud-black-2-body-lift-66-77-early-ford-bronco

 

[71broncman]

You can move the radiator down 2" with brackets that most of our vendors carry or fab a drop for the shroud instead of having to move the whole drivetrain. I have a 2" BL on mine and dropped the shroud with a piece of sheet metal riveted to the top of the shroud. It actually centers the fan in the radiator doing it that way. If your more inclined to go electric it's pretty tight in there. I only have about 3" between the radiator and the WP snout on mine. I'll let someone that has electric chime in with what works.
Mark.

 

[DirtDonk]

Ended up with a body lift, so can't really use stock shroud.

As they've indicated, you can still use the stock shroud sometimes. It just takes some tweaking maybe. Or thinking outside the box sometimes.

Does a 2" body lift move stock WP snout far enough away (from center) to help get an electric fan in?

Not sure. Most larger electric fans have enough plastic ducting/shielding around them to make mounting in an Bronco difficult even at the different height.
Hopefully someone will have tried it.

I've also thought of maybe moving drivetrain back 1/2 or 3/4" if that would get enough

What part of the drivetrain? Most who talk about that are speaking only of the rear axle. Doing this will in no way effect your fan-to-radiator clearance.

... (and for that matter, does a body lift give you any clearance to move motor back?).

Not really.
And moving the engine back is a huge undertaking. You still at that point in the build?

Don't want to go serp/explr dress.

Too bad. That's usually the be-all-and-end-all of solutions for not only gaining clearance, but for getting a cooling setup that's second to none, a beefy alternator, slick power steering setup, and easier maintenance.
But it does cost dollars and doesn't just throw itself on there without other issues (like losing a fuel pump for one).
Of course, if you're at the point of thinking of moving the engine and entire drivetrain back an inch or two, extra cost, extra work, extra engineering and hassles are not things you're shying away from!

Good luck.

Paul

 

[OX1]

You could move your radiator and shroud to line up with the fan:

I went with this. Worked good for me.

I used a shroud from Tom’s built to accommodate my 2” body lift and kept my stock fan. It’s a good fit. Very happy with it.

https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...oud-black-2-body-lift-66-77-early-ford-bronco

Forgot to add that I plan on 8000 lb winch, semi hidden behind stock bumper.

As they've indicated, you can still use the stock shroud sometimes. It just takes some tweaking maybe. Or thinking outside the box sometimes.



Not sure. Most larger electric fans have enough plastic ducting/shielding around them to make mounting in an Bronco difficult even at the different height.
Hopefully someone will have tried it.



What part of the drivetrain? Most who talk about that are speaking only of the rear axle. Doing this will in no way effect your fan-to-radiator clearance.



Not really.
And moving the engine back is a huge undertaking. You still at that point in the build?



Too bad. That's usually the be-all-and-end-all of solutions for not only gaining clearance, but for getting a cooling setup that's second to none, a beefy alternator, slick power steering setup, and easier maintenance.
But it does cost dollars and doesn't just throw itself on there without other issues (like losing a fuel pump for one).
Of course, if you're at the point of thinking of moving the engine and entire drivetrain back an inch or two, extra cost, extra work, extra engineering and hassles are not things you're shying away from!

Good luck.

Paul

Drivetrain as in motor/trans/TC. The issues I see are possibly;
Clutch linkage, but I have to make some kind of custom bracket to use with
newer 5.0 block anyway.
Length of speedo cable, not even sure if that reaches with 2" body lift by itself.
Header clearance might be the largest challenge, but we are talking 1/2-3/4 inch.
Trans/TC shifters, guessing these have to be at least lightly modded due to body lift anyway.

Would rather an electric fan so I can shut it off.
I don't plan on swamping it, but it happens here and there
in the jersey pine barrens. Even when you tell yourself
"I am not going hard core mudding in this thing". ;D

I haven't looked in pushers, but maybe that is an option in combo with some
really thin pullers.

 

[bronconut73]

Ox,

I fear you are going to find that there is not enough room in front of or behind the stock rad to be able to put an electric fan worth a damn in there.
Some have cut the core support to push the radiator forward. You can gain that one inch you are looking for that way. There are a few here that have done the core support mod. A lot of work but less than moving the drivetrain back.

You really should consider the Explorer Serp. I resisted for years because I had aluminum pulleys and brackets for 20 years.
The Explorer Serp is now one of my favorite mods


Better ps pump
Better alternator
Better waterpump
Best fan you can buy (lots more room for electric fan too)
No belt squeal
Silent compared to v-belt equipment
Better in every way Hoss

 

[OX1]

Ox,

I fear you are going to find that there is not enough room in front of or behind the stock rad to be able to put an electric fan worth a damn in there.
Some have cut the core support to push the radiator forward. You can gain that one inch you are looking for that way. There are a few here that have done the core support mod. A lot of work but less than moving the drivetrain back.

You really should consider the Explorer Serp. I resisted for years because I had aluminum pulleys and brackets for 20 years.
The Explorer Serp is now one of my favorite mods


Better ps pump
Better alternator
Better waterpump
Best fan you can buy (lots more room for electric fan too)
No belt squeal
Silent compared to v-belt equipment
Better in every way Hoss

I pulled out my grill last night and keeping the stock hood release,
there is no way to fit a pusher either.

Already had custom brackets for dual return sag for my HB,
and I also already have 3G mounted on new engine with SS
turnbuckle to get decent tension.

I am going to roll with that for now, just fix
shroud the best I can and maybe someday
go explr setup. I really only need explr stuff to
get electric fan/serp, for swamping
this thing in deep water, otherwise I can live
with it all the way it is.

I am still going to look at moving drivetrain back a hair,
if for no other reason to get a bit more clearance
of stock fan and radiator. Hoping that will help if
I ever get too much water near fan, from eating into
radiator.

 

[DirtDonk]

It's doable. I don't remember who did it, but I think they were on here.
But the main thing you need to do is clearance the firewall Clarence. The driver's side no less...

So look at the back of the driver's side cylinder head and see if that makes enough sense to go through with it.
To me that would be the first hurdle to take into account.

Paul

 

[OX1]

It's doable. I don't remember who did it, but I think they were on here.
But the main thing you need to do is clearance the firewall Clarence. The driver's side no less...

So look at the back of the driver's side cylinder head and see if that makes enough sense to go through with it.
To me that would be the first hurdle to take into account.

Paul

Yeah, I would have to drop the motor/trans in and see.
May not be worth it, especially is speedo cable is maxed
out already, although I don't ever remember reading a post
about extending speedo cable after a body lift.

I did cut a new hole for fusebox and move entire fuse box
(about the height of fuse box) above were it was
(then made cover for hole), but that was more
for tall valve covers, than for/aft clearance. It appears, looking at
eng comp "body lines" around that area, that moving upward 2", gains
you virtually nothing for/aft.