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Chopped, slammed, bagged, tubbed, lowered floors, 418 w/blower, 6r80, 1/2 cab, Bronco Hot Rod

Rustytruck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
10,875
Well, this free 9" housing isnt looking very good. If the Torino ends were bad I'd cut 'em off and use it but each side was butt welded close to the middle of each tube!
Once you make the decision to scrap the housing before you do it run a hot 2 inch weld across the tube near where it enters the pumpkin housing place this weld in the direction where you want the tube to go then rapidly cool it. the tube should pull in the direction of the weld the direction you want it to go as the weld shrinks. You could also cut half way through the tube and weld it back up. if you need to use more force. once you get it where you want it maybe add a rear truss to keep it where you want it.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
That's sounds exactly like what I should do but I don't know who did the original splice and a bit nervous about it.

I will do this and straighten it out for the guy I got it from so he can have a usable housing.

Thanks Steve!
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
3.5TT in Shorty?

Well, since I found out today that Ron Francis makes a harness to swap any 3.5TT into a different vehicle and all you need is any 2011 & later ECU.

Does anybody know if a 3.5 will fit under the hood of a Bronco?
 

ssray

Full Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
572
Loc.
South Central NE
Just ran across these earlier this morning….thank goodness for the history function in browsers.
Scott


 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Well, that was a quick lived "thought". lol

After talking to a couple guys (professional Bronco guys) who have done this- I'm not doing it- and either are they anymore! lol

9 pages of codes to delete, dozen intercooler fittings and places to hide/stuff those fittings and when spinning at 6K rpm it sounds like a Hyundai.

Anyway, back to mega cubes and maybe a blower for some better mileage. ;0
 
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kat

Sr. Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Messages
1,041
Loc.
Bristol
Well, that was a quick lived "thought". lol

After talking to a couple guys (professional Bronco guys) who have done this- I'm not doing it- and either are they anymore! lol

9 pages of codes to delete, dozen intercooler fittings and places to hide/stuff those fittings and when spinning at 6K rpm it sounds like a Hyundai.

Anyway, back to mega cubes and maybe a blower for some better mileage. ;0
Well that sucks, but I figured it would be a helleva process. Hell, find a 300ci and throw a turbo on it...LOL
 

bigmuddy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 28, 2004
Messages
7,001
Loc.
Marthasville Missouri
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Least I have a pl;ace to put the body now. I bought 4- 5" diameter polyurethane casters to put on a frame I had to have some mobility. I cut 4 pcs of2" round tubing and will weld those directly to the frame, weld. Cut some small 4" x 3" mounting plates for the casters to bolt to and then when I pull the body off I will have a place for it.

The pic of the frame isn't great- its got a rattle can coat of black so it will be clean. I spent 4 hrs with a grinder & a wire wheel cup. Filthy!


Simple but it works. Will help me reposition the body mounts behind the seats when I lower the floor. I was going to start on that next week but I have a buddy who is now in charge of doing body modificattions... the right way! He is currently building a 4 door '36 Chev pickup. He does amazing work
 

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JeffG

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
510
Loc.
San Antonio, TX
I will be following this build as I have always liked the thought of a lowered 2WD. With prices so high I couldn't see taking one and converting it unless I found a project that had already been started. I have had some ideas floating around in my head that would allow me to build one and not feel guilty.

Buy a 2WD Bronco II since they are close to our wheelbase at 94". Scrap the body and strengthen the frame where needed. The 2WD has the twin I-Beam front suspension so that would get scrapped for a Mustang II and of course a V8 swap.

Top it off with a Bronco Design fiberglass body and a chopped half cab. Easy Right!!! :oops:😂
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
no need for any OEM frame. Tube chassis, IRS, custom front A arms, coil overs, big brakes, aluminum interior, big power, sub 2200# asphalt eating, corner straightening machine. Now we’re taking😎 think Big Oly for asphalt 😃

Oh wait this is nvrstk’s build🤣 carry on! This is going to be different and fun!
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
HAHAHA!!! :) Got me Steve!

SO I am having the hardest time deciding between bags or coilovers. Big bags- not the RidetTech small ones. Big bags = smoother ride Excellent shocks help.

I would like to be able to change a rear tire w/o disconnecting a coil over - the plan is it's going to be a tight fit btw fender lip and frame- still reading up on handling issues with wide tires. (No real room for sliding the wheel off the wheel studs.). Maybe we bags I would be able to slide my floor jack under it so I can get it up high enough to change the oil??? lol

Bags get me UP for access where farm trucks need to go around our Valley (me included) and then get me down to ride height for smoooooth cruising over road seams, etc. Extra benefit is some day when I get old and don't play as hard or as long is that I can set it in the dirt. Everything that makes the bags work cost a lot more.

Coils can be dialed in for cornering ripping! Bags are getting better, much better than 20 yrs ago!

I have a frame, I have 2900#'s, I have big arse power, I will have a 6r, big brakes, Fatman frt end but not racing quality as I don't want that much "road noise" transferred into the frame, I've thought long and hard on IRS (but I have estimated my costs and the dream can only go so far) lol and appr 26" tires and narrowed TruTrac or Detroit???

IF my budget was doubled it would fun to build a "Big Oly" tribute build :)

Thoughts, ideas comments? Wish I had more pics but I've had sleds in the shop all week.
 
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Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
Trutrac, not even a second thought. You’ll love it in that little truck.

I get the IRS thing, it is a very slippery slope, especially at the width for a bronco. None of the great relatively easily adapted rears work. For just playing on the street a solid axle is better in my opinion, you don’t have to push as hard to get it to slide around or get it to lift the front end and make a fun launch or leave a corner in a light drift. Not to mention a bunch cheaper. Only way I personally would give much thought to keeping the frame is if the suspension, exhaust and fuel all package ok. Otherwise it is a full tube frame with the body sandwiched in the middle of the tube work. It can be done and in my opinion not really more work than working with factory frame rails. The chassis really needs to be ridged to take advantage of the power and handling.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Trutrac is a great locker. Thanks for the 2nd! :)

Not sure I'm up for building a complete tube chassis but I hear what you're saying about it!! Hmmmmmm..... Dang you! lol
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
I'm a terrible influence....LOL


doesn't have to be round tube either...... 2x2, 2x3 or 2x4 .090" - .120" box tubing works perfectly and is super easy to work with, no cleaning off brackets or redoing someone else's ideas. just stirring the pot for ya:ROFLMAO:

but seriously look at how much time you're going to spend modifying a 50 year old frame and still be challenged to fit within its constraints. remember this can have frame rails all the way out to the rocker if you want. Pick the components and build to them rather than picking components and then modifying everything to fit. That's my thought process anyway. I've done a lot of subframing over the years so I don't think much of cutting a frame in half and building from scratch, or just building the whole thing. Just don't ask me for plans or drawings, you'll get picks of chalk drawings on the floor and be busy looking for the nuero surgeon that can extract them from my head...LOL
 
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JeffG

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
510
Loc.
San Antonio, TX
Good discussion about the constraints of the frame and IRS width for a Bronco. Off memory, Bronco is about 58" correct? What are your thoughts on using Corvette suspension. The C5/C6 is ~62". Could that be overcome by wheel offset?

I searched corvette suspension on my local FB marketplace and look what popped up.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1232355057172733/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp:48c39f58-5717-426a-8237-4c4122ed4ba3
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
62” can’t be over come with wheel offset without flares. Brian has been clear this will be uncut. I’m guessing his overall width to be near 63” if memory serves me correct. Have to remember 62” is full width territory.
 
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