The truck will be a Sunday Driver or close to home road trips, light duty trail riding and back up truck. If I'm lucky I'll get to take it hunting and fishing during the dryer seasons so I don't have to take the F250 back on those narrow trails. All light duty use, no rock crawling or heavy mudding by an means. A mall crawler by all standards.

Having said that I've built a few pre runner rangers, the bronco obviously, we got three f-250s, a few volkswagons, a couple jeeps. I'm not new to buckets, new or old or getting them in running order. This will be my first time with bells and whistles and any substantial budget. Finally all growed up I guess...LOL!

 

Sounds like fun, wish I had the extra cash.

Also wish (mights well share dreams) I had yer old BB. Love the 73 - 79 ford p/u's look (as is that era, the 1st FSBronk). Wish: 2 have 1 a those 'disapearin 5th wheels' (U no, where it has the oe bed - then converts to the 5th wheel & back?) so I could throw in the 400M they had (if missin) & tow a 25 - 30 ft gooseneck...

 

EBs, or any vehicle, are what you make them. Some of the highly mod'd ones look odd, like square double headlights, but to each his own. There's no EB that is "everyone specific." Even the Crazy Horse build on Trucks! wasn't universally accepted. Build it like you want it, keeping in mind resale should you want to get rid of it later...curb appeal, you know.

Like was already said, rust is the #1 issue, so find one that's as rust free as possible. Past that, few EBs are still as they rolled from the factory, & the good options from later years (power front disk, power steering, D44 front, big bearing rear, etc.) have been put on the older ones. As you shop around, you'll find this is the case. Actually, there weren't that many changes in 66-77 Broncos. Of course, the more you buy already installed, the less it will cost in the long run. Mine was at step zero, & I've put thousands into it, & wasted money when changing directions. I even bought a 23g tank before they had EFI tanks, now I'd like to get rid of mine & get one of those (converting to 5.0L). You may be ahead of the game if you're sure how you want it to be. I'd bet you can find an EB that's already fairly close to what you want to build, but be very patient.

So, the best advice I can give is to 1) check for rust 2) check for rust 3) look for best options already installed--bang for the buck 4) check for rust 5) go ahead & visit the Bronco vendors to overcome the parts price shock--small population=far more costly than Jeeps 6) check for rust 7) treat rust for the entire time you own it.

Other than that, go to the EB sites & read through the history so you can get an idea of what options you'll find. For front disk, you can go all Ford (I have 77 4x4 truck knuckles on my D44, direct replacement) or do the Chevy mod. Rear disk can be done cheaply with junkyard parts. No way around paying huge bucks for AC. For reliability, you may need to look at an aftermarket wiring harness to eliminate the many problems from 40+ year old wiring, butchered by each of the 10 previous owners. That & rust make these things gremlin-prone, so you may be fixing ground problems for a while. For the other things you mentioned, it's all about how much you want to spend.

That's the short version. Congrats on taking on an EB project. They're money pits, but have character that Jeeps can't touch. If you have questions, ask away.

 

(I have 77 4x4 truck knuckles on my D44
Hi Tom.
Like to put the F250 knucks (the whole 'outters' cept the HUGE calipers, keep the oe) on my 76/77 with the T style linkage (from my '70) - go 1 tun/TRO. Any suggestions? I will take the axles too, shorten/respline. Should all fit the D44, no? Been told to use the F150 knucks w/TRO due to back spacing (wanna put on the smallest Bud wheel - 16 inch). Any wheel would scrape the TRO been told - get rid of the bronk's. F250's knuck fit too you think?
Thanks...
PM if ya wanna.

 

Looks like the 250's knuckles won't fit without using the brakes from it, but the 150's definitely will. If you use the 150's knuckles, you can reuse your stock EB axles & all other parts. The bonus is that the F-150 knuckles aren't just stronger, they're straight, whereas the 76/77 Bronco knuckles turn out towards the wheel where the tie rods attach (older models turned in). That's why they hit the wheel. You can then use the beefier 150 linkage & ditch the Bronco's inverted Y.

To use a Bronco's stock linkage, you have to use inserts in the tie rods (this is my setup, & again, was a direct bolt-in). Vendors sell F-150 tie rod setups that are sized to the Bronco D44, so you can go that route if you want to spend the cash (pricey), or do the TRO.

This link explains some of what I'm talking about (sorry, it's a jeep site). The page is for high-steer flat-top knuckles, but has some good info. For my time & money, the 150 knuckles were the way to go. I bought them from a guy, so they weren't stupid expensive either, but I was converting from drum brakes. The high cost for me was in new hub/rotor assemblies & spindles. You already have those, so the 150 swap would be cost effective.

Mr.N's Dana 44 Flatop Knuckles

 

Thanks Tom, thats very valuable info. I am currently pricing each component including items that I don't know will need to be replaced, but figure if I have the body off at some point (which is the plan) I should know my options in each direction at each step.

Patience is my friend on this one. Not my girlfriends but all I have to do is remind her it saves us money and gives us a better product in the long run and shes on board

 

This tech page may help as well. It's for a competing site, but has a lot of good info & you can see what some of the popular mods are.

ClassicBroncos.com: Tech Articles for Early Broncos | 66-77 Ford Bronco

 

Thanks Tom, I have that info. Also, heard bout the inserts. Don't think I need them after use of a ream, correct me if wrong. Also thanks for the link, didn't have that, will look it up when more time.

I wish to use the bigger axles (F250) and go w/"1 tun outters" for 8 lug Buds & bigger U joints. I already have the s. linkage U suggest ( my '70 bronk is the same as the F150's now I added 2 adj. sleeves & L/R threaded the joints under em). This is a very budget operation, however not done w/cheep results. Not sure U get what I mean. Anyway that's why I keep the bronk, so adaptable.

setups that are sized to the Bronco D44.
Can't afford the DOM TRO. I'd suggest StoneCrusher's - he gave me 1 of my 250 motors.

hub/rotor assemblies & spindles
Will B my expense as well (2 get 1 tuns). Sounds like my "swap the whole F250 outters except calipers" will not work? I'd keep Mikeblacktruck's thread open if U had enuff posts to PM. Sounds like "U been thru it" B 4.

 

No, I can't PM. You shouldn't have to use the inserts with a TRO, they're for adapting your stock linkage to the 150 knuckles. If you really need to go cheap but can do work yourself, you can buy the heims, get some DOM tubing, cut & thread, & you'll have the equivalent of the expensive TRO setups.

Can't say if the 250 axles will work. I'd think they'd be too big, but not sure. Maybe someone else can chime in on that one or you can search more.

As for the hub/rotor expense, if you haven't priced them new, get ready...BIG money x2. If you can find decent ones used, I'd go that route rather than buy new again. Spindles are pricey too. One of my hub/rotors wouldn't fit onto the spindle. I thought there was a problem with the bearing at first, but I think the spindle was slightly too large. I had to smooth out the bearing with some emery cloth to get it on. I'm sure all of it was made in China, so go figure. Just because it's new doesn't necessarily make it better.

 

really need to go cheap but can do work yourself
for $80 a farmer w/a lathe, down the st cut/threaded the rods & I added the adj sleeve ($10 a piece) to the T style linkage. That DOM sure is expensive. When the recession hit I lost any $ from off the acreage PLUS hardly any 1 wants the lumber off the property. Had the rig 28 yrs so no rush anyway.

shouldn't have to use the inserts with a TRO
Good, nother expense avoided. I'll not B puttin em in the standard under-hung way.

* I'd think they'd be too big
* length is no prob - farmer will shorten/respline. Diameter - surely it'll fit in the axle
* tubes? Beefier U joints - surely there's enuff room for them? May B I'm dreamin
* again?

I hope nother neighbor has the 'outters" n axles (he's onto the 73 - 79 p/u like us on the bronk) as he's sayin he'll look in his "pile". No prices mentioned, yet!

* My main Q is will the F250 knucks fit in there, alternatively - will the F250 1 tun
* outters fit the F150 knucks?
I have a pretty broad based fund of knowledge but not about automotive endeavors (organization development, HRD, timber/sawyer, psychotherapy, construction, row crops, livestock, & other sh^#). Humm - Knucks, hub/rotor, spindel, bearings, calipers, pads (hope he's got what I need, only buy bearings & pads). Rear's gunna B easier.

Thanks for all yer ideas. Like I said, if it's alright, I may PM U when yer over the post limit 2 rec. a msg...

 

Like I said, I'm no guru on the F-250 stuff, but I'll help you if I can.

 

Tanks (w/turrets). Great, don't wanna hijack this thread...some have done the "1 tuns" - I just don't wanna swap out the whole frnt clip. A D44 is a D44 so, I don't know but it should swap the "outters"?.?

Thanks for the agreement! Talk widya later.