Project Mudd Butt BII

[Hay Boys Racin]

Ok so I've been lurking around here for long enough and I figure it's time to make a build thread. So here we go...My plan is to buy something I can build for the trails and to keep up with the jeeps my buddies have. So I bought my 86 Bronco II on 2/5/2011for$590 like this

For the first couple weeks I spent a lot of time fixing leaks, patching rust holes, and just getting it runing good enough to drive. After I got it running pretty good I put a 4" Rough Country suspension lift on it and got this

I was not satisfied with the lift, I went the cheap route and went with the blocks, then I had to put add a leafs in and run belltech shackles to get it leveled out. Then I got to lookin at my body mounts and almost everyone of them was destroyed so I decided to put a little body lift in it too. ( and this will help when I put a 4.0L in it).

After reading about the D35 and 8.8" swap I began looking for an Explorer for a donor for the motor, drivetrain, and the axles to swap into the BII. I got lucky and out of the blue my dads buddy had a 94 Explorer 4x4 that had been wrecked in the side, so I picked it up for $200.

The seats in my BII were broke and I decided to rip out all the carpet and use some roll-on bed linner for the floors and put front seats in from the explorer and I ended up with this

I wanted something kina like a truck bed in the back because I plan on using the Bronco for pretty much a trail rig only so I decided to throw down some diamond plate in the back

After searching around for a good set of used tires and not being able to find anything I liked I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new set of 34x10.5x15's on chrome mod wheels(not my first choice but got a good deal on them)

Then I threw them on the truck

The bronco had a decent amount of rust in the back so I decided I would take care of that by cutting out the fenders. Plus I like the way it looks better and more clearance so a win win

After getting the tires and lift on and ready I couldnt wait to take it out so me and my buddies took a trip to the Dirty Turtle Off Road Park to try it out. I haven't swapped the axles yet and was a little worried about the D28 in the front bc I tend to have a lead foot at times. But the truck suprised the hell out of me and ran great with not mechanical breaks and it out wheeled the jeeps I went with

The battle scars consist of a broke rear window and a beat up front fender

Since the trip I have straightened out my fender, got a new hatch from the junk yard with a rear glass that opens, and got a new rear bumper fabbed up. Tomorrow I'm gonna start on the front bumper. I'll post some pics of the rear soon.

Future plans include D35 and 8.8" swap coming soon with Duff arms and F250 shock mounts then eventually a 4.0L swap sometime maybe in the fall I would love to start on it but I want to go wheelin!

 

[bobbywalter]

and the journey continues.

 

[oliveb2]

I like it. Doesnt look bad with that tire and wheel combo.

 

[Hay Boys Racin]

Forgot to mention it's going to get a black paint job with the bumpers and rockers bed linned in the next couple of weeks when the weather gets better

 

[nuclassic]

awesome work so far, if I could afford a trail rig I'd get a BII

 

[wizkid00104]

After searching around for a good set of used tires and not being able to find anything I liked I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new set of 34x10.5x15's on chrome mod wheels(not my first choice but got a good deal on them)

You gotta love when the tires cost the same as the truck

Ranger people have priorities in order, no question about it!

 

[88_Eddie]

nice bronc' sir......i like the looks of it

any plans for the drivetrain?

 

[kris97ranger]

i like it quite a bit its too bad there are no b2s around here..

 

[jhammel85]

Very nice job! Did you flare out the fenders after you cut them?

 

[Hay Boys Racin]

Thanks for the compliments guys

88_Eddie, yes I have some plans for the driveline coming soon. My plans are to swap my exploder axles in will be the first thing. They have 3.73 gears in them which I'm not crazy about but we will see how it does? I plan to weld the rear since it won't see much road action. Then on the front I bought a set of manual Warn hubs for the D35. While swapping in the axles I figure I'm going to go ahead and put some extended radius arms on there and I would like to go ahead and put the F-250 shock mounts on with some new James Duff shocks in the front. As far as driveshafts go I am going to try the explorer front driveshaft for the rear since I have two of the same explorers and it would be nice having a spare shaft. I havent fully decided what I want to do on the front driveshaft? I guess just shorten it like the Tech Article says and maybe beef up the U-joints?

Jhammel85, I didn't flare the fenders after I cut them, it still has some of the stock flare, but I did take and bend the edges of the fenders 90* to give it more of a factory look and to avoid the sharp edges

 

[jhammel85]

You did well! I really thought it was flared...Nice!

 

[country0001]

You'll love the 4.0, nice truck.

 

[Hay Boys Racin]

Rear Bumper

After breaking the rear window because I didnt have a bumper I figured it was time to start building some bumpers. I also got a new rear hatch from the junk yard for $44 with a glass that opens

I'm still gathering some parts to do the front, I picked up a set of Hella lights, and I ordered a prerunner hoop to weld on and I still need to get some shackle mounts.

 

[88_Eddie]

looks good, what thickness plate is that on the side? 1/4"?

 

[1986fordranger]

it looks great , by the way how big of a body lift do you have on it