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Nothing Special's '71 Bronco

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    Posted: 06 Mar. 2024 at 7:24am
That's me, Bubba, and I'll own it!
Bob

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nofender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar. 2024 at 5:28am
Nice! Creative solutions 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar. 2024 at 10:11pm
This weekend I finished a project that I started before Covid!  Back when I originally built my Bronco I converted it to 4 wheel disk brakes.  But the rear disks never really offered any significant improvement, while they did cost me my parking brake.  So in January 2020 I converted the rear brakes back to stock drums in order to get a working parking brake again.  And now I finally have a working parking brake!

After getting the drum brakes back the next problem I had was that the parking brake pedal was buried behind the roll cage.  In April '21 I cut and welded the pedal so it stuck out from behind the cage.  It ain't pretty, but it's not in the way and it is accessible.  Here are pictures of before and after that exercise.




But that still left me without the cable connection.  Rather than have the single cable from the pedal pull directly on the two cables to the brakes, early Broncos have a lever that gives a 2:1 mechanical advantage.  I had to cut the pivot point for that lever off to make room for the Atlas transfer case to go in, so I tried connecting the cables directly.  I couldn't push on the pedal hard enough to get the brakes to hold.  So this weekend I finished getting the lever system working again.  The last time I had the transfer case out I welded a plate onto the bottom of a hat channel, with a couple of threaded holes.  That gave me a place to mount a bracket (circled in red in this picture).


So now I cobbled together a bracket and put all of the rest of the stock linkage in.  Here's a picture of just the bracket (hard to see in black), and then one of the entire linkage.  I haven't really tested it yet because the Bronco is still parked for the salt season.  But the pedal goes almost all the way to the floor before I can't push it any harder (it only went a couple clicks with the cables hooked up directly).  So I expect they will work a lot better!



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb. 2024 at 7:20pm
Yeah I’ll bet having it swing open while driving wasn’t fun!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb. 2024 at 5:47pm
cam buckle strap is not a ratchet strap. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb. 2024 at 5:46pm
i always had a small cam buckle strap on the tire carrier of the 69 Bronco. never trusted the latch alone. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb. 2024 at 4:29pm
Another small repair knocked off.  In October we went back to SMORR to meet up with a few people from this board.  One thing that happened to the Bronco on that trip was that the spare tire latch started letting go from time to time.  After the second time it swung open while I was driving I tied it closed, but that needed to be fixed.

Most of the issue was that the pivot hole in the latch was all wallowed out.  I welded it closed, ground and filed it back flat and drilled it out to the right size.  With that fixed there was still a little too much slop in how the latch engaged with the carrier.  So I built up that part of the latch with the welder and ground and filed until it fit well.

Time will tell if I actually fixed it, but it sure seems to latch more securely than it ever has before!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Sep. 2023 at 10:27pm

It's been just over a year since my last post here. No big projects in that time, but we've used the Bronco a bit and I've done a few small things, so I thought it was time for a catch-up.

Last September we took the Bronco to Hurricane Utah and did some 'wheeling at Sand Hollow. The Bronco did great, and the extra clearance under the transfer case and especially the radius arms was appreciated. The Double Sammy trail at Sand Hollow was the 'wheeling highlight. I have a report on that trip in the "Jeep Photos and Stories" forum (link below). I did bend the front bumper on Milt's Mile, and somewhere along the line the front driveshaft tried to share space with the exhaust crossover pipe. Fortunately it just dented the pipe and made clearance for itself.

https://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/help-planning-a-sand-hollow-trip-and-report_topic51036.html#520321

Next was correcting a death wobble that started a little after the Utah trip. The bolts holding the steering box bracket to the frame were loose. All good after tightening them up.

The idea when I got the mud tires was to get better street tires for most of my driving. So I went from 33-10.50x15 BFG All-Terrains to P235/85R15 
Hankook Kinergy PTs. They look too small under the lifted (and cut rear) fenders. But they handle well, are quiet, and make it easier to get in and out of, which is a really nice plus. And I still have the 33/12.50x15 mud tires for off-road.  (there's a picture with the new tires below)

October brought another 'wheeling trip to SMORR in Missouri to meet with a bunch of people from this board. The Bronco didn't let me down at all on this trip either. There are a lot of videos from this trip on my YouTube channel. This one might be one of the better if anyone cares.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_qUfgdv0i8&t

Next project was replacing the oil pan. This got rid of the HORRIBLE oil leak I've been living with (about 2-3 quarts leaked out while it sat in my garage over the winter). The pan I got also had the drain plug on the bottom rather than the back of the sump. This was important because my exhaust crossover goes behind the sump and made it very hard to drain the oil, so that's resolved as well.

Next was replacing the soft top I ripped on a tree six years ago. I'd have replaced it sooner, but all anyone carry's for early Broncos anymore is dark tinted windows and I didn't want that. But when towing it home from Utah it started tearing across the top of the windshield too. The top was 20 years old, so I sure can't complain. But now I had to get a new one, so I had to settle for dark tinted windows (on another Bestop). After having it for about 4 months now I'm still not getting used to them and I still don't like them. But it's better than not having a top.



In June we took a 'wheeling trip to Windrock in Tennessee. I can't say I'm a big fan of Windrock. Lots of deep ruts that tend to high-center anyone running less than 40" tires. And too often laying the truck on its side. Fortunately it was mostly on pretty soft dirt, so I didn't do any real damage. I probably won't be going back there. I have a report on that trip as well.

https://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/nothing-special-wheeling-at-windrock_topic52753.html

After that trip I finally started looking for and corrected the brake fluid leak I've had since adding the hydroboost in 2020. It turned out to be a plug in an unused port in the proportioning valve wasn't tight enough.

One "downside" to the new street tires is that I can hear other noises, like the rear wheel bearing that was going out. So that got replaced.

Then the last (as of now) little thing was raising the front bump stops. When I built the high pinion axle I grossly underestimated the amount the rubber would compress. So I extended the studs on the stock bump stops and put a spacer under them.



Well, that catches everything up. If you stuck with me through all of this, thanks for reading!



Edited by Nothing Special - 09 Sep. 2023 at 10:28pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep. 2022 at 9:16pm
Originally posted by Scratch Scratch wrote:

That whole shifter area looks nice!  Good job!

Is that a hand throttle I see on the shifter lever?

Thanks!

And yes.  After experiencing a hand throttle once I'll never be without one on a trail rig.  Using it as a "third foot" while working the clutch and brake to start on a HILL is great.  And being able to step the idle up a bit so it doesn't stall as it crawls in low-low is even better.  And I use it as my high idle for warm-ups so I don't have to mess with trying to adjust that.  The bonus was the time the throttle linkage fell apart and I was able to drive home from work anyway!

For what it's worth, my hand throttle holds the throttle where it's set.  I know some you have to keep your hand on it to hold it open, and if you let go it drops back to idle.  The thing I like most about using it on trails is the ability to hold the throttle steady while crawling over rocks.  I can't do that with my foot on a pedal, and I don't think I could by holding a lever with my hand.  Not saying the other kind is bad, it's just not what I want.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep. 2022 at 12:30pm
That whole shifter area looks nice!  Good job!

Is that a hand throttle I see on the shifter lever?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep. 2022 at 5:03pm
I got the transfer case shifter adjusted so I can put it in 4-high without the boot pushing the front stick back to neutral, so I finally have pictures of the shifters.  In these pictures the transfer case is in 4-high (both sticks all the way back).  Most of the time of course it will be in 2-high, with the left stick (which shifts the front driveline) one click forward (in neutral).  And on the trails it's usually in 4-low (both sticks 2 clicks forward of these pictures).  2-high and especially 4-low puts the shifter for the front stick against my leg, so I would have preferred having them farther back.  But I should be able to live with this.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug. 2022 at 10:13pm
About a month more progress to catch up on.  But first a spoiler:  it's finally back on the road now!  I've only been driving it for a couple of days, but I'm confident now that it will be ready for us to take on vacation in less than two weeks!

OK, back to the progress report.  I got the diff cover back on and painted the axle.  Then I got it hung under the Bronco and got the ball joints in.


I wasn't able to put the Bronco tie rod in as the F-150 knuckles have a bigger tapered hole.  So I had to order a "conversion" tie rod that had F-150 ends on a shorter tie rod.

I ended up needing new spindles.  The ones that came on the junk yard axle were way too worn at the wheel bearing seal.

The aux fuel tank finally is back in.  I took it out over a year ago when I was making the driver's side rock slider and knew it would have to come out again for this.

I had to bend the shift lever for the front driveline on my Atlas transfer case.  It needed to be closer to the rear stick to work with the new boot I have.


I made a sheetmetal cover for the hole in the floor where the transfer case levers come through.  I had to make sort of a box on it to cover the shift tower that used to be below the floor.




The cover is painted now and I installed the boot (sorry, no pictures yet).  But I do have a problem.  I set up the shifter with the sticks as far back as I could get to keep them away from my leg as I drive.  But the shifter boot doesn't quite let them go back that far.  If the stick for the front driveline is in "high" the boot tends to pop it forward into neutral.  So I need to adjust the sticks farther forward to make that work.

I also got a shifter boot on the trans.  That's looking and working good (but no picture yet).

After getting it all back together I drove it to the alignment shop.  Turns out I didn't do a great job hitting the numbers I wanted.  I'm pretty good on driver's side caster at 6.5*, but I'm only at 4.5* on the passenger's side.  Camber is also slightly low at 1* driver's and 0.4* passenger's.  But it's driving nice!  It was a little "light" right out of the alignment shop, but I added a bit of toe-in and it feels quite good now.  I might try and add a little more toe-in to see if I can get it even better, but if not I can certainly live with it like it is now.

And the shop re-rebalanced my mud tires.  They were rebalanced right before I drove it down to Missouri to go 'wheeling a couple years ago, but gave me a lot of vibration at some freeway speeds.  I could deal with it on that trip by not driving those speeds, but it made me leery of flat-towing it where I wouldn't be able to feel if it was shaking itself apart.  But it's dead smooth up to 70 mph now!

I still haven't driven it on the new front gears.  I have put it in 4WD with the hubs unlocked to spin the driveline and there's no vibration or noise (at least that I can hear over these tires!).  But I want to pull the rear driveshaft out to drive it in front wheel drive to break in the gears.

But it's back on the road!


Edited by Nothing Special - 27 Aug. 2022 at 10:15pm
Bob

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug. 2022 at 8:56am
I don't have any special abilities or knowledge regarding axle gears.  I've just done a bunch of on-line research.  I've seen your posts on your project and I know you could do it!

That said, having done it one and a half times now, I definitely think this is one of those "if you have to ask if you can, then you can't" sort of things.  But note that I didn't say "if you have to ask HOW you can...".  It's something just about anyone can learn, but if you don't go into it with the confidence that you can learn it and be successful, then you'll probably bail out.  I know I did the first few times I set out to try it.

It does take some specialized tools.  A dial indicator with a magnetic base, a lb-in torque wrench (beam, or better yet dial, not a click type) and a BIG lb-ft torque wrench (200 lb-ft on the pinion nut on a Dana 44) are all mandatory.  I am fortunate to be able to borrow all of those from work.  A case spreader helps, but isn't mandatory (I made a simple one from a YouTube video).  A bearing puller to get the carrier bearings off is also probably mandatory (they seem to cost a bundle, but I made a not simple one on a lathe at work).  You'll need a good way to get the pinion races in and out (the lathe again came in handy).  And a way to hold the yoke stationary while you torque the pinion nut to 200 lb-ft (this wouldn't be too hard to make at home either, but it was easy to make on a mill).

All of the tools required do make it hard to justify the investment if you're only doing one axle.

And with all of that said, it's a pain!  I get why shops might charge $1000 for it, and I get why people pay that!  If I have to set up gears again I'll probably do it myself.  But I might not too, depending on my schedule.  And I certainly won't look down on anyone who opt to have a shop do it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2022 at 11:40pm
More ground clearance is always better!  
I wish I knew how to set axle gears.  It's one of those things I've always wanted to learn how to do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2022 at 11:05pm
Catching up on the axle, after getting the transfer case bolted into its forever home I put the axle in, lined everything up and tacked it together.  I ended up taking it to work to burn it in as my welder doesn't have the power to get decent penetration on the 1/2" thick axle tubes (at least when plugged into 120V, it should do better on 240, but I don't have that available yet).

Then after getting it cleaned up as best I could (the inside of the tubes was the biggest challenge) I got to set up gears!  I'd done half of that job when I installed the OX locker a few years ago, but since I wasn't moving the pinion that time I didn't have to do that half.  This time, with the old OX going into the "new" housing with a new ring and pinion I needed to do the entire job.

I won't bore you with the details, but I ended up pressing the inner pinion race in and out 3 times to adjust the shims for the pinion depth, the pinion nose bearing those 3 times plus 3 more to get the pinion preload set, and the diff went in 6 times, with several shim adjustments to get the backlash set.

The net result was 13 lb-in pinion torque-to-turn without the pinion seal, 22 lb-in total torque-to-turn without the seal (26 lb-in with the seal) and .0065" backlash.  And here's the pattern

Drive side


Coast side


I'm happy with that!  It took about 10 hours of work over 4 nights.  But I was expecting a lot worse!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2022 at 10:36am
A lot of time has passed since my last post.  I've been busy, both on the Bronco and with other things, so keeping build threads up to date has slipped.  So I'll try to catch up a little here.

I ended up making a new trans crossmember that went under the front driveshaft and held the transfer case up against the floor, so it ain't goin' no higher.  That gave me 1.75" more ground clearance under the transfer case than where I started.  Cutting off the radius arm mounts gained me about 4" there, so I've done pretty well on the primary goal of this project.

With the axle rotated forward I now have the pinion pointing up 11*, the driveshaft is also at 11*, the transfer case is pointing up 4* giving 15* in the double Cardan joint at the rear of the driveshaft, so I did pretty well on that goal as well.

Raising the transfer case affected my rear driveshaft angles as well, increasing the angle of the double Cardan at the front of the shaft to 13*, which is still fine, and reducing the angle at the single Cardan at the rear to 4*.  I'm a little surprised I have that much angle at the rear, but I set the rear pinion angle two transmissions and one transfer case ago.  I haven't had any vibration with it before so I should be good now.

And I didn't need the hole in the frame I had cut so I patched that.

Raising the transfer case did poke the shift linkage up higher, now coming through the floor.  So I'm going to have to re-do some stuff there.

'Nuff talking, here are some pictures.

Here is the new trans crossmember and some pics of it installed.






Here's a side view showing the new ground clearance


And here are a couple of pictures showing how close the transfer case is to the floor and how much the linkage comes up through the floor.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 9:07pm
Originally posted by Nothing Special Nothing Special wrote:

....  I'm not at all sure that I want to do what it will take to (clock the transfer case) up another step, so I'll get the radius arm mounts back to stock height, get the wedges cut off the axle and rotate the pinion up to see how the front driveshaft lines up.  At that point I'll see if it looks like clocking the transfer case higher will gain me enough to be worth the extra work.

I wrote that a month ago. This past weekend I got the high pinion axle housing cleaned up and shortened and I was able to put it in the Bronco to see how things lined up. With it sitting at ride height and the transfer case clocked to the second position I had only gained 1/2". But the bad thing was that my double Cardan U-joint was going through a 26* angle at ride height. I tried at full droop and it wasn't binding, but I wasn't comfortable with that.

So I put the transfer case back to the first clocking position and tried jacking up the transmission. The limiting factor turned out to be the front driveshaft hitting my home-made trans crossmember. But the good news is that at that point I had gained another 1/4" of clearance under my transfer case and reduced my U-joint angle by about 3*.

That's as far as I got this weekend. I did modify the trans crossmember to hold it there, and I might end up going with that. But next weekend I'm going to pull the crossmember out and see if I can go any higher. If I can I'll be able to make a new crossmember to go under the front driveshaft. But that's for another day.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nothing Special Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2022 at 10:43pm
I bought this one for $6000 in about 2002 (meaning I've now owned it for abut 40% of its life!).  Now that it's worth ???? I get asked "What does it take to 'wheel a collectible vehicle?"  My answer is to not think of it as a collectible vehicle!  It's just an old trail rig I paid $6000 for!

And my '71 came with electric wipers and a Dana 44 front end.  Yes I'm replacing the front axle now, but other than that it's easier to do what I'm doing on a second axle and that the high pinion will improve my U-joint angles I really wouldn't have needed to.  The stock 44 is pretty good (but this one is stronger!)
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