MY build thread...'88 Bronco II Desert Rat Patrol Edition: MAJOR update 2/23/2025

[lil_Blue_Ford]

My choptop has a collection of different lift techniques. Rear was the custom leaf packs and a drop shackle for a Chevy 1500. Front is F-150 spring perches with Duff axle pivot drops and 3” Duff coils. Super lift pitman drop, custom extended arms. Shocks all around I just made the parts store dig out the book and find me ones that worked. I built the extended arms and I’m working on a set of extended arms for the 88. Total shoestring budget on the choptop when it got built.

Don’t know much about the round headlight conversion, but I’ve seen it done. My 88 I bought glass front replacements that take regular bulbs. When I went looking, I found square replacements with plastic lens and with glass lens. I figured glass would stay clear better. But I bought all of that probably 6 years ago now. Maybe longer. They’re supposed to mount exactly like the sealed beams though, but I never got that project far enough to mount them.

So, with bumpers, I’m intending on building my own. Not because I hate the aftermarket ones, but because I have a welder and a tube bender and I can do whatever I want. So I never really looked at aftermarket bumpers.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I posted up a question about a round headlight conversion in an ongoing headlight related thread, and was also curious about rear bumper recommendations, I'm likely going to run this one from Bronco Graveyard for the front:

Elite PreRunner Front Bumper-Broncograveyard.com

shop.broncograveyard.com

That Elite front bumper from Bronco Graveyard is an AOR bumper. That price is too good to be true. They must have not updated their website or they really stick it to you on the shipping. I believe it's $450 shipped at AOR. I did just post a coupon for 20% off starting 3/1... coupon code weekend20 I believe. I know @RumPunch has AOR front winch and AOR Elite rear bumpers on his rig.

I'm considering those very bumpers myself. I'm just waiting for my money tree to bloom.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Actually @Uncle Gump I thought the shipping was reasonable; I bought that new Covercraft door panels and dash overlay and complete new carpet and the total freight was $150+ which I thought was quite reasonable considering all that stuff doesn't exactly fit in my mailbox!

Tried searching "AOR"...Addicted Off Road, American Off Road...? I checked and I'm not finding for an '88 Bronco II rear bumper...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Actually @Uncle Gump I thought the shipping was reasonable; I bought that new Covercraft door panels and dash overlay and complete new carpet and the total freight was $150+ which I thought was quite reasonable considering all that stuff doesn't exactly fit in my mailbox!

Tried searching "AOR"...Addicted Off Road, American Off Road...? I checked and I'm not finding for an '88 Bronco II rear bumper...

I believe AOR is Affordable Off Road

 

[Peter Griffin]

I believe AOR is Affordable Off Road

Yes Sir it is!

Some of the problems I'm having...basic reading comprehension not the least amongst them, is that I speak Jeep, specifically the JK/JL/JT dialects...this is all new to me so it's like speaking Spanish and talking to someone who speaks Italian or Portuguese; sure, some stuff is the same or very similar but some other stuff...not so much!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yes Sir it is!

Some of the problems I'm having...basic reading comprehension not the least amongst them, is that I speak Jeep, specifically the JK/JL/JT dialects...this is all new to me so it's like speaking Spanish and talking to someone who speaks Italian or Portuguese; sure, some stuff is the same or very similar but some other stuff...not so much!

Ahh yes, that seems to be common amongst those poor misguided individuals from the Jeep world. Alas, here slumming it with us heathens that can’t buy everything off a shelf somewhere…

I understand a little of your lingo, kinda picked it up over the years. It will be alright. If you’re willing to be strong and venture out into this wild place, fabricating skills are required and must be learned if not already knowledgeable. But these are much sturdier rigs than Jeeps with better capabilities, so that should be expected. Don’t worry, we can coach you along.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Thanks for the welcome and assistance @lil_Blue_Ford, I appreciate it! You know us wayward Jeepers, once we're out of a mall parking lot all bets are off!

 

[Josh B]

When you use the Explorer springs and it lifts, will the Explorer shocks then work on it ?

 

[scotts90ranger]

On the explorer leaves, as I found out after having a few in the later versions they had auto leveling in the Eddie Bauer and Limited versions, basically air shocks, my EB has 4 wheel air shocks and the Limited has just rear, the EB has a knob for normal and offroad heights, limited is just there... all 6 air shocks are leaky after a combined almost 500k+ miles... they both have softer than normal leaf springs and pretty sure the EB has softer torsion bars but I haven't looked... safest to stay first gen for leaf spring interchange

Josh, no, sploders have a complete different shock setup, they're stud on top and short, stock ranger shocks work with just explorer leaves...

Didn't read everything since the explorer spring question just skimmed but the front coils will increase height mainly from being stiffer not longer so it will ride rougher as all Explorers with TTB had the 4.0L and were heavier usually with more options and such... Going with a decent set of new coils and leveling after sag with washers under the coil seats is the way to go, 1 1/4" washers have the 1 3/8" ID (don't ask me, it's like lumber math, don't apply logic...) needed to fit over the hex of the coil stud, there's room on the threads for 1" of washers which will give around 1.25" lift I think...

 

[Josh B]

I may have swapped springs if the shocks had worked, as I had bought new shocks all around the Explorer not long before the transmission main seal blew
I also just learned or maybe re-learned it has 4.10 gears, and think that's likely why it got such lousy mileage

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

On the explorer leaves, as I found out after having a few in the later versions they had auto leveling in the Eddie Bauer and Limited versions, basically air shocks, my EB has 4 wheel air shocks and the Limited has just rear, the EB has a knob for normal and offroad heights, limited is just there... all 6 air shocks are leaky after a combined almost 500k+ miles... they both have softer than normal leaf springs and pretty sure the EB has softer torsion bars but I haven't looked... safest to stay first gen for leaf spring interchange

Josh, no, sploders have a complete different shock setup, they're stud on top and short, stock ranger shocks work with just explorer leaves...

Didn't read everything since the explorer spring question just skimmed but the front coils will increase height mainly from being stiffer not longer so it will ride rougher as all Explorers with TTB had the 4.0L and were heavier usually with more options and such... Going with a decent set of new coils and leveling after sag with washers under the coil seats is the way to go, 1 1/4" washers have the 1 3/8" ID (don't ask me, it's like lumber math, don't apply logic...) needed to fit over the hex of the coil stud, there's room on the threads for 1" of washers which will give around 1.25" lift I think...

I keep hearing that, I’m gonna have to take a closer look at my EB Explorers because I don’t remember seeing air shocks on either of them.

But yes, shocks mount different.

I may have swapped springs if the shocks had worked, as I had bought new shocks all around the Explorer not long before the transmission main seal blew
I also just learned or maybe re-learned it has 4.10 gears, and think that's likely why it got such lousy mileage

So your Ranger shocks should fit and work with a 2” lift, but they may limit down travel. Of course, I’ve also found where stock shocks limited wheel travel on stock suspension, so any time I replace that stuff, I check and see if it’s a problem I should address.

 

[RumPunch]

So getting in on this bumper conversation late sorry all… Affordable Off Road was AWESOME to deal with and all made in USA. I had them customize the front bumper by removing the hoop (they actually took $ off the price) I was astonished. I got them bare as I made a few modifications before powder coat. I am stoked with the product. My price 1.5 years ago was like $14-1500 shipped front and rear. Rear is for a later ranger but very easy to modify to fit a gen 2. Highly recommend them. All communication was through email with prompt replies and above excellent service. I don’t say that often. One of the best dealings on my build by far.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Pretty straightforward install yesterday getting the new fuel pump installed. A couple of hours start to finish in no particular rush, interrupted with phone calls and occasionally nose picking and azz scratching...

I got all of my replacement bushings ordered, a mix of poly and rubber which will hopefully turn out to give a balanced ride on and off road.

Speaking of which, I'd like to change my screen name to Commander Eggo because NOBODY waffles like I do! I was JUST about to pull the trigger on Duff's Stage One kit (3-inch) and brake lines when in the checkout I saw my total skyrocket with a freight charge of nearly $400...! Mind you I'm fully aware that suspension items are hardly light but this kit does not include leaf springs on anything that's particularly oversized AND heavy. Just for laughs I went back to the Skyjacker site and put together their 1.5-2 inch kit together with a dual steering stabilizer (may be a lil overkill and the single would suffice) and it's $850, shipped with "free" shipping. I know the shipping isn't "free" and is built into the price, but the kit is also discounted by about $75, which makes it easier to purchase either one of the two steering stabilizer options.

I don't want to turn this into any type of bashing thread and I realize the kits are comparable, but a better comparison would be one of Skyjacker's 4-inch kits where the price points are close (but Skyjacker is still less expensive), but with a 2-inch body lift and this particular Skyjacker kit I'd like to think I could run 31s and have a decent, well rounded/performing ride on and off road.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, my choptop sits at about 5” of suspension and a 2” body lift and it clears 35” tires. The only rub I get is at full lock against my extended arms. I’m annoyed by that, but I also am amazed they turn that far because I built them to run parallel to and directly under the frame rail.

The 3” Duff coils and axle pivot drops with the custom rear leaf packs with the 2” body lift easily cleared 33” tires. Think I actually put the 33’s on before the body lift. Might have gone to 5” on the suspension before the body lift now that I think about it I’m really not sure. Either way, 5” total of lift clears 33” tires and looks sweet doing it. I tried going back to 31” tires at one point intending to wear out the set the choptop started on, but I immediately went back to the 33’s, they made it much more stable. If I was you, I’d be inclined to shoot for 33” tires, it’s a nice compromise between almost stock and way lifted. Of course, I say that intending to do a 2” suspension and 1” body lift and run 30-31” tires on my 88, lol.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Tackled the next stage of the fuel system, tank and low pressure pump/sender...

Taking the old one out it was readily apparent that it wasn't the first time it had been worked on as the hardware on the tank was mismatched. Figures.... The hose clamp for the filler neck was positioned in the absolute worse spot and it took some acrobatics to get it loosened. Par for the course at this point!

Dropped the tank and took what seemed an eternity to siphon it off into some jerry cans and noticed the inline filter was catching all sorts of what looked like black rubber. Fortunately it drained it nearly completely bone dry, there was less than a teaspoon of gas left in it so that was a win I s'pose. Taking the locking ring off and pulling the sender/pump it was immediately apparent that it was new, and the tank didn't look too bad either but the filler hose was cracking with chunks of it missing and floating in the tank. It needed a new sender anyway to I didn't feel bad about replacing it.

I had forgotten to order a new tank vent and gasket and couldn't install the new tank in until I got those but with the suspension work ahead of me it was readily apparent that leaving the tank out would make working on that MUCH easier, so I decided to tackle the body bushings and 2-inch body lift swap (from 3-inch).

I ASSumed that the 5 mounts on each side of the truck would come apart and go back together the same way. WRONG! And for those that haven't done it yet, be warned that the body mounts/bushings in the footwells and behind the front seats do NOT just simple come apart in a manner similar to the others. After trying a few different methods (including drilling out the pressed in lower bushing from the top, and crafting a homemade bushing puller which also did not work) I Sawz-all'd it off and ordered new hardware from Duff. The problem with those four mounts is that the lower bushing sleeve is fitted inside the upper bushing sleeve and apparently press fit by what I'm sure is some massively high pressure hydraulic fitting at the factory, at least that what it looks like now that I can get a closer look at it!

As far as the lift goes I pulled the trigger on Skyjackers 1.5-2 inch lift and added the dual steering stabilizer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only was the kit discounted and shipping was free, but they also honored a 10% discount code too.

I also decided to add a powered subwoofer under the front seat so I ordered that from Crutchfield today and don't doubt that will rock!

Tons to do and learning a lot, appreciate all the help and info I've found here...