Been searching and reading up on Broncos for a while now (thanks for all the awesome threads here!) and finally found what appears to be a super clean 1996 that I’m going to look at tomorrow afternoon. It has the 5.8 with 178,000 on the clock. Front end was recently gone through as far as the suspension and steering. A BDS 2" lift (which really seems like a leveling kit to me?) was installed recently. Are there any last minute tips you guys have of things I should look or watch out for other than normal used car stuff? I’m going to make myself a check list of some bronco specific stuff to check out like the rear window as top seal. Thanks!

 

I always take a code reader with me when looking at used vehicles. Do the basic items like check fluid levels and their color. The E4OD transmission is a good piece but poor maintenance will kill it. It is very expensive to repair/replace.

Inspect the tires for signs of unusual wear. Shift the transfer case to all positions to verify it works. Do not drive very far with it in 4WD on hard surfaces. Just a few feet is usually enough.

The 1996 F150/Bronco have some very specific external parts on the engine for the OBD-II powertrain control. If anything is missing or triggering a code they can be expensive to replace.

 

Great idea, I’ll make sure to grab my code reader!