I just got an '87 Bronco II Auto w/ OD, 4x4 manual hubs and floor shifter, 90,000 miles for $550. It runs descently, the lifters start to tick after driving for a while and highway driving they get a little louder. The 4x4 works in straight lines, however when turning, there is a grinding/rubing sound coming from the pass. side it sounds like.
I took it over to a shop and had them take a hear and the guy said I prolly need new u-joints, tire rods, hubs, etc. and would run me around $700 w/labor.
I called a salvage yard and spoke to a guy who had an '85 bronco II that runs good, new tires, 4x4, and was going to give it to me for $400. Will the '85 match up to the '87 if I take out the working 4x4 of the '85 and put it in my '87?

I'll be posting a list soon of the small quirks I have found with my new BII. Thanks.

-Bryan

 

I don't know how familiar you are with these part time 4x4 systems, but a certain amount of groaning and complaining is normal when turning, depends on how much traction the tires have. The front and rear drivetrains are locked together at the t-case, and they can't differentiate like they want to in a turn.
U-joints could easily be bad, they are old enough to be rusted out on the inside so they don't want to spin readily. I'd also check the wheel bearings. Are you at the shop's mercy as far as getting things replaced, or do you feel like you might be able to try doing some of this yourself?

 

I'm a pretty savy mechanic, I did all the work on my 2001 Trans AM, about $15K invested, it's a drag car.

I know that is should not sound like it does when turning. It's kinda like there is grinding gears, or a part grinding with another part when you turn the wheel hard to the right. I don't know how else to describe it.

I also wanted to know if the 4x4 and axel out of an '85 bronco II would fit an '87? I can get a whole '85 for $400. Thanks.

Bryan

 

Check the u-joints there at the wheel... Their so small that they don't have grease zerts and are prone to drying out and rusting and making that sound your talking about. I've had it do it on an 85 B2 I had when I got sand in them, wouldn't make a sound if you were going straight but when you turned it sounded terrible. It was a lot of work to get to them and change them but reasonably cheap... and you have to break down everything else you questioned so if it is something else you'll find it before you get to those U-Joints. The hubs could be bad too... I had a calliper sieze once and it got the rotor and all so hot that it burned the grease out of my hubs, I re-packed them when I changed the rotors and callipers but the bearings in there where already shot and it made a similair noise then too. You may just try jacking it up and get all 4 wheels up, then you can lock in 4wd and put it in nuetral and just turn the front wheels by hand with them turned at different angles... may help you see better where that noise is coming from. Also, not sure which engine that 87 has, but if it's like the 2.8 or 2.9 they were solid lifter engines, so the lifters rattle all the time, that combined with the gear drive on the timing makes for a lot of noise and rattles you don't usually associate with a gas engine. My 2.8 sounds like a diesel at idle when you have the hood up.

 

I know where you can get a complete 87 xlt 4x4 (bad) auto. trans. manual shift t-case and manual lock hubs for 400.00 the steering linkage was all new about 50 k ago good tires good motor good t-case . everything worked great until the trans. mission went out if your interested let me know

 

If you have a limited slip differential, the grinding noise could be caused by the wrong differential lube. Otherwise, my vote is for a defective wheel bearing on that side. Bronco IIs are pretty cheap there. They bring a fairly high dollar is SoCal. However, we have no ice, no road salt, and most of the 4WD drivers consider "off roading" to be parking on the grass at the soccer field.

 

To answer your question, The 85 parts are identical. For the gent with the solid cam advice the 2.9 is hydraulic, not solid and the 2.9 is what an 87 B2 will have.