Bronco L swap

GT347SC

Member
Since my clone is totaled I'm considering a bronco build. I know the 4x4 to 2x4 is straight forward on the front. If I want to use the L rear springs it seems all I have to do is swap the mounts from my truck. Do they just bolt back in or does anything have to be redrilled? Also does anyone know if a hidden hitch will work on a bronco with the large fuel tank? I want to use my roll pan and hidden receiver if I can. Any tips I you want to throw out there are appreciated.
 
Not familiar with the Bronco stuff you're asking about, but would like to see this as you build.. Keep us posted,,,:tu
 
Yes, the spring hangers will swap in without modification or additional drilling. I think the recommended bolt to replace the rivet is 7/16" grade 8 (at least that is what my DJM kit came with.)
 
i keep pondering doing something like this as well... not so much a Lightning Bronco, but a lowered 2wd bronco... which may or may not include Lightning parts.
 
Since my clone is totaled I'm considering a bronco build. I know the 4x4 to 2x4 is straight forward on the front. If I want to use the L rear springs it seems all I have to do is swap the mounts from my truck. Do they just bolt back in or does anything have to be redrilled? Also does anyone know if a hidden hitch will work on a bronco with the large fuel tank? I want to use my roll pan and hidden receiver if I can. Any tips I you want to throw out there are appreciated.

To start off I converted to 2wd in the bronco due to its lack of use and pain in the *** maintanence with the ttb. I know it isn't that hard but because I never used 4wd I decided to ditch it. I was lucky enough to find a lightly totally 95 lighting with 88K miles for $2200 complete and running.. I sold the bed and the center seat for $1000 and after that sold off misc parts and eventually recouped all $2200 while keeping the two seats, gauge cluster, steering wheel and column, door panels, wheels, every single piece of the suspension, complete engine, tranny rearend, etc.. The end result is an abslutely amazing handling truck with a ton of power, room for 6 adults, and tons of looks from people either saying holy **** I never new ford made a 2wd bronco or why did he do that..anywho... heres the tech write up..

Suspension: Front...
Start by removing the entire ttb setup..
1. Disconnect the abs sensors on the front two rotors in the engine compartment (just follow the lines up until you find the connectors that should be attached to the fender liners.)
If you do not have abs then disreguard..
2. Next unbolt the calipers and leave the brake lines attached as you can reuse the same calipers for the 2wd rotors and do not have to re-bleed the brakes..
3. Now disconnect the sway bar end links that attach to the part that sits under the soil spring.. Pull the sway bar towards the front of the bronco so it is out of your way. You do not have to completely remove it.
4. Separate the tie rods from the spindles with a fork tool.
5. Remove front driveshaft.
6. Now you ready to drop everything out!
7. Make sure the truck is supported from behind the radius arms with heavy duty jack stands and let the front end hang under its own weight. At this time place a jack under the ttb on whichever side you are going to unsecure the springs and shocks from. Jack it up to put pressure on the coil then remove the one bolt that holds the top of the coil in. Now the coil should be loose. Then unbolt the shocks and remove jack. Repeat other side..
8.Now you can unbolt the radius arms followed by the axles that attach to the crossmember directly under the motor. Be carefully as the entire setup is extremely heavy and will almost fall out by itself!
9.Now you can install the 2wd parts in pretty much the exact opposite order. The only differences being is that you will only have one shock absorber on each side, and you will use the rear mount on the stock bronco shock/spring tower.
10. The sway bar will attach to the 2wd parts in the same manner as it did with the factory 4wd setup..
11. Its also a good idea to get it aligned after all of this although mine was very close to stock because I did not adjust the toe rods at all and the donor parts were already assembled..

Rear:
I used first gen lighting complete rear (8.8 with drum) and the lighting rear leaf springs which are 2.5 inches wide as apposed to the broncos 3 inch wide springs. This imposed some creative thinking. To get a level stance I had to get some AIM industries drop hangers (not shackles) and remove both the front and rear leaf spring hanger/mounts.. I then aquired some rear leaf mounts from a stock f-150 from a junkyard with factory shackles. The hangers from AIM have different bolt holes to attach it to the frame then the broncos so I welded up the holes on the hangers and redrilled them to match the holes in the frame on the bronco. With the bronco sitting on the complete 95 lighting rear end with the leafs in the lowest position it gives a level stance with stock 95 lightning front springs. Sounds like a lot of work but it gives a factory look because it tucks the leafs up out of site whereas doing a axle flip would leave the leaf down low in site of everybody..Now all I have left to do is remove half of the bumpstop and put a small c-notch in the frame above the axle housing to clear it when I hit bumps.. As it sits the stock bump stop is 1/2 inch away from the top of the housing..

Using stock leafs 3 inch wide procedure..( i do not recommend)
1. Remove stock bronco leafs and have them dearched at a reputable spring shop..
2. Done.. Like I said I do not recommend this at all.. Your final height not be known until it is on the bronco and they may end up sagging after awhile..PLus if you ever want to lower it more there are no aftermarket lowering parts available for 3 inch wide leafs..

Using F-150 springs or Lighting springs..
1. Support the frame of the bronco and just barely let the tires touch the ground..
2. Using a punch punch the center of the rivets that attach the hanger for both the front and rear of the leaf springs. Use a 7/16th inch drill bit and drill through the top of the rivet head.. You should be able to punch the rivet out once you have drilled as deep as the frame..
3. Remove the hangers from the frame, then unbolt the leafs from the axle housing.
4. The stock f-150 leafs with the stock f-150 hangers and shackles will give you roughly a four inch drop with no other adjustments made.. I chose to go lower due to the lower front springs from the 95 lighting.
5. So I got some AIM industries drop hangers for a 93-95 Ford lightning. I then welded up the holes on the hanger and ground the welds flat as if the hanger never had holes to mount it to the frame. Then using the old hangers from the stock bronco setup I used them as a template to drill the new holes...( the f-150 have different mounting hole locations than the bronco)
6. Using grade 8 1/2 bolts I then mounted the hangers front and rear, and then reattached the leafs to the axle housing..
7. I chose to use Bilstein shocks and of course they never made 2wd broncos so I had to use the bushings from my stock bronco shocks and replace them into the new bilsteins to fit in the bronco.
8. The sway bar can still be utilized using all stock mounting locations.

Tranny/Driveline:
IF you plan on keeping the stock 4wd e40d then you just have to leave the front driveshaft removed and you are set..However if you decide to ditch the transfer case then here ya go..
1. Find a 2wd e40d, I am not sure if the 4wd e4od can be modified into the 2wd version.. I think it has to do with different tailshafts or something?
2. You will need the transmission crossmember from your stock 4wd e40d plus one that bolts to that one that the tranny mount bolts to.. You can fins them in junkyards or ford for like $60 bucks.. I made my own out of angle iron..
3. All the plugs are the same except you wont be plugging the transfer case in anymore so you can either cut it off at the body (the harness) or zip tie it up..I chose to tie it up..
4. You will need to measure from the end of the aluminum tailshaft housing to the flange of the rear end and take that measurement to a driveshaft shop and have a new one made. I got a brand new metal one made for $266.. My measurement was 39.25 inches but it will vary from truck to truck so make sure you double check your own..
5. This mod alone drops probly 150 lbs.. The e40d, transfer case, converter, and full of fluid was extremely heavy I would guess over 350lbs.. PLease be very carefull when removing it! I almost lost a finger when it slipped off my tranny jack..

Interior:
I only have the seats and steering wheel from the 95 lighting in my truck so this portion is simple and short.
1. Remove old steering wheel with harmonic balancer wheel puller after removing the air bag (make sure you disconnect battery before removing air bag)
2. If your clock spring is bad now is the ideal time to replace it..
3. Replace with perferated leather wrapped steering wheel from lighting (94-95), 93 lightnings had the same perferations but it was a non air bag steering wheel.
4. I used the 93-95 Lightning seats in the bronco. I had to reuse the tracks from the bronco becuase the Lightnings seats were never meant to slide forward like the broncos because they were mounted to a steel frame that went accross the entire truck.. I simply bolted the bronco seats on at the front of the tracks from the bronco then re-drilled the rear locations to match the lightning seats holes.. And viola the best seats ever made for the f-150.

18 Gallon Gas Tank Mod:

I chose to go with a smaller tank due to the hideousness of the huge 33 gallon stock tank hangin down on the back of the bronco especially with the roll pan.. I have always hated that about the bronco.. So i decided to see if a stock 18 gallon tank from a 92-96 f-150 would work..and it did..well kinda..There was quite a bit of modification necessary but it is in there now and at the same time I was able to install my hidden receiver hitch.

1.Remove old gas tank
2. Remove rear bumper with brackets.
3. Remove the rear most crossmember completely.. You will have to drill the rivets out to get this thi out, this was the biggest PITA of the project.
4. On the passenger side frame rail mark on the top rail 3/4 of an inch from the crossmember above the axle housing all the way to the back of the bronco.. This portion needs to be cut off.
5. On the bottom of the frame rail on passenger side also cut 3/4 of an inch off i the same manner as the top one.
6. to be continued..gotta go back to work
 
Griggslx,, got any pics??
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homemade 2.5 cowl hood
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neh

You built the cowl part too? Or did you buy the cowl from somewhere and fitted it for your bronco?

Bought off ebay for 85 shipped and was originally designed for 87-93 mustangs. It was about 5 inches too long but i was able to use that extra length for support at the rear of the cowl..And as far as the eddie bauer bronco goes it was rust free but had taken a smack to pass side quarter panel.. I picked it up for 300 bucks..I used to post under ROBSLXTASY but for some reason i can not access that user name anymore..
 
Grrr. I've decided to just fix my truck but seeing these broncos makes me really want one. I guess that will be my next big project.
 
here

What did that cowl run you?
http://www.racecomposites.com/cmus3.htm

This is the exact one I purchased..It is now 120 shipped.. With epoxy filler/aircraft stripper/sanding pads I think I ended up paying about 150 for the hood to be done..

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What did that cowl run you?
http://www.racecomposites.com/cmus3.htm

This is the exact one I purchased..It is now 120 shipped.. With epoxy filler/aircraft stripper/sanding pads I think I ended up paying about 150 for the hood to be done..
 
Looking good. Always wanted to convert and lower a bronco, but Ive gotten lazy in my old age. Ive been putting off swapping diiff's for a month now. It would be cool to see one with fatty's and skinny's set up for drag racing.
 
I like the Bronco L look.... Just about to the point of to look for a bronco and swap my stuff into..
 
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