New Bronco 50th article by Jim Allen

[toddz69]

http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/1608-the-bronco-at-50-a-history-of-fords-trail-pony/

Nicely done article by Jim Allen. Kudos to several CB members whose rigs are featured.

Todd Z.

 

[Toddpole]

Great article. Thanks Todd.

 

[Bronco Junkie]

Nice read....thanks for posting.

 

[half cab]

Xxx thanks for posting .

 

[okie4570]

Good read, thanks for posting. I feel pretty fortunate to get my u14 in the article. There were a ton of deserving, unique, original and hard to find early broncos at Super Celebration that needed to be in that article as well.

 

[gnsteam]

Thanks for posting the link. It will be tomorrow's lunch break entertainment.;D

 

[DirtDonk]

Great look back.
A couple of interesting faux pas' but otherwise a fun read.

"...and 30 years since they last used the nameplate on a production 4x4."

I'm guessing he meant 20 years?

"You can also see the location of the optional auxiliary 11 1/2-gallon fuel tank."

Maybe in the brochures, but otherwise that capacity is a big "I wish!" pipe dream.
Did anyone ever get one that had that capacity? My main tank was 11 and aux was 7. Pretty sure there were slight variations in some years, but 11.5 side tanks? Dunno. Might be, but I've never seen one.

"In the final 1977 year of production, the Bronco got power brakes, Dura-Spark electronic ignition..."

A little earlier than that for the Duraspark (especially in CA) but it could have been worse.

Paul

 

[Classic 4x4]

Glad you guys liked the story. It will also appear in the print magazine soon.There is more Bronco content on the way. There was another Bronco story slated to debut at the same time but it got bumped for space. I'll let you be surprised.

Okie... so many nice Broncos, so little space. Yours is top drawer in my book. Tried to select the most correct and original that illustrated the points.

Paul, to answer your comments:

Great look back.
A couple of interesting faux pas' but otherwise a fun read.

"...and 30 years since they last used the nameplate on a production 4x4."

I'm guessing he meant 20 years?

"You can also see the location of the optional auxiliary 11 1/2-gallon fuel tank."

Maybe in the brochures, but otherwise that capacity is a big "I wish!" pipe dream.
Did anyone ever get one that had that capacity? My main tank was 11 and aux was 7. Pretty sure there were slight variations in some years, but 11.5 side tanks? Dunno. Might be, but I've never seen one.

"In the final 1977 year of production, the Bronco got power brakes, Dura-Spark electronic ignition..."

A little earlier than that for the Duraspark (especially in CA) but it could have been worse.

Paul

Exactly right. 30 years was a typo. Should have been 20.

For '66, the main fuel tank capacity was listed at 14.5 gal. and the aux at 11.5. Those specs were straight from the '66 data book and the '66 Bronco introduction materials. I know those capacities changed later over the years but since the caption was referring to the '66 preprod in the pic, the 11.5 gal spec is correct.

Duraspark... I didn't go back and check all previous years, and maybe I should have, but rest assured I didn't just pull it out of my butt and it came from primary documents. It came from a "New for 1977" sheet which listed "Duraspark" as "new." A quick check of a '76 and '77 Data books lists "solid state" ignition for '76 and "Duraspark" for '77 (don't have the '75 book). Are they one in the same? You guys tell me, I just listed it as Ford did. In any case, I'll follow up and make sure I get it right the next time... whatever the correct answer.

 

[Glass Pony]

Good read , thanks for posting.
"Originally, a Dana 27 closed knuckle axle was chosen for the Bronco but when Ford engineers learned a beefier Dana 30 was on the horizon, they called dibs."
Thank god they didn't do that. I remember ordering a limited slip for the Dana 27 in my Bronco II. When I opened the box it was so small I thought it was a riding lawn mower part.

 

[Classic 4x4]

Good read , thanks for posting.
"Originally, a Dana 27 closed knuckle axle was chosen for the Bronco but when Ford engineers learned a beefier Dana 30 was on the horizon, they called dibs."
Thank god they didn't do that. I remember ordering a limited slip for the Dana 27 in my Bronco II. When I opened the box it was so small I thought it was a riding lawn mower part.

The DANA 28 in the BII was a different animal than the Dana 27. The D27, was introduced in '59 but didn't see use until '60 in certain Jeeps. It was a slightly stronger evolution of the venerable Spicer 25 that originated in the WWII jeep. In '61, it was upgraded to the D27A with some bearing size upgrades. That's the unit the Scout used (though some early Scouts had the plain 27) until they upgraded to a closed knuckle D30 for their V8 models in '67.

When the Ford engineers first started designing the Bronco, the D27A was the only arrow in the quiver in that GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) and price range. News of the D30, especially an open knuckle version, probably inspired "gearhead erections" in the engineering department. I'm trying to pin down more on this because, at first glance, it appears Ford had some kinda "lock" on the open knuckle D30 early on. That it didn't appear in anything else for such a long time may have been a cost issue, but you didn't see the open knuckle D30 in anything else until the '70s. Many dots to connect on this story but I am working on it. This aspect of Bronco history had a big impact on the development and evolution of 4x4s in general so I am anxious to learn more. Yes, I am a geek!

 

[KyleQ]

Did the fold down windshields ever stop - IIRC the article said that option left with the roadsters, but I thought all EB windhields folded down.

 

[andyp]

Thanks for posting TZ. Great article.

 

[tasker]

GOOD STUFF and nicely written....thanks for sharing!

 

[Classic 4x4]

Did the fold down windshields ever stop - IIRC the article said that option left with the roadsters, but I thought all EB windhields folded down.

I think the correct answer is: "They could be made to fold down." After the roadster, the hardware and brackets to hold them down was gone.. at least from regular production.

 

[toddz69]

I think the correct answer is: "They could be made to fold down." After the roadster, the hardware and brackets to hold them down was gone.. at least from regular production.

That's correct. They changed in mid '69 and eliminated the hardware and bracket and fancy chromed knobs. You had to get out a wrench and take bolts out if you wanted to fold them after that.

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

Duraspark... I didn't go back and check all previous years, and maybe I should have, but rest assured I didn't just pull it out of my butt and it came from primary documents. It came from a "New for 1977" sheet which listed "Duraspark" as "new." A quick check of a '76 and '77 Data books lists "solid state" ignition for '76 and "Duraspark" for '77 (don't have the '75 book). Are they one in the same? You guys tell me, I just listed it as Ford did. In any case, I'll follow up and make sure I get it right the next time... whatever the correct answer.

I think the confusion lies in the naming. What folks traditionally consider "Duraspark" ignition including the larger distributor cap and ignition module with the blue grommet was introduced in '77 on the Broncos and is technically "Duraspark II". The Bronco got solid state ignition in '74 (iirc) and it is sometimes called "Duraspark I".

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

And one other slight correction - in Jack Niederkorn's caption, it lists '74 as the first year for the Ranger - the Ranger was introduced for the '73 model year although I think there are some folks here that have late '72s with the Ranger package as well.

Todd Z.

 

[Classic 4x4]

I think the confusion lies in the naming. What folks traditionally consider "Duraspark" ignition including the larger distributor cap and ignition module with the blue grommet was introduced in '77 on the Broncos and is technically "Duraspark II". The Bronco got solid state ignition in '74 (iirc) and it is sometimes called "Duraspark I".

Todd Z.

Ok, thanks . I don't see the Duraspark name, at least in the Bronco materials I have at hand, until '77. But I haven't seen everything. Yet!

Don't have a '75 Data book but I have a '74 and in it, solid state ignition or Duraspark is not mentioned. Doesn't mean it didn't come later, but in the data book produced late in '73 prior to '74 for the '74 MY, it isn't listed. I do see a "Perma-Tuned" transistorized ignition system optional for 600 series trucks.

 

[Mmflpa]

Mines in there!!! Its parked next to the green '67 at Super Cel!

 

[Classic 4x4]

And one other slight correction - in Jack Niederkorn's caption, it lists '74 as the first year for the Ranger - the Ranger was introduced for the '73 model year although I think there are some folks here that have late '72s with the Ranger package as well.

Todd Z.

Thanks!

Not sure of my source for the '74 thing... without digging a little at least. Might be a typo. My brain wants to agree with '73 but I obviously wrote '74. A '73 Data Book is another thing I am missing.

By the way, I love the corrections. I don't wing it on stuff, but sometimes get it wrong for various reasons (mostly my own human errors) but I strive to be correct. Don't be offended if I come back and vigorously defend my position (or attempt to) because the end result of that is that I either get the true facts, or someone else does.

Occasionally, I have run into two pieces of factory documentation that directly contradict. That's the worst if you can't connect the dots in some way.