GoFastBroncos.com

So,
I posted this build to race-dezert but it didn't get a whole lot of love. Figured I'd start a build thread on here too. The truck is a 1990 4x4 F150, single cab short bed with the 5.0. The plan is to turn the truck into a multi-purpose Baja cruiser. I spend quite a bit of time in Mex and the idea is to have something I can chase/prerun in and also load up for surf and fishing trips and be able to sleep in the back of. My brother and I have been taking our time finding good deals on parts, and researching the parts that we have been buying new. There were a handful of decisions I was on the fence about , but the forums have really been helping to ensure that I spend my money in the right places.
I'm living in New York till October, but the plan is to collect all the parts, have the truck built/assembled, and then take off for Baja for a very extended vacation to go put her to use.


Here's a list of mods that will be going on the truck:

-Giant trussed TTB (stock width), heim joint radius arms, and engine cage
-2.5"x14" coilovers up front with 2.5" bumps
-Giant "link killer" spring under kit
- "link killer" 16" bypass shocks and 2" bumps (maybe 2.5, not sure if I need em)
-Trussed 8.8 with limited slip and 4:88 gears
-Shell
- Huge roof rack with 8'x6' pull out canopy, surf racks, fishing rod holder, spare tire mounts, work and amber lights
-3 HIDS mounted on front bumper
-Drop center fiberglass hood, pullled bedsides and mayyyyybe fiberglass fenders (really can't make up my mind on this one)
-35" projects w Alcoas
-GPS and race radio
-2 race seats and a middle jump seat
-4:88 front gears
-K&N FIPK kit
-Aftermarket muffler


So, she's almost ready to go under the knife, but here's some of the parts and decisions I need to make:

-What brand/model of manual locking hubs should I get?

-Front fiberglass or no? I'd like to do a small flare just to make sure I don't have any clearance issues, but what am I looking to pay to have them properly mounted? My last bronco sounded like it was gonna come apart on the freeway. Don't wanna deal with that again. Does autofab make a kit or just provide instructions?

- Cage or no cage? I'm really on the fence about this one. As far as comfort goes, the cage is gonna suck (noise, space, etc), but I'm planning on really using this truck a lot in the desert. I was talked into doing the external B pillar to save cab space, but the problem with that is your not able to fit the shell on and have it be weatherproof (this is an absolute must). I'm thinking of connecting the bed cage and the cab cage below the window and bedline so I can use the shell, but not sure if that's gonna make the cage obsolete in the goal of making the truck be more rigid.
I've talked to a couple different shops and have gotten mixed opinions. Couple of them said don't bother and others were all about it.
This is the real last deciding factor before the truck gets dropped off, so I wanna make sure I'm not screwing myself over. I figure I could add the cage later, but if my truck is under the knife and I'm planning on spending a good month and a half to two months down in Mex straight out of the gates, it'd probably be worth it for the peace of mind and lifespan of the truck.
Opinions???



I gotta figure out how to resize the pics I've got, but I'll post them later. Thanks in advance to any opinions and advice. These forums have really been helping with the build.

Here's some photos.

Couple more...

SC150 wrote: -What brand/model of manual locking hubs should I get?

Factory or warn premium. Factory hubs are made by warn and they both last a long time.

SC150 wrote:-Front fiberglass or no? I'd like to do a small flare just to make sure I don't have any clearance issues, but what am I looking to pay to have them properly mounted? My last bronco sounded like it was gonna come apart on the freeway. Don't wanna deal with that again. Does autofab make a kit or just provide instructions?

You don't need fiberglass with 35" tires if you limit uptravel in the front by about 1.5" and push the front tires about a 1" forward. My truck has no rubbing issues in the front with a 35x13.50x15 Toyo. You will have to trim the front bumper a little. The rear will also need the lip at the front of the fenderwell clearanced a little.

SC150 wrote:- Cage or no cage? I'm really on the fence about this one. As far as comfort goes, the cage is gonna suck (noise, space, etc), but I'm planning on really using this truck a lot in the desert. I was talked into doing the external B pillar to save cab space, but the problem with that is your not able to fit the shell on and have it be weatherproof (this is an absolute must). I'm thinking of connecting the bed cage and the cab cage below the window and bedline so I can use the shell, but not sure if that's gonna make the cage obsolete in the goal of making the truck be more rigid.

That is a hard question to answer. A cage will make the truck last years longer and make the suspension work way better. I think someone like Mark Kiefer could do a nice install that would allow you to keep your shell just fine. Look at how BajaF250 is built.

If you haven't looked at this - take a good long look.

If you have looked - do it again because there are always more little details to catch!
http://www.gofastbroncos.com/forum/view ... f=19&t=864

I"ve definitely spent wayyyy too much time drooling over the Baja F250. It's nearly exact to how I'd be my truck if money wasn't a concern. Hopefully I'll have a very similar substitute though. I love the durability and functionality of it.
When I keep talking to my friends who race and are heavy into the off road world, they can never seem to grasp the storage factor that I wanna incorporate. A 2wd linked 2 seater that can't carry a back pack and a cooler isn't too conducive to a 2 week camping trip into the dirt. I think you can find a happy medium with something that will work well, hold up and still be able load up to the gills with boards and camping supplies but you definitely need to think out of the box a bit. My bronco was great, but by the time I had my third seat and my spare mounted, there room for much else. Roof racks really helped with this. I''ll also be building a bed on top of my spare tires and tool boxes so that i can maximize usage space. I'm gonna do it on hinges so you can lift it up and get to everything underneath. I'll post some sketches of what I'm talking about as soon as I can figure out how to use my damn scanner.

I'd like to order the hubs online. What part am I looking for exactly? I went on the Warn website and there's 5 different options for the Dana 44. Can someone steer me in the right direction?

SC150 wrote:I'd like to order the hubs online. What part am I looking for exactly? I went on the Warn website and there's 5 different options for the Dana 44. Can someone steer me in the right direction?

Does your truck have zero, 3 or 5 bolt hubs right now?

You are off to a great start! Save this site in your favorites http://broncograveyard.com/ just about everything drivetrain related will be the same as a bronco, plus they also sell truck specific stuff. And their prices can at times be hard to beat.

philofab wrote:

SC150 wrote:I'd like to order the hubs online. What part am I looking for exactly? I went on the Warn website and there's 5 different options for the Dana 44. Can someone steer me in the right direction?

Does your truck have zero, 3 or 5 bolt hubs right now?

I've gotta email my brother to find out. I didn't look before I came back out.

I'd like to throw my couple of cents in here if you wouldn't mind.

SC150 wrote: -What brand/model of manual locking hubs should I get?.

I've use MileMarker hubs since 91.... they are still going strong, have never let me down and always, always work. But, I do understand that Warn is a great way to go too!

SC150 wrote: -Front fiberglass or no? I'd like to do a small flare just to make sure I don't have any clearance issues, but what am I looking to pay to have them properly mounted? My last bronco sounded like it was gonna come apart on the freeway. Don't wanna deal with that again. Does autofab make a kit or just provide instructions?

Fiberglass properly mounted will not shake or rattle. My glass is just as solid as the original body work... So, it does make sense to me to add the glass for so you won't have to sacrafice travel. It'll pay in the end when you use your truck as you've described. John does make a kit, all the tubing is precut and bent. All you'll have to do is weld it.

SC150 wrote: - Cage or no cage? I'm really on the fence about this one. As far as comfort goes, the cage is gonna suck (noise, space, etc), but I'm planning on really using this truck a lot in the desert. I was talked into doing the external B pillar to save cab space, but the problem with that is your not able to fit the shell on and have it be weatherproof (this is an absolute must). I'm thinking of connecting the bed cage and the cab cage below the window and bedline so I can use the shell, but not sure if that's gonna make the cage obsolete in the goal of making the truck be more rigid.

I went through the same decision process and put it off for many years. Jules and I spend quite a bit of time in Baja (camping, prerunning, chasing, etc). But last December the decision was made easy. After running the back side of the SF 250 loop, I noticed that my bed had decided to let go. I had cracks radiating down on both sides of the bed. When I took the shell off, the bed was absolutely junk. The front section had broken apart little by little, the shell was holding it together. Of course the concern for safety and the desire to tighten up the truck and tie the frame and suspension together to work properly were other factors.

I haven't experienced any of your concerns mentioned with a cage. The truck is tighter and quiter. I have no issues with space (relatively speaking). The cab isn't impacted, but care was taken to push the cage tight against the skin and tucked up out of the way. We cut out the metal second skin on the roof and upholstered it with plenty of padding... I actually have more head room and it's very quiet (plus it looks great, it matches my seats!). I've step up the bed for camping, prerunning, chasing, et al. It works well for my purposes.

I don't think you'll capitalize on the full benefits of a cage if you only run the cab to bed connection below the bedline. If you're going to cage it, you really should do it right and bring the cage up through the top. I fit the shell by cutting the front out of the shell to fit around the cage and then flanged the front to the shell. It's a little bit of a pain to put back together, but it works great! All sealed up.

So, if you haven't guessed, I'd recommend the cage if you can afford the up front cost and the time it takes to build it. But, once it's done, you'll be thrilled, especially when you're down south on the second month of your trekking around to all of those hide aways. It really makes a HUGE difference.

If you have any additional questions and/or request any specific pics, just let me know, I'd love to help if I can.

Dustin,
I just thought of an option I built into my plan... that is, if needed, I can add a roof rack to the shell, actually that runs up over the cab. You can mount an pull out awning, camp lights and have a ton of extra storage. It'll tie to the cage so it'll be exceptionally rigid. I've not exercised this option, at least not yet, haven't needed it. Just an additional design thought.

So, here's a few sketches and some pictures for a reference of what I'd like to do as far as the cage and bedcage go. I'm thinking of a bushing connection to tie the two together to cut down on noise. I'm also thinking I'd like to make the bedcage bolt in so if I decide to upgrade to a 4 link down the road I won't have to chop everything out. Let me know what ya think.

Couple more ideas that I've been poaching and mulling over...

So, it's been a while since my last update, but I'm happy to report that the truck got dropped off yesterday with Mark Kiefer at Southwest Performance. So damn excited to get the ball rolling. Mark's doing the suspension, bedcage, and bumper first, so I've got a couple of days to decide on the cab cage or not. I'm leaning towards emptying the savings and getting everything done at once. Yeeehaw!

SC150 wrote:So, it's been a while since my last update, but I'm happy to report that the truck got dropped off yesterday with Mark Kiefer at Southwest Performance. So damn excited to get the ball rolling. Mark's doing the suspension, bedcage, and bumper first, so I've got a couple of days to decide on the cab cage or not. I'm leaning towards emptying the savings and getting everything done at once. Yeeehaw!

You will be very happy with Marks work!

and some pics This is a custom leaf pack. haha









Ill Keep posting pics as i go.

mkiefer wrote:Ill Keep posting pics as i go.

Please do!

mkiefer wrote:

And this pic makes me think I can get a few more inches of droop out of my springs. It involves me either making a new shackle or a custom hanger though - so I am being a little lazy...

ChaseTruck754 wrote:And this pic makes me think I can get a few more inches of droop out of my springs. It involves me either making a new shackle or a custom hanger though - so I am being a little lazy...

That is why Geoff makes the hangars from scratch. You know you could trim and reinforce the hangar to allow for more droop? Less work than building a whole new hangar.

I'm looking at that as well. Actually I have looked at it a bit already. I may do that, but unfortunately I am picky enough to not like the looks of trimmed stuff. IF I can make it look good I will do it. If not I'll spend more time building one from scratch. Is this a big reason why my stuff is never done - YES. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I am a PICKY bastard when it comes to fab. It sucks as if I didn't care I'd get my stuff running a whole lot sooner, but I just can't get away from some habits...