Would like pointers/input on converting a Bronco to Expedition status

[JohnMcD348]

Hello all, been reading alot and getting ideas, now I need guidance.

I have a 1992 Ford Bronco Custom with the 300 I6, Manual 5speed(M5OD), manual Transfer case, open 3.08 differential all essentially factory stock.

I live in Florida and I'll say I'm neither a hard core Rock crawler, mud bogger or monster trucker. Even though I live in the area that seems to have many of them..... I want to create something that I can take camping, fishing, hunting and be confident I can get where I want, when I want.

What I've got planned so far as time/money allows:

Install front/rear receiver hitches to allow for portable winch mount
OBA(probably via portable air pump)
OB Hot Water
Second battery
Sine Wave Inverter
Engine Oil Cooler
Slightly larger tires(31" compared to the stock 235(29"))

Things I'm considering:

Possibly a lift(but not larger than 4"
Roof Rack
External Support to allow for Roof Top Tent
Radio gear


Any pointers, guidance and input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
JTMcD.

 

[rockbronc]

Check out this build.http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168683 I am a bronco owner as well, but mine is more geared towords the hardcore stuff. If I was to build one for expo, I would do a similar build.:smiley_drive:

 

[JohnMcD348]

That's where I came from originally. It was that link and the one from Stan who wants to build an AEV equivalent vehicle. That's where I found the link to this site and haven't really turned back. Also, a few discussions over on FordTruck Enthusiast about builds. They've had some good ideas and such and I've borrowed a few.

These are builds by people who who like to go wheeling for the most part, I want to build up a Bronco to be able to get in and out of areas and do it as reliable as possible and be as self sufficient as possible. I'd like to hear from you folks about things I should add or delete and learn from your experiences.

 

[Rot Box]

Wow what a great engine and the 5 speed is icing on the cake :coffeedrink: How common was that combination in Bronco's? I don't think I have ever seen one but I like it a lot!

I probably wouldn't lift it any (I'm not a fan of most of the affordable TTB lift kits) but I would run a slightly larger than stock tire in an aggressive A/T or M/T as you guy's seem to have a lot of gooey mud down there. I would also consider changing out the 3.08's with something lower--like 4.10's to help with the extra weight of camping gear and larger tire size. While you are into it that far I would add a limited slip or locker in the rear axle. That's just me spending your money + my $.02 :bike_rider:

I recently found my Ford gauges to be not very accurate. Its hard to read something when all it says is C_NORMAL_H. I'd recommend a more precise aftermarket (Autometer, VDO etc.) water temp gauge so you you can tell exactly what your engine is doing.

Sounds like fun be sure to post some pics once you start going to work on it :sombrero:

 

[Metcalf]

My advise...

Keep it stock height or VERY close to it. Lifting the TTB suspension just isn't worth it in my experience. If you want to run a larger tire do it by installing a set of fiberglass fenders or trimming your stock metal. You should be able to run something like a 33" tire without any lift with proper backspacing on the wheels. I would suggest something like a 255/85r16. If you watch you can find the factory Ford Alcoa forged aluminum wheels for F150's. These are a GREAT wheel in a 16x7" size.

The stock TTB front axle is fairly decent, but it does wear the tires slightly funky. You can do a double crossover steering system to help with this, but its not cheap. If you plan on really loading the bronco down with gear, you might want to think about upgraded axles. You can do the TTB 8-lug outers from a F250 with the 10.25 sterling rear end as a junkyard bolt in pretty dang easy. This would give you a nice strong full floating rear end that just about bolts in. They are just about a dime a dozen in the junkyards these days. 4.10 gears are also common, the front 3rd member can also be swapped for matching gears from the same parts truck. The 8.8 rear axle really isn't the best for a full size with a lot of weight in it.....

Instead of dual batteries, I would suggest a single group 31 style sears diehard platinum battery. These are monsters and will support just about anything you can throw at it without the complexity of dual batteries. You will have to do a little tray work to get it to fit, but you should have some pretty decent room under the hood with the straight six.

Keep the 300, those are great motors, especially the fuel injected ones. They don't get anywhere fast, but they will always get you there....

No roof rack is my standard advise. Its just not worth the extra weight up top, aerodynamic drag, or adverse affects on vehicle dynamics. Just my own opinion.

If I remember right in those years you should be able to bolt in the diesel radiator with a little work to the core support. This would be a HUGE increase in cooling capacity. All this could be junkyard parts. Not 100% sure on this with the 300-6 engine...might have to do some foot work

Overall, keep it light, low to the ground, and weight biased to the front if you can.

Good luck with your new project.

 

[JohnMcD348]

Many Thanks. Please keep it coming

I appreciate the information. As for the 300, I never plan on getting rid of that lovely engine. It's only got 82K on it. It's not even broken in yet. I was told that another factory option for the Bronco was 31-10.5-15" tires stock so I know I can at least fit that much under without having to do any kind of suspension or body lift. I would never do a Body Lift anyway. If I did do a Suspension lift, I wouldn't go farther than 4" Max. I'd be happy with a simple 2" lift but only for the sake of replacing the nearly 20 year old suspension for newer parts. The ride is soft and smooth as it sits compared to my 08 Dodge Ram. I think a 4.10 is a little too high for my daily driving needs. I was thinking about going to 2.55-3.7? LSD if/when I regear. I have a 4.10 AAM LSD in my Ram and couldn't live without them. That heavy beast needs it to get out of it's own way. Also, would there be any real benefit from going to a 16" rim from the stock Alcoa 15" rims I already have?

I got this Bronco from my Father in Law who ordered it back in 92 as a work truck. It's a base model Custom and the only luxury feature he got on it was A/C. It's been well maintained over the years and I can say with his OCD, it never went 100 miles over 3000 between oil changes.

Please tell me more. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[DT75FLH]

heres a pic of my old bronco. I bought a matching alum 15" rim on ebay for $100.
It was a 96 and it had leveling spings in it, but the rear was starting to sag so i used jeffs bronco graveyard HD stock rear springs. it LIFTED the rear about 2"....so I bought tuff country 2.5" lift for the front for around 400 shipped and it came with 6 new shocks and matched the rear...heres a pic with the lift and 33x10.50 toyo muds on it

theres another pic of it in the any expo broncos thread

 

[JohnMcD348]

I like that idea. I had wondered about getting springs for the older F150(HD) as it would help to increase the load capability. I hadn't thought about it actually increasing the ride height also. That, along with the 2.5" front lift is probably about right on the money for what I would be looking for. Not a huge lift but enough to allow more travel and newer components.

How did it ride after that compared to stock? Was it harsh or still somewhat bouncy and soft? Also, did you need to change your pitman arm with such a small lift or did the factory setup work?

 

[JCMatthews]

I have a friend that ran 33x10.5 tires on a stock Bronco. I run them on my Cherokee and really like them. BFG makes them in both the Mud and All Terrain patterns on a 15 in rim. However I was at the local Big O the other day and they had a metric that was very similar for a 16 in. rim.

 

[DT75FLH]

the factory set up worked. you need to have removable bushings in the top ball joint to get it aligned correctly. mine had them.

it rode better with the new springs/front lift as it uses drop brackets and new springs, and I spent a little more on the nitro charged shocks. it rode great on the road and good on the dirt (i didnt run it at high speeds off road)

of course just having new springs as the originals were already 14 years old probably helped.

jeffs bronco graveyard has a great catalog for all thnigs bronco. you can also check to see if LMC truck has a bronco catalog. those 2 places and ebay can get a lot of small factory style parts if you need them.

I also got a deal from 4wheel parts on 2 soft lockers, like 150 a piece. but I sold them with the bronco when I bought my ram.

 

[DT75FLH]

I have a friend that ran 33x10.5 tires on a stock Bronco. I run them on my Cherokee and really like them. BFG makes them in both the Mud and All Terrain patterns on a 15 in rim. However I was at the local Big O the other day and they had a metric that was very similar for a 16 in. rim.

I am partial to toyo tires now. after running bfg tires for about 12 years and running toyos in both at and mt for the last 8 years or so. My work truck has 285/70/17 bfg KM2 on it so well see how I like the new muds.

I liked the fit of the 33x10.50 better than the 32x11.50 bfg I took off the bronco. the tall skinny tires fit better on the stock ford 15x7 rim and they tend NOT to follow the ruts in a crowned road better also.

the metric is probably the 255/85/16

 

[BCHauler]

My vehicle is a 94 F150 and I spend alot of time on the fordtrucks.com website for the 87-96 trucks and Bronc's. I have a few thoughts and suggestions based on my own experience and research.

Stay away from 4.10's with a 300-6. That engine is a torque maker and not a reving motor. If you're running 3.08's currently, upgrading to the very common 3.55's will do wonders for power while at the same time being very affordable. 3.55's were the most common gearset in the v8 4x4's (f150, Bronco) and you could very easily swap in complete diffs from the junkyard.

My f150 has a 2" lift and I run 31's. I also have tried a set of 33's on 15x10 wheels from an older Bronco with 3.5" backspacing. They rubbed in the front until I trimmed the valance under the bumper, spaced the bumper out about 1", and trimmed the turned-in ends of the front bumper. If I do it again, I will go 32x11.5 instead or bump up to 16's for better tire selection and better load capacity. The bigger tires made the truck look really good, but I suspect they may have excessively worn some of the front end components.

If you do bump up the tire size, an inexpensive and effective upgrade is to swap out the Ford power steering pump for a Saginaw pump from a Ford van. These pumps (they're actually GM units) are stronger and quieter than the Ford units (you know, the ones that sound like a moose giving birth.

Good luck with your build and I look forward to seeing your progress.

Todd

 

[rockbronc]

Here are a couple of pics of my Bronco. No lift, gratuitus fender trimming, 35 inch tires, and locked front and rear.

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[JohnMcD348]

That Bronco looks nice but I wouldn't want to do all that trimming on my truck. It's too clean and original to do that to. If it had a little rust under the fenders, I'd hack'em in a heart beat though.

 

[Cody1771]

imo a good set of 31" AT's, AIr lockers, OBA, and a good set of shocks and you'll have yourself a good vehicle. and of course all the related body armor and skid plating. and with 31's you wont kill your road millage with the 6cyl, which by the way is a awsome engine imo. cant kill those things.