This 1988 Bronco II belongs to Ben Hodges (AKA 4.0B2) and has been in his family for a long time.
According to Ben:
My love for the Bronco II started when my dad had an ’86 when I was young, but it burnt due to an electrical fire. He replaced it with this ’88. When he bought a Ford F-150 he sold it to my uncle. When I was 13 or 14, we bought it back for me. Paid $500 for it. The trans was messed up. It had a custom paint job then, but all stock with the 2.9L and all. First lift was a homemade 2-inch body lift. When I could afford the RC (Rough Country) I took the body lift out. Any pics with the EX’s (Explorer) bullet hole rims are the stage one of my personal build with the body lift and others.. “
It was great getting his dad’s Bronco II back. As a young guy, it was probably nice getting a vehicle that had a custom paint job. But Ben wasn’t content to just drive the Bronco the way it was. Over time, the Bronco II received a 4.0L V6, and a lift that included a home-built transmission crossmember/radius arm mount, and extended radius arms. Taller F-250 shock mounts and longer Bilstein shocks allow for more wheel travel. A Superlift Superrunner steering kit helps keep it running straight down the road. A Ford 8.8-inch rear axle and Dana 35 front axle are both loaded with Aussie lockers, and 4.56 gears. They transmit the power to the ground thanks to a set of Dynapro 285/75/16 (33″ x 11″ x 16″) tires. The Bronco II has a Smittybilt 8,000lb winch mounted to a custom built bumper, just in case the Bronco II should get stuck.
The Bronco II has several more modifications that are listed further below.
A Dana 35 with longer radius arms mounted to a custom transmission/radius arm mount
Harbor Freight ATV cargo basket mounted on a homemade wooden amp/subwoofer box
Gotta love the mural 😉
Yes, he actually wheels it
Scroll down for more photos..
Specifications
Drivetrain
- 1988 Bronco II XLT
- 4.0 V6
- A4LD
- BW1354 (manual coming soon)
- 8.8-Inch Axle: 4.56, Aussie, RuffStuff Cover, disc brake swap
- Dana 35 TTB: 4.56, Aussie, C-Clip Elim, Manual Hubs
Suspension/Steering / Tires
- Custom Long Arms with Flex Joints
- F250 Shock Towers with Bilstein 5150 Shocks
- 3.5″ Early Bronco Coils
- Jeep JKS Quick Disconnects
- Superrunner Steering
- VMS Drop Bracket on one side, Custom Bracket on the other
- Rear is 2″ Blocks and one extra leaf
- Dynapro 285/75r16’s
- Procomp 8089’s 16×8″
Bumpers/Armor/Recovery
- Custom Front Bumper
- Smitty 8k winch
- Custom Sliders
- Custom Receiver Hitch with D-ring Hitch
Lighting
- LMC non-sealed Headlights
- 55watt HID hi/low Kit, 5000k
- Lifetime Flood LEDs on the Bumper
- SSR-10, 10″ spot/flood combo on fair roller
- VisionX LED Rock Light Kit
- 40″ LED Strip Light for Dome Light
Audio
- Pioneer MVH-3200BT Headunit
- Memphis PR 5×7’s and 3.5″ Mids
- Streetedge Tweeters for Highs
- Kicker CVR 10″ in Custom “stealth” box
- Alpine MRV-F450 5 Channel Amp
Other
- Yaesu FT-2500 2 meter ham radio with 5/8’s wave antenna
- Cobra 75 CB with 4′ Firestick
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.
