The Tricky EcoBoost Early Bronco Build

[Tricky Dick]

the wiring plugs are totally different.

Looked at my Painless harness and it has a gray cresent shaped connector and adapter to the Bronco connector. Looks like my F150 column will plug directly into the gray connector.

 

[Speedrdr]

Ain’t it a good feeling when something you are stressed about cooperates and actually works? Glad your day has a beam of sunshine!!

Randy

 

[Tricky Dick]

I got the steering box frame plates cut and the outer welded out, inner tacked. I did all the tacking without a hood and my eyes closed, and now I have arc burn on my forehead.

I'm getting wishy washy again, really wish I had a welded wedge D44 to build, I'm a sucker for 3 links... I have a older drum brake (easy enough to fix) welded wedge HP44 but it's 2.75" tubes, 1/2" thick though I think.

 

[Yeller]

I’m a sucker for 3 links too. They just work better and it’s hard to explain. I know if you’ve experienced it you really have no desire to run radius arms ever again. I’d be up for doing some test welds on the cast wedge axle, I bet it welds fine with a little pre heat.

Look on the bright side, least the arc flash burn is not on your eyelids. that’s the worst lol.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Look on the bright side, least the arc flash burn is not on your eyelids. that’s the worst lol.

No but I did catch spatter on one, love that. That's why the inner plate was only tacked, it got me towards the end and I called it a day.

I think I'm going to strip down that other axle tonight and check the tubes. Even at 1/2" wall, it has a lower moment of inertia that 3" 3/8" wall, 2.35 vs 2.72, while a 3" 1/2" wall is 3.19

I might just look for another housing

 

[Yeller]

It’s also easy to add a very low profile truss. Amazing what a piece of 2-3/8x3/16 round tub ripped in half and welded on does to that moment of inertia, it far exceed the sum of its parts. Same for adding a piece of angle iron in the same fashion. My favorite trick for a crash/smash resistant rocker guard is a piece of 1-3/4x120 tube with a piece of 1-1/4x3/16 angle welded to it. A piece of 3/4” round bar welded to it as a rub rail works too but not as strong as the angle welded to it.

 

[Tricky Dick]

It’s also easy to add a very low profile truss. Amazing what a piece of 2-3/8x3/16 round tub ripped in half and welded on does to that moment of inertia, it far exceed the sum of its parts. Same for adding a piece of angle iron in the same fashion. My favorite trick for a crash/smash resistant rocker guard is a piece of 1-3/4x120 tube with a piece of 1-1/4x3/16 angle welded to it. A piece of 3/4” round bar welded to it as a rub rail works too but not as strong as the angle welded to it.

Great point.

Zip lockers are on sale for $830 on Amazon, very temping. Looks like the air pressure range is 85-110, I like that. I was always leery of air lockers because I thought they ran low pressures and needed a special compressor.

 

[Yeller]

I actually like the Zip's over ARB.... and contemplated one for my J truck and just mounting a compressor in the bed. 2x in all of the places that truck has been it would have been helpful and only one of those times would it have saved a tug or winch, so I'm hesitant to spend the dollars. Driving without a front locker keeps my driving skills sharper and less lazy