Lightest weight Bronco

[biggercb]

What's the lightest weight early bronco out there? I know I have seen where the stock broncos are around 3800lbs....and most of the resto mods are around 4500lbs...

What about the guys running no top, no doors, no tailgate...and maybe a fiberglass tub. What are the desert racer guys weighing in at? Maybe the sand drag guys?

I'm asking because I recently sold my Canam X3 max. Ready to ride on the dunes it was around 2200lbs. If I remove all the doors, top, tailgate, etc...how light can I get a Bronco?

 

[BanditBronco]

I would be interested to know what a fiberglass front clip saves in weight. I think it would be stretch to be sub #3000. Here are a few pics of as far as I went, no top, no doors, pulled the spare tire carrier. I didn't pull bumpers, my cage is pretty minimal 1.75" DOM with an aluminum dash, and I have a tube core support.

If I were to do a "sand jeep" style build, I would definitely at least do a full fiberglass front clip, no top, doors, minimal bumpers, pull the tailgate and add some bed stiffeners.

I have never weighed mine, but it is back to rock crawler build out right now.

 

[biggercb]

I would be interested to know what a fiberglass front clip saves in weight. I think it would be stretch to be sub #3000. Here are a few pics of as far as I went, no top, no doors, pulled the spare tire carrier. I didn't pull bumpers, my cage is pretty minimal 1.75" DOM with an aluminum dash, and I have a tube core support.

If I were to do a "sand jeep" style build, I would definitely at least do a full fiberglass front clip, no top, doors, minimal bumpers, pull the tailgate and add some bed stiffeners.

I have never weighed mine, but it is back to rock crawler build out right now.

Those sand tires are legit! What size are those?

 

[BanditBronco]

Those sand tires are legit! What size are those?

I can't remember the exact sizes, the rears are 20" wide, which is pretty old school width, back in the day when it was low powered vw sandcars and jeeps hitting the dunes, the extra floatation provided by the width helped stay on top of the sand. The rears are probably 35" or slightly taller at 10 psi. With the combo pictured I was running a c4 dana 20 302 with aluminum heads, cam and a Edelbrock carb, that was a decently fun combo for sure. If I were building a sand only rig, I would probably go old school big block carbed and try to push 400-500 at the tires, that would be a fun set up. With an engine set up like that, you can probably lose all or most of a hood as well, save a little more weight.

I grew up, duning quads, but duning the Bronco is just as fun, different pace is all. It definitely helps to have a good crew.

 

[Yeller]

Dunes are fun, been way too long since I've had the bronco on the dunes, 2017 I think was the last time other than playing for a few minutes in Moab. Have never ran dunes like the ones pictured by BanditBronco, that would be awesome, we have 2 patches of them in Oklahoma, Little Sahara in Waynoka OK and Beaver Dunes in Beaver OK. Last time was with the J truck at Beaver Dunes on our way to Colorado. When I run the bronco, I run 2.5psi in the tires, clocked it at 70mph on the sand, its a hoot.

 

[SteveL]

Years back there was a discussion about tub weight between fiberglass, steel or aluminum. I seem to remember em saying not much difference between the fiberglass or steel tubs in weight. I think the thread was someone talking of making aluminum bronco tubs.

 

[Oldtimer]

Years back there was a discussion about tub weight between fiberglass, steel or aluminum. I seem to remember em saying not much difference between the fiberglass or steel tubs in weight. I think the thread was someone talking of making aluminum bronco tubs.

EB Aluminum Body Tub Interest

All, I have spoken to a major builder of aluminum bodies for various other vehicles about the possibility of producing an aluminum body tub for the Early Bronco. There has been alot of questions asked about this in the past. The major issues with producing an aluminum Bronco body tub, that...

classicbroncos.com

 

[56f100bbw]

my stock 77 green one 3950 lbs with a small tool box and bollle jack in the back my wheels 1978 bronco aluminum 15x6 might make it lighter my 76 bronco bigger tires and wheels roll cage tool box in back with a aluminum tow bar with a bottle jack was at 4450lbs I found a free weigh station in my town and nobody mans it so it’s free .One day I drove my 06 Dodge Ram 2500 and hit 8700 lbs but with a full load diesel fuel 140 gal and a big truck bed tool box full

 

[Broncobowsher]

Years back there was a discussion about tub weight between fiberglass, steel or aluminum. I seem to remember em saying not much difference between the fiberglass or steel tubs in weight. I think the thread was someone talking of making aluminum bronco tubs.

I thought back in the day there was a lightweight body available. Just a paper thin skin that had no structure. A skin for when you were building a race car.

 

[SteveL]

I remember the prerunner style fenders being available but don't think they were any lighter weight.

 

[Yeller]

My fenders are about as light as you will find. They survived a brushfire that removed the paint, some how they just slightly warped and didn’t shrink, the grill did, the hood wouldn’t fit in the gap. After cleaning the rust off they are paper thin and after cutting them they relaxed enough that they fit correctly.

 

[TAC71]

I have an original Malotte fiberglass body. The glass body is not much different than steel. When they were in business they used to have Race Weight parts. They were just thinner non reinforced parts.

 

[biggercb]

I remember the prerunner style fenders being available but don't think they were any lighter weight.

I was looking for those the other day. Was it West Coast Broncos who used to sell them?

 

[biggercb]

Dunes are fun, been way too long since I've had the bronco on the dunes, 2017 I think was the last time other than playing for a few minutes in Moab. Have never ran dunes like the ones pictured by BanditBronco, that would be awesome, we have 2 patches of them in Oklahoma, Little Sahara in Waynoka OK and Beaver Dunes in Beaver OK. Last time was with the J truck at Beaver Dunes on our way to Colorado. When I run the bronco, I run 2.5psi in the tires, clocked it at 70mph on the sand, it’s a hoot.

We make a trip to Waynoka a couple times a year. We usually pick a weekend when it’s not busy, but this year I have a trip planned during Snake hunt weekend. My boys are 9 and 6 and I think they will get a kick out of the festivities.

 

[SteveL]

I was looking for those the other day. Was it West Coast Broncos who used to sell them?

Might've been rocky roads.

 

[abn373]

I bet just removing the doors and hardtop must make a massive difference. I have an old Kentrol FG tub from the 90s, but I do have steel doors ( that I chunked up in garage attic ) and haven't had a hard top in decades. If it's been awhile, pick up a fully assembled OEM door....damn...just one is a lot of weight. I moved mine the other day while cleaning. When Formula1 cars are worried about the weight of an extra gallon or two of fuel affecting engines with near 1,000hp, think what hundreds of pounds for doors and roof mean for a 150-400hp EB

 

[Yeller]

I bet just removing the doors and hardtop must make a massive difference. I have an old Kentrol FG tub from the 90s, but I do have steel doors ( that I chunked up in garage attic ) and haven't had a hard top in decades. If it's been awhile, pick up a fully assembled OEM door....damn...just one is a lot of weight. I moved mine the other day while cleaning. When Formula1 cars are worried about the weight of an extra gallon or two of fuel affecting engines with near 1,000hp, think what hundreds of pounds for doors and roof mean for a 150-400hp EB

And if your wheeling gravity sucks. Wheeling the parks in the east I rarely carry a spare tire, you’d be surprised how many times people struggle and can’t get anywhere, talk them into leaving their spare tire and any other unnecessary heavy items and it is a whole different world. It works well at parks because it’s rarely more than 10 minutes back to the parking lot.

Out west, or Windrock in the east, is different you need some of that stuff. But work with your buddies, share the load, does everyone need a full set of axles and driveshafts with similar builds? Spare tire? If you carry your spare on the bumper and you buddy has one that will fit that carries it in the bed, let him carry the community spare. Running 35’s or larger tire? Carry a 30” spare. It’s lighter and takes less space and will work just fine.

 

[biggercb]

I bet just removing the doors and hardtop must make a massive difference. I have an old Kentrol FG tub from the 90s, but I do have steel doors ( that I chunked up in garage attic ) and haven't had a hard top in decades. If it's been awhile, pick up a fully assembled OEM door....damn...just one is a lot of weight. I moved mine the other day while cleaning. When Formula1 cars are worried about the weight of an extra gallon or two of fuel affecting engines with near 1,000hp, think what hundreds of pounds for doors and roof mean for a 150-400hp EB

What does yours tip the scale at with the kentrol tub and no doors, top or tailgate?