Wow, that thing really gets around these days!

 

Well it sure is NOT getting around these days. I put it in the garage after the Ford truck event and it has not been out since. And now it's in the 20*'s here, so it's not coming out any time soon. But is if warms up and snows, it might get back outside for some fun. Man this was a LONG time ago....

 

Not really all that long ago.
In geologic terms that is… :-)

 

Well now searching for shorter overall length, but same width and height fenderwell tool boxes. I do not need to haul so many trail repair parts/tools and equipment. Back up parts, big gas can. Full size spare.

The Ford Super Cab jump seats was a test fit like the dual ammo can rack.

There we go all cleaned up back there.

Grandson race seat and my winch that can going into one of the any 4 receiver points and get long cable power.

Work rig for the day.

 

I put it in the garage last year after the OMR show and that was that as far as "stuff" to do to it. So yesterday I started it, drove it out the garage and down the road a bit.

 

I also was having some intermittent operation issues on the old 9K Superwinch. HB has had a lot on sale here lately, so I got a new Badlands ZXR (with steel cable) 12K for like $275 ish. Northern Tool had a receiver hitch winch mount, that worked perfect and was cheaper and better built than the HB one.

I got the steel cable one instead of the synthetic rope, because all the rest of my recovery gear is for steel cable and not synthetic rope. Also got a wireless controller.

 

Well I have been doing a few small "things to it" over the winter and it has just been in the garage waiting for summer. So today I fired it up and backed it out of the garage for the 1st time in a while. I have a trip planned to a Bronco get together at SMORR next month.

https://www.smorr.net/

Pardon the getto tie down set up, I have since added proper D ring straight pull anchor points. And no longer use chains and boomers, I now have some MACS straps. https://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/straps/c/100/

And now I also have the small hauler trailer set up.

I had a set of RYTASH axle tie downs setting around. But they were too long on the ratchet to anchor point strap part.

I doubt that I can hang with these guys abilities, but I will have fun no matter what.

 

Been busy getting it ready for a up coming all Bronco and off road event at SMORR. I have been replacing the tires, one a day, one day at a time, BY HAND. The 18 bolt bead lock rings are left on, then I use a tire aspiriator to compress the tire and that helps initially break the inner bead loose some what. Then it is a simple by hand operated dead breaker from Harbor Freight. Then take the outer bead lock ring off and tire spoon the rim out.

Replace the valve cores with all metal locked ones, pop the rim in the new tire, center it for the bead lock ring. Do all bead lock bolts and then pump it up an get the inner bead to take. They have been seating at 30 to 40 PSI with a strong POP, even with spraying on the dish soap and water from my leak test bottle.

Then double check the hdrw torque and let them set at 40 for a day before I roll them back to 10 PSI. Pic in a few, I am doing my last tire tonight, it goes on the trailer mid week for this weekends event.

 

At least they seat okay just using air and you don't have to revert to an air blaster to get the bead to seat, or even more thrilling...something flammable sprayed around the bead and a quick spark of the lighter while you spray. That last one always makes me nervous but it does work if you have no other choice.

 

I set the rim/tire flat but on top of a square piece of 6x6 post and that holds the rim up and lets the bead side of the tire drop. Then I use my LockNflate air chuck to "lock on" the valve stem. Then just push down on the top side of the tire. I have been known to just stand on it and bounch it a bit, that usually works. Once I know it is some what seated and starting to fill up, I stand it up and watch the back side bead to fully seat.

Worse case when trying to get a bead to seat, you can (while it is still not taking air) use a cable come-a- long and go around the outer part and just tighten it all the way around the center tread face of the tire. That in turn makes the side walls buldge out, and then it usually will bead right up. Of course making sure to get the cable off, before fully aired up.

I have a air blaster tank for those pesky hard side wall 14 or 16 ply trailer tires, that the cable trick does not work on. I am not a fan of the starting fluid/ether boom boom trick. I have been known to pack a real hard to bead tire with grease in the open leaking area.

Pics of the tire fun in a bit.....

 

Tire deflating aspiriator connected and starting to collaspe it down.
FYI that is a 35x16x15 tire, this sure breaks the inner bead loose or makes it real easy with a bead breaker next.

Yes using a Harbor Freight manual bead breaker, it works like a champ. https://www.harborfreight.com/manual...ker-58918.html

What was the PO using as stop leak in this one, martian brains? Yes it is a little crusty rusty looking, but all the gunk just putty knifed right off. And yes I wire wheeled the lip. The ratchet strap the tire to a short table trick, holds the tire up right and lets gravity help with the rim removal.

Same type and size tire, man the old ones were worn out, chunked, cut and trail rashed like crazy. I have run them for many years.

With the new tires (again same size and type) I almost got a free 1" to 2" lift. They will be getting stuffed in the fenders this coming weekend.

 

The new tires make the Bronco grip and climb like a mountain goat on crack. We had a great time at SMORR this past weekend. Stayed on the property and in the 1st hour of wheeling I totally destroyed a passenger side radius arm poly bushing. At least the front part of the bushing was exploded out when I was in a crazy max flexed out trail ravine. With all the recent rain and erosion all the trails were bumped up in difficulty, by at least 1 or 2 numbers.

You know you are maxed out when you have one front tire and the opposite rear tire stuffed in the fender and the other 2 are just catching as little air, as I tipped back and forth. Sorry no pics, I was pretty busy at that point.

I had no idea about the bushing being gone until we were going to another trail head and there was a very frequent BaNg BaNG on the front uder side as I drove down the trail. As soon as I got out I was like dang in the 1st hour of being here...Then I was thinking a slit piece of pipe clamped or welded around the exposed part or just stack some large washers in place of the bushing to take up the slack for a trail side fix.

But after some phone calls and a 10 min drive to a farm and ranch store and then to a couple of parts stores, O'Reiliy's had a 80/90's F150 set of radius arm bushings kit, that we made work. Then back on the trails, was in a nice almost 2 hour early Bronco convoy (5 of us) driving from one end of the park to the other, all the way down Pewees Crossing. It is a Jeep Badge of Honor Trail and was nice to be in the shade 98% of the time.

Stopped at Double Whammy and watched the big boys on 40's+ RPM and bounce there way up the ledges. Had a nice time, even though it was 90's+ all weekend. Loaded up and came home Sunday and put the un broken Bronco back in the garage for now.

 

Great to hear! Especially after all the hard work, switching and swapping and rolling on old rubber. Good to hear everything paid off in a pile of fun.
Probably a couple of piles!

 

Yes we had a blast and those Wild Horse 4X4 4340 chromoly front axle shafts with the CTM u joints, were the least of my worries.

 

Well I was going to take the ol Red bronco to the OMR (Ozark Mountain Run) All Ford truck and panel show. Remember I did last year and had a great time competing in the "truck games".

This year I decided to take the 73 Bronco running gear with a VW rail buggy tube body on top. So AKA "the Bruggy". Took it and has a blast, it is far from a Ford truck, but I am good with that. We had a great time competing in the "truck games". We even set up a FTE base camp hang out in the shade spot.


I was all MaD MaX looking and the only Bronco in the parking lot...until.

This guy and his beautiful Bronco shows up, WOW was it nice.

We still had a blast. Next year I might take the Wing Man AKA Sketchy, at least is has more Bronco body panels....sort of.