Utah BroncoSpeed

[tcm glx]

brad, looks great, I would imagine you are very excited to get it out!

Any pics of how the cage is mounted underneath? The frame?

[SteveG]

Very cool, Brad! You're almost there!

One note. You might want to reconsider the shin-killer bar below the dash. Five or six years ago a couple friends of mine were in a roller over in a cage that had a bar just like that under the dash. Their shins looked like someone took to them with a baseball bat. I'm pretty sure they both still have lumps on their shins from it.

I would at least find the best padding available for it.

[denhabr]

brad, looks great, I would imagine you are very excited to get it out! Any pics of how the cage is mounted underneath? The frame?

Check the pics out below. I forgot I took these back a few weeks ago...so I've added them tonight.

Very cool, Brad! You're almost there!

One note. You might want to reconsider the shin-killer bar below the dash. Five or six years ago a couple friends of mine were in a roller over in a cage that had a bar just like that under the dash. Their shins looked like someone took to them with a baseball bat. I'm pretty sure they both still have lumps on their shins from it.

I would at least find the best padding available for it.

OUCH! Hey Steve, I hear ya! Padding is already planned for that part of the cage...along with the some of the overhead and b-pillar bars for the front and rear seat passengers. Appreciate the heads up!

Bronco Fab Set 12.5 - 2-7-2010 (0).JPG (169.5 KiB) Viewed 1534 times

Bronco Fab Set 12.5 - 2-7-2010 (3).JPG (217.02 KiB) Viewed 1534 times

Bronco Fab Set 12.5 - 2-7-2010 (4).JPG (204.51 KiB) Viewed 1534 times

Bronco Fab Set 13 - 2-20-2010 (20).JPG (176.41 KiB) Viewed 1534 times

[denhabr]

Some more cage pics...

Bronco Fab Set 13 - 2-20-2010 (21).JPG (149.72 KiB) Viewed 1533 times

Bronco Fab Set 13 - 2-20-2010 (22).JPG (154.16 KiB) Viewed 1533 times

Bronco Fab Set 13 - 2-20-2010 (23).JPG (121.06 KiB) Viewed 1533 times

[Nick]

The truck looks great Brad!

[denhabr]

It's DONE

...and it's home!

Paid the final fabrication bill and drove it home this afternoon! What a hoot! All kinds of new rattles, vibrations and shudders like never before, but I guess that comes with the package, no? But it looks and drives great. Tracks straight down the road, with no wander, no excessive body roll or pitching during braking, just nice and straight! All the 'bad' is gone and and it seems to perform very well.

The only safety issue is the ABS braking reaction...especially when it gets down to below 5 mpg...

I reset the PSOM before departing the fab shop, and off I went. Drove great...but I am getting a part-throttle tip-in shudder at around 25 mph. Also a drive-shaft or drive-shaft 'whine' while letting off the throttle at speed. Highway driving at 65 is effortless...if not a bit noisy (hell...it hasn't been driving for any length of time for 11 freakin' months!)

So, all in all, I can't be more pleased with the outcome. The fabricators did a great job...following my instructions to the letter (e.g., "Take your time and do it right...the first time!") and met all my expectations to the letter.

Got it 95% of the way home...but had to run it through the car wash before taking it ALL the way home. Washed off 11 months of dust and grease, and when I finally got it home, it got the the attention of all the neighbors!

Will update the pricing and costing elements tomorrow.

Can't wait to take it up the canyon and over to the west desert for a shake-down run!

P.S: Thanks to all of the "pros" out there for all their advice and guidance over the last year! it has been greatly appreciated!!!

Pics below:

My fabricators to the left and right (Dustin Francis on the left, and the project lead, Josh Smario on the right) Thanks guys!!!!

Bronco Fab Set 14 - 2-27-2010 (1).JPG (172.89 KiB) Viewed 1513 times

Bronco Fab Set 14 - 2-27-2010 (4).JPG (139.18 KiB) Viewed 1513 times

Bronco Fab Set 14 - 2-27-2010 (7).JPG (139.61 KiB) Viewed 1513 times

Bronco Fab Set 14 - 2-27-2010 (9).JPG (133.6 KiB) Viewed 1513 times

[Nick]

Nice! But you mean to tell us you didn't find a dirt road to mob down before running it through the car wash? You and Tony will get along great!

[kahuna bill]

beautiful rig. the bumpers and cage look sexy as hell. i've got the same suspension package from john, and i tell ya i am not dissapointed in the least. did run into a few minor detours much the same as yours. ( tranny pan and x bar, 10" shocks and mounting, etc). but minor in the big picture. you're gonna love the way it rides in the dirt. supper fast and ridiculously smooth ride. also, i know you already talked about it in the thread, but the fenders... i didn't trim mine and it cut into my tread about an inch... going to glass to fix. (running 35x12.5 bfg km2) and i also wish i would have increased the back spacing of my rims an inch or two as well. i have some minor rub on the shocks and hoops at full turn. running same rims as you.

congrats and have fun on the trail.
and here's what that package from autofab does in the whoops at pismo (clanking noise is a loose exhust hanger)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-MVv86Gwj0

[towerace1]

Looks great! But I would have had to take it out in the dezert!!! let us know how it goes!

[denhabr]

Nice! But you mean to tell us you didn't find a dirt road to mob down before running it through the car wash? You and Tony will get along great!

Uhhhhhh, guilty as charged! I thought about that...but between the shop and home is nothing but an asphalt jungle, so limited access to dirt roads. Just guess I just wanted to get it home!

beautiful rig. the bumpers and cage look sexy as hell. i've got the same suspension package from john, and i tell ya i am not dissapointed in the least. did run into a few minor detours much the same as yours. ( tranny pan and x bar, 10" shocks and mounting, etc). but minor in the big picture. you're gonna love the way it rides in the dirt. supper fast and ridiculously smooth ride. also, i know you already talked about it in the thread, but the fenders... i didn't trim mine and it cut into my tread about an inch... going to glass to fix. (running 35x12.5 bfg km2) and i also wish i would have increased the back spacing of my rims an inch or two as well. i have some minor rub on the shocks and hoops at full turn. running same rims as you. Congrats and have fun on the trail.
and here's what that package from autofab does in the whoops at pismo (clanking noise is a loose exhust hanger)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-MVv86Gwj0

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, so far (even with limited mileage...like maybe 31 from the shop to home), the suspension was the nicest part of the ride. And yes, I cannot wait to take it out on to the west desert and find myself some old fire road near Delle or Knolls and blast away! Your video says a lot about the suspension. I may not get the full 16"/18" of travel, but what I will have now will suit me fine.

I too figured I would have to trim the lower rear portion of the front fender, just behind the front wheels. I'll get some mileage on the truck first and break in all of the components with some mileage...and try to address some of the squeaks and rattles that I have right now. I get a part-throttle tip-in shudder (transmission? mounts?) along with a funny whine when I lift the throttle.

Looks great! But I would have had to take it out in the dezert!!! let us know how it goes!

I hear ya...I hear ya! I will update the thread here after my first outing...but for now, first things first...and that means a trip to the DMV today to get another 15-day temp registration so I can put some miles on it and get the computer reset (OBD II drive cycle...) Then back over to the emissions place for a quick hook-up to the computer! It passed safety last week, so now all I have to do is get the emissions check done and it's back on the road/dirt legally!

Thanks all!

[kahuna bill]

again, great ride... but wondering how much the cage weighs? DOM 2" .120 right? get it in the dirt yet?

[denhabr]

again, great ride... but wondering how much the cage weighs? DOM 2" .120 right? get it in the dirt yet?

My fabricator says he would estimate the weight of the cage to be ~ 500-600 lbs.

I had the fabricators use 1.75" .120" wall DOM for the cage, and 1.75" .090" wall DOM for the F&R bumpers.

And no, just got it smogged and it passed with flying colors. See next post for updates and the final bill.

[denhabr]

I got it smogged checked without issue...if you can call driving around ~ 250 extra miles to rerun the OBDII drive cycle three times...in order for it to clear an extra two fault code so I could get it checked!

Actually, when I got it back in to the shop, it had cleared all four of the remaining "Not Ready" codes, and passed like it was brand new.

Other items now on my punch list include:

• ABS Brake Issues: I now have a low speed (< 10 mph) pull to the left, followed by a collapsing pedal, and the ABS pump coming on...most likely due to the new ABS sensor the local shop put in...or the other front sensor is now jacked up.
• Rear Driveshaft: The rear shaft is making a LOT of noise. I have an appointment on Monday to get it removed and rebuilt. Planning to use Spicer 1350 U-joints in the double-cardan and rear joint, with Zerk fittings in the caps so I can keep it lubed on my schedule. May also ask them to install a Zerk fitting in the slip joint along with a new rubber dust boot.
• Powder Coating: The F&R bumpers are rusting so bad you can hear it! I have to get some quotes here locally and get them done before they turn orange all over!
• Exterior Detailing: Something I never got to before it hit the fab shop...a good exterior detailing and the application of a few sponsor decals (Broncospeed, GoFastBroncos.com, Autofab, IBM, etc...)
• Interior Tweaks: Including detailing of the dash, stopping a boat load of squeaks and rattles, fixing some dashboard lighting that isn't working, getting some HVAC controls that are totally inop (drove home in the rain last week and the windows fogged up REAL bad!), Mastercraft harness installation, yada yada...

Next up, the recap of the overall build cost!

[denhabr]

Here is what it came to:

1. F Autofab 16" dual 2.5" SAW Suspension...........................$3,100
- freight........................................... ..........................................$150
- installation labor............................................. .......................$3,825
- 4 x SAW 2.5" RaceRunner w/ reservoirs ($349/ea)........................$1,396

2. F Suspension Mods:
- TTB front gusset, materials & labor.........................................$425
- Cross-member gusseting, materials & labor................................$170
- Hub rebuild kits, materials & labor............................................$ 130
- Mods to engine bay, labor............................................. ........$225
- Extended brake lines (2)............................................... ..........$64
- Alignment & brake bleeding, labor............................................$ 130
- ABS Sensors & safety inspection, materials & labor.....................$350
- 4.56:1 r&p, install kit, carrier........................................... ......$317

3. R Autofab 18" 2.5" SAW Suspension..................................$2,100
- freight........................................... ....................................$150
- installation labor............................................. ...................$1,360
- 2 x SAW 2.5" RaceRunner w/ reservoirs ($349/ea)......................$698
- Ford spring shackles.......................................... ....................$43

4. R Suspension Mods:
- Extended brake line.............................................. .................$38
- 8.8 axle trussing, labor & materials......................................... $190
- 4.56:1 r&p, install kit, shipping.......................................... .....$253
- Eaton TrueTrac Differential...................................... .............$400
- Ford Motorsport Aluminum 8.8 Diff Cover..................................$190
- Yukon 31-spline axles, seals, bearings, wheel studs....................$190

5. F Prerunner Bumper, 1.75", .090" wall DOM, materials & fab.....$888

6. R prerunner Bumper, 1.75", .090" wall DOM, materials & fab.....$670
- Incl: license plate tab, light, hitch plug

7. Safety Cage, 1.75", .120" wall DOM, materials & fab...............$3,915

8. Mastercraft Seats, 4 x "Originals"......................................$ 1,400
- Installation...................................... ....................................$85
- Sliders (2)............................................... ............................$70
- Slider adapters to fit tubing............................................ ........$60
- Mastercraft restraints (4)............................................... ......$450
- Restraint installation/fab............................................... .........$85

9. Off Road Lights: 2 x Hella 4000, Euro Beam.............................$216
- Wiring harness........................................... .........................$59

10. Tires: 4 x Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors, 35x12.5-15..........$808
- Includes mounting & balancing, valves
- Wheel polishing (4)............................................... ..............$111

11. Other Mods/Enhancements:
- Advanced Air Cleaner Systems air filter (#Super Flow)................$295
- Install E4OD deep pan & cross member relo, labor......................$425
- Modify engine intake & MAF sensor, labor.................................$340
- Exhaust rerouting......................................... .......................$225

12. Misc. parts & fasteners, shop supplies.............................$850

13. Misc fluids: ATF, F&R diff fluids, brake, etc...........................$100

TOTAL............................................. ............................. ~ $20,200

[SteveG]

Rear Driveshaft: The rear shaft is making a LOT of noise.

Just to make sure, did they reinstall the factory wedge between the leaves and axle-tube?


Congrats again on getting it back!

[denhabr]

Rear Driveshaft: The rear shaft is making a LOT of noise.

Just to make sure, did they reinstall the factory wedge between the leaves and axle-tube?


Congrats again on getting it back!

Funny you should mention that...I was wondering the same thing. I just sent an e-mail to my fabricators and asked the same question. I do have an appointment to see my local custom drive shaft shop on Monday, regardless.

Will update this as to what they respond with as soon as I hear back. Thanks for the heads-up...

And yes, I am really enjoying driving it around, and tinkering with it in my OWN driveway! Can't wait to get out to the desert!

[kahuna bill]

yeah, i figured it might be around that... thanks for the info denhahr.

[denhabr]

yeah, i figured it might be around that... thanks for the info denhahr.

Yeah, actually it was right about what I had budgeted for!

I've taken my plans into other fabricators and they all said, "Oh, this is a $50,000-$75,000+ project...at least, blah blah blah..." And when I heard that nonsense, I moved on, until I found the guys that could maintain the budget as I had planned...and build it to my specifications.

So, all in all, I have a capable year-round, all-weather off-road vehicle and play toy that can haul everyone in comfort anywhere I want, and even tow stuff...for about $23,700 (which includes the cost of the Bronco, which I paid $3,500 for in October of 2008.)

I'm happy!

[denhabr]

Rear Driveshaft: The rear shaft is making a LOT of noise.

Just to make sure, did they reinstall the factory wedge between the leaves and axle-tube?
Congrats again on getting it back!

YUP...no wedge! The fabricators found no wedge between the axle pads and springs when they disassembled it...so that is probably what is causing the problem. Off to the drive-line shop this afternoon!

More later. Thanks again, Steve!

[95_Bronco]

Here is what it came to:

1. F Autofab 16" dual 2.5" SAW Suspension...........................$3,100
- freight........................................... ..........................................$150
- installation labor............................................. .......................$3,825
- 4 x SAW 2.5" RaceRunner w/ reservoirs ($349/ea)........................$1,396

2. F Suspension Mods:
- TTB front gusset, materials & labor.........................................$425
- Cross-member gusseting, materials & labor................................$170
- Hub rebuild kits, materials & labor............................................$ 130
- Mods to engine bay, labor............................................. ........$225
- Extended brake lines (2)............................................... ..........$64
- Alignment & brake bleeding, labor............................................$ 130
- ABS Sensors & safety inspection, materials & labor.....................$350
- 4.56:1 r&p, install kit, carrier........................................... ......$317

3. R Autofab 18" 2.5" SAW Suspension..................................$2,100
- freight........................................... ....................................$150
- installation labor............................................. ...................$1,360
- 2 x SAW 2.5" RaceRunner w/ reservoirs ($349/ea)......................$698
- Ford spring shackles.......................................... ....................$43

4. R Suspension Mods:
- Extended brake line.............................................. .................$38
- 8.8 axle trussing, labor & materials......................................... $190
- 4.56:1 r&p, install kit, shipping.......................................... .....$253
- Eaton TrueTrac Differential...................................... .............$400
- Ford Motorsport Aluminum 8.8 Diff Cover..................................$190
- Yukon 31-spline axles, seals, bearings, wheel studs....................$190

5. F Prerunner Bumper, 1.75", .090" wall DOM, materials & fab.....$888

6. R prerunner Bumper, 1.75", .090" wall DOM, materials & fab.....$670
- Incl: license plate tab, light, hitch plug

7. Safety Cage, 1.75", .120" wall DOM, materials & fab...............$3,915

8. Mastercraft Seats, 4 x "Originals"......................................$ 1,400
- Installation...................................... ....................................$85
- Sliders (2)............................................... ............................$70
- Slider adapters to fit tubing............................................ ........$60
- Mastercraft restraints (4)............................................... ......$450
- Restraint installation/fab............................................... .........$85

9. Off Road Lights: 2 x Hella 4000, Euro Beam.............................$216
- Wiring harness........................................... .........................$59

10. Tires: 4 x Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors, 35x12.5-15..........$808
- Includes mounting & balancing, valves
- Wheel polishing (4)............................................... ..............$111

11. Other Mods/Enhancements:
- Advanced Air Cleaner Systems air filter (#Super Flow)................$295
- Install E4OD deep pan & cross member relo, labor......................$425
- Modify engine intake & MAF sensor, labor.................................$340
- Exhaust rerouting......................................... .......................$225

12. Misc. parts & fasteners, shop supplies.............................$850

13. Misc fluids: ATF, F&R diff fluids, brake, etc...........................$100

TOTAL............................................. ............................. ~ $20,200

RULE NUMBER 1: NEVER TRY AND REMEMBER WHAT YOU SPENT