I 'accidentally' jumped my '90 Bronco this morning on a big ice embankment. Fortunately, the Rancho 4" lift with dual shocks earned it's keep, and I landed on the two driver side wheels, turned into it and dropped it back on four wheels. No damage to body, etc., but I bent something in the front end.

I'm not that familiar with 4x4's front ends. Aside from a possible bent I-beam, I'm thinking it could be the spindle (steering knuckle??). The truck drives fine, but has excessive camber on the right side, and some toe out. Not sure about the toe out or how much, but I have to steer hard left to go straight. I'm sure there is collateral damage to the steering rods and tie rods. My concern is with the big knuckle that the wheel/brake assy. bolts to. Is that called the steering knuckle?

Anyone else have similar issues when off-roading?
If so, what type of repair costs am I looking at....going for junkyard parts if possible.

Josh

 

If it ends up being anything serious, i would say its time for a SAS!

 

What's a SAS?

BTW, found a complete axle assemble for $150. Gotta like old iron. Cheap parts.



Josh

 

"Accidentally" thats funny.

 

yeah i like that too.... sas stands for a solid axle swap. most hardcore wheelers dont like the ttb.

 

I like that idea. Maybe the 12" lift this time? Although, given that my approach angle when I went landed was very close to 45 degrees, I doubt I could have saved her if she was any taller. Put it this way, I could see the ground out my side window. I'm not sure how on God's green earth I didn't roll it, but I guess I've rolled enough atv's and snowmobiles to learn how to land 'em.

What people say is right though....it was slow motion. First I heard the wheels hit, then I heard my sub box hit the ceiling, then I heard what I thought was the top popping off, then I thought I heard the windshield shatter, but it didn't. I did hear the hood pop free, which it did. Then I felt it land, bounce hard on the drivers side 2 wheels, I steered hard left to prevent the rollover, which brought it down hard on the right, bounced a bit, fishtailed a bit, then kept going. I didn't really want to stop, cause the guy I was passing looked pissed.

 

PLEASE EXPAND on this issue... how again was this an accident and what were you doing?

Sounds like you need a trip to the alignment shop at very least, they call tell you what you broke or bent. good luck!

 

I took a vacation day tomorrow to bring it to a frame shop for an alignment and see what I need to replace, if anything, that is bent. Something is bent for sure, just not sure what yet. I'm at work now, so can't check it until tonight.

I was on my way to work this morning, behind some slow-a$$ person in a Super Duty. I have a bus to catch, so I need to get around him. We both turn onto a road that begins as two lanes. He goes wide, I go inside. I floor it, for some reason he does too and moves into my lane right next to me to prevent me from getting around him I suppose, though he'd been going 10mph under the speed limit for the past 3 miles. As I'm passing him I realize that the damn car dealership at that corner has plowed their snowbank into the road so it sits at the end of my lane, which is approaching very quickly as I'm doing probably 40mph and accelerating. At this point I'm just about past the Super Duty when my lane starts to dissappear and the snowbank, which is about 5' high, is directly ahead. I haven't let off the gas yet, so I don't bother. I hit the ice/dirt/crusty snow bank at least doing 45mph. I go airborne ahead of the Super Duty, of course my right front took the hit, so I am now in the air. I figure the left tires are 2' off the ground, the right side about 8' off the ground. I land on the left tires like a stunt scene and drive on two wheels for a second, quickly turn into it so the right drops hard. The truck bounces a couple of times front to back. I fishtail a bit. I straighten out and keep going. I could see the ground to my left, and the sky to my right. I somehow had time to think about it, and muse to myself, that this really sucks, and I'm going to roll it, and my truck will be wrecked, and I'm scared silly. My knee hit the floor shifter for the transfer case, my head hit the ceiling, and my left foot turned on the high beams. At this point, the right rear corner of the hood is about an inch high, probably extended the spring hinge. The front suspension is bent to some degree, and I'm mighty embarassed about it all. But I'm also kinda proud of not wrecking it. Needless to say, I've had a sinking feeling in my gut ever since.

I would really like to have been the guy in the Super Duty to witness it all. I bet he crapped in his drawers when I passed him in midair. I personally have never seen or heard of anything like it, so for whatever that is worth.

Your idiot of the day,
Josh

PS, Don't do as I do.

 

I bet that guy will be talking about that for a long time to come. Glad to hear your okay. It will easier to fix the truck than your pride right now. I am sure you will see him again on your way to work and maybe this time he will avoid you.

 

Just think. Anyone who witnessed your mishap, don't know the damage you did to your vehicle. But they sure as hell will be saying, "Wow, a Bronco did that! And that must have been a hell of a driver"
Good luck. And I hope the damage isn't too bad.

 

Yeah glad to hear the truck still runs and drives! good luck with the repair.

 

i bet that would have been a sight to see.......that guy will probably never get in your way again or pull over to let you pass if you ever do see him. Good luck with the repairs

 

I bet you wish someone video taped the whole thing. It would have been a good thing to post here for all of us to see. Well all i can say is I am Glad to hear your ok and sorry about the damage. but hey it is a good Bronco war story.

 

I got it fixed this weekend. I bought a complete front axle assembly for $190. As I tore it down and started taking measurements, I found out that I didn't need a new radius arm after all (the Rancho arm was bent, but the tube 'stretched' so it was still true). I didn't need the driver side i beam either. I only had to replace the passenger side i beam, but I used the new knuckle and spindle just to be sure. I replaced the ball joints on both sides, which took care of the camber issue on the driver's side from the incident as well. I was originally hoping a new camber bushing would fix it, but turns out it was the ball joints were whacked, so in the end I didn't need any more work on the driver side. I did the brakes while I was in there. Total cost was $410 for axle, parts, manual, and brake rotors turned. I still need to have the steering gear replaced (splined shaft is cracked), and a toe alignment done. Other than that, the hood hinges will need to be replaced and the front right fender and hood need to be repainted.

Considering how dramatic the impact and landing was, I'm pretty impressed with the durability of the truck and the fact that the damage was pretty minimal. I'm certain that the Rancho lift kit played a big role in the survival of the truck. The extended and obviously much more durable radius arms, along with the dual RS5000's and increased travel probably were the reasons I was able to drive it to the bus stop again today.

Oh yeah, the scuff marks from the landing on the driver side tires (32" BFG A/T's) go all the way to the rim, and the point where the right tire left the snowbank was about midwaist on me. I had to go check it out. I'm 6'3", so I figure it was somewhere around 4' or a little higher.

My pride is still a bit sore, but the truck is on the road again and I'm thankful for that. I'll see if I can keep it shiny side up, and try not to be as aggressive, since I really am not in that big of a hurry to get to work!

Josh

 

I just realized that my forum handle is MN High Flyer....isn't that something! I originally meant it for the lift kit and that the truck is tall......I guess this gives a whole new meaning to the name.

Weird.

Josh