Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

[rookieshooter]

Used unibit to drill out hole in housing. This little tool is so useful, highly recommend getting one if you plan any mods.

[rookieshooter]

Here is a used Westin step rail that i also picked-up at the Carlise swap meet for a few bucks. It was about 5 feet long and had to cut and shorten . It is welded just about 1/2 inch past each end of the rubber foot step. I may add some tubing straight out at each end of the rail and then turn into frame to give it a slider look. Allthough the rear of the step I might not have to once i go with the 32 or larger tires, there wont be much room. These B11's only have a 90 something inch wheelbase. You can also see the stock paint job. I am thinking of going with the red color that is on the ranger tail gate. Open of suggestions on color

[rookieshooter]

Here is where it attaches to the rear between the spring connection and body mount. I also have new polyurathane body mounts and 3" body lift

[rookieshooter]

Front connection, no biggie here.

[rookieshooter]

Had to do this in several locations. add a 3/16" plate under body mount due to the badly rusted body support. Buy adding the polyurathane body mounts and adding the 3/16" plates it really elliminated that body sway from side to side even with the 3" body lift. It is more firm now then when it was new.

[rookieshooter]

You are looking up and to the rear of where the headliner used to be. Once all the wiring is complete then some kind of liner will go in. The dome light came out of the donor car, I kind of liked it, it has individual lights for driver and pass. At the far back is where I dropped the roof line down 4 inches. I used a 1/2 x 1/2 tubing for support for the bottom. The 4" metal drop down piece I traced the body lines of the roof which has indentations in it. Then mig welded it. The bottom I had a 90 degree bend under the sq. tubing and welded that. This is also where I mounted some relays for the lights on the roof cage. Those wire nuts will be replaced with shrinkwrap and then sealed with liquid elctric tape (Nappa) I will do this at all points of connections. Also all work and off-road lights will run from the relays straight to, or close to the battery compartment. I need somekind of selenoid there that will let power go to the off-road lights only when the key is on.

[410Fortune]

hehehehe I like the wire nuts.
Did you use stranded wire or are we talking house electrical?

[rookieshooter]

Originally Posted by 410Fortune

hehehehe I like the wire nuts.
Did you use stranded wire or are we talking house electrical?

The cool thing is that they match the tailgate Ha Ha. You would have really gotton a laugh it you had seen the wires going to the battery charger LOL.

[rookieshooter]

Lets see, what can I do today...install the Dana 35, start building the engine? Na... I think its about time to get rid of those Heathen Devil wire nuts HA HA HA

[410Fortune]

A BII headliner would probably work, if you get a 89-90 style they are MUCH easier to work with
I have a similar project for my dome lamp as well< I snagged one from a Gen II Explorer at the junk yard about two years ago. Eventually it will be mounted and wired hahaha

Looking good so far, I like some of your ideas for sure! lets get some weather protection!

[rookieshooter]

When I installed the 8.8 rear I wanted it to have four shocks. This is 2 x 2 sq. tubing that I ran on top of the frame, almost directly above the axel for the upper shock mounts. You can see one of the shocks, a little fuzzy.... lens was on macro to show end of tubing with a sleeve. I did not want the bolt that passes thru to the frame start bending in top of tubing. Also this sq. tubing will also have brackets on it to support the battery box.

[410Fortune]

what about the gas tank?
I wanna see your shock setup

[rookieshooter]

I need to know who makes a gas tank with a sending unit. My sending does not work. Some of the wires that are wrapped tightly close to each other are broken. This is the part that when the float moves, measures the resistance. These wires are way to small for me to fix. The tanks I find do not have a B11 sending unit. They have rangers but no B11 and this is from a co. that supposed to handle this stuff. Can you help? I already have a new Auto-meter fuel gage in the dash that is in sync with the way ford reads the resistance for that year B11 So it needs to be that style. As the shocks 2 are ranchos that replace stock shocks. The other two are a little longer due to the new shock support that was in the pic. I have 3 on it now the 3rd should be here in a few days. I went to the rancho webb site and got the length that i needed, and also the style of the top and bottom fastening points, both ends round with bolts, no stud style. I know a lot of people talk about long shock travel, but I think in my situation this will work. How much travel would I really need anyway when most of the time it will be driven on back woods logging and fire trail. Then again nothing in this project is written in stone. Read my signature. I get some pics of the shocks. I wish mine was running like yours. Then again I have a friend who builds old hotrods. He said that when its all done, your going to find yourself with out a project, and thats not good. And I said you know u might be right, I dont want to just sit around and talk about glory days.

[410Fortune]

Napa has a complete in tank unit for about $80
How can wires me too small to fix?

I have two other trucks and a boat waiting for work, and my BII is just in stage III now, not even close to being completed, never will be

[rookieshooter]

Nappas just a few miles from here. Ill check it out, thats the best price also. If you took a frog hair, split it in two and then shaved it on both sides thats how small they are. I did manage to solder them back. but then the part that slids across them got stuck on it and gave a wrong reading. My patiance ran out and i trashed it. pics of shock on the way.

[rookieshooter]

Right side bottom mount. Welded new lower mount on existing sway bar mount. top of shock fastens on new 2x2 tubing that goes across from frame to frame. I tried not to get the mounts too low. Hate to see those pick-ups with those shocks that hang down. The angles of these two shock are different from rt. to lt. My thinking is that it might help to elimanate body roll.

[rookieshooter]

top of shock #1 first pic. this is how the top of shock mounts tothe new tubing. You can see bat. box in rear.

[rookieshooter]

This is shock #2 looking from front to back. I actually used the old shock mount off the orginal B11 and welded it on the 8.8 Notice that I did not have it down at a steep angle. The top mounts to the stock B11 mount. Will it work.... remains to be seen.

[410Fortune]

I see.
I did a similar thing with my 7.5 shock mounts (cut them off and re-used them)
But i have wanted to re-do thier positioneg ever since.

Looks good!

Now I understand about the wires.
I have had good luck with Napa in tank units, not so good luck with many others.....

[rookieshooter]

Here is what it looks like with tailgate removed. Takes about 10 seconds to remove. I might drive it like this sometimes. May get one of those nets that goes across. Getting lighter all the time.

Starting to look a little better then that first pic I think.