Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

its good to know its going to be reliable when you go out to get some mud on the tires, (and all over the rest of the vehicle). most people don't understand how much difference a locker will make, its the single best mod you can make on a 4x4, Ive been telling my dad that on his cj5 the entire time he has been building it, stubborn old bugger won't listen to me. you can have the biggest tires in the world and they are no good if they aren't turning.

Click to expand...

your so right, even with wheel off ground it went up as if it was going over a walmart speed bump.
This is a good pic of why I like taking off hood, fenders and doors. Would have missed a lot of scenery.






Actually went out to push the new front exo in to see if it needed any more bracing...which it don't. So thought I'd see how these KM2s do. Better on rocks then mud IMO.





This is only a couple miles from house, but the good pics will come after ARB with some 5.13s and min 37s are on. Then it will be towed with some other guys to some Off Road parks. Not going to happen now.
All the work on removing the stock X member and making another one and then relocating the drag link from bottom of Pitman arm to top paid off. The TRE would have hit the Hight Steer arm if it would have been in the stock bottom location.
Then pushing the front axle forward made it easy for the tire to hit the rock before bumper hit it. The rock is almost vertical so there was no creeping up on a long angle. Now throw in that Atlas with the torque of the V8 and it just idled right on up.
That's cleaning crap that's around the tire. Still trying to get mud off.

Funny thing as I was playing around a Sheriff drove up and we most have talked about 20 minutes about the modifications to this truck, he really loved it and said he'll check out the B2 forum here.

I think you could set a nice little line through that rock garden, looks like a good time

After building the swing out tire carrier I had to relocate the Hi jack from a rear mounted position to back up on the roll cage. But after seeing Anderson's rear located jack position, I just can't have mine up on the cage no more. It's a weight relocation thing. Basically this will get the weight down lower plus it will be on behind the rear axle. Like I explained earlier this will now be cantilever weight as is the fuel cell, on-board air, spare tire/carrier
which will put more weight then the actual weight of those items on rear axle.
And this is very important on a chopped top B2.
This is the only position I could find that let me still operate the swing out tire carrier.
Just need to fab up some brackets. One is tacked into position in the above pic.





Then some bolts or may use those spring loaded lynch type fasteners.



Much better location then high up on cage in middle of truck.

Just finished the last exo support for the roof. The stinger is next to it. Again doing it with no 90 deg bends. Those angles are 22.5 deg on the roof structure.
Might as well protect this 28 year old body. They're getting harder to find each year. Especially since scrap metal is so high.



Today riding around in the buggy mode...no hood, no fenders except exo that extends outside of tires and no stock doors, just tube doors what a blast.
Sure lets you see more of the road that's in front of you.
Now like I said a few posts back, a sheriff did check out my ride but never said a thing about the buggy look. He just kept asking questions and saying that's cool. I've yet to even see a State Boy, but the exo do extend pass the tires and i do have mud flaps that I can snap on. It's a big no no not to have them and then pull out on the road throwing mud 30' up in the air.
Wish you guys could ride along and just check out all the cell phones snapping pics. Had on one guy go around and intersection and all most lost it trying to take a pic ha ha.
But it's when I pull into a gas station that's when the fun begins with the WTF look on their faces.

Even though the ARB is on back order don't mean I'm giving up things that need to be done as in removing some metal that is on inside of the inner rear fender well.
Even with only 35s it will hit when stuffed. Now this is an older pic but it's the best pic I've got of the problem.
The extreme bottom left I'm not to concerned about...yet.
Once the Dbl tri 4 link goes in I won't have all that rear steer that swings the axle out to the rear towards bumper. So for now I'll just do some sheet metal work.



Here you are looking up inside the wheel well with the sheet metal that will be removed inside the circle. This is stock sheet metal that will be removed.
In fact you can see some scuff marks where the tire has made contact.

Those two bolts are part of the cage that was originally just bolted to rear floor but has long since been connected to frame.
In fact that's it around the 5:00 position going down to frame. So out with those two bolts and the short section of cage that it's connected to.



Glad to get rid of that flimsy stuff ha ha. And no structural value whats so ever.



Now stuff away! Just have to re-skin it.
Other side will be more involved being I have the OBA tank to contend with.

Getting ready to remove the L rear fender well. I just removed the OBA system which I'll relocate after new fender well is done.
Also the sheet metal that used to cover the gap to the left of the stock wheel well was removed.



Started the cut to remove the inner FW.



Going to use a round tubed frame that will attach directly to the rear quarter panel and then turn some round tube 90 deg. out from fender then turn down next to coilover. Once all framed out then the next step will be to put the sheet metal skin on.
In my mind I think I have it all worked out and lookin good...I hope.
This mod on to both wheel wells will let those tires stuff up in there.

rookieshooter said:

Going to use a round tubed frame

Click to expand...

what is this round tube you speak of?

janderson4010 said:

what is this round tube you speak of?

Click to expand...

Nothing but the best my friend, nothing but the best.
It is well seasoned and stressed relieved.
This is an older pic of the custom tubing. Once the camera batt. gets charged I'll post pics of the side I have framed out this morning. Reminds me of an airplane fuselage thing. It's not chromo, but it's up there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/honda2nr4life/garage door/Tuscarora-20111005-00554.jpg

The rectangular part of the frame is twisted to fit the different contours. But it would warp the sheet metal trying to skin over it.



So I added the diagonal piece from opposite corners. Now there are two flat separate triangle pieces that will let two separate pieces of sheet metal lay flat.
But what this does is it eliminates the hump that used to protruded down into wheel well.

Starting the left side wheel well cage.







Still a lot to do. But at least most the cage is done other then tying into body then skinning it.

nice, it looks really clean.

Thanks.

Here's my plan. Just place two triangle pieces over frame and rivet. Patch any spots where the triangle pieces meet original body lines to smooth out the transition. Then paint new cage and patching black.

Hard to tell from pic but both pieces slop down at different angles.
I'll leave the area to the left open to make working on the shocks easier.
Main thing I'll have some metal over the rear tire from throwing crap all over the roads.

Up at my friend Joe's sheet metal shop, same guy I got the D70 from.
Making up the body panels I need for the rear wheel wells.





I'll seal it up and paint later. Those holes will be patched up later.
Except for the opening left of the wheel well covering. Do not want to box in the area around the coilover.



From this...



to this. Now to do the other side.
I'll post finished work sometime tomorrow.
Keep in mind,Finished Work is a relative thing.

wow I wish I didn't suck at sheet metal work, ive got a lot of sheetmetal to do coming up and im hoping it doesn't come out all hacked together lol. looks good man.

Thanks jon, sometimes I make a mistake and it comes out all right I suppose.
Also note that I had to relocate the OBA tank.
But I like the exposed looks of the coilover now.

rumor has is a certain post apocalyptic BroncoII from west virginia has a 5 page piece in bronco driver magazine, any idea who that would be?

Now that is awesome. Congrats

Thanks, got the mag the same day as my "B" day lol.
This all came about cause Tom, the owner of the mag and some of the staff were up at the Carlisle shows covering the shows for a future article in the mag.
Tom, the owner of the mag had his immaculate EB there next to his Display for his magazine
Naturally they visited all the Bronco guys. Ron one of the staff members is a photographer who has a whole fleet of Broncos himself snapped a bunch of pics up at the show for a future article on the All Ford and Truck national events.
Don't have a clue if Samson will be in that mag or not, but if it never makes another it was great. There were I believe 20 some pics that they published in the one mag. The one pic you see here is actually larger in the mag as another 1/3 of the next page has it continuance of the Truck.
Even got a little pic on the cover. Ok 15 minuets is up ha ha. But it was fun meeting those guys.

Put the truck up on the single ramp this morning to compare results of enlarging the inner wheel well with an older pic when wheel is stuffed.
I posted pics of the tire in the new designed wheel well but it was not stuffed, just sitting level.
The bottom pics are of the right rear tire stuffed.




Right rear rear stuffed. Now this is with the front left up on ramp. The tire will hit the sheet metal when the front is on an object higher then the ramp at the 10:00 to 12:00 clock position.



Now here is the same Right rear with all factors same except with new enlarged inner wheel well.
At this point I'm not too concerened about the far left hand side of tire being that close to the inner fender well. Reason being the new Dbl Triangulated 4 link won't have all that much rear steer if any and won't be that close to the sheet metal with one tire up. Now once the larger diameter tires go on, then I'll address that problem if in fact it does come too close.



And this is the same stuffed tire but at a different angle. Keep in mind that a lot of the outer stock wheel well was removed when I did the tube outer flares.

Rookieshooter please report to previously mentioned rock pile and do your best to flop it on its side.