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

 

[Tricky Dick]

Now I know why the reamer was $40, it's trash. Chipped the teeth on the pitman and was only halfway done. I got about 3 threads engaged so I could at least hook the steering back up temporarily.

As a bit of bad news, I suddenly find myself unemployed, so for now any further Bronco progress will be using what I already own. I finished up the clutch, put the trans on the engine, and stabbed the whole thing back in the engine bay for hopefully the last time. The shifter comes though exactly where it would with an AX15 swap into any other Bronco.

 

[Tricky Dick]

My vendor membership expired so I guess I'm posting pics the hard way, not trying to spend $80 just yet.

How much angular misalignment can C bushings take? I measured the center of the D30 wedges at 36" and the D44 is 41". I'm thinking about slapping it under there with unmodified stock arms initially to save a few bucks.

Won't be needing this anymore.

 

[Yeller]

That install has taken place hundreds of times just as you describe, I'd do it in a heartbeat. The springs even work, but do get a little wonky shaped and can be hard on them if you compress them to the point of binding, sometimes they bend out and stay that way. The correct fix is to extend the towers out off the frame 2" per side, but there's a bunch of them just left stock width, that are working just fine for a few decades.

 

[Tricky Dick]

That install has taken place hundreds of times just as you describe, I'd do it in a heartbeat. The springs even work, but do get a little wonky shaped and can be hard on them if you compress them to the point of binding, sometimes they bend out and stay that way. The correct fix is to extend the towers out off the frame 2" per side, but there's a bunch of them just left stock width, that are working just fine for a few decades.

Thanks for confirming. It looks like I can flip the coil cups around and move them about an inch closer to the frame per side to take some of that out.

I found a M220 4.88 ring and pinion for only $100, let's see if it works. I believe it is for a Jeep, but I've seen a few reports that they are compatible. My ELD is 3.73 and the listing says 3.73 and down, but IDK if that translates from Jeep to Bronco.

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/g2-ri...ear-4-88-ratio-2-2152-488/_/R-FCNB-2-2152-488

 

[Yeller]

I know you posted somewhere, unless I'm just loosing it..... how wide is that Ranger M220? Following to see how the compatibility works out.

 

[Tricky Dick]

I know you posted somewhere, unless I'm just loosing it..... how wide is that Ranger M220? Following to see how the compatibility works out.

66 on the nose

 

[Tricky Dick]

My gamble did not pay off, the gears came in and the ring gear is too thick. The box is marked JL and everything I can find says JL and Bronco use the same gears, and Bronco and Ranger use the same, so there's no reason it shouldn't fit.... Sending it back and probably sucking it up and buying a Ford Performance gear set.

 

[Tricky Dick]

I've got one of those hover Broncos now, both axles out and going to the next owner tomorrow.

My 90 degree heater hose fitting came in and will work perfectly but I'm going to have to roll the engine over a bit to get the clearance to spin it in.

@Dusty solved my 4.88 M220 gears issue, he has a set from a 6G and is sending them my way.

Bronco time has been limited due to this project. New windows, housewrap, insulation, and siding. Looking forward to the next house not needing any work...oh wait, it has to be built from scratch. Speaking of which, 1 more week til we fly over there for the weekend and set foot on our land for the first time.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Are you even a Bronco nut if you don't have parts in your hotel room?

 

[Tricky Dick]

Can someone double check me here? I have a nice set of antiwrap perches and heavy duty top plates on hand but they are 2.5" wide instead of 2.25". I've seen a couple instance where people say it's fine but I'd like some reassurance...

 

[Tricky Dick]

 

[Yeller]

Gotta love a good lathe