Would like pointers/input on converting a Bronco to Expedition status

[78Bronco]

You will want deaper reduction at the differentials so plan on getting away from the highway gears. I think a small lift, longer shocks, longer brakelines, 3.73 gears and 33x10.5's would really work wonders. I would be inclined to throw a quality traction aid into the rear diff while it's apart. If you wheel the front end hard you will need to check your alingment every now and then.

The mazda 5 speed in your truck might not last however you can take a ZF 5 speed from a F250/350 and install in your truck. All bolts up.

It's a great platform.:victory:

 

[chasespeed]

And if you're going to do the front end, go AutoFab, or Camburg, and be done with it...

Chase

 

[RR1]

And if you're going to do the front end, go AutoFab, or Camburg, and be done with it...

Chase

X2

or Giant.

http://giantmotorsports.com/content/view/47/70/

 

[Regcabguy]

Ford killed the I6-300 efi 300 because it lasted so long. The carbureted version was problematic and a dog. As mentioned, a gear reduction,traction aid in the rear and you've got a gold mine on your hands.

 

[leverett]

as for a possible lift dont do it go with fiberglass fenders they are the same price(unless u find a used lift) with fiberglass fenders you can fit 35s no problem and a differential swap will help to i have limited slips front and rear(stock) and love them they give me the traction i need when i need it and will be easier on your parts. and sway bar disconnects will help also. are u going to keep the back seat in?

 

[Shiryas]

I can only reiterate what has already been said.

- Stock height, just good shocks and springs.
- Slightly larger tires, fender trimming or fiberglass

A couple of pointers on junk yard axles. Like metcalf said they are cheap and burly but you need to do some research before you buy.

-Ford changed its 8 lug bolt pattern in 99+ from 8x6.5" to 8x170mm. So a 99+ wheel will not work with the F250 TTB Hub.
-Most of the ratio's for the Sterling 10.25 from 92 (or so) to 97 are going to be 4.10. The other factory ratio is 3.55 for these years. Both came as open diffs or limited slip. The 3.73 is for the later 99+ axles.
- I also believe there is an axle spring pad width difference for these later axles.

The 16" OEM Alcoa wheels are strong as heck (forged aluminum), usually reasonably priced, and look good on the truck.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63665.

cheers, Chris

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

I've already got 35's trimmed fenders and 4.56's, but honestly a nice clean truck with a leveling kit, stock aluminum wheels, 285's and 4.10 would be a nice clean, capable truck with nice street manners.


The real issue, depending on family size, is fitting all your gear.

 

[Wyowanderer]

From the sound of it, you've got a good idea what to do. I'd skip the engine oil cooler unless you intend to do some fundamental engine mods, and you probably won't need it even then. I'd suggest, as others have, sticking with your stock axles; if you change the rear and not the front, you'll end up needing two spares.You'll also lose the crude but effective anti-lock brake feature on the truck. The stock 8.8, while not the darling of the offroad crowd, is a good axle that will serve you well. If you're set on changing the rear, swap in a 9" from the JY. It's plenty strong, and it's an easy swap- it bolts in with a different u-joint at the diff. The donor vehicle is an '80-'83 Bronco; The truck rear might even fit, but I don't know for sure.
As far as diff gears, 3.55- 3.73 is as high as you need to go. 4.11s will just make your rig scream on the highway, and unless you intend to do some rockcrawling, they're pointless unless you install larger (bigger than 31X10.50) tires.
Change the tranny and transfer case oil, and keep them, especially the tranny, full. the 5 speed doesn't take kindly to being underfilled.,
If you swap the radiator to a diesel unit as has been suggested, you'll need to swap th a radiator support from the same vehicle. I suggest you don't- the cooling system on your Bronc is more than adequate, again unless you're making funamental engine mods. The best cooling system mod you can make is to install a new radiator or have the original one cleaned at a radiator shop.
A set of quality gauges wouldn't hurt, either; I'd install water temp and oil pressure, and a voltmeter would be nice.

A little OT but I'll respond to the post about carbureted 300-I6's. They're neither doggy OR problematic unless they're ill maintained. I've driven my F150 for over two hundred thousand miles, most of it carrying a slide in camper; it's been a joy. Not as fast as the v-8's, but just fine.

Have fun! And I hope you find a slide-in camper for it........not that you were looking.:elkgrin:

 

[AYIAPhoto]

First off, I HATE YOU for finding a truck I've been looking for obsessively over the last year(F.I. 300 w/5speed and a custom to boot).
Swap the rear for a 9" with the 3.55 and a limited slip(look for a 351 powered FSB as they tended to come with all the options), the 9" is fine under 33" tires. You wont need 4.10s if you swap the Mazda 5 for a ZF with the low 1st gear. Rebuild the front end with new bushings and a leveling kit, the aforementioned Jeffs bronco graveyard HD rear leafs and a GOOD set of monotube shocks for the front. As others have said on this board before, the TTB either needs lots of mediocre front shocks or 2 REALLY good ones. You should be able to fit 255/16s with proper backspacing. I've seen FSBs on 35/12.50s with nothing more than a 3" body lift so the narrower 33's should fit fine with the height gained with the leveling kit/HD leafs.
If it is just you or one other person, toss the rear seat. A 25 gallon water tank(or pair of 12s) behind the front seats, some tool/gear storage boxes built in over the wheel well area and tie down points in the "bed" will net you plenty of capacity. Since you stole my dream truck, I'm most likely going with a similar setup on a 4runner.
After the suspension and camping gear is in place it is just a matter of how far you want to go. There are bumpers/winch mounts, sliders, swing outs and anything else you can think of for the FSB. Keep the thread updated as I would love to see this truck built.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

Don't swap the 8.8 for the 9" You will gain nothing in strength.
The pinion and housing are a little stronger in the 9" the shafts are stronger in the 8.8. So it's a wash.

I'll second the removal of the back seat if your sure you won't use it. They aren't mini van seats though. They are a ***** to put in and take out. So be sure you don't want to use it.

I may have found an option for nice leveling springs. A little softer than stock, and a good bit softer than the current available leveling springs. Nicer ride, and more flexibility is what I'm hoping for. Maybe be a couple weeks till I have a update.

 

[AYIAPhoto]

Don't swap the 8.8 for the 9" You will gain nothing in strength.
The pinion and housing are a little stronger in the 9" the shafts are stronger in the 8.8. So it's a wash.

The 8.8 is a C-clip rear however and there are plenty of manufacturers who make beefier axles for the 9. The 8.8 is also prone to the axle tubes turning in the housing. Don't get me wrong the 8.8 is a great axle, but "I" think the 9" is a better candidate to build. While a Sterling/F250 outer swap would provide strength it would cost clearance under the rear(particularly 33" or smaller tires). That in mind the 9" seems to be a great compromise.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

The 8.8 is a C-clip rear however and there are plenty of manufacturers who make beefier axles for the 9. The 8.8 is also prone to the axle tubes turning in the housing. Don't get me wrong the 8.8 is a great axle, but "I" think the 9" is a better candidate to build. While a Sterling/F250 outer swap would provide strength it would cost clearance under the rear(particularly 33" or smaller tires). That in mind the 9" seems to be a great compromise.

Ya the 9" is better building material. Stock to stock though I wouldn't trade.

Some bronco's use a VSS in the axle, not only for speed, but for the E40D shifting, so a VSS relocation adds a good bit of expense to the swap.

The main problem with an 8.8, when really beating on it is the housing itself.
I'm going to have an 8.8 shaved, and re-tubed with 1/2" tubing, truss it, and put alloy shafts in it. When it's re-tubed I'm going to make the shafts equal length so I only need to carry one spare. (which I'll likely never need)
When doing this the Ford big bearing style ends can be welded on, and then I'll be done with the C-clips forever.

Why all the trouble? Because I've already got all the rebuild parts which in and of themselves are not cheap. 4.56's, a heavy duty diff cover, a locker, and I need the VSS. Also because in part this is a MPG build up. I want to push the MPG as high as possible while maintaining off road ability. And I think the smaller diff will have less losses than the big 3/4 and one tone diff. (and less even compared to the 9")
I could swap to a Sterling and still have a VSS, but I would need new wheels, new rear driveshaft, gears, install kit, diff cover, locker....Next thing I know I'm into that axle for 1-2K


Would this be considered getting off topic? LOL

 

[Wyowanderer]

The 8.8 is a C-clip rear however and there are plenty of manufacturers who make beefier axles for the 9. The 8.8 is also prone to the axle tubes turning in the housing. Don't get me wrong the 8.8 is a great axle, but "I" think the 9" is a better candidate to build. While a Sterling/F250 outer swap would provide strength it would cost clearance under the rear(particularly 33" or smaller tires). That in mind the 9" seems to be a great compromise.

Agreed, mostly. The 8.8 is also plentiful in the yards, so sourcing a replacement part on the road is fairly easy. That said, I replaced my 8.8 for a 9" with Richmond Gear 3.55's and Mark Williams axles a few years ago, so I obviously agree. People like me have nearly cleaned out the junkyards.
And the Sterling is a pig; heavy, and unnecessary for most folks. No dig at you Sterling guys, though.
As for lifting the rear, Firestone airbags are a great addition; I've used a set for nearly fifteen years now, and I still love them. And they're also adjustable for trailer use. I also tried air bags for the front coils, but they were pretty marginal for my use.

As far as shocks, go with Bilsteins or KYB's and you'll be done buying them for YEARS. No need to go with dual shock setups unless you like the extra complexity.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

I've heavily considered and did a little bit of research on swapping a diesel into my Bronco.

From 4BT, and 6BT Cummins, to 6.9/7.3 IDI's and 7.3 Power Strokes.

If you add in the cost difference of diesel vs regular gasoline, and take into account the difference in MPG between the two, the Diesel just would not make any sense.

I figure 21 mpg in a Diesel Bronco lifted with 35's should be obtainable. As should 15mpg in a 5l power Bronco similarly equipped.

Now if diesel ever gets to as high as $1 more per gallon again, then it would REALLY not make any sense.

Note that I'm comparing the costs of a diesel swap vs a re-built 302.

 

[JohnMcD348]

Keep it coming

It's been a bit since I got back here but I'm still looking at options and such. I can't tell you how much this input is helping me in my planning for this. About all I've done so far has been the ignition upgrade and timing bump. I'll keep the back seat in but when camping, I'll just fold it forward and use it as the backstop for the cargo bay if I needed to load it up for a weekend. Pretty much the extent of my exploring would be basic Florida backwoods. The stock setup is plenty hearty for these adventures.

I've pretty well decided against the roof rack or roof mounted tent idea. When I Dynamatted(Peal & Seal) the rear area, I removed the side panels to discover just how cheaply they were made. I'm going to build my own, newer panels for the interior and add attachment points for tools and anchor eyelets to secure other gear as needed. I've looked around without any luck for something similar to the modular rail system I used to use in the military to anchor things on ship. That would be great to have attached along the wall and floor of the cargo area.

Right now, I'm just working on the low cost/no cost things. Cleaning it up, taking inventory, making it more comfortable to drive. I'm looking for interior pieces like head liners so I can help insulate the interior from the Florida heat. In the middle of the day when I'm on my way to work, I can feel the heat beating down on my head from the metal roof that's been heated up all morning.

I'm working on changing everything over to synthetics now a little at the time. My next oil change will be with Mobil 1. Then will come the Transmission/Transfer case and finally the differentials. I figure with only just over 80000 on it and regular oil changes up to that point, I shouldn't have issues with the conversion. I'll do the same for the greased areas also. Mainly I'm doing it out of laziness more so than the hope of getting better economy or some other great benefit. I figure with the Synthetic oil I can stretch the changes out 5000 instead of 3000. I do believe though the synthetics will help decrease overall wear and tear on the vehicle.