Need Advice: Dad Giving Me His '71 Bronco

[sprdv1]

Wanted to post a few photos since I got her back earlier this year:

Very nice..

 

[green61bug]

Wow, this thing is looking awesome! Cage looks pretty darn good in there too... Ive been considering changing my exhaust back to a single out the passenger side. I originally wanted duals but it is tight under there and close to the lines. You like the sound of it out the passnger side? Any pics?

 

[Rustytruck]

wheres the picture of you dad and the new Bronco? Scared he might want it back?

 

[zeppelin_71]

That's as cool as they get zeppelin! Very nice.
Without going back over your plans, is that an Edelbrock Pro-Flow setup? How well did it clear your hood and such? Body lift?
And the next time you're hanging out under the hood with a tape measure in your hand, if you can check the height at the top of the throttle body that would be great.
Thanks

Every setup is different for tire pressure, but there is a common range that they typically fall into. Each tire brand and type, wheel width, Bronco weight, and driving habits will dictate the pressure. Rear is easy, front not always.

For starters I would try 30 and work your way down from there. At least in the back.
Look for the dirt pattern, or if you're in a hurry use the chalk-across-the-tread trick and see where the chalk mark has worn off after a half a block of driving.
If it's worn out just in the center, lower pressure until it wears out all the way to the tread edge. You typically don't want to go below 20psi on most tires, but if you end up like most, it'll be in the 22-25 psi range for the rear.

You can use the chalk method in the front too, but depending on your alignment it's very likely to wear out all the way to the edge of the tread on the outside edge even at too-high pressures.
You can start at the same 30psi, or start at 35psi instead and just work your way down from there. Most end up at 28-32 psi in the front.
But like I said, your results may vary and only testing and watching for tire wear will tell the tale.

And if you really want to get the most out of the tires on a Bronco, then rotate them often. Even if you're not a tire-rotater, like I used to be, you might be convinced after wearing a few sets out after 15 or 20 thousand miles. Or less!
If you have mud tires, it's not uncommon to have severe wear on the fronts in just 10 to 15 thousand miles. If you don't rotate those, you might be replacing them at that point.
The only thing that saves most of us is that we don't drive our Broncos as much as we do vehicles with better street manners and tire friendliness.

By the way, what tires are they and what is their stated Max. PSI and load rating?
That can make a difference on where you start.

Paul

Sorry for the belated reply.

Yes, that's an Edelbrock Pro-Flow. I'll try to do some measurements when I'm in there next. I'm not sure what the throttle body is honestly (not really a gearhead). And, yes, my Bronco is lifted 1.5", but I'm pretty sure it's a suspension lift, not a body lift. I could be wrong. It's a Wild Horses lift.

I'm running 30x9.50 BFG KO AT2's. I'm almost positive they're C-rated, but I don't recall the max PSI off the top of my head. I think it may be 50. I'm at the office right now, so I can't look. When I checked them the other day, they were in the low-to-mid 20's, which seemed very low to me. I currently have them up closer to 40-45, which seems a bit high based on some of your comments. I haven't really noticed any degradation in ride quality since airing them up, though. Appreciate all the tips on using chalk, etc.

 

[zeppelin_71]

Very nice..

Thank you.

 

[zeppelin_71]

Wow, this thing is looking awesome! Cage looks pretty darn good in there too... Ive been considering changing my exhaust back to a single out the passenger side. I originally wanted duals but it is tight under there and close to the lines. You like the sound of it out the passnger side? Any pics?

There were originally small diameter dual pipes straight out the back with glass packs, and they were REALLY loud. The current setup is a 2-into-1 Flowmaster, I believe. I'll have to get back under there and look at it. I like the more stock look out the side, although I would also be fine with another pipe going out the other side, too. On the other hand, the exhaust gets hot and is pretty fragrant, and my kids have to climb on the tire to get into the back seat, so it's nice for them to have a side without exhaust to climb in on.

I'll grab some pics next time I've got it out, and I'm thinking about it. And yes, I like the sound. At idle or while driving reasonably, it's pretty tasteful and has a nice little lope to it. But, if I goose the exhaust, it gets pretty loud and rowdy, and the kids love it (dad does, too). I can roll out of the garage early in the AM and not really offend my neighbors, but I can also get on it and have some fun, too.

 

[zeppelin_71]

wheres the picture of you dad and the new Bronco? Scared he might want it back?

Unfortunately, my dad has not seen it yet. I've only seen him twice since COVID happened, and they've both been camping trips where we've been in another vehicle. I'm hoping this fall when it's a bit more pleasant I can make the 2-2.5 hour drive to Houston to show it to him. It's just too hot right now for me to make that drive on the interstate in the open air. I think he'll really like it, though.

I don't think he'll want it back actually. He's getting a lot of enjoyment out of seeing myself and my kids use it and enjoy it. He's kinda past the point where he wants to have a toy.

 

[rguest3]

Great looking Bronco!

I have a Boxwood Green 71 as well. Makes me want to get back at it soon to finish.

Well done.

 

[torbken]

Really nice looking Bronco! The cage looks very solid.