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1985 Eddie Bauer build

73517 Views 406 Replies 41 Participants Last post by  mtbikerTi, 
AbandonedBronco
So, as some of you know, my '81 was rear ended a few months ago.

http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum...ronco-wheeling-related/474274-built-last.html

http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum...ng-related/476545-sad-day-but-undeterred.html

I found myself a nice '85 while I was visiting friends in Seattle. It was in nice shape, but just a little rough. I could just tell it was very solid (doors clicked closed nicely, no rips or tears in the interior), just some cosmetic stuff that needed work, like a broken wing window, cracked windshield, some body rust, etc. Bought it for $1800 and drove it 500 miles home. It has 50,000 on the odometer and I'm imagining considering it's condition, that it's probably 150k. It also hasn't been registered since 2011.

Over the next few months, all of the goodies from my '81 will be going into the new '85. My family tells me I should call it the Phoenix since it'll be bringing the other back to life.

Time for a build thread!


It's a 1985 Eddie Bauer edition with all the bells and whistles. I had looked at several other Broncos, and found a few I liked, but despite the issues it had, this one stood out. I also like that it has a tan interior, which is about the only other color aside from the awesome black interior of my '81 that I could stand. (I even passed up some nicer Broncos because I knew I couldn't stomach the pimp red interior for the next who knows how many years. :toothless)

Another set of pictures I took half way home from Seattle. Had to stop and commemorate the new Bronco. I'm hoping the original Ford Bronco tire cover will fit over 32" tires, but I have my doubts.




Here it is sitting next to my '81


I just finished building my 300 in April, so it'll definitely be going in in the near future. It currently has an EFI 302 and an AOD. I'm debating between the NP435 I have in the '81 or getting a ZF5. The 3.00 worked great with the NP435 but the 3.55s in the '85 might be a bit much on the highway. An overdrive is much needed.

http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum...builds-only/408513-performance-300-build.html


I'll also be keeping the EFI pump and installing a fuel injection kit of some kind. I think I'm checked out on carbs.

Immediate things I knew it needed

Tachometer is all screwed up. Just sort of flops around and points wherever.
AOD shifts hard
Cracked windshield
Rust in the body panels and rotted tailgate
Fuel gauge doesn't work
Headliner sagging
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AbandonedBronco
SRWillis said:
How's the ride of your new leaf springs? Did they raise the rear any?
Click to expand...
It's actually really hard to tell if it raised the rear, since I replaced the front coils at the same time. I didn't measure before.
However, there seems to be about an inch or more space between the tires and the fenders, which says a lot.

The ride is amazing. It's so cushy, it's like a new truck. Even off-road, we were going over some serious rocks and rough road, and it was the most comfortable trip I'd ever been on in it.
Ahhh... loved it.

I mean... If the road is bad enough to do this when I misjudged some rocks, and I'm saying the ride is cushy... Yeah, I'm really happy with my new springs and coils. lol

165475

Not too happy about my skid plate though.
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Doosenberry
That looks like it hit right about where the brace is on the inside of the skid plate. Dented the tank?
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Hillbilly Heaven
Wow is that one of JBG skid plates?
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AbandonedBronco
Doosenberry said:
That looks like it hit right about where the brace is on the inside of the skid plate. Dented the tank?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure on the tank yet. I'm assuming so, although there is about an inch between the plate and the tank. So, maybe not. Either way, I imagine if it's dented, it's not dented very much.

Hillbilly Heaven said:
Wow is that one of JBG skid plates?
Click to expand...
It is! It's a pretty hefty gauge too! Really came down on that rock, hard.
It surprised us all, since no one saw the drop until after.
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SRWillis
AbandonedBronco said:
It's actually really hard to tell if it raised the rear, since I replaced the front coils at the same time. I didn't measure before.
However, there seems to be about an inch or more space between the tires and the fenders, which says a lot.

The ride is amazing. It's so cushy, it's like a new truck. Even off-road, we were going over some serious rocks and rough road, and it was the most comfortable trip I'd ever been on in it.
Ahhh... loved it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the report, sounds like what I need. I want to do them before or the same time as my ZF5 swap.

You did a number on the skid plate, but that's what they're for!
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Flesh Eater
AbandonedBronco said:
It's actually really hard to tell if it raised the rear, since I replaced the front coils at the same time. I didn't measure before.
However, there seems to be about an inch or more space between the tires and the fenders, which says a lot.

The ride is amazing. It's so cushy, it's like a new truck. Even off-road, we were going over some serious rocks and rough road, and it was the most comfortable trip I'd ever been on in it.
Ahhh... loved it.

I mean... If the road is bad enough to do this when I misjudged some rocks, and I'm saying the ride is cushy... Yeah, I'm really happy with my new springs and coils. lol

View attachment 165475
Not too happy about my skid plate though.
Click to expand...
If those are all stock springs, could you do me a favor and measure from the center of your rear wheel hub to the bottom of the fender?

Mine is 20.5” on worn out springs and blown shocks. Wondering how much new leafs will net me.
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AbandonedBronco
Finally got around to measuring them.
Mine are 20.5" front and rear.
That's without any lift.
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Flesh Eater
AbandonedBronco said:
Finally got around to measuring them.
Mine are 20.5" front and rear.
That's without any lift.
Click to expand...
Where did you order your springs from?

Do you happen to remember the weight rating?

Thanks!

Also, nice work on those axles/regear!
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AbandonedBronco
These are the springs I ordered:

www.generalspringkc.com

1980 - 1996 Ford Bronco rear leaf spring, 5(4/1) leaves, 1650 lbs capacity

General Spring provides rear leaf springs with 1650 lb spring capacity for the 1980-1996 Ford Bronco. Call or order online today and find the best deals!
www.generalspringkc.com www.generalspringkc.com

There was a 1390lb set (42-811) and a 1650lb set (42-813). From what I could find, the 42-813s were the stock rating, so I went with those. They don't feel stiff at all, and make for a very nice ride.

And thanks! The gears and axles were a really fun job. Very rewarding to go out and hit some trails, as well as drive it every day and have the diffs nice and quiet. First time regearing, so it's been really rewarding.

My only concern is that I got the front Dana 44 bearings too tight (it was a bear to get the diff into the housing without a spreader) but it took the same amount of preload to spin the front yoke as it did the rear 9", so I think it'll be okay. Plus, the front only spins about 50 miles a year, as opposed to the rear diff spinning all the time.
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Flesh Eater
AbandonedBronco said:
These are the springs I ordered:

www.generalspringkc.com

1980 - 1996 Ford Bronco rear leaf spring, 5(4/1) leaves, 1650 lbs capacity

General Spring provides rear leaf springs with 1650 lb spring capacity for the 1980-1996 Ford Bronco. Call or order online today and find the best deals!
www.generalspringkc.com www.generalspringkc.com

There was a 1390lb set (42-811) and a 1650lb set (42-813). From what I could find, the 42-813s were the stock rating, so I went with those. They don't feel stiff at all, and make for a very nice ride.

And thanks! The gears and axles were a really fun job. Very rewarding to go out and hit some trails, as well as drive it every day and have the diffs nice and quiet. First time regearing, so it's been really rewarding.

My only concern is that I got the front Dana 44 bearings too tight (it was a bear to get the diff into the housing without a spreader) but it took the same amount of preload to spin the front yoke as it did the rear 9", so I think it'll be okay. Plus, the front only spins about 50 miles a year, as opposed to the rear diff spinning all the time.
Click to expand...
I was looking at the springs on Jeff's Bronco Graveyard, and they list two different weights, and claim the 1,650lbs. spring raises the vehicle 2"-3".

Yes, running larger tires off road on 3.55 gears is okay, but 4.11's are probably SWEET. There's a lot to go into learning how to re-gear so that was probably awesome having it all turn out so well!

Agreed. If it that front axle was engaged full time, I'd probably be concerned, but I doubt you'll have any issues with it. It's definitely nice finding your thread, since you kept it stock height. :)
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9
Wow! What an awesome build thread. I've been on the forum a while but just got back on and started scrolling. Very impressive build. You've got me wanting to get mine back into tip top daily driver condition. Do you happen to remember where the eec was located for the v8? After seeing your kick panel vents I really want to find a set but I think my eec (1990) is behind my kick panel.
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AbandonedBronco
Thanks! Much appreciated. It's been a really fun and rewarding build.

The EEC on the '85 was up underneath the dash, just to the right of the steering column. No idea where it'd be on a 1990.
The sheet metal didn't change much, so I can't imagine it being behind the kick panel, as there's a big hole for the vents there. It also requires a bit of interior disassembly to get the kick panels out, which would be really inconvenient if you had to service the EEC.

I'm curious if 87+ models came with the kick panel vents. They are are a nice addition! I use mine all the time in the summer, even with the A/C.
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AbandonedBronco said:
Thanks! Much appreciated. It's been a really fun and rewarding build.

The EEC on the '85 was up underneath the dash, just to the right of the steering column. No idea where it'd be on a 1990.
The sheet metal didn't change much, so I can't imagine it being behind the kick panel, as there's a big hole for the vents there. It also requires a bit of interior disassembly to get the kick panels out, which would be really inconvenient if you had to service the EEC.

I'm curious if 87+ models came with the kick panel vents. They are are a nice addition! I use mine all the time in the summer, even with the A/C.
Click to expand...
I looked today and it actually is behind the kick panel 😳😳 I've seen you and "Reptillikus" take the effort to put them in so natural I want them too haha. Reptillikus had the same issue that I have since he's using a bricknose body on his rebuild. He got an extension harness to move his ecu. I've swapped a zf5 into mine as well and I've mildly built my factory injected 351 so I'm going to use an A9L mustang ecu and go to mass airflow. since I've got to build a harness anyway I might try to find a harness and ecu bracket like yours originally had and move the ecu while I'm at it. The 87-88 bricknose f250 351 trucks were carbureted so they had a nice rubber plug in the ecu hole..... hmmm i need to hit the junkyard 😁😁
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dash_cam
AbandonedBronco said:
There was a 1390lb set (42-811) and a 1650lb set (42-813). From what I could find, the 42-813s were the stock rating, so I went with those. They don't feel stiff at all, and make for a very nice ride.
Click to expand...
hey there, your bronco is looking good!

i have a question about your springs, if you don't mind. i know that you will tow a trailer time to time. i wonder how these factory springs hold up doing that. i'm looking to replace my springs front and back with minimal lift over stock. however, my old springs sag with any load on them. i am debating if i should try to get slightly stiffer springs or go with stock.
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AbandonedBronco
Hey dash_cam. Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I haven't towed anything. Mostly just filled the back with camping gear. It's enough weight that I certainly feel it while driving (acceleration wise), but it doesn't handle any different, and the back end hardly drops at all.
But yeah, so far no trailers, so I'm not sure on that one. They seem plenty strong though.
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SRWillis
AbandonedBronco said:
Next, I figured that since the rear was getting new leaf springs, the front should get new coils. MOOG makes a progressive spring replacement for about $80 a set. If they suck, it doesn't set me back too far, so they're worth a try. :D

The only thing I don't like about them is it looks like they have a lot more coils in them, which means they'll coil bind easier. But, we'll see:
Click to expand...
Hey AB, how are you liking the Moog springs? Thinking of putting a set on mine.
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AbandonedBronco
I really like them and have had no negative issues. They're comfortable on the road, and I've given them a serious workout off-road and they made for a good ride.
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SRWillis
AbandonedBronco said:
I really like them and have had no negative issues. They're comfortable on the road, and I've given them a serious workout off-road and they made for a good ride.
Click to expand...
Great! Can't ask for much more than that. Thanks for the report!
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AbandonedBronco
So, it's been a while since I've had any updates!

It's been a long year for the Bronco.
Back in March, I took it into a body shop because it was already rusting out from the previous body shop's work.
Pretty awful for only 2 years.

Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Automotive tire


Automotive parking light Automotive tail & brake light Car Vehicle Automotive lighting


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tread


Not to mention, this is on the driver's side. The passenger side is the one that had the full panel replacement. The driver's side rear wheel well was one of the few places that originally didn't have any rust. So they did some horrible prep work or something.

To make matters worse, the whole area around the panel on the passenger side was starting to crack.

So, I took it in on March 1st 2021 to get it all patched up and repaired. The guy there told me it would take about 4 weeks.

Well.... long story short, it didn't take 4 weeks. After he got into it, the previous shop had pretty much destroyed the body. Instead of just cutting out what they needed of the patch panel, they cut out the whole thing. Then, since it was seam to seam, they had nothing to attach the panel with, so there were only a few spot welds and the rest was just filled with bondo. He said that everything wrong they could do, they did do. He recommended that I sand blast the entire thing to strip it down to bare metal, and start completely over. Which I did.

Since it was taking way longer than it was supposed to and a lot more work needed to be done, he had to fit it in between schedules. The Bronco was at his shop for about 8 months...
I only got it back at the end of October.

Car Tire Land vehicle Vehicle Wheel



Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Automotive tire



Tire Wheel Car Automotive parking light Vehicle


Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Automotive tire



Here's the crack after the bondo was sandblasted out of it. It was barely attached.

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Hood Vehicle
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AbandonedBronco
It really sucked going the entire summer without the Bronco, as I had a lot of plans that kept getting cancelled, but I was glad to know it was all going to be done right.

As it should have been done the first time, he only cut out the sections he needed to repair:

Vehicle Car Wheel Hood Automotive tire


Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Automotive tire



Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive lighting Hood Automotive tire


The previous shop had taken the panel right up to the door, so there was almost nothing left to attach it with. They had connected it with a few sheet metal screws. So all of this had to be redone too.

Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Hood Wood


Here's the section the previous shop cut out, which was the entire size of the patch panel:

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Vehicle Automotive tire


Passenger side rust fix:

Automotive parking light Tire Vehicle Automotive tire Automotive lighting


Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Automotive tire

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