Got a 1990 bronco with a 5.8
4" rough country suspension lift (but with rear block)
exhaust is done(bassani headers,Flowmaster Y pipe, magnaflow hi flo cat, flowmaster 40 series)
engine is being rebuilt right now with 35-255-5 cam, ported stock heads, roller rockers, k&n filter (this is sufficient for me, for now )

So what would you do next? (With about $2000)

4.56 gears/locker/limited slip?
fix quarter panels/fender flares?
kickass bumper/winch?
upgrade to 6" lift/ 35" tires?
soft top/cowl induction hood?

ANYTHING????

 

Personally, gears, lockers, wheels, tires to fit the rest of the package. But then 4" of lift is all I'd ever want. Follow that with the fender flares etc.

 

i would get the 4.56 gears and limited slip in the front and rear

 

sounds like you are building one tough truck, will it be a daily driver?

 

4.56 gears/locker/limited slip First of all you don't need the LS if you get the lockers. I mean it could be helpful, but not necessary. But two grand is not gonna get you gears AND lockers for the front and back, especially when you consider the fact that if you are installing lockers then most people also replace all of the bearings while they are in there. And the bearings run about $300 for both diffs. It makes sense since you have everything apart. Of course if you do all of the work yourself, two grand WOULD get it.

I don't mess with differentials. I had a bad experience the one time I did and determined that on jackstands in my driveway, with no air tools, it ain't happening. It was on a Chebby truck, I couldn't get the crush sleeve to crush, it was a nightmare. $250 for bearings and seals etc, fixed it enough to drive to the shop for another $750. However, I did the work in Salem, Oregon and had to drive it home to Everett, WA! That was a fun drive..NOT! You should have heard that thing scream all the way home. And I even said F' it and went to see Multnomah Falls on the way back (nice place). 'Course then I was young and dumb and , well you know the rest.

Anyway if I had two grand for my Bronco alone, it would be for front and rear lockers, installed, with the new bearings. I already have LS and with 31's I don't need a gear change. It took a near death experience last month to convince me of the usefullness of lockers!

 

Randy's Ring and Pinion has supplied me with new gears, bearings and complete installation kits for front AND rear along with Eaton Elockers front AND rear and the total was just under $1800. I have the luxury of having friends who are willing to set up the new gears for the price of beer and pizza so this will most likely be the extent of my expenditures on this project with the exception of gear oil and my time to put the axles back under the truck.

 

Sounds great! Hook me up! I can get beer and pizza and I rarely drink so they can have all the beer! And I don't even want the gears. Just lockers and bearings and seals etc. I eat a lot of pizza though. I can eat a whole large and I am not a fat man.

 

LOL, wander back east here and I'm sure we can work something out! But that'd be a looong trip just to get bearings, seals and lockers. Not to mention the ridiculously tedious drive through Kansas on I-70.

 

Yeah I wanted to do gears with a locker in back and LS in front first,but was quoted at $3000 here in Massachussetts and not sure if I'd be happier doing other stuff first.
Have a lot of people run 35's with 3.55 gears and been happy with that? Ive heard that with a 351 its not that bad and mine is at least somewhat modified...

 

$3k, wow! Didn't realize how good I had it with friends in the biz. Gonna hafta buy a really big pizza and a lot of beer for 'em. I mean the components cost me just over half of that. Wonder what your guys would want if the parts were already provided. You know, buy the parts yourself and avoid the markup the shop puts on everything. Just a thought.

35's with 3.55 gears? Yikes, if you can live with it ok. Personally, I was frustrated with performance with 33's and 3.55's. Can't imagine going taller. It'd put your highway RPM's down UNDER 1600 in OD. Not sure even a 351 would fair well for passing and hill climbing with the engine turning that little up on the highway. Thats less than two times the idle speed for these trucks. Granted I was running a measly little 302 (included more for JBronco's pride there) but still, those numbers are low even with the additional 49 cubes.

 

Oddly enough, I enjoy Kansas. It's the complete opposite of the cities and suburbs that I despise. I even took my vacation there once, driving around in the Bronco with my dog for three days, well we went to Texas too. One of the the best steaks that I have ever had came from the Blue Hereford in Ford, Kansas. It's about 20 miles SE of Dodge. That was sort of my destination for my trip last time, the first time I found it by accident. But I went back and had a ribeye just as good as the first time several years before. It's far from being a tourist spot or a destination for anybody, it's a small town. But the food rocks. Not really off of I-70 though.

Anyway it's almost worth the trip, the labor on the lockers and bearings is fairly high.

JB