Fan schroud question

[Cool67]

New at the Bronco scene .I need a new fan shroud for a recent 302,74 Bronco I bought.I see that there are standard , body 1-2” lifts and 3” body lifts….Maybe more? Question is what does the body lift have to do with the fan shroud? Wouldn’t the core support just raise with the body lift and the shroud be the same height? I have no idea how far my Bronco is lifted but it is. Just learning here,

 

[Shimmy]

"The reason for a body lift specific fan shroud is because the radiator is mounted on the body and the engine & fan are mounted to the frame. So when you separate the body and chassis with a body lift, it pushes the radiator and shroud upward, causing the fan to drop in relation to the fan shroud opening"

directly from Tom's

 

[Apogee]

As Shimmy (via Tom's Offroad) pointed out, more than a few people have eaten the shroud with the fan when doing body lifts, requiring both to be repaired or replaced afterwards.

 

[Broncobowsher]

You are correct, the radiator moves with the core support and the body.

The fan that has to align with the shroud stays with the engine, mounted to the frame, that does not move with a body lift.

It is the alsignment of the body to the engine, through the shroud, that needs the offset

 

[Cool67]

Got it thanks but without knowing the amount of lift this Bronco has how do you know how much…Any measurement you can take

 

[Broncobowsher]

Go to a body mounts and look for a spacer. Measure that.
Just the spacer, not the stock rubber mount.

 

[Cool67]

That makes sense,Thanks

 

[DirtDonk]

Or, if there is no spacer, you should still measure the mount itself. Not "mount" actually, but the "bushing" or "insulator" part as I'm sure you knew. But wording is important!
So, the stock rubber body bushings/insulators are exactly 3/4" tall. Anything less than that, and the old rubber is compressing from age.
Anything more than that is your lift.
The typical minimum body lift is 3/4" if you use full-size truck body bushings. A common lift is a 1" body lift, using the taller bushing with the 1" integrated into it. So those would be 1 3/4 inches tall.
If it's a traditional body lift (usually, but not limited to, 2-3 inches) then it will have an additional spacer on top of the bushing.

Paul

 

[Broncobowsher]

Paul,
Good point. Reminds me, there was a body lift kit at one time that was all built into the mounts. So no separate spacer.

 

[Cool67]

Just got me thinking….Does anyone know then if the stock lower and upper radiator hoses will still work then with a 3” lift ? Again a 302 motor

 

[DirtDonk]

Can't remember the discussions about that. For a 1" and probably even a 2" body lift, there is no trouble using the stock hoses. Just not sure about 3" but I suspect there is enough wiggle room to work with it.
The upper hose should not be an issue, unless it was cut too short during it's initial installation. The lower hose "could" come into contact with a pulley, but it depends on how your engine is set up.
By my "cut too short" comment, if you've never installed a brand new hose on a Bronco, they typically come slightly too long on at least one end (but maybe both) and can often be used just the way they are, but need some trimming for the cleanest fit around things like the shroud and front accessories.

Paul

 

[Broncobowsher]

I don't recall ever hearing of people having issues with radiator hoses on a body lift. Not saying it doesn't happen, just not a common problem.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Just got me thinking….Does anyone know then if the stock lower and upper radiator hoses will still work then with a 3” lift ? Again a 302 motor

Yes, I did a 3" body lift years ago and retained the stock radiator hoses.