Dovenose & Dovetail

[JLBachs]

Man, you gotta smile every time you walk in the garage!

 

[fdezone]

Man, you gotta smile every time you walk in the garage!

Here she is all tucked away in the garage. %)

 

[fdezone]

Okay, there are tons of build threads where folks perform a dove-nose or dove-tail. Here’s a short compilation of the various routes taken:

DOVE-NOSE

Some opt to “simply” perform the dove-nose and leave the rear alone to maximize space for a rear passenger seat and/or cargo space. This route won’t require modifications to your tailgate.

There are various ways to narrow the front grill. You can trim between the slots, remove slots, keep the slots stock width, lengthen the slots or any combination thereof. This is mostly up to personal preference and available space.

2-Slots

2+/3-Slots

4-Slots

4+/5-Slots

The more you trim the more you’ll need to modify or relocate things under the hood. A “few” things that may be affected are your battery, brake booster/master cylinder, overflow bottle, etc. Are you concerned about your engine compartment? Are you ditching the inner wheel wells? If not, you’ll need to relocate the items which are currently mounted to them (i.e., ignition box, starting solenoid, ARB air compressor, etc.).

If you're converting to a 4-slot grill, you'll have to trim the lip on the driver's side fender to clear the firewall. See pic below and Jack's (Iron Bender) 2 pictures down. If you narrow it any further you'll need to either modify the firewall or go with Option 2 identified below.

You’ll need to modify your existing inner fenders or fabricate a trick set. In addition to narrowing your grill, you’ll also need to address the core support. Some take this opportunity to fabricate an elaborate combination radiator and fender support, engine cage, spring mount/shock mount, etc.

The biggest pain is matching up the hood. By angling the fenders inward they’re going to loose length. In theory, the more you angle them in, the more length you’ll loose. The easiest route is to utilize a fiberglass hood (for ease of trimming) and stretching your front fenders to match, which may further compliment extending the front axle forward. You could also shorten your hood or “massage” the corners of your grill and/or fenders to match.

Mine is shark-nosed.

DOVE-TAIL

You can opt to dove-tail the rear and leave your front-end stock.

You’ll need to decide if you’re going to keep your doors and/or tailgate functional. If so, you’ll need to ensure that the door posts and/or tailgate posts remain square.

Option 1 – Cut behind the door jam, angle the quarter panels in the desired amount and stitch everything up.

Option 2 – Cut ~10-12” from the door posts and then angle everything in.

You can keep the tailgate functional or fixed. Functional will require a little ingenuity to cut and weld everything (inside & out) back together. The tail light housings will also need to be squared. Fixed can be cutting your stock tailgate to width and welding it in place or adding tabs and putting up a reinforced steel or fiberglass tailgate skin.

If you’re ditching the doors, you can utilize a sawzall or cutoff wheel to cut along the bottom interior edge of your rear quarters, up and over the rear wheel wells and around the bottom edge of the tailgate posts. After you cut both sides, utilize a heavy-duty ratchet strap to bring the sides in to your liking.

Here's an example of an extreme dovetail!

Here's an example of keeping the tail light housings square.

You can always run fiberglass door inserts with or without soft doors or add tabs to mount reinforced steel or fiberglass door skins.

FULL-BODY NARROW

The trickest of all is, arguably, to narrow the entire tub, removing ~4” from each side of the tub. That’s straight-up sleeper! If you have mad fab skills or if your junk’s all torn apart and the tub’s just sitting there, then maybe this is the route for you.

I hope some of you will find this info useful. Depending on which route you take, if you posses the skills, this can be a relatively “FREE” mod! ;D

 

[SC74]

Great write-up!

I took a little different route on my back half and kept the gate functional (narrowed). Like you mentioned above, I opted to keep the back full width for back seat and storage (which later got ditched b/c my original fuel cell mount did not work with the suspension cycle), but I wanted to lose some sheet metal back there too. I do not have rear tail lamps yet, but have it wired into a trailer wiring plug so I can make them magnetic or easy to remove when I do take it on the road.

 

[SC74]

Here are a few shots of how much meat came out of my hood and how much I had to shorten it to match the new angle of the fenders.

 

[blazinchuck]

nice addition Axel! i like how ya put a little bit of everything in the thread, good job.Chuck

 

[fdezone]

Great write-up!

nice addition Axel! i like how ya put a little bit of everything in the thread, good job.Chuck

Thanks! While researching the subject I discovered a lot of useful information buried in various build threads. Just thought I'd throw this together to help others out.

Still need to trim my rear bumper, but for now, it's time to enjoy (before it gets much colder).

 

[bknbronco]

You lost me as to the point of chopping the body down!%) Guess you dont ever drive it on the road? NOT a fan! If its a rock buggie your after then why not start with a tube chassie and 4 link with coils. After all the articulation of a bronco kinda sucks!

 

[fdezone]

Guess you dont ever drive it on the road?

Oh, she's a dual purpose rig. Mostly a fair weather rider. I researched "tire coverage" laws in Virginia and inquired with friends at VSP. On nice (pay) days, I drive her to and from work, which is about a 2-hour round trip up and down the I-95 corridor. I also drive her to the trails in Crozet, VA, which is about a 3-hour round trip from where I live in Fredericksburg. She has antique tags so no annual state inspections are required. Nevertheless, she sports ARBs and meets all safety requirements, i.e., bumper height, turn signals, rear view mirror, driver's side mirror, etc. That's why the mods weren't that "drastic" and she doesn't have beadlocks, full hydro, etc. Even the windshield sticker is good-to-go. It does not impair my (driver's) view. Now side markers??? :-[

I'm also afraid of performing a "poorly executed" 3-/4-link, which may result in her not being road-worthy.

NOT a fan!

THAT'S CRAZY TALK! ;D

If its a rock buggie your after then why not start with a tube chassie and 4 link with coils.

I wish I could afford a dedictated trail rig and truck with trailer to haul it.

After all the articulation of a bronco kinda sucks!

You might need to upgrade your suspension. My 3.5" SL articulates fairly well and rides about as nice as any other modified, late model, live-axle rig. ?:?

FWIW, I think it's about realizing "your" vision. Whether it's uncut, mildly modified or whatever, do your thing! I can appreciate them all. :-*

 

[motoman]

Great thread! Great information and really cool rigs!!!

 

[blazinchuck]

You lost me as to the point of chopping the body down!%) Guess you dont ever drive it on the road? NOT a fan! If its a rock buggie your after then why not start with a tube chassie and 4 link with coils. After all the articulation of a bronco kinda sucks!

wow, you're coming off a lil harsh%)

obviously you must have a bronco with old lift technology?:?(maybe some F150 coils and 3leafs/3" blocks?) broncos flex nicely, when set up right! 1st off, if i had wanted a buggy...i would have gone that route when i went through my changes. but, for me...i wanted it to look like a bronco modified...not a tube chassis covered in sheet metal.%
you dont have to be a fan, you dont have to like it, and ya dont have to post...or maybe you can just appreciate the work/time/labor/money it took to perform the whole look.

and a few pics of the latest bronco in progress

 

[bknbronco]

yes i was a tad harsh. Sorry! its just that that is no way near a streetable truck here in minnesota. Id get pulled over before i left my driveway if my bronco looked like that. I think if we could get away with something like that then maybe i could appreaciate it more.

Around here if you want that look then you go all the way and do a tube frame and haul it around on a trailer. And im not a fan of hauling your truck on a trailer. I love the guy on the trail who has to drive that same truck to work on monday!

Since that bronco is streetable in your state and you do run it on the street (and you even have plates to prove it)i applaud that!

 

[fdezone]

... and you do run it on the street (and you even have plates to prove it)...

And a pic of her "crawling" on I-95. ;D

Rolled through some sections at just over 70 mph but mainly cruised her at 60 mph and 2500 rpm. Really had to increase my braking distance. If I depressed the brakes (hydro-boost - disc/drums) too quickly, the rear end got squirrelly.

Just as an FYI, the new (to me) MTRs behaved nicely on the street and I'm very pleased with my new Pro Comp Rock Crawler 98 Series cheap steelies. Very well balanced, or so I was told.

WARNING: I had to re-tighten the lug nuts SEVERAL times for the first couple of miles. I guess the powder coating flakes off around the holes requiring them to be re-torqued during break-in. I initially encountered a shimmy at ~40 mph, which led me to this discovery. I love simple fixes.

As far as I'm concerned, the Gorilla low profile valve stems are a POS! They didn't come with instructions and we tried them in various configurations, but they always leaked. Looked trick, but I wasn't pleased with 'em!

Now I need to take her off-road to see what, if anything, needs tweaking.

I'm actually impressed with how this 41 year-old truck with no swaybar or steering stabilizer rolls just fine.

Upon preview, I've noticed I'm getting a little queer with the smileys. :-*

P.S., Chuck, I'm gonna have to drive down to Johns Island to take a pic of my rig flexing in that world famous ditch of yours. ;D Good looking out brother!

 

[blazinchuck]

hehe, everyone comes to this ditch lol. ya want a lil flex=side ditch, most flex=front ditch


cmon with ya cmon...I-95 is in our back yard...sorta lol

 

[blazinchuck]

yes i was a tad harsh. Sorry! its just that that is no way near a streetable truck here in minnesota. Id get pulled over before i left my driveway if my bronco looked like that. I think if we could get away with something like that then maybe i could appreaciate it more.

Around here if you want that look then you go all the way and do a tube frame and haul it around on a trailer. And im not a fan of hauling your truck on a trailer. I love the guy on the trail who has to drive that same truck to work on monday!

Since that bronco is streetable in your state and you do run it on the street (and you even have plates to prove it)i applaud that!

NP, i even had tags and full coverage on FBG...the 1st pic i posted...rolling on forty2's! I drove it a lot round town, but those iroks and home built beadlocks...didnt like or 60mph. at that point, it got trailered. couldnt bring myself to eat up the $2000 in tires!! anyway...it still had great street manners considering 42's.

glad the bronco is working out great Axel!

now if i can get mine painted soon lol


FYI...FBG will soon be a mud truck the boy got the frame/body a few months back. wish i had kept her

 

[1Ton73]

Your Bronco looks great! Definately a great thread too. Thanks for putting all that info together.

 

[fdezone]

Since the legality of tire coverage was raised and remains of concern to those in certain states with applicable laws, look at this hocus-pocus...

Now this is obviously not a Bronco, but it's TRICK none the less.

Expanded it provides full coverage (even has mud flaps)...

But it collapses into a dovetail for off-road!

WHAT?!

 

[INPHOBIC]

I am narrowing mine the most complicated way I could come up with. I'll get some pictures added as I make progress. I am taking 1" from the inside of the body and 2" from the body panels themselves for a 6" total.

 

[Izzy]

Since the legality of tire coverage was raised and remains of concern to those in certain states with applicable laws, look at this hocus-pocus...

Now this is obviously not a Bronco, but it's TRICK none the less.

Expanded it provides full coverage (even has mud flaps)...

But it collapses into a dovetail for off-road!

WHAT?!

That's badass right there.

 

[fdezone]

I am narrowing mine the most complicated way I could come up with. I'll get some pictures added as I make progress. I am taking 1" from the inside of the body and 2" from the body panels themselves for a 6" total.

For a whopping 6"? You're not kidding. ;D Very nice work. Please keep us posted. I'm intrigued with what you have going on.