[95 bronco Eddie Bauer]

ok so i've got a 95 bronco 5.8 e40d and its SD not MAF and im looking to get some better power without changing to MAF. i've been looking at blueprint 408 engine, 408 stroker kit or just a whole new engine swap, id like to keep it to around 6-8k budget. i know broncos aren't suppose to be tow pigs but i cant have 2 trucks at once and i wont sell my bronco. anyways i plan to be pulling about 1500-2000 pounds almost everyday. its a 12 foot trailer with a mower and weed eaters on it. so i'm looking for maybe 275-325hp but more tq that hp is ok. so if you have any recommendations for what i should do that would be great. Thanks!

 

[MS88Bronc]

You could easily install a stroker and stay under your max budget, and towing that sort of setup should be no problem at all, even for a stock setup. You may want a set of helper springs or load assist coil over shocks since you’ll be doing it every day. However, have you considered just a simple regear? You could go to a lower gear ratio (front and back) and stay WAY under your budget and get the power you’re looking for. You have overdrive, so you’ll have no problem going lower on your gear ratios. You’d be looking at maybe $2k for a shop to do it for you, instead of your $6-8k. Just a thought.

 

[95 bronco Eddie Bauer]

You could easily install a stroker and stay under your max budget, and towing that sort of setup should be no problem at all, even for a stock setup. You may want a set of helper springs or load assist coil over shocks since you’ll be doing it every day. However, have you considered just a simple regear? You could go to a lower gear ratio (front and back) and stay WAY under your budget and get the power you’re looking for. You have overdrive, so you’ll have no problem going lower on your gear ratios. You’d be looking at maybe $2k for a shop to do it for you, instead of your $6-8k. Just a thought.

no i have not thought of doing a regear because im still in high school and it will be my daily driver and going 70 mph im already at 2300 rpm or so and i dont like doing that because im almost at 200,000 miles and dont know the condition of the engine and trans but if i were to do a 408 stroker kit and a regear what gears would you recommend?

 

[CDA 455]

All I got.

 

[MS88Bronc]

no i have not thought of doing a regear because im still in high school and it will be my daily driver and going 70 mph im already at 2300 rpm or so and i dont like doing that because im almost at 200,000 miles and dont know the condition of the engine and trans but if i were to do a 408 stroker kit and a regear what gears would you recommend?

Just keep in mind, that if you regear by “one level”, your RPMs won’t increase all that much - maybe 200 RPM at 70mph? Also, installing a new 408 stroker in front of a 200k mile E4OD trans might put you on the short list for a new trans. Not saying it will, just saying it could.

Regardless, I don’t know what your gear ratio is, or tire size, but let’s say for the sake of argument you are stock with 3.55 gears and 31” tires on your Eddie B. You could bump up to 4.10 gears front and back (which was an option from the factory with 31” tires), and you’d feel like you installed a new engine, and your engine would actually be working “less” to accelerate and hold speed. It’ll have no problem turning 2500-2600 on the freeway. I routinely ran 2800 RPMs on my old engine with 185k at 85mph with no issues.

That said, I hear Crebs and Blueprint are decent if you feel like you need to engine swap.

 

[95 bronco Eddie Bauer]

Just keep in mind, that if you regear by “one level”, your RPMs won’t increase all that much - maybe 200 RPM at 70mph? Also, installing a new 408 stroker in front of a 200k mile E4OD trans might put you on the short list for a new trans. Not saying it will, just saying it could.

Regardless, I don’t know what your gear ratio is, or tire size, but let’s say for the sake of argument you are stock with 3.55 gears and 31” tires on your Eddie B. You could bump up to 4.10 gears front and back (which was an option from the factory with 31” tires), and you’d feel like you installed a new engine, and your engine would actually be working “less” to accelerate and hold speed. It’ll have no problem turning 2500-2600 on the freeway. I routinely ran 2800 RPMs on my old engine with 185k at 85mph with no issues.

That said, I hear Crebs and Blueprint are decent if you feel like you need to engine swap.

yes its 3.55 with 31 inch tires and ive been thinking of upgrading to 33 inch tires, and for the transmission ive been having problems with it shifting and my rear main seal is bad so im going to get that fixed by a shop and at the same time im thinking of getting a transmission rebuild at the same time.

 

[MS88Bronc]

yes its 3.55 with 31 inch tires and ive been thinking of upgrading to 33 inch tires, and for the transmission ive been having problems with it shifting and my rear main seal is bad so im going to get that fixed by a shop and at the same time im thinking of getting a transmission rebuild at the same time.

Ok - keep in mind that an E4OD rebuild usually runs around $2k. Also, if you go to 33” tires, and you want to tow, you’ll definitely want a regear. A 4.10 gear will get you back to approx stock (3.55 with 31” tires) and 4.56 will get you the added power that I mentioned earlier.

It’s up to you, but if it were me, and I wanted to spend $8k on upgrades, here’s what I would do:
Buy a crate engine long block - a direct replacement of your 5.8. Get the trans rebuilt. Regear to 4.56 if you go to 33” tires. That will net you plenty of power to tow like you want, and you’ll have a warranty on your power train. That should be around $8k. Now the tires, that would be another $1k lol.

 

[AngelaLansbury]

ok so i've got a 95 bronco 5.8 e40d and its SD not MAF and im looking to get some better power without changing to MAF. i've been looking at blueprint 408 engine, 408 stroker kit or just a whole new engine swap, id like to keep it to around 6-8k budget. i know broncos aren't suppose to be tow pigs but i cant have 2 trucks at once and i wont sell my bronco. anyways i plan to be pulling about 1500-2000 pounds almost everyday. its a 12 foot trailer with a mower and weed eaters on it. so i'm looking for maybe 275-325hp but more tq that hp is ok. so if you have any recommendations for what i should do that would be great. Thanks!

I have attempted to use my Bronco to tow stuff and I would ultimately advise against it. The wheel base is too short so the trailer winds up steering you, instead of vice versa. I had the same idea as you though and I wanted to try it. If you are absolutely dead set on towing with your Bronco, the best thing you can do, in my opinion, is get some sort of tailer leveling kit. I had a cheap airbag kit and it worked ok. The airbags kept the driveline straight but towing still wasn't the best.

I wound up having a problem where I ground off the factory coating to install the bags. I didn't rust proof it well enough, apparently. I wound up taking the bags off to rust proof it and then I did not reinstall them. Instead, I bought a turbo diesel truck to tow my boat.

It is a hard pill to swallow, I know, but Broncos just do not tow great. I'd spend the $8k on a truck and save the miles on your bronco.

I know this is kind of a "nobody asked" answer but I wish someone would have told me this 5 years ago.

 

[CDA 455]

I have attempted to use my Bronco to tow stuff and I would ultimately advise against it. The wheel base is too short so the trailer winds up steering you, instead of vice versa. I had the same idea as you though and I wanted to try it. If you are absolutely dead set on towing with your Bronco, the best thing you can do, in my opinion, is get some sort of tailer leveling kit. I had a cheap airbag kit and it worked ok. The airbags kept the driveline straight but towing still wasn't the best.

I wound up having a problem where I ground off the factory coating to install the bags. I didn't rust proof it well enough, apparently. I wound up taking the bags off to rust proof it and then I did not reinstall them. Instead, I bought a turbo diesel truck to tow my boat.

It is a hard pill to swallow, I know, but Broncos just do not tow great. I'd spend the $8k on a truck and save the miles on your bronco.

I know this is kind of a "nobody asked" answer but I wish someone would have told me this 5 years ago.

You do bring up a valid and necessary point: Does the Bronco tow reasonably?

I answer is, "AS LONG AS I STAY WITHIN THE BRONCO LIMITS OF TOWING AND HEED THE TRAILER-TOWING RULES/PRINCIPLES".


Bought my Bronco in '04 and have been towing with it since '06.

For 15 years I've towed my 900lb camper on 1,440lb HMMWV trailer loaded with 400+lbs of stuff. Less than half the Bronco's towing max (6,600lbs).

And since the 8.8 is rated at 3,770lbs, I simply added a 2" lift block to deal with the sagging when the trailer was hooked up.

I will admit; the first season I towed the set up was a WTF towing season. Buddy asked, "How's the tongue weight?"

The lightbulb went off over my head, followed by the hand-plant to the face. For whatever reason, I completely forgot applying proper tongue weight!

So I set up water and fuel jerrycans in the front of the camper/problem solved.

 

[AngelaLansbury]

You know I think what you’re towing is important too. It looks like your trailer is about 2000lbs lighter than mine so you can prob get away with it. Watch that driveline though.


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[AngelaLansbury]

I think I kinda assumed you’d be towing more considering how much power/torque you were looking for.


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[CDA 455]

This is probably the only time I max'ed-towed with the Bronco.

Because of the 33s/3.55 gears/W.A.G. of a 6,000lb trailer, I drove the Bronco 1,000 miles in 2nd gear.

I drove between 50 to 55MPH the whole 1,000 miles.

I don't have a tach., so I guesstimated I was doing approx. 3,400 to 4,000RPMs.

 

[CDA 455]

You know I think what you’re towing is important too. It looks like your trailer is about 2000lbs lighter than mine so you can prob get away with it. Watch that driveline though.


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If you're towing at or near max, then yeah, it could be a handful/wrestling match.


But that also applies to, say, a 2021 F-600 towing 17,000+lbs trailer.

 

[Stevo440]

ok so i've got a 95 bronco 5.8 e40d and its SD not MAF and im looking to get some better power without changing to MAF. i've been looking at blueprint 408 engine, 408 stroker kit or just a whole new engine swap, id like to keep it to around 6-8k budget. i know broncos aren't suppose to be tow pigs but i cant have 2 trucks at once and i wont sell my bronco. anyways i plan to be pulling about 1500-2000 pounds almost everyday. its a 12 foot trailer with a mower and weed eaters on it. so i'm looking for maybe 275-325hp but more tq that hp is ok. so if you have any recommendations for what i should do that would be great. Thanks!

Have you tried towing with your present setup? 2000lbs isn't that much considering. I towed my 3700lb boat and trailer so approx. 4000lbs total 300 miles each way on the highway and up winding roads from Woodstock GA to a Lake in NC somewhere and set the tongue weight to the proper weight and it towed just fine, sure I could have used a little more oomph but you'll only be towing 2000lbs and I don't see a big problem there. Start out with the BASICS see how it tows the way it is, then go from there: Gears would be the next step then look into the engine upgrades, keep the tire size where it is for now then look into that change later on after trying things out. Spend thee least amount of money you can to start out and add from there. We all know the Temptation for wanting more POWER but it ain't a hotrod it's a Truck and to much Power kills other parts down the line. Good luck "Grasshopper" in your Adventures that lie ahead.

 

[JBR14]

You mention your rear main is bad. Do you plan on fixing that while doing your rebuild, replacement. The reason I ask is, if you are planning on doing that first, unless it is leaking badly, I wouldn't mess with it. You stated you were taking it to a shop. The labor for that is a decent amount, and they will need to pull the tranny back or motor out to replace. If it can wait, just do the rebuild, replace or whatever it is you end up doing. Thats my .02, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Stevo440]

I also forgot to mention in my last post (#14) make sure your Bronco is operating at its Designed potential timing, sensors, fuel system, induction system, ignition system, exhaust system etc that everything is operating correctly. The 5.8 isn't a power house but it still isn't that bad when it is operating at 100% either. Mine still feels great at 309,000 miles going strong and getting decent MPGs, Just some more thoughts.

 

[CDA 455]

yes its 3.55 with 31 inch tires and ive been thinking of upgrading to 33 inch tires, and for the transmission ive been having problems with it shifting and my rear main seal is bad so im going to get that fixed by a shop and at the same time im thinking of getting a transmission rebuild at the same time.

With what you posted;
Absolutely minimum gears: 4.10s (I would go 4.56s).

If your tranny is working properly (even a slow leak); I would suggest holding off on the rebuild on it.


Redo the gears before you do an engine swap.


I'm on the same path as you're thinking/planning right.

👇My sig for my set up👇

 

[NickOille]

So you say you are on 31’s and doing 2300 rpm at 70, that doesn’t add up if you are stock gears. Your truck should be a 3.55 gear truck, which should put you between 1900-2000 to do 70 mph. Either your truck is already geared 4.10, which I doubt, or your torque converter isn’t locking going down the freeway. I think you have a trans problem, or your motor is running like poo and you are too deep into the throttle going down the freeway for it to allow the torque converter to lock.
200,000 miles doesn’t scare me on one of those motors as long as it was at least half ass taken care of, and 3000 rpm down the freeway doesn’t scare me either.
Have you gone through and done a general tune up? Plugs, cap, rotor, check timing, check compression. Cats getting plugged? Any sketchy stuff a previous owner might have done?
I’d bet something isn’t right there…. Should be night and day difference with everything working properly. And if you still need more power after that, re-gear to 4.56

 

[95 bronco Eddie Bauer]

Have you tried towing with your present setup? 2000lbs isn't that much considering. I towed my 3700lb boat and trailer so approx. 4000lbs total 300 miles each way on the highway and up winding roads from Woodstock GA to a Lake in NC somewhere and set the tongue weight to the proper weight and it towed just fine, sure I could have used a little more oomph but you'll only be towing 2000lbs and I don't see a big problem there. Start out with the BASICS see how it tows the way it is, then go from there: Gears would be the next step then look into the engine upgrades, keep the tire size where it is for now then look into that change later on after trying things out. Spend thee least amount of money you can to start out and add from there. We all know the Temptation for wanting more POWER but it ain't a hotrod it's a Truck and to much Power kills other parts down the line. Good luck "Grasshopper" in your Adventures that lie ahead.

yes i have and funny enough i my mower is a grasshopper but anyways its pulls fine but like you said i want some more oomph out it with living in kc,mo and having some hills and some traffic

 

[95 bronco Eddie Bauer]

So you say you are on 31’s and doing 2300 rpm at 70, that doesn’t add up if you are stock gears. Your truck should be a 3.55 gear truck, which should put you between 1900-2000 to do 70 mph. Either your truck is already geared 4.10, which I doubt, or your torque converter isn’t locking going down the freeway. I think you have a trans problem, or your motor is running like poo and you are too deep into the throttle going down the freeway for it to allow the torque converter to lock.
200,000 miles doesn’t scare me on one of those motors as long as it was at least half ass taken care of, and 3000 rpm down the freeway doesn’t scare me either.
Have you gone through and done a general tune up? Plugs, cap, rotor, check timing, check compression. Cats getting plugged? Any sketchy stuff a previous owner might have done?
I’d bet something isn’t right there…. Should be night and day difference with everything working properly. And if you still need more power after that, re-gear to 4.56

i sit at about 1600-2000 doing 60-65 and i did have a toruqe converter code a couple of months ago and i plan to get the rear mail seal replaced hopfully this winter and at the tiem get a shit kit or something done to the trans and a new tourqe converter as well.i have done the usual tune just recently i replaced the distrubitor and did a 6 liter tune up on it but havent towed since cause my pcm is shot and waiting on getting a new one in