Bronco II

I have a 1986 stock Bronco II that I have used as a daily driver and occasional off road playing. It has 156,000 miles. The 2.9 L V-6 uses no oil between changes;  clutch, steering, etc are strong. Brakes are shot (original brakes-that's the way I drive) and AC is dead. I have 2 4WD SUV's made in this century so I'm thinking of doing some off road stuff to the Bronco, mainly in the suspension and wheels /tires area.

Anybody have some good suggestions where to start?

Thanks

Skyjacker has a lift for them that seems to work well. cut out the wheel wells, put a locker in the rear and a limited slip in the front. Knock out the rear windows, remove the heavy rear tailgate and drive the snot out of it.   

I'd start off by buying a 'for sale' sign for the Bronco, and invest your money wisely in a Chevy 4X4 !  Preferably one older than an '87 unless you have a lot of disposable income to spend on new truck parts that are designed from the factory with two things in mind: #1 - engineered so they won't last very long, and #2 engineered so that they make your wallet very light once you purchase these parts. - something to do with quantum physics, I thinks.

Good luck to ya, whichever way you decide to go. 

btw - brakes and A/C are optional in da mud !

Stick with the Bronco II. They are not that bad at all. You can start with the afore metioned lift, tires, locker, limited slip (or locker in front also). And you have the advantage that you don't have a huge turd to try and navagate down tight trails. If you really like off roading, I've heard you can up grade your drive train by puting in an explorer front end and some of them came with 8.8 rear axles. And if I've been told correct it is close to a direct swap, I can't say that for sure but I think so. They both would be a good up grade in strength, and if your not out to be the next rock crawling champ, but just out to have fun go for it. Oh I'd get the AC fixed, you'd be suprised how nice it is on a hot day.     Phil

If what your'e looking for is 'cool and nice' then stay home and drive the couch! If the trails you're navigating are that 'tight' than get you an Isuzu amigo, or an atv !  Huge turds rule!!  The 'tight trails' get wider each time I go rampaging through them with my beast.

If you cain't hang with da big dawgs, then stay home with da *** - 'nice and cool' - this sounds like something a Jeep YJ jockey would come up with. ( Yuppie Jeep ).

It really depends on how much money you are willing to spend.  I have an 88 ranger which i plan on lifting either 4 or 6 inches with new bumpers from james duff and some 32inch super swamper tsl.  I bet your stock bronco is already quite strong off the road at least my ranger is for being stock just a little money and it will be great  

I'm the one who said to keep the AC, and I'm not a Yuppie Jeep driver. I drive an FJ40 thats built big time so don't start throwing rocks when you don't know what your talking about. I'm still at stock width and I've embarrassed guys like you because they couldn't fit between trees to get to an obstacle or couldn't get over the rocks because they kept getting hung up because of there size. You sound like the kind of person that give four wheelers a bab name! Remeber TREAD LIGHTLY! If the guy is just wanting to have some fun and get started or not go crazy there's no need to give him bad advice. So stop talking out the wrong end and start thinking before you post! One other thing, I can hang with the big dogs.

Weld the rear spiders, put on some 700 korn king tires and wheel!! That's what I've done and I have a great time. Oh yeah, cut the angle off the tail pipe or it will get bent and close the exhaust. To me wheeling is about where can I go not what I can spend.  

I don't think the 7.5" axle would hold up too well with welded spiders.

700 korn king tires???   WTF?

The only (korn) that I ever see is when I'm sitting on the throne (toilet) and I've just had a corn poopie. After sitting on the throne and I'm done with my business, I've been crowned king!!!!!

They say corn is good for us, but if its so good, than why do we poopie it out? My only guess would be to clean out our turd tunnel.

Any comments? Maybe I'll go to ( Four Wheelers Forum) and ask (The Snoman) if he knows. This guy (thinks?) he knows everything about anything.

Dude! Chill out!   You mis-spelled half your post!

I don't mean nothin by it, I'm just pokin fun at you guys! - lighten up a little, or you'll give yourself a brain-freeze.

I just try to steer folks in the right direction as I see it, and from my experience with this stuff. If you want to go off-roading in tight spaces then get a dirt bike, or an ATV. Otherwise choose a slightly less densely populated forest to wheel in.  I have never gotten hung-up anywhere, except for that tree stump, half submerged in that creek. I F#cked up my full size K5 beast on it, and would have probably folded & totaled a smaller ride like the ones you guys are talking about.

I've seen both sides of this story - I drive an S-10 ( narrow as *** ) to work every day. I wheel my beast on the weekends and days off. I didn't "go crazy" with my old '77 K5 either. I spent $1500 on this ride when I bought it. I'm sure this guy probably spent 4 times, or more on his ride than I did on mine, for half the truck I got !! - in my opinion.

You can't go wrong building up a Chevy K5 4X4, so research your "good advice" before you go spreading it. If you're afraid to wheel a big beast in the woods like I do, that's your thing. It's a much more stable ride with the wider, and probably longer wheel-base. The heavier vehicle weight gives you more traction - again, in my opinion.

btw - I ripped out the A/C on my beast right after I bought it. It's just 80+ lbs of dead weight that I don't need to carry along when I'm tearin it up in the mud, or trails.

King me!, Korn King !!

Thought for the day: It is pointless to eat korn. -  It just goes through ya like *** through a goose!

This is an issue we definitely need to bring before the 'snoman' !          To Korn, or not to Korn, that is the question!  Whether it is better to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune....etc....etc....etc...

I'm not too sure if he would answer a question like that. He doesn't ever seem like he has a sense of humor or somewhat knowledge about certain things!!!

I'll let you type in the question to the (Snoman).

I guess your're right, it'll probably go over his head like a C-130!

I didn't detect a sense of humor in him either.

I couldn't live life without having a sense of humor.

It's all about fun and games as I put it!!!!

I'm kinda lucky that I have two boss's that I can joke around with at work. We can say pretty much anything we want to each other!!!

I've got a pretty good job now and work with alot of (good) people. Pretty much like family.

Your'e among the lucky ones then! Most folks hate their jobs and their bosses. It wasn't always that way for me, but is sure is now. Come Monday morning I'm ready for Friday!