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89 BII


McWillies

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Vehicle Year
1989
Make / Model
Ford Bronco II
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
I'd like to start off by saying I'm new to this whole scene, this is my first vehicle and I didn't know a thing about mechanics or trucks 2 months ago (so don't judge my noobness :icon_thumby: ). I have this 89 b2 that I'm looking to do some mods/upgrades on. Basically I wanna beef this guy up, but I'm having trouble deciding what order I should do everything, can't do it all at once because I don't have that kinda money. I wanna put a 4" RC suspension lift on it with some 33" mud tires but I hear the d28 axle is shit, so I'm wanting to do the d35 front and 8.8" rear axle swap in one go, while also hopefully installing the lift kit and new tires while I'm already underneath the truck. For the d35/8.8" swap, what all will need to be done? I've heard you gotta do some welding on the rear axle, not sure about the front. I am also looking at the 4.0l v6 engine swap but I'll hold off on that unless the little 2.9 can't handle the lift and tires. Basically what I'm wanting to do to kickstart the project is the axle swap and the lift/tires (If the d28 can handle the 33s). How much would the axles run me at a jy? Thanks in advance for all the help, ask questions if you need to.
 
Last edited:


robotzombies

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Seattle, WA
Vehicle Year
1989
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Engine Size
2.9
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
3"
Tire Size
33"
For axle swaps, there's plenty of information in the tech library and other threads in this forum if you use the search function.

As for phasing, you say that you can't do it all at once, then you go on to say that you want to do it all at once. Could you clarify that?

If you are going from a D28/7.5 to a D35/8.8, you'll also have to deal with the driveshafts. The yoke on the D35 and the flange on the 8.8 won't mate with your BII driveshafts.

The problem will come when you want to do a lift. Your driveshafts may or may not work with 4" of lift. There are also some good threads on this forum that you can find about driveshafts and lifts.

You can do the axles and driveshafts at one time, but you'll have to end up probably redoing some driveshaft and rear axle work when you do your lift, as you'll probably need to find new pinion angles.
 

robotzombies

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1989
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Engine Type
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Engine Size
2.9
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
3"
Tire Size
33"
Oh, and I got my D35 and 8.8 for about $75 and $100, respectively. The D35 from Craigslist, and the 8.8 from a junkyard. The 8.8 has 4.10s, disc brakes, and a limited slip, so I'd say go to your local junkyard. Plenty of Explorers, usually.
 

McWillies

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2WD / 4WD
4WD
Sorry about the confusion. I meant that I would like to do the axle swaps/lifts at the same time, I just needed to know how much the axles would be. The 4.0 will come later. Mainly what I meant by the phasing is which mod should I do first? I have been looking at some 33s for it, are there any ones you could recommend around the $160-$180 price range? About the driveshafts, is there any way to buy it? If not, what kind of mods am I looking at?

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McWillies

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4WD
I still need some help making decisions. I've thought about it some more and I'm definitely holding off on the engine swap. What I want to find is an 8.8 with 4.10s but from what I've heard they are rare, disc brakes would also be good. I think the biggest issue I will face is the driveshaft. I've heard that some explorer shafts work with the lift/axles so I'll look into that some more. The lift/tires/wheels are gonna be very expensive, squared it down to about $1500. Are rough country suspensions reliable? I've read that the "cheaper" lifts aren't very reliable, something to do with one of the brackets, not sure which one. What steps would you guys take to get the outcome I'm looking for?
 

robotzombies

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1989
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Engine Size
2.9
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
3"
Tire Size
33"
Honestly, the best way to do it would be axles, driveshafts, lift, and possibly transfer case all at once. You can avoid changing the transfer case if you change out if you figure out the connections between the driveshafts and t case.

Doing the lift at the same time as everything else also means that you get to set your pinion angle and your drive shaft length together. And you only have to do it once.

A lot of the other stuff, like which drive shafts to use, which lifts are more preferable, which trucks have disc brakes, and so on, already have threads on this site. Some of them have multiple threads, so it'd be good to find the information that already exists. And from some of the more knowledgeable members on the site.
 

McWillies

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Thanks for the advice, that's mostly the way I was looking at it. Would you mind elaborating more on the t case? I'm not sure what you mean about changing it.
 

dirtcowboy

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The first question should be; what are you going to do with it? Trail or fire roads or hard core mudding or rocks? Daily driver or trailer queen?

The rough country 4" lifts are good for 4" but they are rough riding. Stiff springs and cheap shocks.

Look for 33x10.5 or 33x9.5 tires, much less expensive that 12.50's. With the narrower tires the D28 and the 7.5 will live quite awhile, as you save bucks for future builds.

Remember to build the BII so you can enjoy it as you go along. Saves burn out and boredom.
 

McWillies

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I don't plan to push it hard, it's my first vehicle so all of this stuff is fairly new to me. I just want to do some slight mudding and be able to get around my hunting camp, but it will also be my daily driver. What would you recommend instead of the rc lift without going overboard on the cost? I've also been reading that the 33s won't fit with just the 4" lift and that I will need to fender trim or get a slight body lift, is this true? Or will the narrower tires allow me full turn left and right without rubbing?
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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I had a b2 with d28/7.5 and 410 gears. I had a 4.0l in it. It was great with 31" tires. The 2.9 is less torque and I think you will be better getting a smaller tire for now. I ran the 31" with no lift, so gives time to save money and still do some wheeling. I have 5.13 gears for when I go bigger tires.

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McWillies

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I want to do the 4.0l swap but it will be quite a long time before I have the money for a donor explorer. Do you know what gears my d28/7.5 would have based on the year? They are both stock. I'm thinking 3.73s but I'm not sure, I'll probably upgrade the gearing with the lift and tires. What I want to do for now is get the lift and tires put on it, then in the future I can find a donor explorer and do the axles and engine swap.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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There is a plate on the drivers door or under the strike plate on the door jamb. It will have a code that will tell you what you have. Also a tag on the axles have the info. You should read the tech sections on at the top of every page, third button from the left.

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McWillies

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4WD
I keep changing my mind on the order I want to do everything. The way I see it, the 2.9l can't handle the tires and lift I'm wanting to go for. The 2.9l already struggles with the 29s it has now so I can't imagine what it would be like with 33s. Would the regearing help with this some? If not, then logically the first thing for me to do would be the engine swap because it's the key bottleneck. The last thing I want is to order new tires and a lift then find out it's basically undrivable after installing.

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dirtcowboy

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A set of lower gears would solve all of your problems. There is nuthin wrong with the 2.9 and a 4.0 swap isn't a walk in the park. I've done a few 4.0 swaps and honestly, there isn't the night and day difference some would have you believe. 5.0 swap? Whole different story. Get some 'sploder axles, put the correct gears in them, and drive it like you stole it. The problem is you don't have much of a budget. Some parts of the world 'sploder axles are a dime a dozen. Up where I live they are EXPENSIVE, rears start at 450, fronts 250 and up. They ALL come with 3.73 gears, probably the same as your BII. If you are paying the going rates it's easy to spend 1500 TO 2000 for a set with 4.56 gears with a lunchbox in the rear. Good lift kits, Skyjacker or Duff, are near 2K by themselves. Tires and wheels? An easy 1K and up. I've got a project in the garage that started as a mild re-build 6 years ago. It's still there, not done, and I have over 20K in it. Re-goddam-dickulous. The BII I bought to drive while I worked on the other has a 2.9, 3.73 gears, 'sploder springs and 33x9.50 AT's on it and I drive it all the time. Everywhere. Make a plan and stick to it. Deviations will break the bank.
 

McWillies

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Ford Bronco II
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
With the holidays coming up I will be getting some money as gifts, then my birthday is in February so I can expect some more. I'll also be getting a lot for graduation, so after all that I will probably have a good amount saved to kickstart the project. 20k in a mild re-build? Must be a Chevy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). If the 2.9 can handle it's own with a better gearing setup then I can save the 4.0 swap for a while down the road. That's good, considering it would probably be the most expensive/time consuming upgrade of all. I guess everything I dream of doing to that naughty b2 has to stay a dream for now :(
 

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