1986 Bronco 2 Newbie Build

[Stephen4x4]

Hello all,

As the title states, I currently own a 1986 Ford Bronco 2 completely stock and I have been bitten by the overlanding bug. I'm 19 going to school in Prescott, AZ at Embry-Riddle, my truck is a GIANT PITA but I love it and I don't want to get rid of it anytime soon seeing as it runs and drives with only 98k miles.

Truck:

86' Bronco 2 4x4
2.9L V6
stock tires and rims.

I need some input on where to start first and any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Stephen4x4]

Here is my truck currently, it doesn't have the tire carrier now.

 

[Stephen4x4]

More:

 

[4x4junkie]

That looks like a nice specimen, paint aside (not seeing anything that looks obviously like dents or rust perforations anyway, though I know pics can deceive lol). Guessing a paint job is in the works? Should look great after that.

You're probably already aware numerous parts on it are shared with Ranger pickups and 1st-gen Explorers, so there's almost no end to the mods & parts swapping you can do on these rigs to bring them a bit more up-to-date, especially in the drivetrain department.
Check mine out for some ideas (link is in Sig). Unless you plan to be in the rocks much, you could probably skip the 35" tires for a set of 31s, but the rest of it might give you some ideas.

Welcome to the Portal. :beer:

 

[Stephen4x4]

Thank you very much!

 

[Stephen4x4]

In your opinion, where should I start first? I'm in college and on a budget. Plus, with you setup, can you still DD it?

 

[Dratwagon]

If your after the overland/expedition style vehicle then it will always be able to be a daily driver.
watch Craigslist for a small lift cut the fenders and run 31s, rattle can paint so that you can touch it up, maybe olive drab or desert tan, spare tire rack and a roof rack.

Keep us posted.

 

[Dratwagon]

Check this out, just remember the bigger the tire the more it will cost you in tires, lift and repair bills.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/702959/1990-ford-bronco-ii/

 

[RockRanger]

Swap a Dana 35 from a 90up ranger or explorer. Get a disk brake explorer 8.8 from a 95-01. If you look around you can find both of them with 4.10 gears. Add maybe a 2" lift, good shocks and trim the fenders for 31"s. Add a locker as funds allow and go have fun in the dirt. After that you will figure out what you want/need.

 

[east_tn_81]

For me first place to start is maintenance. Do all the typical tune up, oil change, rear diff, make sure everything is good and tight. Electrical connections are clean vacuum lines are good . Check out forums like the Ranger Station, and explorer forum. For shared parts and lifts and just simple mods. Than get yourself to a junkyard and start pulling parts. Good luck with the build I love seeing these little Broncos built up.

 

[4x4junkie]

In your opinion, where should I start first? I'm in college and on a budget. Plus, with you setup, can you still DD it?

I specifically built mine to tackle most any terrain (including pavement), so is why I kept the stock (type) running gear and run radial tires (the Twin-Beam suspension up front is unique in that it lends itself exceptionally well to a multitude of uses from crawling to hot-doggin' it in the desert to everything in between if you build it right). Ride smoothness is very good and handling is predictable so it's not fatiguing to drive it over long distances unlike a lot of other similarly-built rigs I've driven (the BFG MT's noise can be a bit loud with the windows down though).

east_tn has a good point, start with whatever maintenance it needs (change ALL the fluids, not just engine, trans, etc., but brake, clutch (if stick), and steering too). Don't forget to take into consideration any near-future mods you want to do too though (for example the Dana35 Explorer front axle is a very popular swap on these, if you plan to do this, probably no sense dumping more $$$ than you need to into the stock Dana28).

Then maybe as said, a short lift and some 31" tires. The 2.9L engine seems to like 4.56:1 gears best for 31" tires... If you get a D35, have it geared to 4.56 (same for an 8.8" rear, though the stock 7.5" is also generally fine with 31s as well, though I wouldn't go much bigger than that on the 7.5). Then maybe onto some sort of organizational setup for your camp gear (sleep platform, drawer/storage unit, etc., or a RTT if that's your thing).

×2 on www.therangerstation.com. Pretty much every possible mod, swap, maintenance item, and/or repair item has been covered in detail by the many knowledgeable people there.

 

[Stephen4x4]

That's amazing, is the Dana 35 a bolt-in swap? I don't have a welder nor any fab experience and after looking at your build, it looks like I would need both.

 

[4x4junkie]

The D35 is 100% bolt-in if you have at least 3-4" suspension lift. (swap info here)
Without a lift, you may have to shorten your front driveshaft an inch due to the axle's longer pinion snout (any driveline shop should be able to do this <$100), though you might be able to get away from shortening the shaft by shimming the axle forward a bit with washers at the radius arm bushings (I've shimmed the axles forward like this on lifted trucks, but not on a stock one, I don't see why it wouldn't work though... Just make sure not to overtighten the radius arm nut and crush the bushings (may be a good idea to put Loctite threadlocker on the nut).

A welder no doubt opens up lots of doors to customization (and can quickly pay for itself even after building just a set of bumpers), however it's not something absolutely necessary (especially if you're just doing a mild build). Good suspension lifts are easy to come by (Skyjacker, James Duff), and there are ways to deal with most of a lift's little quirks sans a welder too. A selection of bolt-on bumpers and other goodies can also be found if you dig around a little (James Duff I know has some items, and RLC Fab may have (or can make you) some items as well). Companies like Warn also supported the vehicle well in it's day, so used items like their Trans4mer & Combo-Kit winch mounts and bumpers I'm sure are likely to turn up on Craigslist or Ebay frequently.

 

[straps57]

If you like it good luck with it. I wouldn't expect to get past the PITA stage though unless you have some cash to spend. A good set of tires will get you lots of places and is usually money well spent.

 

[Stephen4x4]

What do you mean by the PITA stage?