• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Red Label 68 4.6 Terminator Powered Bronco

OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Update 3/30/10

Well starting to get busy again. Got the steering column in and firewall cut, pulled the cab and got to work on the body. Taking it down for Line X Friday.
RedLabelBuild33010002.jpg

RedLabelBuild33010004.jpg

RedLabelBuild33010009.jpg

RedLabelBuild33010027.jpg

RedLabelBuild33010018.jpg
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Update 4/3/10

So we took it over to get LineXed in Gilroy on Friday. I'm glad he has the right stuff to do the job. I used to use a Rhino Line place but it was always a pain cause they didn't have a fork lift to get the cabs around or anything. So between now and Tuesday when we pick it up it'll just be finish welding in all the brackets and gussets on the frame and painting it. All the rest of the equipment seems to be on the way so it seems like things are really going to start picking back up come next week. Ballistic got the rod ends out on Friday, the Aluminum links left Branik on Wednesday, and the gauges all left Florida on Thursday. The only thing that I didn't get what I wanted was the gas tank. I wanted BC Broncos 23 Gal cause it has a slide adjustment you can use with any size body lift, but it was on back order. So I had to settle for a 20 Gal from Crazy Horse and it showed up within 2 days. Hopefully I'll have it tuning in 2 weeks.

IMG_0646.jpg

IMG_0642.jpg

IMG_0631.jpg

IMG_0612.jpg
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Update 4/7/10

Lots of new pics! Things are starting to heat up. It was like an early Christmas yesterday. I'd been cleaning up the frame and finishing up the gussets for the link brackets and the body ended up taking an extra day at LineX. Good thing cause it took me a little longer than I expected on the brackets. I think I'm going to stick to stack welding rather than trying to lay down continuous beads in tight spots. So yesterday while we were painting the frame here's what showed up. Ballistic Billet Rod Ends, Branik Aluminum Links, and the body. I ended up short handed but my buddy was able to help me setup the links before he took off so I could finish them up. It was a pain getting the motor back in and the body unloaded by myself but luckily I had a full trailer of ratchet straps. The forklift looked like it was a launderette party. Oh well I'm off to Texas for NHRDA this weekend but things should really get to pick up next week. I'm kinda glad I'm letting the paint dry over the weekend though.

IMG_0714.jpg

IMG_0724.jpg

IMG_0735.jpg

IMG_0736.jpg

IMG_0750.jpg

IMG_0721.jpg

IMG_0722.jpg
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
hope you dont mind all the questions... really interested in some of the stuff your doing.

Your steering box looks a little different than the one I see on PSC's site.

is it something they put together custom for you? Was it $800?

I like the idea of using late model superduty axles. They are a little easier to find. Some people say the balljoints wont hold up to huge tires but I dunno. Some people also say the "unit bearings" (dont even know exactly what that is) are a concern too. But others say no problem. Guess time will tell.

So what was the reasoning behind getting new knuckles for the front axle? Just to get high steer or is there another reason? Did you have to buy custom hubs for that or are those stock also? Did you use the stock axle shafts?

just trying to get an idea of what would be involved with going with the superduty axles compared to setting up a Dana 44 with some RCV axles.

thanks,
dan

I don't know how I missed your questions. Sorry. Yes the power steering box is the same one in the pic.

As for the axles the BJ issue is an urban legend from the older non SD (superduty) axles. Dodge BJ's seem to still have issues but we've been running a dozen 99 and newer SDs with anywhere from 35s to 40s since they came out and never had any issues. I just replaced them on my '05 with just over 120K on it and it gets drug hard and has had 40s on it since a week after I bought it back in late '04. The Currie knuckles are OE 99-04 SD knuckles but are on back order. They really need to figure something out though cause they have a diamond but people are really upset that they aren't more readily available. It only takes one clown to start talking crap to hurt their business. I though got lucky, beat the rush, and have been very happy with the product and service. The unit bearings are only an issue with the 99-04 axles but with the proper offset it's not really an issue. All the failures I've seen are rigs running huge offsets or short fat tires. As the tire diameter increases in relation to the width it's not an issue. I think the 42x14.5s are the max they can handle. All the larger tires start jumping to 16 Plus wide and then there starts to become too much stress on the unit when turning. As for the axle shafts they are surprisingly strong. I ran stock 05's on the buggy with 42" Iroks for 2 years and never had an issue. The '05 had the long front start to twist last year and I replaced it but that was it and it didn't fail. I probably even did it when I bent the track bar heim joint shaft at Hollister hitting a 3' Washout full throttle a year and a half ago. If you use one just replace the unit bearings as soon as you get it. The rears are stout I even run Detroit lockers on all of them and never have issues, the newer units only lock up if you smash the throttle as long as they aren't setup too tight. And for the front I run E-lockers, but ARB's work just as well if not better I just hate relying on air. I've seen way too many people get out on the trail and find out they have a leak or blown line and can't do crap about it. Oh, and the '05 and newer are more superior but modifying them is a no go due to the driver side link mounts being part of the cast housing, unless you plan on running radius arms. Plus their mounting track width is about 1.5"s wider. Hopefully that helps.
 

Hal9000

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
1,324
Loc.
Flagstaff, AZ
Damn, How you have the time and money to do all that (and your other projects) in such a short amount of time without breaking the law is a mystery to me.

Let me know if you want to vacation in AZ sometime, I could use some help with my projects ;)
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Damn, How you have the time and money to do all that (and your other projects) in such a short amount of time without breaking the law is a mystery to me.

Let me know if you want to vacation in AZ sometime, I could use some help with my projects ;)

lol Thanks and sorry I can't make it out. Late nights, lots of Red Bull, and Copenhagen. I owe my wife some personal time.
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Well sorry guys, I'm not going to make it to Knotts Berry this weekend. Too many parts on back order and still not in my hands. It'll still probably be another couple weeks before I even get it started. So best I can hope for know is the Nor Cal Bronco Rubicon Run in June. Should be plenty of time to get it done and maybe even dialed in a little bit.
 

Slim

Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
119
Loc.
Costa Mesa
Damn, that's some impressive fab going on in your shop. May sound a little odd but my favorite part of the build is all the tub work. Your firewall/battery box and trans hump are unbelievable very well done.:eek:
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
dude! those rod ends are $130 each. Who's funding this thing, Warren Buffet?

:eek: I got them for $90 before they upped the price due to the Mil. Specs changing. They had to honor the orders placed before the spec change at the price at the time of sale.
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Damn, that's some impressive fab going on in your shop. May sound a little odd but my favorite part of the build is all the tub work. Your firewall/battery box and trans hump are unbelievable very well done.:eek:

Thank you.
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Update 4/24/10

Well finally put some time in on the rig last night. Put the seats in to check the positions and mark the rear seats to get notched out for the rear coil buckets. On the rear seats we have to have a 3"x6" square notched out of the front corners. The couple of inches I was able to drop the front seats really helped out the driver position. Before my head was right next to the roll cage. Started to look at the Hydro boost setup. It's going to be tight. The reservoir cap is 3.75" above the top of the bracket and puts it pretty close to the hood line, which really hurts me trying to tuck it up away to create room for the coilover hoop and tires. But I think it'll work out, it'll just be a tight. Got the rear links in and flexed it out a bit. It looks like the couple of the adjustment made between the 1" body lift and 1" or 2" on the frame really created some nice clearance for the wheel wells. I'm thinking it'll end up about a 6"-8" lift when all is said and done. I have a set of 37"s that will really show the height difference when I'm done. Also got the intake all in. I might change one of the straight boots to a elbow to get the intake up a few more inches.

RedLabelBuild42610040.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610051-1.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610041.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610042-1.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610050-1.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610056-1.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610047-1.jpg

RedLabelBuild42610053-1.jpg
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
Update 4/29/10

Last night we got all the brackets welded on the front axle and painted. The rear seat came back a day early so I was able to get that in too, so now I can put the Tuffy Box back in and install the gas tank. 20 Gal Wild Horse. I wanted the 23 Gal. BC Bronco one cause of the extra couple gal. and its full adjust ability, but they were on back order and this one will give me more clearance. Got the Superduty Hydraulic Steering MC mocked in. Now I just need to build the T plate and cut and adjust the pedal. I tucked it really high and tight to the fender to give me as much clearance as I could for the shock hoop to the inside and the tire on the under side. On a conventional build with smaller tires and inner fenders it would actually work out quite nice. The upper 3rd link bracket at the axle end looked kind of scary so I added a gusset to the inside to create a pulling force so it can't get ripped off. It's a Ballistic piece that I opened up to offset the bracket so that the trac bar can run perfectly parallel with the axle, and was just really sketchy about both the leverage force on the welds at the axle tube and the patched in area at the bend.

Ballistic Hybrid Coilovers should be in late next week so I'm about 3 weeks from having her off the jack stands. Also made my list of a few loose parts to order last night to get me pretty close to the finish line:

PSC 2x8 Cylinder
C6 Shifter
Lokar Gas Pedal
Proto Fab Tube Bumpers

RedLabelBuild42910004.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910008.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910009.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910010.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910013.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910014.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910012.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910005.jpg

RedLabelBuild42910007.jpg
 

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
nice, that upper link bracket looks a lot stronger now. I never could figure out what Ballistic bracket you used for that but with the close-ups I finally get it now.

I was out last night looking under the truck trying to see if I could do the same for my upper but my exhaust is in the way. Did you have to do anything special for the passenger side exhaust to allow an upper control arm inside the frame?
 
OP
OP
houseofdiesel

houseofdiesel

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
253
nice, that upper link bracket looks a lot stronger now. I never could figure out what Ballistic bracket you used for that but with the close-ups I finally get it now.

I was out last night looking under the truck trying to see if I could do the same for my upper but my exhaust is in the way. Did you have to do anything special for the passenger side exhaust to allow an upper control arm inside the frame?

Ya on both sides I have issues. I'm going to have to have custom headers made that dump out over the frame at the firewall. The drive line is right in the way on the other side.
 
Top