Kyle's 95 Dualsport

[Kyles95]

Well guys here's the deal, I bought the Bronco so I would have a dependable Daily Driver to get me back and forth to college and to take me on a few trails, It's not my first 4wd but it is so far a close favorite, My Vehicle evolution has gone thus far.....

1. First Truck I was looking for a Bronco and was dead set on it and a guy rolled into my dads shop with a '85 Blazer with a 4 inch lift and 33 inch tires and I got it for a steal.....however it was lifted via blocks in the front and rear and the steering and brakes were a mess so I passed it on to the next sucker.
2. Second truck was a '90 Bronco that was all stock. I threw 33's and offroad rims on it and just drove it for a year and reallly learned the basics of wheeling in it. I decided I was going to get a 92-96 with a 5.8 and E4OD if I was going to drop money into a truck so I sold it.
3. I ended up buying an '85 F350 from my dad that was sitting on an 8inch skyjacker lift with 38x15.5 Ground Hawg II tires and a 460 with a brand new rebuilt C6 from B&M with a deep pan, shift kit, and heavy duty cooler. I loved this truck but the realization that a 18 year old kid with a 100 dollar a week paycheck couldn't afford a truck that got 5mpg's no matter how cool it was so we parted ways.

All that brings me to my current truck my 95 Bronco. I bought it from a photographer for Dirt Sports magazine and after wheeling it bone stock for 2 years I'm ready to lift it and I want to do it right....with go fast parts!!! I have decided on cut and turned beams for many reasons. I don't need drop brackets which means I don't need extended brake lines a drop arm or ball joint adjustment bushings that are going to make it hell to align. Just Coils, shocks, C/T beams and some heimed Radius Arms. That and while it won't be built to look like a prerunner ('m going with plate bumpers and rock sliders and stock width fenders) I'll be able to take it out to Glamis or Pismo and GO FAST.
So heere's the parts list
Front
1. Deaver 5.5 coils
2. C/T Beams ( I'm thinking Solo motorsports since they are local to me and Im liking the price)
3. Heimed Radius arms (again solo motorsports)
4. Bilstein 5150 shocks ( I have the dual shock setup so I think two shocks with piggyback resi's will be fine for an occasional go fast truck)
Rear
1. Deaver F53's
2. Longer shackle (whoever can give the best deal)

Oh and I've started buildind a 5.8 for it to replace the stocker. so far it has been fully machined and I have the bottom end (stock with Hyperutectic flat tops) and I'll be using a stock cam with World windsor Jr. heads (180cc flow on the intake and carb legal) 1.7 ratio rockers and an Edelbrock Intake along with a sixlitre tuneup and Bassani shorty's and y-pipe and a high flow cat and 3 inch pipe all they way out.

Here's a Before Pic of the truck as it is now. (lights are gone pencilbeams suck on normal trails)


oh and a pic of the other three rides


The favorite of all 4

[towerace1]

Sounds great! But you will have to extend the brake lines in most cases. I know I had to. Good luck with the build!

[tcm glx]

Sounds like you have the plan well thought out.

X2 on the brake lines, you will need extended ones. Also, make sure you do limit straps all around to protect those bilsteins.

[Kyles95]

So I do need extended brake lines, not a big deal. Good Idea on the limiting straps. I'm going to the Curt Le Duc swap meet with my tax return in hopes of finding good deals.

[magic carpet XLT]

that f350 looks so sweet

[Kyles95]

Yeah it definitely brings the Sexy. I heard from the guy I sold it to about three months later and he said he returned it to stock height and is using it to tow a fifth wheel................I wanted to cry.

[Kyles95]

Well I have some progress to post about.
I decided that until I can afford to do it how I want c/t beams aren't going to meet my budget so I picked up a Rancho 4 inch kit with extended radius arms (Thanks Tony) and some Resi shocks at LeDuc. I was also able to score some BFG Muds with 90% tread and wheels for 500 so Im happy with that deal. For the rear I just got some Add-A-Leafs and cheapo gas shocks (Jeep JK Rubicon Take-Off's that bring the suck) but they were free.

I installed the front portion of the kit (with help from my dad and bro) and left the rear for another day and just with the front finished Wow was there a big difference in ride quality. It's much smoother and soaks up bumps alot better and the Procomp Resi's I got a deal on actually are valved pretty close to what my truck needs and ride great.



Today I finished up the rear Add-A-Leafs and slapped on all four of the 35's and I can't be happier with how it looks. The Truck rides smooth and even with the front swaybar off it takes corners very well and the rear rides nice but when going over bumps the need for better shocks is obvious so I'm going to Save and Get some 5150's.



As far as the BFG Muds go I didn't really want mudders due to the ride but these were a deal and actually ride quite nice. Only thing thats bugs me is the noise but I think of it like this, guys ride Harleys 'cause they're cool and they like the look and the noise is the price they pay, well same here. The traction of the mudders will be nice In the Snow too.
Oh and the tires hit the Bumper but a custom one will fix that soon......What did I let something slip

[Kyles95]

Went wheeling to test out the new suspension and got pics!!!

[Kyles95]

Well after driving the truck for a while now and wheeling it as much as possible I decided I desperately need two things, New axle gearing and a better rear suspension. I really mostly run the trails in Big Bear and Cleghorn/Pilot Rock and Lytle Creek but I would love to be able to run around in Ocotillo Wells and Glamis/Pismo since a majority of friends like going there but The springs are to damn stiff and I have too much axle wrap. The front Rancho kit with the extended arms performs perfectly for my needs and the Resi shocks perform great.

I need the gears for obvious reasons but the rear suspension really brings the suck. The add-a-leaf rides decent on the street but when off-roading the difference between front and rear performance is obvious and as well on the freeways. I am going to make a softer riding leaf pack using two sets of stock leaves and get a couple Bilsteins but I really want to do a 2-link but don't wanna shell out 500 bucks for something I think I can do myself.
I know I can make the brackets and by looking at pics from where different 2-links are placed it seems straight forward but one thing that I am questioning is how Tall to make the bracket that to mount on the frame so that the links are at the right angle at ride height, or does that matter as long as there is no binding when the axle droops or uptravels? Any tips would be great or opinions!

[tcm glx]

Well after driving the truck for a while now and wheeling it as much as possible I decided I desperately need two things, New axle gearing and a better rear suspension. I really mostly run the trails in Big Bear and Cleghorn/Pilot Rock and Lytle Creek but I would love to be able to run around in Ocotillo Wells and Glamis/Pismo since a majority of friends like going there but The springs are to damn stiff and I have too much axle wrap. The front Rancho kit with the extended arms performs perfectly for my needs and the Resi shocks perform great.

I need the gears for obvious reasons but the rear suspension really brings the suck. The add-a-leaf rides decent on the street but when off-roading the difference between front and rear performance is obvious and as well on the freeways. I am going to make a softer riding leaf pack using two sets of stock leaves and get a couple Bilsteins but I really want to do a 2-link but don't wanna shell out 500 bucks for something I think I can do myself.
I know I can make the brackets and by looking at pics from where different 2-links are placed it seems straight forward but one thing that I am questioning is how Tall to make the bracket that to mount on the frame so that the links are at the right angle at ride height, or does that matter as long as there is no binding when the axle droops or uptravels? Any tips would be great or opinions!

Hey Kyle,
You are on the right track with the 2 link, makes a huge difference. I would however say, although it looks easy to build, there is some geometry involved, and you need to cycle without bind when you mount them. $500 might sound pricey, but saves you all that work! Maybe keep an eye peeled for some used ones.

[Kyles95]

I love the job Mark did on yours Tony, I would really like for him to do one on mine but The shop I'm working at is slow and money is tight, I might just have to wait until Taxes and then I can get some Deavers and the upper shock mount and have a well setup rear that was done the right way.

I think I might do the gears and a locker for now since I might get back the MPG's I lost with the 35's, hell I went from 12.5 average mpg to 9.3! D50 front diff with 4.56's (I can get the diff free and then only gotta buy gears front and rear and the locker) and 4.56 for the rear with a detroit.

[tcm glx]

I love the job Mark did on yours Tony, I would really like for him to do one on mine but The shop I'm working at is slow and money is tight, I might just have to wait until Taxes and then I can get some Deavers and the upper shock mount and have a well setup rear that was done the right way.

I think I might do the gears and a locker for now since I might get back the MPG's I lost with the 35's, hell I went from 12.5 average mpg to 9.3! D50 front diff with 4.56's (I can get the diff free and then only gotta buy gears front and rear and the locker) and 4.56 for the rear with a detroit.

Thats a great way to go. Piece the gears together and get that done.

Another thought is you can do the two link, independant of the deavers and rear shocks, so you can do one thing at a time.

[Kyles95]

Well I have some progress to post about. Picked up a used 8.8 from a member on here (thanks Kris) that is already loaded with 4.56 gears and a Eaton Posi and Aluminum Diff cover with girdle. Now just gotta get the 4.56 front gears.
I am gonna be on the lookout for deavers and rear shocks at LeDuc and then I should be a happy camper