'88 Bronco II Build Thread

[BroncoIIer]

i think mine is getting a part wood, part metal pull out drawer of some sort. that way i can still stack stuff on top

I've seen people with setups like that. I wanted something easy to build and remove. Plus I'm not so good working with wood.

 

[BroncoIIer]

i restored a large bbq pit summer of 2010 and used that paint you used for your exhaust, it holds up well for the bbq pit, will it hold up to your exhaust? auto zone sells a tan bed liner i think

I also painted my brake calipers, Rotor heat shields, drums, and drum backing plates. I sure hope it holds up. And if I do the bed liner it will be black. Ill probably do it more towards summer.

 

[BroncoIIer]

We received some snow here in OK. If only it were drive able right now.....

 

[BroncoIIer]

I realized I haven't updated in a while. I finally got the truck to a point where it is driveable.
Here are some pictures of how its setting
I added the Hella lights to the front

Moved the cheap fogs to the rear.

Turned down my exhaust. It's really not loud without the muffler. Figured out how to mount my skid plate.

James Duff Shocks

Steering Installed

I think I'm going to have to get a F-250 master cylinder because my oem wont lock the tires up.

 

[elpoffroad]

Very nice build , love everything about this build

 

[BroncoIIer]

Very nice build , love everything about this build

Thank you! I drove it last weekend for the first time in almost a year! The acceleration is amazing with the new gears.

 

[BroncoIIer]

So I bled the brakes again. It is to the point when the pedal bottoms out you can here the tires try to lock up but they wont. I suspect my stock MC can't push enough volume for the bigger brakes. I've done some research and my stock MC is 15/16" in diameter. A F250 master cylinder has a diamerter of 1 1/4". It will bolt directly up to my break booster. I can get one from salvage for 25$. So next week when I'm back home I plan to pick it up.

Even with the weak brakes, I was dying to drive it somewhere. About 100 yards from the neighborhood exit is a pasture with a pond in the back. Here are some pics.

Spring break is in a week. I'm shooting for finishing everything on Saturday. Then I wanna run by a shop and put her on a lift to check for binding at full droop. Then it's off to the trails!!

 

[BroncoIIer]

I finally put some miles on the truck! I took a trip to Camp Gruber ORV park down in Braggs, OK. We did two straight days of wheeling. Here are some pics!

Filling up on gas for the first time in a year

First rock ledge to climb over. Notice how stiff the springs are compared to the later pics.

After the first day of wheeling, and back at the camp grounds.

Day two,
I blew both the front beads within five minutes after being there.
I had to use the high lift jack for the first time.

Made it to a cliff over looking the Arkansas River.

At the end of day 2 I flexed the suspension on that same rock ledge as the first day to compare flex after the springs were broken in.

 

[elpoffroad]

looks like a fun time, did ya have to bust out a spare?

 

[BroncoIIer]

Yeah I had to use the spare. Notice the front passenger tire is a bald all terrain tire in the last pictures.

I got a master cylinder of a '99 Lincoln Navigator for $30 from the salvage yard. Fixed my brake problems immediately!

 

[BroncoIIer]

So I'm thinking about buying dyna beads to balance my tires. Has anyone used these before?

I had my tires mounted at Walmart because of cost, but I think this is the reason the beads gave way so easily with full pressure (31 psi) still in the tires.

I'm just afraid that if I drop the cash on the dyna beads, I will be SOL if another bead gives way on the trail. I havent seen any bead locks for a decent price lately either.

Any advice?

 

[BroncoIIer]

Its been several months since I updated my build. I have been super busy with school and work. I found several loose parts after my big trip in March. I have located everything that could be a potential problem and fixed them.

Here is on school project that has kept me very busy. It was the OSU mini baja car that competed in Burlington, WI, in early June.

It turned out better than anyone expected.

As for the Bronco. I got ahold of a James Duff tube bumper in Kansas. I am currently fabbing a winch mount onto the front of it.

I also installed the stereo finally. In first gen explorer dashes you dont even have to buy a dash kit. I had to really scratch my head on the speakers in the doors though. The previous owner cut 6 inch holes in the door panels. You can see what me and my buddy came up with.

The speaker pods are bolted to the door panel, and are made out of mdf.

I will post pics of the bumper soon. I will also be fabbing a rear bumper to match the front.

 

[036speed]

Sweet SAE Baja Car! I was on my schools team the 5 yrs i was there ('05-'09). Between that, school work and the formula team, there is no time for home projects. The car looks great. Hope you guys did well at competition!

 

[BroncoIIer]

Sweet SAE Baja Car! I was on my schools team the 5 yrs i was there ('05-'09). Between that, school work and the formula team, there is no time for home projects. The car looks great. Hope you guys did well at competition!

Awesome thanks! I have learned a ton from this team. I was the president last year, but this year I will just be around to give advice.

Hopefully I can get some work done on the bronco now.

 

[BroncoIIer]

Its time to make an update. I made it out to Hogan's offroad park in Disney, Ok, this past weekend. If you ever have an opportunity to go you should take it. We had a blast! Here are some pictures of the rigs.

This is in a creek bed known as halfpipe prior to hitting the trails

We apparently got lost, but it made it more of an adventure.

To end saturday we decided to hit the rocks below Grand Lake Dam.
The bronco definately surprised me.

Then sunday we decided to make one more trail run, and the take somemore pictures at the rocks.

This is the owners tow rig incase you get in over your head. It is a deuce and a half chassis with a ranger cab and a 460 under the hood. It also has a pto winch in the rear.

We had so much fun on the trails, but we didn't get many pictures.

This trip definately let me know that I need high steer asap. My turning radius sucks compared to stock. It's not fun to shimmy around every corner on the trail.

I'm also converting to manual windows. The electric ones are just not cutting it.