Jamest's 74 Bronco buildup

[james t]

Lookin good, King James. Do you have the BL in already? Looks like you do... but if not I have some pucks I can send you if you don't already have 'em.

Its already done. The rig came with a 3" body lift on it... i just chopped it in half.

Whats the plans for the 302? Or have you allready done that end of the build?

Im leaving the 302 alone. Its a bone stock FoMoCo longblock with about 5k miles on it. Itll have headers and thats about it. Im leaving the stock Motorcraft 2bl on it since those things run about as good as EFI offroad (except for the altitude stuff)

Are you planning a cage or any tube work for the bronco?

Yea, itll have all tube rockers, bumpers, and a full family style cage. That stuff will come last.



Ill have some more pics up later today. Ive done alot of work with the grinder but it doesnt look like much progress. Yall know how that goes.

 

[james t]

Okay, i got the coil towers ground down and looking nice and got the trac bar mount cleaned up. I welded up all the old steering box holes on the frame and got them ground down.

 

[james t]

Ive got the steering box on the frame and one hole drilled. It rubbed the power steering pump, so i cut that lump off the box with a sawzall (see 1st pic). Most guys who run this box run it at an angle and have a sleeved hole below the frame. Due to my moving the front so far forward i can run it straight across the frame rail. Im going to box the frame in around the steering box with .250.

 

[fischerry]

well did you forget about this project?...im still interested...to see how it's gonna trun out,i have a q for u,why dont you drop the coils,set up leafs in the front,and dual shock all the way round...

 

[IZwack]

i have a q for u,why dont you drop the coils,set up leafs in the front

cauz he's JamesT and JamesT dont do leaves in the front

and dual shock all the way round...

IMHO, there's no real purpose for dual shocks unless theres a lot of "sprung" weight -- which in this situation, there isnt

 

[james t]

I havent forgot... ive been working my ass off on the steering box part of the frame, but no progress worthy of pics. Ill have a few up tommorrow.

Swap to leaves? Why? Ive already got Duff arms, coils, shocks, etc salvaged off of my 75. Ive been wheeling this suspension for years and it flat out works. Getting rid of it and swapping to leaves would be taking 10 steps backwards.

The front will have dual shocks, the same Duff shocks with the setup. I believe they sell dual shock setups in their kits to combate the negative effects of not having a sway bar. One day later on ill go with a single remote reservoir.

I work 12 hour shifts so the only time i can work on this thing is on my off days.

 

[rookieshooter]

Ive done alot of work with the grinder but it doesnt look like much progress. Yall know how that goes.

All to well

 

[RFR2212]

YAY! Another REAL truck being built on this site. GO BRONCOS! I bet you my truck will be uglier! James, looks like good plans and that you'll get yours done well before I get mine done. Next year if I'm lucky, I'll get a trailer, dual beadlock hummer rims, and may put in my 91 stang 302 to my c4 d20 combo and then go with a chevy tbi efi setup. Very simple and will cost a little more than the wiring harness for the ford efi. Difference is, I wont have to do a body lift or cowl hood to clear the efi intake. At that, I've got hydroboost and don't want to have get the 45 degree bracket to clear the efi intake.
Can be seen here
http://www.certifiablejeep.com/fuelinjection1.php you get the idea
www.affordable-fuel-injection.com site not working

However I've got a guy who can do the setup for cheaper and get the wiring discounted a bit.
That's my build list.
Good luck!

 

[james t]

Thanks. Im guessing sometime next summer as a completion date, but i hate setting a date because every time ive done that in the past something has happened.

 

[RFR2212]

Tell me about it.. My date is never. The only day it ends, will be the day i get rid of it... Which I don't foresee happening anytime soon.

Thanks. Im guessing sometime next summer as a completion date, but i hate setting a date because every time ive done that in the past something has happened.

 

[james t]

Alright, its been awhile, but between hunting season, 12 hour shifts, and the wife having some health issues im back on track now. Ive been working on it hard this last month.

I found a 77 HP44 front housing with the weld on wedges. Cut the wedges off and moved them in to "about" early Bronco width.

 

[james t]

The super mega ridiculously overkill steering box brace is done.

The frame is plated all the way around with .250". 2 of the holes are sleeved with tubing through the frame, the other one uses the factory hump style sleeve in the frame rail. Then, there is a .250" plate on the backside of all that, with a 1.5" .250 wall square tube running to the other side of the frame. I turned the tube at an angle so it wouldnt look so "farmboyish". This is then welded to another .250 plate that is bolted through the frame.

Yes, the steering box mount should survive a nuclear holocaust. I did this because i dont ever want to mess with that area again.

Once again please ignore the ugly flux welds. The last pic shows the brace bolted through the passenger side framerail.

 

[IZwack]

Looking good there

 

[sn0border88]

have you ever had the chance to test out those diy beadlocks?

 

[james t]

have you ever had the chance to test out those diy beadlocks?

Yes. They have worked friggin awesome out back, behind the house, under the patio stacked on top of each other. : All i can tell you is they dont leak.

 

[sn0border88]

I needed some good flower pots, think they will work?

Any chance you have the measurments on the rings, hole spacing, outer ring inner/outer diameter, ect? Im to cheap to buy them and want to just make my own.

 

[Premier]

why are you off all week?

 

[sn0border88]

CNC Plasma... it wont take long.

 

[james t]

Any chance you have the measurments on the rings, hole spacing, outer ring inner/outer diameter, ect? Im to cheap to buy them and want to just make my own.

I can get you some measurements for the outer ring, but im not dismounting them for the inner. : Mine are the inside the lip style so all you have to do is measure across the rim to get the diameter of the inner ring.

If you have a sheet of 1/4" laying around then i guess you could save some money, but if you have to buy the steel it wont save you a dime. You can buy the rings without hardware for about the same price you can make them. They would also need to be turned on a lathe, and i really have no idea how you could get the bolt holes perfect doing it home brew.

why are you off all week?

Took some vacation time. Several of us are going camping this weekend, so im trying to get alot done on the Bronco this week.

 

[james t]

Okay, some beadlock measurements-

Outer ring outer diameter- 16.5"

Outer ring inner diameter- 8.6"

32 bolts, 3/8" diameter, 2" long, grade 5

bolt holes are 1.33" apart center to center

bolt holes are 1.33" from edge of outer ring to center of hole

the big holes (for design) are 1.5", the little holes (for design) are .75"


Of course you would need to double and triple check this as im measuring these while mounted.