LOWERING my Bronco

[greatguy57078]

What would be the easiest way to LOWER a early Bronco, and retain or improve the handling? I have a '68 half cab I would like to try it on. I would like to take it as low as I can and still have room for the Dana 44 under the front end. Any ideas?

 

[744x4]

Air bag it in the FT and spring under the rear and it should be good.Probally get a 4 in drop that way easily.

 

[greatguy57078]

part no.s?

Any pics or part numbers? I would like to be able to return to the original setup, if possible. More info please.....thank you!

 

[broncnaz]

Not sure here but what do you have now for lift? Most of the venders offer stock height springs. If you want to go lower than stock buy a scout they sit pretty low. LOL you can always cut the front spring perch off and raise it on the frame to get less lift. Similar spring hanger movement in the rear will help lower it to.

 

[Tito]

Not sure how low you can go and not have interference with the pan, I guess you could put a car pan on it since it aint gonna do a lot of 4 wheelin. You can bag the rear and do a link setup. Doing the flip kit in the rear shouldnt be too bad, thats how they lower a lot of other trucks. The air bag kit would make for a decent ride and allow you to have a bit of adjustment to it. The front would need either some custom springs or air bags. I'm sure the track bar will have to be shortened as well as the drag link and the C-bushings will have to be installed backwards to reverse castor in the front. The tough thing with the front is just all that stuff there, it gets cramped real quick. The air bags would make for a simpler setup but I think would require more irreversible mods. I think it would be fun to roll in a lowered EB.
I have 3 and they all serve different purposes and look very different; beastly trail rig, lifted street mod resto, and a stocker halfcab.
Are you looking to lower the cut or uncut one? An uncut would make a better lowered EB I think.

 

[eb66to77]

I'm with the scout idea.

 

[Tito]

Most of the scout guys that want to go big and not have a spine rattling ride do the spring over mod, real easy 4" lift right there.

Here is one on bags, it is f'in sweet. It was out at SOB.

 

[Broncobowsher]

If you go up front, that is where your limitation will be on lowering it. There is only so much room between the axle and the frame. then consider that you still need suspension travel, even if just a little bit, you can't get much more then an inch or two below stock and still be able to drive it.

If you are wanting to lay frame and set the rocker panels on the ground, you are going to do way more custom suspension and frame work then will even bother trying to describe in a message board.

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Why dont you dump the D44 and replace it with a Mustang II front end. Is is just for show? Or do you want to be able to flog it around on the track?

 

[greatguy57078]

I do have a Dana 44 with discs I was thinking of swapping into from the old 30. I also thought about the Mustang II. They wanted upwards of $1700.00 for the kit, but I have been told that you can save big by putting the parts together yourself. Trouble is, I can't seem to find anyone that knows what parts I need to do the job? Anyone out there?

 

[greatguy57078]

By the way, my '68 halfcab is in my gallery. I think it would look cool chopped and dropped. Any other opinions?

 

[Scoop]

How about building a straight axle out of the D30? Simply replace the pumkin and left and right housing tubes with a single full ength tube. Or remove the pumpkin and sleeve over the existing tubes from C-bushing to C-bushing. This will give you plenty of clearance to slam it pretty low. ;D

 

[Airborne69]

i think it would look sick choped and droped with a mustang front end and a narrowed rear axle with a 12.5 or 13 inch wide rear tire tucked under uncut fenders ;D . If you do drop it you gotta make it go to. id say a 408 stroker putting out 600 hp? you do that then you'll be rockin
you can look at bronco driver issue 19 for ideas.
JJ-

 

[76 bronco J]

------here's a nice one,,,,,hated it a first even though I'm only a stocker height wise & not a boulder crawler,,,,,but I like it more every time I look at it,,,,,,,I personally like mine at stock height for excellent handling with the capabilty to keep going over the curb when the pavement ends,,,,

 

[ugly74]

I'd go with the previous idea of putting a Mustang II suspension under the front. that'd be pretty cool. shouldn't be real hard to find parts in a junkyard. at least around here it wouldn't be.

for the back I'd start with a spring under axle conversion and then airbag the whole thing.

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Take a sawzall or somthing sharp like that to a junkyard and cut the entire thing out of a mustang II, Im sure you can find 'em on ebay or craigs list. You just have to look, I had a buddy that just stuck ont in his chevy C-10 and he paid only like $550 off of craigs. He had a shop install it, but you have more options than the aftermarket. Just do a google search on the Mustang II front end, then you should know some more.

 

[roundhouse]

I have an older Duffs catalog and one of the rigs is a sand runner with paddle tires in the rear.

Its parked next to a stock EB.
If you look close you can see its been lowered about 2 1/2 or 3 inches., the bottom of the grill is below the bumper so it may be just the body was lowered.

I think the pic was inside the back cover or something.

 

[ChrisinWV]

Gary, that is a great idea of using the 30 and sleeving it, I think
You retain all the stock steering and such that way, and you already have most everything you need to do it.
That should get you plenty of room as the diff to oil pan and crossmember is the only issue isn't it?

 

[daj]

See Jerry Walker's Odd Rod in Bronco Driver #19 Jan- Feb-06

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Could you maybe cut the front end out of a 2 wd Ford truck from the same year and splice it into your frame? Then put some airbags on it?