The_rattlecan_rattletrap

Joined
May 5, 2022
Messages
35
Hey all! Long story short life happened and we ended up with a +1 to our family. Meaning a single cab Toyota pickup wasn't gunna cut it. 20210504_183807.jpg
So I sold it to buy the bronco. Got the bronco for 2k so it's not perfect. IMG_20210406_053727_423.jpgIMG_20210406_053737_008.jpgIMG_20210406_053743_380.jpg
So it had some issues that made it not road worthy out of the driveway. I bought it in Whittier and luckily had a shop around the corner I could take it to and leave there till I made room at the house. I didn't know anything about broncos besides v8,space,8.8 rear ends and ttb. I didn't know the front diff wasn't supposed to have a drain. The drain leaked and while it was at the shop it drained out the diff fluid. One hub some how locked and Bing bang boom my ass ended up on a median on the 91/605 sliding from like 60mph to a screaming haul staring at a big rig. Scared the flying shit out of my pregnant wife so she wanted me to gothrough it completely. I of course said gladly. I didn't know good or bad on radius arms till I started digging in on why I had such a ride. Kevin Lowrance helped me figure the diff out and Chris vandenbush helped me with new radius arms. Here's the old ones check these.20210720_183326.jpg20210720_183305.jpg
So I mean they look nicely welded and all that but obviously didn't work. My friend nick weigle had steering so I was able to start putting back together. At this time solo had their baja/black Friday deal and I had some budget. 20211117_081045.jpg
Picked up hoops,shackles,drop brackets,deavers,underbed shock hoops. I found out from another bronco guy a cheap way to a nice shock is a Polaris rzr 1000 rear shock is a 2.5" 12" stroke with long hose and comp adjusters. Found a rzr guy 20 mins away selling this set for 250$20211026_132415.jpg
And a set of foa's brand new in box for the rear for 400$ I had the front rebuild and revalved for a bronco and fabricating I went. Resized_20211106_120544.jpeg20211107_113733.jpg
I will say I'm a cheap ass and I try and get the best bang for my buck. EVERYTHING I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED COULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT THE HELP OF ALL MY FRIENDS. Had to say that Chris cut me the diy offroad radius arms and mounts and I used my harbor freight 110/220v multiprocess welder to weld these up. Doesn't look half bad for a whole spool of welding and not hitting duty cycle a million times. 20211204_162207.jpg
Started putting pieces together starting with the hoops. I hate ford rivets. But since the walker shocks have a shorter rodend and spring plate my tabs were a bit higher on the beam. Which works out since it has drop brackets from the old lift that have been plated over to reinforce. 20211212_160509.jpg
Things were going good then disaster struck. The Heiman bung combo that came from Barnes had one different heim. This one seemed like China and low and behold it folded a thread. Broke all kinds of stuff with my friend Brett Howerton trying to get it out and had to buy a new heim and tap and die. Man what an expensive mistake. Now I know chase welded threads with a tap no matter what. Either way I got the diy welded mounts on the beams and drilled the big ole holes for the radius arm frame side mounts




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I now had the task of welding the front end in with adding bumps 20211219_151843.jpg
Went to try and get the truck aligned after all the work to find out the guy used 4" drop brackets for a 5.5" lift so he had to use the 3 degree camber shims to make up the difference. I knew I didn't wanna use 6" drop brackets and put the beam more in the way. So I searched for a cut and turn kit. 20220102_122630.jpg20220117_094236.jpg20220312_173027.jpg20220312_173047.jpg20220313_114821.jpg
Brett had bought an Amazon plasma cutter for a couple hundred dollars and we were both VERY impressed with how well this thing cut the 1" thick ball joint tab.20220313_124045.jpg20220313_155648.jpg
Just got it aligned with the new c&t (thank you Brandon Roth) and the new steering thanks to nick weigle. Now time to fix the haggard bumper. Still working on that at the moment. 20220403_172124.jpg
 
Put the newly valued rear shocks on and kept plugging away at the bumper this last weekend. I plan on taking it out memorial day weekend so had to have something semi completed. 20220522_171541.jpgI plan on putting a winch in there behind where a skid plate would go so I haven't built the skid plate section just yet but the rest is all there and so far I've been able to keep it bolt on. 20220522_171513.jpg
 
Looks great man. Stoked you are going with a Winch. They can but super helpful. Seems weird that they haven't caught on more for us 'prelander' guys
Yea I want one especially if I'm broken and need to be lifted to the trailer or if I'm doing a trip in like moab and need it on a trail. There's alot of uses and I want to have a backup plan
 
My birthday was this last weekend so me and my family decided to go out to calico to do some offroading,shooting, and eat/drinking. The wind ruined most of those things but we got two solid wheeling sessions in. This doesn't look like it at all but these whoops were decently deep. My friends tacoma that's fully long travel was scrubbing on the top of them at this speed. I can't tell you how fast I was cooking cause my speedo was bouncing around so much but the foot was to the floor haha.
 

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hows this thing coming?



It's currently at bit of a stand still. I took it out a few weekends back for veterans day and in the first 40 min got a flat 🤦. We were out at wagon wheel so I went to randsburg and found the only 33x12.5r15 spare I could and it's beat. But it rolls and got me home but now I got a fatty exhaust leak, the new tranny pan gasket leaks like a mofo, and a power steering leak out of the cooler line. All simple stuff but as life would have it were expecting another kid come April so that's taking time and had a few family members pass, parents trying to sell house and move. So bronco kinda got a back seat. What I really would liketo get these things done in this order.



 
I'd like to get tires preferably 37's.















Then gears and locker to match, truss at that time too.















Then try and finish the rear with bumps and straps that I already have. I would go through and reantiseize the bolts
 
Somethings going on with the page here cause that was all one reply and close together lol. But I need to do the front beams(gusset and open up the passenger side axle opening and u joint.) And need to do some sort of cage because now I'll have two little ones in the back. Thank you for asking!
 
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