Off road cruising

[Boss/Cyclone]

I don't know if any of you guys do any off roading but, me and my son went Sunday and I thought I would share some pictures. I guess I was testing how much articulation I could get from the axles in the first picture, second is of my son at the entrance to the park, my two girls and my wife went to the local "Race for the Cure" event that day so it was a boys only trip. The vehicle is an 84 Bronco II that I did a V8 swap in back in the early 90's, then swapped in a Dana 44 front axle and 9 inch rear axle both with 4.56 gears a few years later.

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

I Love It!!!! I still have my parts that I took off my last serious 4X4 with the idea I would build a new one.I like the idea of the swap to the little Bronco. ROY.

[Boss/Cyclone]

I Love It!!!! I still have my parts that I took off my last serious 4X4 with the idea I would build a new one.I like the idea of the swap to the little Bronco. ROY.

Thanks Roy, the nice thing about Bronco II's is that they are not very popular and share doors and fenders with Rangers. That means I can go out, smash it up and still go get a fender at the junkyard the next day. Try doing that with a 66 Bronco.

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

The early Broncos are crazy,about $10,000 for a wore out rusted hulk around here.Did you leave the Dana 44 and 9" stock width?What transfer case?I see the little Broncos around here in donation type lots for around $1000. ROY.

[Boss/Cyclone]

The Dana 44 and 9 inch are out of a 77 Bronco, the last year of the early small body style. I did not have to shorten them, for the rear I just moved the spring perches and bolted it in. The front was more involved, going from independent front suspension to a solid axle. Luck for me I was able to cut all the mounts of the 77 and weld them onto the 84's frame. There was some fabrication but, mostly just finding ways to remount the 77's parts nothing to complicated. As far as the transfer case, the 84 Bronco II is the only year in which V6 powered vehicles came with a C5. (Basically a C4) So I just changed the bellhousing and tossed in the 302. So, the transfer case is the stock 84 Bronco II case. 16 years of heavy use and the only problem is I had to rebuild the C5 once and had better drive shafts built.
Larry

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Larry;thanks for the reply! My stuff is out of a 1979 so it is wider.I bought a 79 F150 chassis and pulled the 4X4 parts off and built a 75 Ford Van,short wheelbase, into a 4X4.I put over 200,000 miles on it before the body started to rust away.I couldn't find a decent Van to swap the body so tried selling the Van,no luck,so I pulled the driveline and scrapped the Van.The thing was a beast,warmed up 351W,C-6,205transfer case,Dana44 front with 4:10s on a tru-trak,9"with 4:11s on a Detroit locker,12.5X35X15 BFGs on 10" wheels.The van was my daily driver-tow vehicle and toy for many years,broke things but was only stranded once when a front hub broke.Not many places to play anymore with the tree huggers locking down all the good spots.The closest for me is the dunes at Pismo Beach,but the place can be a ZOO!I have a 2001 F-250 4X4 now that I use occasionally but it is huge,but works OK off road,you just have to remember how big it is and that it is my tow vehicle!!! ROY.

[Boss/Cyclone]

Larry;thanks for the reply! My stuff is out of a 1979 so it is wider.I bought a 79 F150 chassis and pulled the 4X4 parts off and built a 75 Ford Van,short wheelbase, into a 4X4.I put over 200,000 miles on it before the body started to rust away.I couldn't find a decent Van to swap the body so tried selling the Van,no luck,so I pulled the driveline and scrapped the Van.The thing was a beast,warmed up 351W,C-6,205transfer case,Dana44 front with 4:10s on a tru-trak,9"with 4:11s on a Detroit locker,12.5X35X15 BFGs on 10" wheels.The van was my daily driver-tow vehicle and toy for many years,broke things but was only stranded once when a front hub broke.Not many places to play anymore with the tree huggers locking down all the good spots.The closest for me is the dunes at Pismo Beach,but the place can be a ZOO!I have a 2001 F-250 4X4 now that I use occasionally but it is huge,but works OK off road,you just have to remember how big it is and that it is my tow vehicle!!! ROY.

I had a couple Econoline 4WD Vans back in the late 90's. One was a 83 Conversion van and the other was a 79 panel van. Both were powered by 460's and where horrible gas hogs. I really liked them and used the Conversion van for a tow vehicle to go to the track. I sold them in 2002 when I bought my current tow vehicle a 2002 F250 Lariat crew cab powerstroke. I was looking for a picture of the van and have not found one yet. Do you have any pictures of your old van? Any plans to use those axles to make another 4x4 van?

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Larry;I do have photos,I'll need to drag them out.I had planned to do another 4X conversion on something but would sell the parts.Most of the Ford van conversions seemed to be long bed E250s with a 460,that was one reason I built mine on an E150 short box.The Van worked great for every task I through at it! ROY.

[Boss/Cyclone]

Larry;I do have photos,I'll need to drag them out.I had planned to do another 4X conversion on something but would sell the parts.Most of the Ford van conversions seemed to be long bed E250s with a 460,that was one reason I built mine on an E150 short box.The Van worked great for every task I through at it! ROY.

Yeah, both of mine where long wheel base E-250's. I always wanted to put a diesel in mine but gave up on the project as I have too many projects that will never get done already.