| Date | Type | Mileage | Title / Description | $ Amount |
| 03/18/08 | Modification | 43815 | Hood pins
My hood latch release cable was cut when it was wrecked before I bought it. When I fixed the front end I set the hood latch to just latch loosely and not fully. Now that its tagged and I get up to speed the hood was wiggling and freaked me out a little, so I bought hood pins.
http://www.supermotors.net/clubs/138modified/vehicles/registry/media/617903 | 17.00 |
| 03/01/08 | Modification | | Fender flares
The mud was being thrown all over the windshield and in the bed, this is to be expected but it was while just rolling down the trail. I just used some vinyl I found at the local hardware store and rivited them on and shaped them the best I could. I really like the front ones and the rear will do for now. It totally fixed the problem I'm happy to say. | 12.00 |
| 02/21/08 | Maintenance | | Hardware checkup
I went through all the bolts I added when mounting the radius arms, coils, shocks, track bar, ect. 27 total. Also tightened U-bolts on rear axle. The U-bolts were tight but I found 2 bolts at the track bar had loosened. All the rest were tight still. Nice piece of mind though. | 0.00 |
| 02/12/08 | Modification | | Rocker guards
I used a 5 foot section of 2 1/4 inch o.d. tubing left over from the rollbar. I ripped it in half with a grinder, shaped the front ends, then drilled it and the rocker panels. I bought carriage bolts,slid them thrugh the holes drilled in the tubing, bolted them to the rockers and welded the heads to the tubing. I used 1/4 inch steel plate at an upward angle to mount it to a large body seam. I tack welded it and unbolted it. I finished welding it up and painted it. They seem really solid, but I'll find out soon enough. | 28.00 |
| 02/08/08 | Modification | | Few luxuries
Changed out stock baby blue steering wheel with a silver Grant GT wheel and adapter kit. Added separate horn button cuz it was wired weird to begin with. Also replaced tranny T-shifter with an aluminum straight one with a button on top, its way easier to shift without looking. | 79.00 |
| 12/10/07 | Modification | | Shocks
I bought buy 3 get one free long travel Pro comp ES-3000 explorer shocks. I welded new perches on rear axle tubes, and modified front mounts after tearing them both off on the first trip out . | 137.00 |
| 12/02/07 | Modification | | Stone crusher steering upgrade
Drilled out knuckles and drop pitman arm 3/4 inch,20$ drill bit, assembled all the components and the install was easy. It feels completely solid and secure, and I just count on it now. It was a great upgrade.
http://www.stonecrushersteering.com/ | 366.00 |
| 11/24/07 | Modification | 43702 | Bronco 2 Dana 44 SAS
The most difficult part of the solid axle swap for me was the coil placement. The full size coil buckets were the key up top rather than trying to modify the stock Bronco 2 ones, mounting these adjusted the ride height easily. But the lower spring perches were at a terrible angle, leaning open towards the front end with that much lift. Even though I had the lowest drop brackets for the radius arms I could get without totally making new ones, they caused the coils to bow outwards under the vehicle weight. So I had to cut the perches 3/4 around, taking note as to where the coil first touches them as the lowest point, and shaping it in a sort of coil and welding sides to it. It fixed it after a few tries but in the end it lifted the front end 2.5 more inches so I had to move the coil buckets up accordingly.
The radius arm brackets mount securely to the frame by drilling new holes, but in my application one of the driver side transmision mount holes was 1/8" forwards of where the bracket needed to be to put the tires at the stock wheelbase. So I went with that and pulled my measurement off of the rear axle tube-to-bracket and transferring that # to the passenger side. The radius arms didn't want to mate to the much narrower frame so after the driver side was fairly secure with at least 2 bolts in place, I used a ratchet strap to pull them together, and a jack under the passenger side to put it right where I wanted it for drilling and finally bolting it on.
The trac bar used to center the vehicle is also a bit tricky because it mounts right under the steering box and theres really no room for a bracket. I used 6"x4" angle and braced it with a steel rod to the frame under the motors oil pan. It was only approx 10 " away from the bracket and theres no other way to get that much stability elsewhere. the trac bar is under extreme pressure, almost contantly while off-road, so skimping here is not an option, the bracket would eventually bend and weaken till it fails. And your vehicle will dangerously unload itself to the ground.
On a lighter note, the 9" rear end was a dream, I just cut the spring perches and shock mounts off the axle tube and used the ones fron the old Bronco 2 rear axle. I raised the pinion angle for a better u-joint position, was only 3 degrees difference for my truck, and welded them back on careful not to get the axle tube to hot. After its mounted to the leaf springs I then welded on the shock brackets to the axle housing.It was easy compared to the front.
With all that installed I began the brakelines and fittings. I thought it would be a nightmare but i was lucky enough to find a knowlegable Oreilly's guy with a brakeline book and we hashed it out. On the proportioning valve under the driver floor pan I used the driver side outlet hardline because it was the shorter one,and plugged the passenger one and removed it. Then I mounted a Bronco 2 rear rubber line with 2 outlets to that hardline up front to the pumpkin, its plenty long for the front. I bought the stock hardlines mated to short rubber lines for the Dana 44, and all new calipers, that was pretty much it. The rear 9" lines fit the Bronco 2 line and splitter already, so i bolted it up.
Here are a few sites i refered to for encouragement.
http://ford.off-road.com/ford/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=198396
http://www.broncoii4x4.com/dana44/dana_44_solid_axle_swap.php
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Dana44_leafspring_conversion.htm | 1,187.00 |
| 08/11/07 | Modification | | 15X10 rims
I bought a Dana 44 off ebay for the axles inside. I won the bid so me and Mental made the trip. The guys name was Roger,he was cool and has a full size Bronco that was upgraded to 3/4 ton axles and had a set of tires and rims that would no longer fit. So a week later , me and my son went back up there and bought them. | 160.00 |
| 05/25/07 | Modification | | New shoes
I got a set of 5, 33x12.50 super swamper boggers from craigs list. Mental saw them online and let me know, It was exactly what I was looking for. My friend Germ used to live in the area and knew the address, so we drove up that weekend to pick them up and stopped for lunch and beers, it was a blast. 4 were on chrome chevy wheels I sold to mental and one had never been mounted. | 750.00 |
| 04/20/07 | Maintenance | | Engine work
The lower plentum of the throttle body had a gasket with a vaccuum leak, so I had Nixon's garage fix it for me. They did a great job and kept it inside for me at night cuz it's topless. They also charged me about 75$ less than they quoted me, what a great garage!
http://www.shopthefourstates.com/page118.html | 320.00 |
| 06/11/06 | Modification | | Rollbar
I built a rollbar and rear tubes. It was fun and is designed to have a canvas top streached across it. I haven't made the top yet though. It is 2 1/4 o.d. by 1/4 thick tubing. I installed a cargo light on it, mounted my highlift jack to the base of the X-brace, and a fire extinguisher behind the driver. | 240.00 |
| 05/10/06 | Modification | 43694 | Body lift
I ordered a James Duff 2 inch blue poly body lift kit. It came with almost all the hardware, poly body bushings, 2 inch puck spacers, all the large washers, nuts and bolts. But the original bolts had a steel sleeve attached to them cause the body has a 1 inch hole. I sleeved the bolts I was using with schedule 80 PVC. The most difficult part was removal, as they were stuck and rusty. My sawzall just vibrated the whole body mount and took forever, the fastest way I found was to try to loosen them till they snapped. Only one of them actually loosened all the way off. The shift linkage needed minor adjusment.
http://www.jamesduff.com/broncoII/bodylifts.html | 130.00 |
| 03/28/06 | Repair | 43692 | sensors
I burned up the starter solenoid when I put all the electronics and air intake back on the new fenderwell. The first wire I connected was wrong and, zap.... 84$. At this time I also replaced the Mass air-flow sensor and an air-idle control valve. Both looked damaged. | 184.00 |
| 03/14/06 | Repair | 43692 | Fixed wrecked front end
I removed passenger fender and grill, moved the breather and electronics out of the way, along with radiator, hood latch, horn, and headlight, then cut the inner fender well out on passenger side in front and below of the antennae, and also 2'' off center towards the driver side of the hood latch. I had the salvage yard cut a larger piece than I needed out of an '86 Ford Ranger. I rivited it into place and then welded it fully on after making sure it was square on top where the hood sets and the same height from the ground to the corners. I also checked the grill and bumper with a level first. | 45.00 |
| 09/20/05 | Repair | 43686 | Glass
for our anniversary my Wife had the smashed windsheild replaced when I got home from work, it was totally unexpected. | 130.00 |
| 09/15/05 | Miscellaneous | 43681 | Initial purchase
My dads pest control guy saw my #4 Bronco and said his son had just rear ended someone with his Bronco like mine and they have already sunk alot of money in it with an engine, tranny and t-case. He thought I might need a parts truck.... he was right. My parents loaned me the money and mental dragged me home in it behind the mutant blazer via 14 foot tow rope and eccessive speed hehe. | 500.00 |
| 04/14/05 | Miscellaneous | | Winch
Warn Tabor 9-K w/100 foot 5/8 cable, in receiver hitch cradle. Several clevises, tow strap, tree saver strap and 6 foot logging chain with grab hooks. Not usually needed but irreplaceable when it is.
http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/media/608284 | 640.00 |
| 06/21/04 | Miscellaneous | | CB
I quit smoking cigarettes a few months before installation, and had always wondered if this small Radioshack CB-radio I had would fit in the ashtray hole but always used it before. Now I had no reason not to find out, I also had an extra ashtray faceplate if I screwed it up. It fit so tight it didnt need to be bolted in. So I cut the center out of the ashtray faceplate with a dremel and stuck it on with 2 sided tape.I can unbolt the ashtray housing and the CB comes with it.
http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/media/608283 | 89.00 |
| Total | 5,014.00 |
