GoFastBroncos.com

http://www.broncofix.com/viewtopic.php? ... hlight=u16
PaulW

PaulW wrote:http://www.broncofix.com/viewtopic.php? ... hlight=u16
PaulW

Looks like a Jeep Scrambler only waaaay better.

flyinbronco wrote:

PaulW wrote:http://www.broncofix.com/viewtopic.php? ... hlight=u16
PaulW

Looks like a Jeep Scrambler only waaaay better.

That's exactly what I was thinking. The amount of work people like that put into body work is insane. Very cool.

It does look like what Choo-Choo would have built if the Elcamino was not around, LOL.

My wife & I now own this truck. She has christened it "Frankentruck", "Frank" for short. I just a few moments ago had the thought to post a thread here on it documenting my progress, or lack thereof, in dealing with the vast amount of work yet to be done to make it work as a long range, moderately high speed camping/race-chasing/pre-run (if necessary) truck when I found this thread. Shall I start a new thread, or just continue posting in this one?

I'd say post here. I'm sure SteveG can change the title/post name if you'd like something different

Please share! Awesome build/truck

Very cool, had not seen that before.

No worries about the thread name.

As best as I can piece the story together, and from what I observed via an email list, Quinn was methodically working his way thru the build of the truck using some of the parts that he had from his previous EB. Hi-pinon ARB'd GM Disc braked front D44, 9+ cased ARB'd Exploder disc'd big 9" rear axle (whole thing Currie sourced?), Scatter-shield mounted NP435 & D20, carb'd 351W w/ small hyd cam. Though he built the "Lars Bars" extended radius arms for this truck. His previous EB had one of his wristed arms on it. (I think Quinn is the father of the wristed arm.)

Then 2009's annual EB gathering in Moab started looming and he decided that he wanted to drive the truck there, so a shifting of gears happened and things done after weren't so methodical. As I understand it he was still doing little things while on the road to Moab from the Seattle area. Even with the 4.10's and the 35's the truck really needed an OD. Some time after getting back from Moab he put some 37's on it as a 'rubber OD'.

On the White Rim in '09:



With the 37's on it:


The 37's were too tall for the engine & 4.10's, and made the truck look like a caricature IMO. Never been a fan of black wheels either. Our CTD was wearing thru it's Dura-Trac's way too fast so I replaced them with some Yokos and put the D-T's on the Bronco:


I've been working my thru the obvious things that I've found, all little things - most of which were qwik solutions to make the Moab trip that never got revisited. Then I'll focus on bigger things, like an OD, bumpers, and mounting that 8274. After wobbling back and forth several times I've decided, with a lot of advisory input, to go with an NV4500. That should handle any eventual diesel upgrade. The auto that I was considering was going to be iffy behind a modest diesel (thinking ~200HP & ~400 ft-lbs. from something basically stock).

This truck has an unusual feature, at least outside of Rover circles it's unusual. Notice how bright the frame looks in some of the pics? It has been hot dip galvanized. This is both a blessing and a curse. Nice to know that it'll likely never rust in this coastal desert climate, but it does make mods challenging.

Awesome to see you giving it some lovin attention.

I'm sure you will/have, but look into the differences in the NV4500's if you have not. The Chevy ones are not the same as the ones found in the CTD's. The input shaft I believe is the main difference, along with a few other things. This should all be well documented online. If you are going diesel later, you might as well put the diesel trans behind it now as doing it right once is cheaper than doing it over.

Very cool!

The GM NV is actually the one that I want since it will work with a GM bell-housing and a 6.5td is the only stock or nearly stock diesel that I've found in my target power range. I'm sure that will make some cringe, putting anything GM in a Ford - much less one of their earlier diesels.

Power target was set based on what I think will make the truck spry w/o it being a rocket. Rocket would be fun, but the umbrella goal is to increase range w/o significantly adding fuel capacity. 6.5td's are known for their fuel economy, I've read of over 20 in full sized trucks when driven moderately on many occasions. If it did get 20 or more on the highway that's farther than my bladder can stand with the current fuel tank. I'm not sold on the 6.5td, but I'm also not finding anything else in it's power range that is a reasonable engine swap candidate.

4BT's don't easily fit, don't make that power w/o tweaking them (don't need those headaches), and shake like dawg shattin peach seeds at idle (momma complains enough about the 6BT in the CTD). Not going to consider one.

What else is out there? NA diesel left NA or aftermarket turbo converted is not an option, must be OE turbo (don't need those headaches either). OM-617's aren't even close on the power, the one to a couple years only 7.3 IDI turbo aren't all that common and weigh more than the 6.5td by a fair amount. The 6.5's aren't stellar as 3/4t & 1t truck engines, but right now this truck only weighs a little over 4800 lbs and isn't going to be worked like it's a full size. For comparison our '96 ClubCab LB CTD 4x4, bare, was 6450 lbs.

For such a small engine compartment consider a VW or Audi transplant. The TDIs can be chipped for the power you need. And you get a huge improvement in fuel economy. If power is the most important feature consider a 3.0 over the more common 2.0
Lots of importers bringing in Euro versions.
The advantage of these things would be light weight and state of the art design as well as very compact dimensions.
PW

What about the newer, common rail 4 cly. cummins. Or and isuzu 4 cyl out of the COE type trucks? Maybe a mercedes diesel?

Been too long since I looked at a small diesel swap so I can't remember any specifics. Maybe Philo will see this & chime in though. He's good with all that stuff.

Oh and as far as cringing over a GM in a Ford - I say do it just to piss the die hard fools off. Best part for the job at the best price is my MO. No matter who's name is on the box.

Not to side track but what Yokos did you put on the CTD? And why did you go that direction?

Jeep CRD V6, made by VM motori. Not sure what it would take computer wise to run them or if you could get the stocker to work. But they do have the power range that you are looking for.

Out of the box are the VW's roughly 200 HP and 400 ft-lbs? That is my criteria, not interested in something that I have to tune and tweak to get that kind of power. Factory rating for the 6.5td is 195 HP, haven't yet seen a torque spec. Not too interested in an EFI diesel, just from a complexity aspect.

A friend put a tweaked VW 1.9 tdi in his '89 Yota. They can't use the full power of the engine for very long (< 2mins) or the EGT's climb into the danger zone. I want something that if I need to make turns for 90 up the Sherwin Grade that it will, and will do it w/o misbehaving. To me that's a stock or nearly stock engine.

This EB doesn't have fender liners, so the engine bay is more open than those with the liners. Due to bed alignment/frame-interference issues it also has a 3" body lift. This creates a bit more room in the engine bay than stock. Visually a big block from any of the Big 3 will fit in there.
Once I have the power-train and damping sorted out I plan to create inner fenders from 1/8" or so PE or PP sheet.

The CTD is a pavement-pounder for the most part. It carries a pop-top camper full time, it was bought just to do that. Went with the Yoko A/T-S' They are an order of magnitude quieter than the D-T's were, and they tracked very well on the one dirt road that I've had them on so far (Cottonwood route up to Bodie).

BDKW1 wrote:Jeep CRD V6, made by VM motori. Not sure what it would take computer wise to run them or if you could get the stocker to work. But they do have the power range that you are looking for.

====
Banks is the official after market supplier for the VM Motori . They sell the thing complete with harness and ECU. Get ready for the sticker shock because what they sell is brand new off the boat and is exactly the same aw the oem setup with regard to an install.
Probably a good setup as so far I have not seen any negative reports?

PaulW wrote:Banks is the official after market supplier for the VM Motori . They sell the thing complete with harness and ECU. Get ready for the sticker shock because what they sell is brand new off the boat and is exactly the same aw the oem setup with regard to an install.
Probably a good setup as so far I have not seen any negative reports?

Do you have a link for this?

Lots of chatter about that engine, but no substance. Being a GB product of that magnitude it's likely beyond what I can justify for this vehicle anyway.