The Tricky EcoBoost Early Bronco Build

[Tricky Dick]

One shock tower completely off, one coil bucket mostly off. Still have to remove the trackbar bracket.

I have 4" forward movement available without getting too tight to the steering box. Debating if I want to take all of it or just do 3", because 4" is looking like it could be a lot of inner fender cutting.

 

[Yeller]

One shock tower completely off, one coil bucket mostly off. Still have to remove the trackbar bracket.

I have 4" forward movement available without getting too tight to the steering box. Debating if I want to take all of it or just do 3", because 4" is looking like it could be a lot of inner fender cutting.

4” will be what inner fender? You can just make out the paint buffed off the back of the grill on the corner. Cleared fine with BFG’s the Maxxis love on it a little when twisted up just right. With 3-1/2” of lift it will make a lot more clearance. The front of mine is lifted maybe 1”, it sits very level, with 5” of up travel.

 

[Tricky Dick]

4” will be what inner fender? You can just make out the paint buffed off the back of the grill on the corner. Cleared fine with BFG’s the Maxxis love on it a little when twisted up just right. With 3-1/2” of lift it will make a lot more clearance. The front of mine is lifted maybe 1”, it sits very level, with 5” of up travel.

I guess the answer is just do it and keep cutting as needed.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Argh, almost as bad as Yeller putting dirty chebby parts on a Bronco.

Was looking at a $4-500 bill to put new Ranger calipers on my M220 that came without them. That's really excessive IMO, so I did some searching and found that current model Traverse/Acadia/Enclave have rotors the same thickness as a Ranger and electric parking brakes. Found these for dirt cheap off a wrecked 23 with 3 miles on it. Hopefully I can make them work, I'll have to make an adapter bracket.

 

[Yeller]

got a long ways to catch up I recently added some ford parts to some of my stuff so I’m getting better

Interested to see if you can make them work. Day dreaming about my next brake change/upgrade. Trying to work out an 8 lug rotor about that thickness, without using an aftermarket 2 piece hat and rotor, knowing that I’ll have to drill the bolt pattern.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Something was off in the measuring of the buckets, they're only good for about 2" extra height. I also found this bearing insert for my steering column for like $11, the plastic was wallowed out pretty bad.

 

[Yeller]

Cut a coil off the bottom of the spring, problem solved. Or use 4-1/2” springs, or should I dare you to use 2-1/2?

 

[Tricky Dick]

Why did I commit to a 6 lug HP44 again?

I forgot about the spindle bearings changing sizes and ordered new big bearing hubs/rotors. My axle had previously been converted to GM knuckles and small bearing spindles, but with Ford hubs. So now I can either get GM small bearing hubs (expensive and hard to find) or big bearing spindles.

Then I remembered GM/Ford stub shafts are not the same length. I could chuck the lockouts in the lathe and turn off .22" I think.

Or... IIRC everything knuckles out on a 10 bolt is the same as D44. Dirt cheap 10 bolts are easy to find, I could just grab one to donate it's spindles and stub shafts.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Cut a coil off the bottom of the spring, problem solved. Or use 4-1/2” springs, or should I dare you to use 2-1/2?

Maybe split the difference with 3.5? Of course I just gave my 3.5 coils to a buddy.

I picked up some 5.5 coils so I'll put them in at least and see how it sits.

 

[Yeller]

If you were closer I’d make you a deal on some big bearing 6 lug hubs.

On my last 44 project I turned some big bearing spindles down to small bearing, I had 3 pair of large bearing

Yes 10 bolt stuff is the same will be big bearing but all bolts together. Everything interchanges except for the minor differences like axle shaft length. I ran into that on my J Truck, GM spindles, jeep axles and ford hubs. I just don’t run the snap ring on the end of the axle. The only thing I’ve found it preventing is running a Spicer or Yukon lockout, which I would like to do.

 

[Tricky Dick]

The calipers came in and they line up about perfectly on the disc but the mount holes are closer together. An adapter should be easy.

I was doing some research into how to control the parking brakes and some guys are using automatic power window modules. They automatically cut power at 10 amps. One module for each side means I can have trail turn assist like a new Bronco.

I was under the 6G today prepping for my trip to Whipsaw Trail this weekend, looking everything over. I noticed the M220 housings between Ranger and Bronco are a lot different, Bronco having a lot more meat on the bottom of the diff. Matter of fact I'm a little concerned about breaking off the bottom diff cover bolts, they're threaded into tabs instead of a solid block. I'm thinking I either need a bold on skid, weld skid material on, or just shave the thing right now and add in a thick plate.

 

[Tricky Dick]

IDK if I mentioned it before but @Yeller is a bad influence. I remembered that his body line above the tail lights is at 44" set my jackstands to hover my Bronco at that height and rolled a 37 up. I'm not sure it's going to work but it looks really cool and is a good goal. If I end up at 45-46" I think I'll still be doing well.

Fairly productive day, finished cutting the rest of the brackets off the driver frame rail and cleaned it up. Trimmed my Ruffstuff trackbar bracket a bit for a perfect fit and plotted it's location. Settled on splitting the difference I slide my buckets forward, going with 3.5". I need to finish my steering shaft before I burn it in because it appears I'll need to notch the corner of the bucket a little and would rather do that off the Bronco.

There's enough meat on the Ruffstuff leaf perches and top plates to drill another center pin hole at 2.5". So version 1 of this build will have a 98" wheelbase. Long term I'd like to do a triangulated 4 link rear and at that time I'll stretch a little more, but that version will be years away.

 

[Yeller]

That’s one of my goals in life

It’s a fine line of enough clearance and low center of gravity. Most unlimited pro crawling buggies only have 18” +\- of belly clearance and do things that would make a mountain goat puke.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Took a break from life and ran the Whipsaw trail in BC. Perfect trail for a mild 6G, was able to complete every obstacle. I put another new dent in my front bumper again though

Then came back to civilization and picked up a donor 10 bolt.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Put the steering shaft together and checked my coil bucket fit. I ground the corner just a hair to give 1/4" clearance.

 

[Yeller]

More parts! Looks like a good time

 

[Tricky Dick]

Ugh. Tried to get cute and break the weld off instead of cutting and made a big hole.

 

[Yeller]

Nuthin some white hot bondo can’t fix.

 

[spap]

Duck tape and bailing wire

 

[Tricky Dick]

Little hot glue and all better now.

Got the 10 bolt stripped of anything useful and ready to scrap.