The Blue Pig: ECGreen’s 1989 Bronco II
When ECGreen bought his 1989 Bronco II, it had a blown head gasket. The body was in good shape for its age, but the truck needed some work before it was ready for the trails. He repaired the engine, treated the frame for rust and began building the Bronco II into a small, capable 4×4.
Before long, the project grew well beyond the original plan.
The Bronco II eventually became The Blue Pig, receiving a James Duff suspension, 33-inch tires, 4.56 gears, front and rear lockers, upgraded axles, bumpers, a Warn winch and a number of modifications aimed at making it capable of both trail use and overland travel.
Rather than following one master build plan, ECGreen developed the truck as he went. Each modification addressed something he wanted the Bronco II to do better, and the result was a well-equipped second-generation Bronco II that remained relatively compact while gaining considerably more capability.
Building The Blue Pig
The Blue Pig didn’t start out with the suspension it would eventually run. ECGreen initially installed a Rough Country 1.5-inch lift and ran 31-inch tires. As the build evolved and he decided to step up to 33s, the Rough Country setup was replaced with a James Duff Stage 1 suspension providing approximately three inches of lift.
ECGreen chose 33×10.50R15 Maxxis RAZR MT tires on the factory 15×7 wheels. The narrow 33s were intentional. He liked the way the 10.50-inch-wide tires fit the Bronco II’s narrow body and kept the tires tucked into the wheel wells. Only minor trimming was required at the rear when the suspension was fully compressed.
There was a tradeoff. The combination of narrow tires and the Bronco II’s relatively narrow track width made the truck feel somewhat tippy on the highway and in corners. Wheel spacers could have widened the stance, but ECGreen initially kept the narrow configuration.
Up front, the factory axle was replaced with a Dana 35 from a 1992 Explorer. The Dana 35 was rebuilt and equipped with 4.56 gears and an Aussie locker.
The original 7.5-inch rear axle was rebuilt as well and received 4.56 gears and a Lock-Right locker.
Getting the 4.56 gears and Lock-Right installed in the 7.5 wasn’t quite as simple as expected. The new gearset didn’t provide enough clearance for the cross pin with the Lock-Right installed. Since a notched cross pin cannot be used with a Lock-Right, ECGreen determined that he would have to carefully grind one of the ring gear teeth to provide the necessary clearance.
It worked, and he subsequently put more than 1,000 miles on the setup without a problem.
This is one of those small but important details that can make the difference between a parts list and a useful build feature. See TRS: 7.5-inch Rear Axle Cross-Pin Clearance for more information on the clearance issue and solution.
Warn manual locking hubs completed the front axle setup.
More Than a Trail Rig
The Blue Pig received James Duff front and rear bumpers and a Warn M8000 winch. A 4.0L radiator was installed for additional cooling capacity, and ECGreen replaced a long list of aging components as he worked through the truck.
Inside, Corbeau Moab seats replaced the factory seats, and he added storage in the rear.
The build was increasingly being shaped around reliability as well as off-road capability.
First Off-Road Testing
By September 2021, The Blue Pig was ready for some real testing.
The combination of 33-inch tires, 4.56 gears and lockers at both ends made a noticeable difference off-road. ECGreen was happy with the suspension, but the first outing also exposed the next limitation: even with the 4.56 gears, he wanted a lower crawl ratio for slower, more technical terrain.
The sway bars were still connected during the initial testing, and he planned to disconnect them on a later trip to evaluate the additional suspension movement.
The Bronco II was working, but the testing gave ECGreen a better idea of what he wanted to change next.
More Low Range
By 2022, the drivetrain was headed in a more serious direction.
ECGreen purchased a Behemoth Strongbox Shorty dual-transfer-case setup. His plan was to retain the existing electric transfer case and add the Strongbox, giving the Bronco II substantially lower gearing for technical off-road driving.
At the same time, the FM146 manual transmission was approaching the end of its useful life, so he was looking for an M5OD replacement.
The direction of the build was becoming clear. Rather than simply adding larger tires or more lift, ECGreen was concentrating on traction, gearing and reliability.
That approach kept the Blue Pig relatively compact while making it considerably more capable on the trail.
The Snorkel
One of the more unusual modifications was the snorkel.
ECGreen adapted a Land Cruiser snorkel to the 1989 Bronco II, modifying the snorkel and intake plumbing to work with the Ford. The installation involved cutting and drilling the Bronco II’s body and fabricating the connection between the snorkel and air intake.
The project eventually became its own TRS article, so it deserves more attention than a paragraph in a vehicle feature.
[See TRS: Snorkeling in an ’89 Bronco II]
The Blue Pig
The Blue Pig is a good example of how a Bronco II build can evolve without following an elaborate master plan.
ECGreen started with an old 1989 Bronco II that needed an engine repair. He then addressed the weaknesses he encountered, improving the suspension, axles, gearing, traction, recovery equipment and storage as the truck’s intended use expanded.
The result is a Bronco II that doesn’t rely on an extreme lift or enormous tires to be effective. The 33×10.50s keep the truck relatively narrow, while the 4.56 gears and lockers provide the traction and gearing needed to take advantage of them. The winch and bumpers add recovery capability, while the attention given to cooling and replacing aging components helps make the truck better suited to getting away from home.
And as ECGreen started thinking more seriously about overland travel, the project evolved again, with the 4.0L engine discussion, lower gearing and dual-transfer-case plans pointing toward a Bronco II designed to spend more time exploring than simply playing on a weekend trail.
The Blue Pig may have started as an old Bronco II that needed to be fixed, but it eventually became a purpose-built little 4×4 with a lot more capability than its compact size suggests.
The Blue Pig Specifications
Owner: ECGreen
Vehicle: 1989 Ford Bronco II
Engine: 2.9L V6
Transmission: FM146 manual
Suspension: James Duff Stage 1, approximately 3-inch lift
Front Axle: Dana 35, 1992 Explorer
Rear Axle: Ford 7.5-inch
Gearing: 4.56:1 front and rear
Front Locker: Aussie Locker
Rear Locker: Lock-Right
Tires: 33×10.50R15 Maxxis RAZR MT
Wheels: 15×7 factory wheels
Front Bumper: James Duff
Rear Bumper: James Duff
Winch: Warn M8000
Seats: Corbeau Moab
Cooling: 4.0L radiator
Snorkel: Adapted Land Cruiser snorkel
Follow The Build
ECGreen documented The Blue Pig across several TRS forum threads rather than in a single build thread. The individual discussions cover the original build, drivetrain decisions, off-road testing, the 4.56 gears and Lock-Right installation, and the later development of the truck.
Related TRS threads:
- ECGreen’s ’89 BII light wheeler (The Blue Pig)
- First Offroad testing 89 BII
- The Blue Pig – ECGreen’s ’89 BII
- 4.56 gears in a 7.5 with a Lock-Right
Related technical article:
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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.
