Lifted Vintage Bronco Offroading Beast!

The head turning beauty of the classic Ford Bronco is hard to deny and an early Bronco is tough to find. With only 230.800 Broncos produced between 1966 and 1977 the few that are still left are getting more expensive.

Ford produced the Bronco to meet competition from the Jeep CJ and the International Scout.

Performance

Engine – Standard: Inline 6 – 170 cid (2.8 L) -> 200 cid (3.3 L)

Engine – Optional: V8: 289 cid (4.7 L) -> 302 cid (4.9 L)

Hp: 205 (302)

Torque: 290 lb·ft (393 N·m) @ 4300 rpm (302)

Transmission: 3-speed manual – later C4 automatic optional

Turning radius: 35 feet (10.7m)

Reasonable performance, especially with the 302 V8 engine and a really short turning radius.

Size & capacity

Dimensions: Wheelbase = 92.0″ (234cm) – Track = 57″ (145cm) – Overall Length = 152.1″ (386cm) – Width = 69.1″ (176cm) – Height = 70.8″ (180cm)

Weight: 3360 lbs (1524 kg), gross weight GVWR: 4299 lbs (1950 kg)

Seating: 4

Towing capacity: Not too much!

Payload rating: 900 lbs (400 kg)

Wheel bolt pattern: 5 x 5.5

Short and light weight.

Offroad

Ground Clearance: 8.6″ (22cm)

Suspension front: coil springs

Suspension rear: leaf springs

Axles front: Dana 30 – later Dana 44

Axles rear: Ford 9″

Good ground clearance and coils.

Bronco Modification / Lifting tips

Start with a non-rusty lifted truck and work from there 🙂

The Bronco is very popular among offroaders as the simple no-frills design is built to handle well in tight spots and rough terrain. With the inline 6 or the more powerful V8 302 and Ford 9 inch axles in the rear and Dana 44 front axles in the later models the driveline is pretty robust. Coil spring suspension in the front and a more traditional leaf springs in the rear creates a nice starting point for an awesome lifted 4×4.

The Dana 44 is a strong front axle that can handle up to 35 inch tires and even 38″ with the stronger 38mm u-joints.

The 28 rib 8″ rear axle is not strong enough to handle bigger tires than 35″. Popular modification is to use the stronger (and wider) Ford 9″ from a pickup and move the wheel centers out. The rear suspension can be upgraded with four-link type using coils or airbags.

Dana 60 front and rear would be the optimal modification for even more serious offroading!

The original steering box has 5.3 turns lock-to-lock. The 1976 and 1977 models have the much more desirable 3.8 turns.

The biggest drawback for the classic Bronco for offroading is how short it is.