So I'm trying to do some research on a vehicle I'm potentially gonna be getting. I am told the Vehicle is sn 84 model year Bronco. I have read that the vehicle came with several engine options. It has a V8. In 1984, what V8 engines were available in the Bronco.What rearend options and gear ratios were available?

Lastly what's up with the front diff on these...is it a Solid axle or an Independant front suspension?

 

302 and 351 V8s

3.08, 3.55, 3.73 gearing

Rear maybe a Ford 8.8

Front is TTB IFS Dana 44

 

I believe '84 was also the first year for the High Output 351, too.

Rear diff is either an 8.8" or a 9". If the access plate bolts are on the rear, it's an 8.8". If they're on the side of the driveshaft, it's a 9".

Gearing is either 3.00, 3.50, or 4.11 (9"), or 3.08, 3.55, or 4.10 (8.8")
As far as I know, the Broncos didn't come with 3.73s.

The front is a TTB (Twin Traction Beam) and is more or less a combination of both an independent suspension and a solid axle.
It offers much greater control on and off the road at the expense of articulation.

 

Oh, as I see nobody mentioned it: both V8 engine options come from the Windsor family, if you would like to further research the matter.

 

So i found out it has a build date of 9/83 to me that indicates an 83 model year...correct?

I have a VIN:

1FMBU15F9ELAXXXXX

What I'm getting so far is an 5.0 based on the VIN...am i reading it right?...my friend swears up and down the engine in it is a 351m/400...maybe the engine has been swapped how do I tell for sure what motor is in it?

 

I was going to mention some older FSBs got swaps..

Engines, TCs, Trans, rear ends?

Could be a 351C or 400?

 

If the engine was swapped, the transmission was swapped as well. The Windsor engine family doesn't share transmission bolt patterns with the 351M/400. The 351C is merely a pre-smog era 351M. The simplest way to tell the 351M from the Windsor family engines is that the "Cleveland" family have eight (8) bolts per valve cover while the "Windsor" engines have only six (6).

 

With a build date of September, that would be AFTER the model year changeover, so I would expect it to be a 1984 Model Year. And that is born out by the VIN 10th digit being an "E", which equals 1984. It would have been a "D" for 1983.
And yes, VIN digit 8=F is a 5.0L engine, at least that was what it was built with.

 

I always thought those had a straight axle in it. Oh well, anywho unless someone swapped a 351M into it, it wouldn't have it. It is probably still the 5.0 motor, from what i have been told, if you see a door tag that says, for instance, 83 then the year of the vehicle is an 84 because that's when it was finally completed.

If images help, here is a 351M


It's a little fuzzy but the 9" rear end looks like this from the driveline side.


The back side looks like it is all one piece and there is no removable cover like there normally would be. the 8.8 has that cover.

 

The solid Dana 44 went away with the mid 1980 models. The TTB (Twin Traction Beam) remained through the end of production in 1996.

 

The solid front axle ended with the 1979/dentside model.

The TTB appeared with the 1980/bullnose redesign of the Bronco.

 

That's good info, i never knew that. I thought they switched later near the 90's. My brothers 84 had a solid D44 in the front.

 

SAS, possibly.

 

that's what I am thinking, it was that way when he got it so someone did it. before him.

 

There is evidence to support that a few of the early 1980 models actually made it off the line with the solid D44. Its been ages but we had someone actually post a build sheet from a 1980 unit that indicated the non-TTB axle. That is the only reason I mention that 1980 was a questionable cut-off point.