Stability and Durability

vlpronj · Post by **vlpronj** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:11 am

OK, I don't know how many flames I'll get for this, but I just bought a Bronco II, and I DON'T want to lift it,and I DON'Treally have any great desire for more power.
Well, if you are still reading, and aren't flaming me yet, I bought this BII for my nephew, who's going to be driving sometime in early 2007. I want to see about making the Bronco II more stable, whether through lowering, wheel spacers, or wider tires. I also want it more reliable, even if it means an eventual engine swap.
He'll mostly be driving this a few miles to high school or the dump, and on roads where 50 mph is about the highest traffic speed. He won't be taking it offroad (not with my permission, anyway).
So here's where my questions start...
Would wheel spacers be safe to use in this application? What's the best way to increase stability?
Would a 4.0 V6 be a reasonable motor in a teen boy's first vehicle? Should I still be thinking about a V8, maybe with a rev limiter?
It's an automatic, I'm thinking if the tranny is good, it'll hold up to the 4.0; am I wrong?
I haven't found an owner's manual; is there a simple explanation of how the "One Touch" 4WD works somewhere on the net?
What is up with these seats? The fronts seem to each have a bolt missing, and only one of the reas "tumbles" forward. Is this a common issue? Am I likely to break something if I play with this myself?
Here's a link to a pic of the BII, if you care

http://www.kimvin.com/vince/mycars.htm#87bronco

tekatlarge · Post by **tekatlarge** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:16 am

Hey there welcome,

No problems at all about not lifting or hot rodding the B2. There are a wide variety of vehicles in the RBV world.

I don't know what more you could do but make sure all suspension parts are in good condition and there mounted and connected! Make sure the rig has good shock absorbers.
There is really not a huge amount of stuff you can do economically to factory suspension. The # 1 thing I think that gets people in trouble with B2s' is the short wheelbase. It is like a square cube and front and back always want to be where the other is. Then ya can't figure out which end goes where or when. The next thing you know your not where you thought you were. Ha ha ha Just remember like anything the best stability is responsibility!

Reliability. Cooling system cooling system cooling system!!!! All it takes is 1 time overheating and that 2.9 is toast. 2.9 are notorious for cracking heads. If ya ever have to tear the motor down it is best put back together World Heads! There not crack free but they are really reliable and less prone to cracks. 2.9 valve train is almost always noisy. No cure unless you want to rebuild the motor. I just turned up the stereo a bit. Make sure you have oil pressure at an idle when the vehicle is warmed up. No pressure when warm, Ya can put in another oil pump but you need a rebuild to actually fix that problem. By the way there is NO hi volume pump for the 2.9. If not fixed one day you will be going zoom zoom zoom and in the middle of that you may hear the sounds of metal agony then silence.

Never use Wheel spacers. I know they make them and people use them but if you knew what stresses are induced into the studs!!!

A 4.0 swap is a very common swap and is an “Almost” bolt in deal. As for Trans if you have overdrive you have the famous A4LD automatic transmission. If you can do without the overdrive, look around for a C4 or if you are lucky a C5.
The A4LD is prone to going Blechwechwagrh at the worst time. They can be improved but it would take a good trans man or someone real familiar with automatics could improve it. If you were to undertake repairing the A4LD route, get a 92 or 93 Explorer A4LD and build that one. The newer trans has some improvements in the case and such.

One touch is simply that you push a button; an electric motor on the transfer case actually shifts it in to 4x4. The automatic P.O.S. hubs automatically engage when the axle turns and wheel don’t at least that is what is supposed to happen according to ford. What usually happens is nothing, either motor went to crap or hubs blew up. If it works record the success..

Interior: Yeah, they sometimes have one.. Ok drivers seat will have the famous ford lean to the right and back. This is because the seat frames usually break and lean is. Replace the seat or swap with passenger’s side. Ford could not figure out how to make a strong seat. Oh yeah look under the rig where the drivers seat bolts and look for cracks in the floorboards. Another common.

I ramble too much. Absorb what ya want or need and toss the irrelevant

vlpronj · Post by **vlpronj** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:44 am

Hey there welcome,
Thanks, it's great to be here.

It's been very helpful looking around.
I don't know what more you could do but make sure all suspension parts are in good condition and there mounted and connected! Make sure the rig has good shock absorbers. Will do; don't know how much this rig has been beaten (though body looks too good for a 4wheeler)

Reliability.
Cooling system cooling system cooling systemSubtle hint taken; have been reading about adding fans, etc.

2.9 valve train is almost always noisy. No cure <SNIP> I just turned up the stereo a bit. Make sure you have oil pressure at an idle when the vehicle is warmed up. No pressure when warm, Ya can put in another oil pump but you need a rebuild to actually fix that problem. By the way there is NO hi volume pump for the 2.9.
Not that I'm disagreeing, just doublechecking. J.C. Whitney (I know, I know...) has an item---http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Prod ... 00/c-10101
I have NO problem with the noise, just want to make sure it doesn't go KaBoom! at 55mph when my nephew starts driving it

never use wheel spacersOK, I figured. Seemed like the easiest way to get more track (and it probably is). Had a feeling it wasn't the best way.

famous A4LD automatic transmission. If you can do without the overdrive, look around for a C4 or if you are lucky a C5.
The A4LD is prone to going Blechwechwagrh at the worst time.
Yeah, I've got OD on it. My nephew shouldn't need OD for the few miles between the house and school. Curious- will a C6 fit? I had one in my '73 TBird w/460. Nice.

One touch is simply ... What usually happens is nothing, either motor went to crap or hubs blew up. If it works record the success..
Previous owner reports 4wd worked great. I'll see...

Ford could not figure out how to make a strong seat. Oh yeah look under the rig where the drivers seat bolts and look for cracks in the floorboards.
The floor seems solid, but I haven't pulled up the carpet. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling someone already switched the seats.

I ramble too much.
Not to a newbie, you don't. Thanks for all the help. 1 more question: I saw a boxy looking item near the front grill under the hood; the top of it is marked with A, B, C, etc thru H, and 1,2,3, through 8 (I think thru 8, can't remember). If nobody recognizes from my description, I'll post a pic. There is one cable coming from it, towards the firewall. I thought it might be a custom/tack-on horn, but the battery is dead right now, and I haven't had the time even to trace the cable back the 2 feet I couldn;t see last night. Any ideas?
EDIT: OK, it looks like a vacuum line, not a power cable, and the numbers are 1 thru 6; related to the cylinders? I'm still clueless...

tekatlarge · Post by **tekatlarge** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:33 am

Hello
Your link to CJ Whitless, oopps JcWhipme takes you to what at the top of the page says bronco II and Hi vol oil pump. Well you look at the bottom of the page where it lists applications you will see in BIG BOLD LETTERS Ford 351..... Jc Shiftless suffers from an ailment in their POS software. A lot of online stores suffer this. They seem to see the word Bronco and default to bronco. It misses the 2. Sorry to burst your bubble but believe me I have searched hi and low for one and it is not to be. If someone can find one I will reverse my position.

C6- Well the C6 comes in two variants. A big block and I am led to believe a small block version. I don't know enough about the C6 trans or applications to make any recommendations. A big thing to remember is you need to keep compatibility between your transfer case and trans. The C5 if I remember what was told to me was it was stock issue for I believe 84 and or 85 B2. It was run behind the 2.8 liter I think. Anyone can jump in here and correct me if I am wrong. If the A4LD you have is not bleeding on the floor and works good then I wouldn't worry about it till the trans is toast! A teenager can be a good test for reliability! Know what I mean?

That about covers it. I am out of here and off to the beach to ogle all of the 20 something girls out on the beach. They usually come over to my PowerChair and call me something like an old ugly pervert! I smile and pretend I can't hear. Ha ha ha ha ha

vlpronj · Post by **vlpronj** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:17 am

tekatlarge wrote:Sorry to burst your bubble but believe me I have searched hi and low for one and it is not to be. If someone can find one I will reverse my position.
C6- Well the C6 comes in two variants. A big block and I am led to believe a small block version. I don't know enough about the C6 trans or applications to make any recommendations. <SNIP>If the A4LD you have is not bleeding on the floor and works good then I wouldn't worry about it till the trans is toast! A teenager can be a good test for reliability!

1. I was so glad I had found a hi-flow I didn't even finish reading the page. Pretty stupid of me to post a link without reading the whole thing!
2. I'll probably keep the A4LD til it blows out, but if I can keep an eye out for something good to replace it, I will. I figure between it being his first car, and having somewhere over 200k miles, the motor and tranny may not see him thru college (though I hope they last til he's IN college, at least). There is a major leak (downpour when running), but I only had it running for 2 minutes so far, and didn't even look in the drip pan I put under to see what it is thats dripping (yet).
Thanks for the input, though; I'd hate to think I might've bought the Whitless pump without looking closer.

EDIT 5/18/06: It IS tranny fluid leaking. Guess that's why changing the oil pump didn't fix it, like he thought it would...

vlpronj · Post by **vlpronj** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:21 am

OK, I've gotten myself in deeper. I just bought an '86 BII, Auto/4WD, Eddie Bauer edition, with a leaky main seal on the tranny. I'm hoping to use it as a parts donor or maybe even a host for the '87 I already have. I might take the 2.9 out of the '87, check it out, and try to prep it to go in the '86 since there are some restrictions on older engine into newer vehicle. The '87 has glass that opens separately from the rear hatch; it would be nice to swap that, too. The seats and interior look better in the '86, and the '87 has a standard "street sign repair" over an area where the floorboard metal is cracked and ripped.

Anything I should be aware of, as far as differences between '86 and '87? I thought I had seen a list of model year changes, but I can't find it in my now overflowing folder of BII links.
'86 Bronco from eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AMEWN%3AIT