Question

that sounds like a pretty baddass truck! for 3 grande i would look really hard at the 4wd and at rust and stuff, i know if i spent money putting a lift in i would be beating on it!
but it looks pretty clean in that picture!

BTW i dont think lift hieght has anything to do with emissions
:goodfinge

Yea but things like bumper height, and head/tail light height matter. It looks good and if it all works it is worth the price IMO.

I just moved back home to KY from VA. I've been told by police that as long as you aren't over 3" of body lift, they will leave you alone. I have the regs around here somewhere though, and I will get back with you on that.
I don't know where you are in VA, but there are plenty of shops that will pass it. By the way, they don't worry about emissions there. They just do a safety inspection, and check to make sure all of your lights work and that you have a cat or no exhaust leak. So, check for exhaust leaks, make sure your signals and brake lights all work. If it has auto windows, make sure they go down, with exception of the rear. Your horn has to work too.

I'll get back with you when I find the regs.

Your gonna wann check for rust around the wheel weels, and up in the underside of the tailgate. make sure the 4 wheel drive engages and disengages properly, and for somereason right now my mind is goin blamk. i remember a similar thread not long ago, try a search and you should turn up some good results

Thanks for the advice so far :thumbup Anthing I should listen for when I engage 4 wheel drive. Also, not sure what tranny this year bronco uses, but does it make any sounds I should listen for? If you can think of anything else to check, let me know!!

check the ball joints, tie rod ends, drive shaft u joints, brake rotors, and ALL the dipsticks.

Andy351 said:

check the ball joints, tie rod ends, drive shaft u joints, brake rotors, and ALL the dipsticks.

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:stupid yes, fords are notoriosly KNOWN for having bad front ends... another thing to check into would be the bearings on both of the axles, and like the others said, the brakes, the tranny (smooth shifting), see if the hubs engage properly, and look underneath and in the engine bay for any areas that look like any serious leaks have been... looks good though, and for 3 g's, ah, probably not TOO MUCH wrong with it! good luck though - hope you get it :thumbup

and another thing, you might want to look into taking it to a mechanic to get it checked over... the extra 60 or so bucks can go a LOOONG way!

Wouldn't it have a AOD tranny being an 87? Good luck with it.

if its a 351, then its a c-6

http://geocities.com/coryseiber/truck/tech/laws.html

VIRGINIA
Don't even think about driving on these highways if there is more than 28 inches between the bumpers and the road if your truck falls in the 4,500-pound GVWR rating. For 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, the front bumper must stay lower than 29 inches and the rear 30 inches; for 7,501 and 15,000 pounds, it's 30 at the front and 31 at the rear.

That's why I love Kentucky. The good ole boys don't bother me. But like I said, if you don't go over 3" of body lift, they'll leave you alone. Just don't piss them off. You should see the lifted trucks at the beach. Some of them are insane. The cops have more fun hunting ricers, and ticketing people for having tinted windows. You'll be safe.

Andy351 said:

check the ball joints, tie rod ends, drive shaft u joints, brake rotors, and ALL the dipsticks.

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You mean there is more then one dipstick?!

Just adding my two cents here, but don't the '87's have those whacky front hubs??

yeah, the crappy automatic ones... they alwasy go out, so he might want to get up in there and check em out, or take it somewhere to be checked out... :shrug their a cheap fix - but it would be better to know before hand so you dont find out on the trails!

jermil01 said:

Just adding my two cents here, but don't the '87's have those whacky front hubs??

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Did you mean auto or the six bolt ones?

Yeah, there was a 6-8 month period where the hubs and rotors were "special", somewhere around 87/88, but converting to regular manuals is not too big a deal. The Bronco looks very clean from the pic, so 3K seems fair, if the mechanicals are in order. You can always check with the D.O.T. for the lift laws, headlight height, etc., to be sure you are street-legal. You may be close to the limit with that amount of lift, and the tinted windows add another measure of "guilt" from the law. It's a good idea to have a copy of the statutes when one of the state boys pulls you over!

Looks good from the pics. I just bought my wife a 88. You need to check the transfer case. Is it electric shift 4x4? Plus check and make sure theres not alot of play in the transfer case drive chain. Ours is streched - Costs about 300 to fix - Chain is 80.00 plus labor.

while your under there, grab the rear drive shaft and see if you can wiggle it around - see if the gears are failing.....