The Bronco build

[Lurch]

So I figured I should do a build thread on the bronco. Lots of stuff changing over the next few months. I've been collecting parts and tools so now it's time. So a basic list of where I am now. If you have any questions about any of it let me know.
It's a 1973 ford bronco.
Engine is a 90' mustang 5.0 with fuel injection.
Trans is a fully built (by yours truly) c4 with manual valve body and shorty t-case kit. Mounted to a 203/dana 20 doulbler. Trans is shifted with an art car shifter.
The dana 20 has hardened output shaft and twin sticked.
Tom woods high angle front drive shaft, rear shaft is done by 6 states.
The front end is a disc brake, high pinion 44 narrowed to eb width with 4.88 gears, arb air locker, chromo shafts and super joints. The rear is a big bearing 9" narrowed to bronco width (by Dutchman) with Dutchman 31 spline shafts. I converted the rear to disc with c7 rotors and s-10 calipers.
The lift is a cage (now busted knuckle) 5.5 long arm lift. With dual front shocks. The front axle has been moved forward 3".
The roll cage is a Tom's bronco cage that I assembled and added a few more bars.
The wheels are DIY beadlocks in the 15x8" variety with 36" iroks. FYI I have run several different tires and these are by far my favorite wheeling tires!!

Tunes are complements of a large amp powering 2 boat tower speakers and run off my phones playlist
Front bumper I built myself and has a warn 9.5ctis winch (thanks jimmy)
Rear bumper I built several years ago and needs to be replaced. The spare tire mount is a complete hub, rotor, bearing assembly so it also doubles as spare parts for my front end.
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff (blame the Kirkland whiskey)

The plan (some of you will hate this) is to make it pretty. Well not show car pretty but daily driver, cops will leave you alone, pretty.
I've been collecting parts for a while and have body armor for all the "sensitive" areas.

Her is a pic for a starting point

[Chrispy]

Love the pic you used.

[79chevy39.5's]

Have you experienced any front axle breaks? Getting ready to order my yukon shafts for my wagon

[Lurch]

Nope, not since the upgrade. Have blown a couple cheap hubs (super winch) doing front digs but haven't broken anything in the front since going with warn premium hubs.

[79chevy39.5's]

Build plan is mainly body wise? Planning on 39.5s

[Lurch]

I'd like a set for snow but everything else I like the lower center of gravity.

[Lurch]

There are other plans other then body. But body is the main focus right now.

[tobyw]

The plan (some of you will hate this) is to make it pretty. Well not show car pretty but daily driver, cops will leave you alone, pretty.

We have talked about it a bunch over the years, and you've been threatening this for a while... I, for one, absolutely APPLAUD this maneuver!! Of course I don't wheel anyways, or rather I wheel a station wagon, so the fact that I appreciate pretty rigs is rather moot. At any rate, rest assure I'm pulling for you!!!

[Danny]

Timmy, what Toby-con said. Maybe after making it pretty it won't hurt so much when we to follow you. Impressed that you even got the doors on.

[Grumpy]

Got two of the nicest EB's in town just down the road from us. One is dark grey, the other red and white. They're at 45th and Washington.

[Chrispy]

And it not a cherowagon build

[Lurch]

Impressed that you even got the doors on.

There is more to that then you think. Before FYBR I had to do quite a bit of work to get them to fit again.

I had to tack weld a tab on the door jambs then use a snatch block off the back of my tow pig to straighten them out.





It actually worked pretty well. The funny thing is the doors and top will not be going back on after this build.

[Lurch]

Also around the same time I had to fix my windshield wiper linkage that was broken. I picked up another one from a guy on criagslist in Spokane. The thing is my windshield frame is for vacuum wipers so I had to cut and lengthen the linkage to get it to fit properly.

The broken part on the old wiper linkage.


The old patch job where it was lengthened.


The new piece that I welded in.


The finished linkage. It works great now.


Along with the linkage I modified a pair of rear wiper arms off a cherokee so I could use modern wiper blades. I didn't get any pictures of them. My windshield is much easier to see throug when it rains now.

[Lurch]

Got a little done the last few days. Pulled the front bumper and winch off last week.


Tonight with a little help from Chrispy I pulled the top, doors, and hood off. Then I pulled it in the garage and pulled the front sheet metal off. It actually came apart easier then I thought it would considering the age of this thing.

[Danny]

Tim, looks 100% better with the skin off.

[Lurch]

That's what I was trying to tell everyone that was telling me to rebody.

[TJDave]

It's your lower door jambs that always made me

And then

This is going to be cool. EBs have always been my fav since I was a kid.

[Lurch]

It's your lower door jambs that always made me

And then

This is going to be cool. EBs have always been my fav since I was a kid.

I plan to cut them out and build rock slides.

[Lurch]

Made some progress on the right side rocker and door sill.

This is what I started with



Started with cutting the lower rocker off. I plan to replace them with rock slides. It was full of dirt.



So spent some time with a slide hammer, stud gun, porta power and then a hammer and dolly.


This what I ended up with. It's not perfect but it doesn't have to be. I have plans for door inserts so it will be covered up for the most part.




This is what will be filling that space. Not ready for them yet.

[iaccocca]

Tim, I think the dirt gives you your low COG.

[Danny]

Timmy, looks like a lot of work but looks like it's coming along quite well. So, your putting the door inserts in, so no doors. How do you expect them to hold up with your wheeling? The old EB is about 6'' narrower than stock.

[Lurch]

Don't worry Danny, I've got a couple things to help them last.

[Danny]

Can't wait to see this in real life. We'll be back in the TC Mar 30. Will get over to check it out.

[SPR]

Looks like hard work. Hopefully the skin thick enough for all of the stretch and grind.

[tobyw]

What is your plan for rockers? When I cut out the rockers and replaced them with box tube on my old man's EB back in like 2002, I welded the tube to the door jam, about where you cut give or take, and then ran a pair of 1.5" round tubing braces back to the frame. Where I went wrong was NOT incorporating a bushing on the braces, and after a few years of Sunday drives the original seam sealer that was smeared between the rockers and the door jams has started to crack out... IMO, the rocker needs to be completely independent from the body, or it needs to be bushed similar to the body, ie soft rubber (if you haven't replaced your mounts with poly versions). Just my experience