Helping a Friend

[Scoop]

Back story: We have an informal wheeling group here where I live which we call the "Cuchara Jeepers" - we even have a decal! We do 2-3 trips a summer. Some local day trips but we've done a few 4-6 day trips to places like Buena Vista or Ouray here in Colorado or to Moab. Mostly scenic trails but some of us do some more difficult trails like Poughkeepsie Gulch, Chinaman's, Holy Cross, Poison Spider Mesa, etc. For years I wheeled a Rubicon on these trips but now I'll use the new Bronco. I have slowly been converting the group to new Broncos! The core group is about 10 vehicles and now 5 of us have Broncos! At least 1 more is seriously considering a new Bronco.

So one of the "convertees" just traded in her JKU Rubicon on a 2023 Badlands Sasquatch. Her Rubicon was lifted too high with 37's and it was a handful to drive on the highway. She absolutely loves the new Bronco! She saw the modifications I have done and wanted to get them for her's. I told her to order what she wanted and I'd install them for her.

So far:

Ditch lights -



I still need to adjust them at night.

Half rack -



Tailgate table -



Next up: Winch plate and Smittybilt winch!

 

[ared77]

AWEsome, awesome and awesome! I'm always hoping to switch someone over to my lifelong obsession to Ford, sounds like you are having a positive influence on the "Cuchara Jeepers".

 

[bigmuddy]

Nice job Gary!

 

[Scoop]

Started on the winch install today. Got it torn down. I had to remove the grille and louver mechanism in order to relocate the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) sensor. I need to modify the sensor harnesses - ACC and parking sensors - before I can start putting it back together.

 

[Tiko433]

Back story: We have an informal wheeling group here where I live which we call the "Cuchara Jeepers" - we even have a decal! We do 2-3 trips a summer. Some local day trips but we've done a few 4-6 day trips to places like Buena Vista or Ouray here in Colorado or to Moab. Mostly scenic trails but some of us do some more difficult trails like Poughkeepsie Gulch, Chinaman's, Holy Cross, Poison Spider Mesa, etc. For years I wheeled a Rubicon on these trips but now I'll use the new Bronco. I have slowly been converting the group to new Broncos! The core group is about 10 vehicles and now 5 of us have Broncos! At least 1 more is seriously considering a new Bronco.

So one of the "convertees" just traded in her JKU Rubicon on a 2023 Badlands Sasquatch. Her Rubicon was lifted too high with 37's and it was a handful to drive on the highway. She absolutely loves the new Bronco! She saw the modifications I have done and wanted to get them for her's. I told her to order what she wanted and I'd install them for her.

So far:

Ditch lights -

View attachment 927193

I still need to adjust them at night.

Half rack -

View attachment 927195

Tailgate table -

View attachment 927196

Next up: Winch plate and Smittybilt winch!

By the looks of the mud on the rear bumper she is putting it through its paces !

 

[Scoop]

By the looks of the mud on the rear bumper she is putting it through its paces !

They live at about 11K feet and it takes about 10 miles of dirt road to get there. April and May are "mud season" here! LOL That said, we did do Medano Pass a couple weeks ago and hit a lot of water crossings and mud. So, yes, she has been and will be using the Bronco as intended!

 

[Tiko433]

That’s awesome!
I bet she loves it. My opinion it’s a definite upgrade.

 

[Scoop]

Today's progress.

 

[Scoop]

I got the winch install finished today except for a couple of trim pieces. The Smittybilt 9.5 XRC is a nice winch.





Interesting "feature" of the Smittybilt winch is the SB logo on the control box. It lights up. Instructions say to wire it to an aux switch or connect it to your marker lights or DRLs. Seems silly to me to wire a logo light to an aux switch! I installed an isolator solenoid so I connected the SB logo light to the hot wire from the isolator. That way it lights up only when there is power to the winch so you can tell from outside the Bronco that it's powered up. At least that gives it a function! Nice hand controller - even has a built-in flashlight for winching at night.

Also started on installing some mud flaps.

 

[ep67bro]

Nice work Gary.

Isn't it nice to work on stuff that is not a rusty mess? I know I enjoy working on the newer broncos for that exact reason. Not nearly as many busted knuckles and greasy messes when working on these new trucks. And well driving them is way more comfortable with our heated seats, AC, and smooth suspension! LOL But I will always love my EB.

 

[Scoop]

Nice work Gary.

Isn't it nice to work on stuff that is not a rusty mess? I know I enjoy working on the newer broncos for that exact reason. Not nearly as many busted knuckles and greasy messes when working on these new trucks. And well driving them is way more comfortable with our heated seats, AC, and smooth suspension! LOL But I will always love my EB.

Totally agree with everything you said!

 

[Scoop]

I got 2 more of the mud flaps installed - the other front and one of the rears. The fronts were easy, the rears are bit more involved. Plus I had to run into town to get 2 metric socket cap screws that were missing from the box.

3 down, 1 to go!

 

[eb-nutt1]

Back story: We have an informal wheeling group here where I live which we call the "Cuchara Jeepers" - we even have a decal! We do 2-3 trips a summer. Some local day trips but we've done a few 4-6 day trips to places like Buena Vista or Ouray here in Colorado or to Moab. Mostly scenic trails but some of us do some more difficult trails like Poughkeepsie Gulch, Chinaman's, Holy Cross, Poison Spider Mesa, etc. For years I wheeled a Rubicon on these trips but now I'll use the new Bronco. I have slowly been converting the group to new Broncos! The core group is about 10 vehicles and now 5 of us have Broncos! At least 1 more is seriously considering a new Bronco.

So one of the "convertees" just traded in her JKU Rubicon on a 2023 Badlands Sasquatch. Her Rubicon was lifted too high with 37's and it was a handful to drive on the highway. She absolutely loves the new Bronco! She saw the modifications I have done and wanted to get them for her's. I told her to order what she wanted and I'd install them for her.

So far:

Ditch lights -

View attachment 927193

I still need to adjust them at night.

Half rack -

View attachment 927195

Tailgate table -

View attachment 927196

Next up: Winch plate and Smittybilt winch!

With riding in the area for many years, which bronco do you enjoy driving more there? I have a 69 luber I have been building with the intentions of dragging it out there to hit the trails. But the thought of being able to drive 1100+ miles, hit all the trails and drive back without dealing with tow rigs, trailers, etc gets a lot more appealing the older I get, lol.

Brian

 

[Yeller]

With riding in the area for many years, which bronco do you enjoy driving more there? I have a 69 luber I have been building with the intentions of dragging it out there to hit the trails. But the thought of being able to drive 1100+ miles, hit all the trails and drive back without dealing with tow rigs, trailers, etc gets a lot more appealing the older I get, lol.

Brian

I’m about to do just that with a 70 jeep pickup. Make it comfortable and dependable and drive it.

 

[eb-nutt1]

I’m about to do just that with a 70 jeep pickup. Make it comfortable and dependable and drive it.

Being in Oklahoma, your about halfway to Colorado compared to myself...being comfortable means adding a 5 speed, ac, and efi to the eb budget, with efi being the biggest hang up cause it seems all the efi kits have their on quirks and I have to much motor for stock Explorer efi.

 

[Scoop]

With riding in the area for many years, which bronco do you enjoy driving more there? I have a 69 luber I have been building with the intentions of dragging it out there to hit the trails. But the thought of being able to drive 1100+ miles, hit all the trails and drive back without dealing with tow rigs, trailers, etc gets a lot more appealing the older I get, lol.

Brian

Well "Enjoy" is a bit subjective. We mix it up depending on the trip and destination. For longer multi-day trips we have an RV and trailer the 76 Bronco. But I have driven the 76 to Moab several times on overlanding trips - 400 to 500 miles each way depending on route. Very enjoyable! That said, we also drive the new Bronco (and newer Jeep before we got the new Bronco) on trips where we hotel or AirBnB the overnights. Also very enjoyable.

But on the trails here I do enjoy the 76 more.

If you are very confident in your Bronco I would not hesitate to drive it on an 1100 mile trip.

 

[Scoop]

I did get the last mud flap on yesterday. Also I cut and installed the trim pieces that cover the outer bolts holding the plate to the frame horns. All finished with her accessory installs!