My 85 B2 w/4.0 swap and more... | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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My 85 B2 w/4.0 swap and more...

ceirsik

Member
Joined
March 9, 2013
Messages
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City, State
hutchinson, ks.
Year, Model & Trim Level
85 bronco II
Hello, I have a 85 B2 I just swapped a 93 Ranger 4.0 in. The swap is out of a 5sp, but Mine is the 4sp auto. Here is the B2 as it is now.
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I got it for free with the front end smashed, so I replaced both front inner fender wells and fenders, front frame rails, rad. supports and grill. then I had to replace the drivers door. It had the all in one tail gate, so I swapped it with a glass lift one. The interior was Red, and I'm not much for the red so I swapped it with a EB tan one. replaced the drivers rusted out floor with new metal, new brakes all around. put a 4" suspension lift from a U-Pull yard for $40 and 2" body lift. It has 37X15 w/ bead lock rims under it now, they where cheep from a friend but going to a new set of 35" soon. I just Herculined the bottom half and Hammered painted the top. Built my own rear bumper and working on the front with a 9K pound winch to sit on it.
I know thats a lot of work for a old B2 but I now have just under a $1K in it. so it's a truck I love with about half of my blood in it! So we are one now..LOL!

Here is a pic of it after I replace the front clip.
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Anyway, thought I'd say Hi and hope to be a part of the family. Thanks Chris.
 



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Welcome Chris, that is one fine looking rig. What plans do you have for it? Rocks, trails, or just DD? How about future plans, axles, lockers different axle ratio?

And the comment about it being old...No such thing. In fact my Ford Focus and Chevy Impala sit out in the weather ha ha. Where as my 84 B2 has it's own 24 x 24' garage. No assembly line cookie cutter vehicle is going to put Samson out. And more often then not, It's the B2 that gets picked for everyday driving.
Oh ya, welcome and keep us posted.
 


















Well thanks.. It's my DD and the ONLY place to play around here is the river. The only other place to play is Tuttle creek about 2 hrs form here. I'm getting a 8.8 from a 97 EP with 373g and lsd w/ rear dick brakes. Front.. IDK just yet. Maybe a D30 stright axle.. Not a lot of call for HD stuff a round here,. LOL!
2timingtom is right, My main love is my Toy Z, but friends started doing river runs and I had the B2 just stock and could go do some things with them but thought I'd fix it up some.
Here is my 1974 Datsun 260Z that I take to the track and play around in town with.
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She's a SBF 302 w/351W heads, C4 reverse shift,4200 stall. running a 12.4ets on street tires, have new slicks to try out on it, to help hold the 200 shot of NOS I added this winter.

So I guess I have the best of both worlds...
 






Nice!

I used to live in Wichita and was more into sports cars at the time. Where are the spots to go wheeling out there?

Tom I have a old friend in CO. that i'm going to go see soon, I want to take the B2 and do some light trial running.. maybe we could met up sometime and you could show me around..
 






Yeah, let me know. Where in CO is he? When do you think you'll be headed out this way? I've got a group that I try to organize a trail run every month. The snow is a big unknown. We just got snow here in the city all day today. Most of the high trails aren't free of snow until June. Some lower trails can be free earlier though. We stick to pretty easy trails in the winter- a little snow on an easy trail makes it not "easy" but not hard either. Plenty of amazing trails in the summer though!

I made a few passes down WIR. But I was mostly involved with SCCA doing autox and track days. Had I stayed there, I would have got my road racing license.
 






Yeah, let me know. Where in CO is he? When do you think you'll be headed out this way?

He's in Denver. Marc Foss. Thinking about last weekend in march, 29th - 30th if we dont get much more snow. I have a few guys that might go with me, 2 have jeeps. But I'm the only B2.. I have to show up the jeeps!
 






very clean ride man, I really like it. I did a dana 30 in mine and I think as long as you keep it open it should last you a really long time. Mine took a pretty serious amount of rock crawling abuse this last year and I only had a couple bent link mounts, build some better lower link mounts and you're golden.
 






Very nice! I think the black with the tinted windows sets the truck off nicely. All it needs now is the round headlight mod.

I used the HP D35 from an Explorer/4.0 Ranger for my axle swap (together with the Ex 8.8" rear). It would be a straight bolt-in affair on yours since you're lifted, and approaches the strength of a D44 with a simple Jeep hub swap (uses the same axle u-joints for one thing, which I know some of the later D30s do use as well). I've been all through California's Sierra mountains with it and it's never let me down the way it's set up, even being surrounded by well-built Jeeps (I know Colorado has some pretty comparable terrain). It'll also leave a Jeep in the dust if you like to go fast.
5.13:1 gears are also available for a D35 (which either those or 4.88:1 would be best for keeping your 4.0L happy if you're sticking in the 35-36" tire range).
 






Thanks for the info.. found a 97 EXP drive train. I think I'll just do that for now. I built me a front bumper over the weekend. It's nothing special but it will do. I also ordered my 8k winch tonight.
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It's a old street sign and it was a pain to get it to form, so I used the jack to hold it up!
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I post some pic of it painted later.. Thanks, Chris.
 






janderson4010, just seen your sig saying.. Love MegaMind..
 












Got the top plate made and the stinger is made. Making my D rind hooks tomorrow and when the winch get in it all goes together..

I did my best, but he's to fantastic! lol!

janderson4010 We'll just let the rest of the word wonder "what the He!! is he talking about?"
 






lol for sure man, the bumper looks good, I need to build myself a bumper in the next 2 weeks, and I have no plan for it in my head. got my cage planned out, but the front of my rig is a big question mark. lol
 






I was completely blank when I started, I just cut my first plates put them up and took all day of going through different peaces of metal, going I could do this or put this here and put that there... I like the end results but I'm thinking maybe I could of done this... LOL
Cuz It's nothing like what I had in mind last week.. was going to do all flat steal bumper.
 






Glad to see the BII forum isn't completely dead! Both your rides are sweet!

Personally I'm a fan of the D35 TTB, especially if you're not ready for an SAS quite yet. It's a bolt on swap. No BS. The only gotcha is you might have to have your front drive shaft shortened.

Welcome to the board and keep the updates coming!
 






I was completely blank when I started, I just cut my first plates put them up and took all day of going through different peaces of metal, going I could do this or put this here and put that there... I like the end results but I'm thinking maybe I could of done this... LOL
Cuz It's nothing like what I had in mind last week.. was going to do all flat steal bumper.

looks good though. Thanks Bats mine looks like a pile of crap compared to his, but mine is built to beat on, not look pretty. d35 would be an easy swap into this rig, after getting into the wheel bearing situation on my explorer I don't know how big of a tire I would want to run on one. I think you can put d44 knuckles on it though, and that would be *****in
 






Use Timken wheel bearings & races (#SET-37) on the D35 and you shouldn't have a problem with any size tire you want to throw on it (just as long as it's on a 15x8 w/3.75" backspace wheel, though several have used 15x10s too, but the 8 is less strain on the bearings... looks like what you have now).

Also torque the outer bearing nuts to 250ft-lbs if it has manual hubs, they sometimes do come loose if you use the book spec of 150. (N/A, auto hubs)
 



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Thanks for all the thumbs up, and advice.. I found a 97 exp for $400 wont start and the fuel tank is gone.. I want the rear end for sure but does it have the D35 front? I have only seen pics of it and I made sure it was a 8.8 lsd. if it is I'll get it and do the D35 swap. I have 37" under it now. to big for flex. they rub in the rear so I'm going 35".
Talking about front hub bearings, I replaced them today. lol..
4x4junkie, I like the mods you have done. I have a shop and have every thing to build my stuff. I think I'll do some long arms also. I have F150 front spring on it now and they are way to stiff. Looking for some used jeep spring now.
 






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