Jeremy Surratt had a 1988 Ford Bronco II 4×4 that he called Bobby Bronco II. After 18 years of ownership, rust had taken its toll on the Bronco. Jeremy found a 1987 Eddie Bauer Ford Bronco II as a donor vehicle, but it was only 2WD.
Jeremy had already done a V8 swap on the ’88 Bronco, so he transferred the drivetrain to the ’87. He swapped out the front axle for a Dana 35 that he took out of a Ford Explorer and upgraded with a Lock-Right locker. The rear axle was replaced with a 31-spline 8.8-inch rear. The axles are mounted under the Bronco II with a used 4-inch suspension lift that he got from a member on TheRangerStation.com/forums. The Bronco II also receives additional lift from a 2-inch body lift. The combined lift makes room for a set of 33×12.50×15 Mickey Thompson MTZ tires on 15×8 aluminum wheels.
Specifications
- 1987 Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer
- Dana 35 TTB Front Axle
- 31-SPline Ford 8.8-Inch Rear Axle
- Lock-Right Locker
- Ford Explorer 5.0 V8
- 33×12.50×15 Mickey Thompson MTZ
- 15×8 Aluminum Wheels
- 4-Inch Suspension Lift
- 2-Inch Body Lift
- Custom Winch Bumper With Smittybilt XRC9.5 Winch
- Custom Rear Bumper & Tire Carrier
(The old Dana 28 front axle is at the top, and the Dana 35 replacement is sown at the bottom – forefront)
With the lift completed, Jeremy designed and built a rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier, and fuel can holder.
Jeremy had an aftermarket grill guard on the front but decided to build his own winch bumper and outfit it with a Smittybilt XRC 9.5 winch and D-rings. He also built the custom rock sliders on each side of the Bronco II.
Other upgrades include a set of LEDs JW speaker headlights.
Bobby Bronco Sr may be retired, but Bobby Bronco Jr is a well-built Bronco II that’s seeing plenty of trail time.
View the photos below to see more photos of the build, as well as more photos of the bumpers and sliders he built.
Also check out the videos. The first video shows the Bronco II in action in the last few seconds of the video.
Videos
More Photos
Click the photos to enlarge.
About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
