Nighthawk!

[birdco85]

So this is going to be an incredibly slow build thread. The reasoning behind the name is my last name is Bird and have been called everything bird related in the book. I saw the movie Step Brothers with Will Farrell and he says to call him Nighthawk in one of the scenes and I loved it. So I'm calling this the Nighthawk! My budget and the speed at which money comes in is low and slow. I've been wanting to get a Bronco for a few years now and am very glad I found this site. I have an idea which way I want to go with this so let me know what you think.

First off, its a 95 5.8 with MAF, 132k miles, new 31" BFG A/T's, interior is immaculate besides the seat bottoms, leather, power everything, and the E4OD. It was completely stock when I bought it with no signs of rust. It ran kind of rough and the rear axle was yelling at me going down the highway. Well, thanks to Randy (hobbyturnedobsession) he passed on an axle that is noise free and already installed. Thanks again Randy!! I did a full tune-up, plugs, wires, cap, rotor and coil and it runs like a champ now. I'm used to driving my truck, which i explained what I had done to it in my introduction thread, so this thing pretty gutless comparatively speaking.

I have already purchased a set of used Nationals, Autofab upper shock mount, four doetsch tech shocks, and two-link kit from another user on here that posted it in the classifieds section. I figured while I had the axle out to replace it, I would install the upper mount since I had way more room. The install was a nightmare, the Autofab mount has mounting bolts that go through the top of frame as well as the side. It only located off of one shock mount bolt so I had to drill six holes, four of which had to go through the top portion of the frame. Of course I couldn't get a drill in there straight or from the top so I had to drill at an angle from the bottom so guestimations were in full effect. I got it in though and installed the doestch's. They are 13" shocks and at the stock leafs full drop, which I can push down more, there is only 9" of shock shaft showing and about 11" between the axle and bump. I'm gonna round down and say I could get 15" with the Nationals installed, maybe a bit more. Not too bad. Also have been looking at Kel-Fabs rear hanger and shackle, seems to be a good price and would help a ton with droop with the Nationals.

I am going to go with Threat for the front when I have the money. He beats Solo's price by a ton for the C&T with Uniballs, radius arms, pivot boxes, and 1-1/4 heims. I'm torn on doing 12" or 14" shocks in the front. I know the solo engine cage mounts 12"s but 14"s are so much easier to find used, and I can make a cage or buckets. I really like the Autofab coilover buckets but good lord $1200 for a pair is ridiculous AND you still have to make your own cross bar. Looks like I might be busting out the torch or a friends plasma and make the buckets. it seems like you have to move a lot less and only need to drill the stock bucket mounting holes for attachment. What do you guys think? I need to keep it street legal for Comifornia so the smog stuff stays. I do plan on extending it at some point so I know the 14"s would be good but that won't be for a while.

So if any of you are selling C&T's, 12 o 14" c/o's, 12" bypasses for the rear, some 35" on 15" tires, radius arms, and whatever else I will be needing, please send them my way!! My budget is used and that's what i'm looking for.

I put a new stereo in with a dock for my Sirius, getting new speakers, and will be either making a bock to fit behind the rear panel in one of the cubbies or put it where the center console is. I'm debating a tuffy console and building an extension to go to the dash as well. I'm getting a race radio from a buddy and I'd like to put it in the portion extended to the dash along with some gauges and switches and cup holders. I'd like to get a valve body as well to help the E4OD from grenading like my truck. Also have to clearance my drive shaft and build an exhaust. Mine is pretty rusty so I took it off. I think I'm gonna do a Magnaflow unless you guys recommend something else, I want it pretty mellow and just loud when I get on it. I had one my old Titan and loved it, so did my wife. I think I'm gonna run the exhaust out the side in front of the spring hanger and tire. The two link brackets hang low enough that it should protect it if I run into a rock or something. What do you like for exhaust routing? I will at some point also go to single swing steering, hopefully before something breaks or when the long side tie-rod bends. If the tie-rod bends then I can tell the wife that I am just replacing the cost so she won't mind, haha. And what gears do you guys like to run on a street legal rig? I know some say 4.56 and some 4.88. I'm leaning toward the 4.56 so I can have some decent street manners and still have bottom end for the sand.

I know I'm asking a ton of questions but I know you guys have done a ton of research and R&R to things you like. Let me know if you guys suggest something different or a better way of doing things.

[Nick]

Awesome!

[hobbyturnedobsession]

No worries bud!! Just passing along the deed. Have fun with it. Looking good!

[robertcrav]

??

[robertcrav]

d'ah..wrong image

[birdco85]

It didn't show up anyway.

[birdco85]

Hey Robert, were you at the swapmeet with Yikes? And were you selling the bolt-on bumper kit?

[birdco85]

And, I'm looking at a set of 2.5x14" kings so before i completely waste this guys time will they fit? I know I won't be able to utilize all droop with just a C&T but they will be better for when I do extend it. Thoughts?

[otter]

The 14's will work. I have mounted both 12's and 14's. The 14's give you more mounting options and I think they are easier. You can mount the 14's higher up in the engine bay which gives you more room. With the 12's you are limited on where they mount to get the numbers out of them. But they both work.

[birdco85]

So when I bought all the rear stuff the guy threw in everything, including the two-link which had bent links. I called John at Autofab to tell him and he told me to bring them in and he'll try to straighten them. So I took them in and he called me about 20 minutes later and said they were good to go. I went to pick them up and he said no charge! Awesome customer service right there!

And thanks for the reply Otter. I'm going to do 14"s for sure. I was looking at a set of kings but found out they were emulsions. So I called king and they said it's about 250 a shock to add reservoirs. The guy wanted 650 with coils so the price wasn't bad. They are the race series too. I passed on them.

I'm really considering FOA's. I can get the 14"s with springs for about 750. I hear their quality control has greatly improved and I've seen a lot of the build threads on here running them. Worse case I put them on my truck.

[birdco85]

Will piggybacks work? There's a pair if 12" on dezert ranger.

[birdco85]

So I just picked up a pair of used Fox 2.5x12 2-tube bypasses for $500!! They need a rebuild and looked like hell when I picked them up but a little love from a nylon brush and some simple green have them looking pretty good. So know for the back I will need/want shackles and possibly a drop hanger and it will be done. Now I need to save my pennies for the front.

So for those of you that are running Fox's in the back, what valving are you running? I know fox doesn't do the standard shim measurements. I have read a lot run 8 compression and 12 rebound and start from there, but I don't know Fox's conversion for that. I could also call Fox sometime if you guys don't know.

[Rmc]

Not sure on rear fox valving. Are you going to change the leaf pack? Deavers or nationals? I'll have a set of nationals to sell once I find time to remove them.

[birdco85]

I picked up a used pack that I think are nationals. They're in great shape still. How come you're getting rid of them?

I found a chart for fox's. What valving would you do for other shocks? Was the 8 compression 12 rebound good? Or a different stack?

[Rmc]

I bought a new set of deaver q80's. They were actually intended for my next build but I'm going back n forth over running them on my bronco and getting another set later on.

[Rmc]

As far as under the bed valving I have no idea, my shocks go through the floor so no crazy leverage applied. Maybe someone who runs under the bed will be nice enough to answer your question.

[birdco85]

I hear. I'm definitely still interested in your front end when you're ready. And I could give john at autofab a call. He still runs under the bed and bypasses. I put the comparison charts up if anyone cares.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411410645.903579.jpg (136.24 KiB) Viewed 3146 times

compression chart

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rebound chart

[birdco85]

Oops labeled them backwards

[birdco85]

Got the bypasses rebuilt and scotch-brighted as good as I'm gonna worry about. Everything went good. Splurged on the viton seals too. Good lord the snap rings are a pain if you don't have the right pliers. I ended up modifying an old pair of needle nose it had laying around. Not pretty but worked better than the specific pliers.

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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411869121.363446.jpg (197.89 KiB) Viewed 3043 times

And if you want a customer for life, send a coozie in my order and you got yourself one. Ha!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411869107.075725.jpg (253.07 KiB) Viewed 3043 times

[Rmc]

For my day job I modify tools constantly. Some tools aren't easy to locate quick or even available in a lot of cases and I applaud the ingenuity. Glad to see you made it happen.