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What did you do to your bronco today?

2M views 25K replies 2K participants last post by  TheBandit704 
#1 ·
Lets get a sticky!!!

It's easy, tell us anything you've done to your Bronco today. It could be as simple as staring at it, or as complicated as finishing a SAS, doesn't matter


I washed mine today, and tried to fix my loose passenger side mirror
 
#24,101 ·
Replaced AC clutch, set the gap, cranked the engine and flipped on the AC……

Squeewaaakkkkkk! Engine stall…..

AC compressor is locked up. Thought I was being clever saving $150 by just replacing the clutch but nope. Now I’m replacing the compressor and accumulator, so I have to get the R-134a reclaimed, install the parts, then go back to get the system evacuated and recharged. Oh well.
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#24,102 ·
Replaced the hood latch release assembly. The plastic for the handle finally broke off. Easy little repair. Used some zip ties to hold the cable against the fender wall. $21 part off of eBay.
 
#24,103 ·
Replaced the hood latch release assembly. The plastic for the handle finally broke off. Easy little repair. Used some zip ties to hold the cable against the fender wall. $21 part off of eBay.
I need to do my hood latch cable soon too.
 
#24,105 ·
Installed new AC clutch on black 96. Can anyone confirm the clutch spacing? It’s now at 0.018” and it’s noisy - need more space? I’ve read 0.025” is good. Anyone know the correct space? I’ve read several different numbers. View attachment 212830 View attachment 212831
seeing this post just made me wonder something... can you pull that ac clutch off without disconnecting and removing the pump? ive done zero ac work i any one of my three fords but i got two out of three that don't work. lol

edit* just saw your follow up and i guess it answered my question... so shouldnt you be able to check the ac pump some how to see if its locked up or free?
 
#24,106 ·
seeing this post just made me wonder something... can you pull that ac clutch off without disconnecting and removing the pump? ive done zero ac work i any one of my three fords but i got two out of three that don't work. lol

edit* just saw your follow up and i guess it answered my question... so shouldnt you be able to check the ac pump some how to see if its locked up or free?
Yes, the clutch assembly can be removed without removing the compressor or draining the system. It’s a bit tricky but there’s a YouTube video or two out there - it helped me. I could have tried to spin the compressor by hand, but I didn’t think about it at the time. Oh well.
 
#24,107 ·
I picked up a set of Alcoa aluminum wheels yesterday for $200. They had been plasti-dipped gray and had an older set of Duratrac tires with about 50% tread. But the tires are in decent shape and hold air, so I’ll use them for a few months as I monitor the tire specials. I soaked the plasti-dip with WD-40 and let it sit for 5 minutes, spreading it all around the wheel. Then I used a thin-bristle wire wheel to gently clean off all the plasti-dip. It all came off very easily and the wheels cleaned up really well with a wipe down and brakleen polish lol! Now just to move the center caps from the steel wheels to these.
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#24,108 ·
Assessing the current exhaust & weighing options. I need to quiet it down a bit, as I will be starting it up at 2am to head to work. It's not ugly loud as it is, but at 2am it may not be tolerated as 2pm. Right now it's 3" all the way from the hugger headers, through a crossover single muffler, and two pipe out behind the passenger rear corner. Not bad in the cab, but outside it's above a medium growl. Thinking I'll try a couple of resonators just to keep the low rpm range down.
 
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#24,109 ·
My zf5 rebuild got finished today. They said it was flawless inside but I had it rebuilt anyway for peace of mind while it was apart. I’m so stoked to get this thing swapped in.
 
#24,110 ·
Replaced AC clutch, set the gap, cranked the engine and flipped on the AC……

Squeewaaakkkkkk! Engine stall…..

AC compressor is locked up. Thought I was being clever saving $150 by just replacing the clutch but nope. Now I’m replacing the compressor and accumulator, so I have to get the R-134a reclaimed, install the parts, then go back to get the system evacuated and recharged. Oh well.
View attachment 212938
View attachment 212939
View attachment 212940
At least it didnt lock up 200 miles from home when you pull into a campground and say, why is there smoke coming out of my hood! At least my clutch didnt lock up so i could drive without ac.
 
#24,111 ·
Working on @Burntoutaccountant 's rig, i tore the knuckles off last night in prep for removing the third member today. Well i ran into a problem with the side bolts on the diff. One is touching the radius arm!

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Since Solo's instructions for radius arm bracket placement was wrong, i had to take the rear of the radius arm mount off anyways, which allowed me to pivot the RA over and get the bolts out. Got the diff draining now.

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Next up will be moving the radius arm brackets rearwards. The driver side was okay, but the rear heim was screwed all the way in. The passenger side has the bottom of the coil at least an inch farther forward than the top of the coil, with the heim screwed all the way in. So their instructions were way off, basing the brackets' position by a specific hole already in the frame. Passenger side needs moved back at least 2 full inches. Gonna be drilling a bunch of holes above my head... Fun! 🤣
 
#24,112 ·
Assessing the current exhaust & weighing options. I need to quiet it down a bit, as I will be starting it up at 2am to head to work. It's not ugly loud as it is, but at 2am it may not be tolerated as 2pm. Right now it's 3" all the way from the hugger headers, through a crossover single muffler, and two pipe out behind the passenger rear corner. Not bad in the cab, but outside it's above a medium growl. Thinking I'll try a couple of resonators just to keep the low rpm range down.
I did similar on my 08 f350 that someone stole a cat off of. I hacked the other off, made a new y-pipe, and hooked it up to the muffler. Which was now way friggin louder than before. If this was 15 years ago, i would have loved it. But it got annoying fast.

I happened to have a pair or 2.5" SLP loudmouth resonators on my totalled mustang. So after the single 3" muffler, i split it down to dual 2.5" and welded the resonators on. Then a small 2.5" to 3" expander and a turndown. It comes out in front of the rear tire on a single cab long bed pickup. Its hidden completely by the bedside.

It toned it down pretty good, but its still one of the louder trucks on the road. But before, whoa boy, it was like i was at the local race track constantly. The muffler is a small borla proXs so it doesnt do much actual muffling.
 
#24,113 ·
Got the driver side radius arm moved back, 1.25". Which, with half an inch of heim threads now showing, put the coil spring straight up and down. Used a plumbob to make sure.

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Also got the diff out and ready to go to the gear shop for a zip locker and 4.88 gears
 
#24,114 ·
At least it didnt lock up 200 miles from home when you pull into a campground and say, why is there smoke coming out of my hood! At least my clutch didnt lock up so i could drive without ac.
@MS88Bronc its funny now... But that was a 1000 dollar compressor and clutch! And not long after i put it on, the shop burned down. What a bummer!
 
#24,116 ·
Working on the 8 lug ttb swap on @Burntoutaccountant 's rig. Got the 6 bolt knuckles cut up and ready for finish grinding. Then time to test fit the K20 backing plates. The carbide tipped saw blade in the chop saw made quick work of it. Its basically just cutting the caliper mounting ears off, then making the backing plates fit.

One side done.
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I used the spindle studs to clamp it in my saw. Wasnt the most sturdy but being a solid piece of material, it worked fine.

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#24,117 ·
not too hard at all. The hardest part is cleaning the block up and trying not to get the crud being scraped off in to the engine.
Little trick when on a stand, roll it over and do it upside down….. little hard to do with the block in the truck! But if ya try remember to video tape it 😝
 
#24,119 ·
Added two 8" resonators to the exhaust, moved the crossover muffler back about a foot, then ran one side over to the drivers side. It's not perfectly matched on both sides, but it will do for now. Definitely quieter outside, at least 20%, and way quieter in the cab.
 
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